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#142864 05/22/02 08:47 PM
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Amen Gay....if it were easy ...we'd all live there....well-most of us!!! Cool to have you as future neighbors!!!! When are ya'll going back, for how long????? C&R Sweet Jane- I don't think you understand our intentions...or our soul's...I told Rick tonight..."You can take the girl away from the island, but you can't take the island away from the girl". LOL Coconut Cheri...if on AC- do a "Coconut Curl". Please!!!....Angel Blessings!!! C&R

[This message has been edited by rickcheri (edited 05-22-2002).]

#142865 05/22/02 09:04 PM
Joined: Oct 2001
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All I can say is, I REAAAALLY hope Ambergris does not grow into another Cancun. (I'm sure folks like to go to Cancun, that's perfectly fine. That's their choice. But you know what I mean.) I don't care who came when, who builds what, whether someone is gringo, ex-pat, I-pat, you-pat,...whatever. I just hope it isn't turned so commercial like the rest of the planet is becoming. That's just my two cents.

[This message has been edited by trina (edited 05-23-2002).]

#142866 05/22/02 10:29 PM
Joined: Feb 2002
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susangg:

Plenty of beachfront was given to locals a long time ago. Some of those locals still own their own beachfront. Some chose to sell it. That's OK, I think. It's called "business."

I don't understand why a condo was the only "affordable" alternative for you...about the time you bought your condo's I bought my land and built my house for about 1/2 of what you paid for your units. My house and land have appreciated by about 400% since then...how have your condo's done? Don't lie, Clarice, I will know.

You talk about "growth and its excesses"...so how many homes do you want to own? You don't live here, so the answer must be "more than you need". More homes, more of anything = growth. What did you think growth was? What is "excessive growth?" Do you define it as "growth that doesn't concern SusanGG?"

My response to the lizard (ha ha, great name) would be....do (all of you) come down and stay here for about 6 - 8 weeks. Feel the place out. Make sure it's right for you and your family. If you and your family AND ESPECIALLY YOUR CHILDREN like it still after this period then you'll be fine. Don't worry about "Belizeans only" for massage therapy. We don't appear to like doing it as much as we like receiving it. I think if you like it here and want to stay you will be fine. Your resume looks great. Once again....MAKE SURE YOUR FAMILY LOVE IT HERE...that is super important for your success here.

bywarren: We certainly have differed on this message board on a previous subject, but your post here is 100% spot on. You're the man.

#142867 05/23/02 01:02 AM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 5,255
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sorry, i didn't really mean to slap a label on anyone...just another bad word choice on my part. i am a college drop-out, after all. i am uneducated of the situation there as well. i just relate it to here. and i don't mean you have to own a condo, just not clearing more land. (i forget with you lawyers i have to mean just what i say, no metaphors!) i.e., building over existing older sites, or like kc, salvaging a new site gone awry. whatever. but trying to preserve as much as we can of what is left. where is the wildlife gonna live? the shores are nesting & mating areas.

i am no politico, nor environmental expert. and don't claim to be. my ignorance would show in no time.

i would never want to stomp on anyone's dream. i would just rather rent a condo or house for a week every year (my dream).

and gay, it's jane, you IGNORANT s--t. get your insults straight, dear [Linked Image]

JMHO.

#142868 05/23/02 01:27 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,080
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SweetJane,
No explanations necessary... I just wanted to give my point of view.

I'm confused about one thing... why in the world did you think that we salvaged a "new site gone awry?" Did I give that impression? (sorry, if I did!). It's a wonderful home built by a great builder, and other than a few delays here and there (hey! it's Belize!), absolutely nothing went awry! Anyway, not that it is important at all... but I just wondered where you got that impression.

BUT!! [Linked Image] [Linked Image] I'm leaving for the airport in an hour or so...... so I'll play catch-up on the bulletin board when I return (june 1).

Adios!

Kathy


"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
#142869 05/23/02 03:11 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
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Well, TrueBelize: I guess "excessive growth" is, like pornography, definable only in the eye of the beholder. It's a question that city councils are debating all over the world. It depends on what you like. If you have grown up knowing your community as a small fishing village and like it that way, you might very well feel all the big summer homes and hotels and maximum use of beachfront space is excessive growth. On the other hand, if you are from New York, you have a different perspective.
Ambergris Caye to me does not seem to have what I would call "excessive growth" (except as to cars) but I can certainly see many natives of AC would think otherwise.
If I was on the zoning commission and if the local town had the power to make its own zoning decisions instead of having to take orders from Belmopan, I would probably vote for greater setbacks in some places, and for minimum space requirements between buildings. For example, I think the Mayan Princess is too close to the water for such a big building and that that newly bankrupt taxpayer financed hotel that wanted to build 4 stories ("Fountain Blue?") should not have been allowed to build so close to its neighbors.
I think that the planned Avalon Resort would have nicely fit the definition of "excessive growth" in that it was too big a project for Ambergris Caye, would have used up more resources than the environment could sustain and I am glad it collapsed.
I don't know if "excessive growth" is the right term, but the shanty town project that the govt is trying to sell to people down south on the island, with no utilities and no hurricane resistant structural components and at exorbitant prices to the local people is not the kind of zoning that I would want if I had any say (but I don't so this is all useless musing..but you did ask.) The housing is needed, so its certainly not too much "growth" so I guess another term might be better but I'm not sure what it is.

I'm glad your real estate investment went well and your land and home appreciated so much. Ours did not, you are certainly right about that. I would say probably its appreciated no more than maybe 25-30% which is very low for more than 10 years. If we had thought about it at the time, we might well have invested more wisely as you apparently did. We were somewhat naive. I wish I had gotten some of the kind of advice that this board now makes available to people who are considering investing, and I surely try to do my part. The important thing is that we paid off the mortgage, took 10 years!
I don't think a condo is ever a good investment if your goal is resale, land and building on it is definitely better.


Susan Guberman-Garcia, Attorney at Law. Phone: 510-792-2639
Fax/Voicemail:: 510-405-2016 Email: [email protected]
#142870 05/23/02 08:59 AM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 5,255
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(hee hee, and i thought I was nutty being up that late...you two had me beat!)

and yes, susan, this is true if resale is your goal. how do these folks (like owners at 'the palms' or coral bay villas, etc) make out in rental fees? do you think they ever make back their investments? this is just for my own curiosity.

#142871 05/23/02 09:41 AM
Joined: Mar 2001
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Truebelize: you have me worried when we start agreeing. LOL At least Marty should be happy. It does not cost him as much money and he won't have to delete this topic.

Now if Jim and Susan start agreeing, this could really get scary.

[This message has been edited by bywarren (edited 05-23-2002).]

#142872 05/23/02 02:46 PM
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Right now a laborer-type working person can get a tiny cell-like "room" on this island for a minimum of $75BZ per week. Based on 30 days to the month this translates to $321BZE per month for a 12 x 12 space which includes a stove, fan and shared bathroom. To give you an idea of the cramped conditions in these "rentals" it is interesting to hie back to the recent fire that destroyed 7 small buildings .....and left 97 people homeless. That's almost 14 people per building.

The new Government/DFC housing project south of San Pedro may not be perfect, but it IS a chance for poorer families to buy and own something substantial for a reasonable price. The bigger houses are over 850 sq ft, the lots are 50 x 75ft and there is now water and electricity in place. The deposit is almost zero (families just need to pay the legal costs up front) and the monthly payments are about 850BZ a month.

Very importantly, the monthly payments INCLUDE insurance against hurricane and fire. All a family head needs to do is drink 3 Belikin Beers a week less than he does now and apply that to contents insurance. Now the family has a secure investment in a decent home.

As I've said before the project is not perfect...it could and should have been built stronger. But it's better than those awful fire hazard cellotex cells that landlords are ripping working people off with. And the included insurance means that the family head only has to worry about evacuating his family to a safe shelter in case of a storm. If the house washes or blows away it's not financial ruin for the family. The prices are much MUCH cheaper than market rate and no-one grumbles about the monthly terms.

The real key to the success of this project will be how much pride the new homeowners take in their property. If yards are kept clean and tidy, plants grown, trash eliminated etc. then values there will go up and working people will see the fruits of their investment.

For poorer people there is no alternative on Ambergris Caye and it's a million times better than what they're used to now.

#142873 05/23/02 03:26 PM
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I am glad to hear your details on the housing project. This is the first I've heard that electricity and water are now available and also, that the homes are covered by insurance, and even that no down payments are required. I hope that this info is being well circulated around town so that the people who need housing are aware of it. There definitely is a lack of affordable housing for working people on AC.


Susan Guberman-Garcia, Attorney at Law. Phone: 510-792-2639
Fax/Voicemail:: 510-405-2016 Email: [email protected]
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