Sun Spots

Hi everyone!  I hope that this posting finds you well.

I was recently speaking with the people at Sanctuary Bay and the project is proceeding very well.  They just released the updated Master Plan for the community which can be found at www.sanctuarybay.com/docs.  I'll be blogging more about the Master Plan later in the week, but I wanted to pass along an article from the the April 27th edition of Canadian Business magazine which I recently stumbled upon.  The article describes some of the great investment opportunities in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean; including Belize.  I thought that some of you may find this article helpful and wanted to pass it along.  

Sun Spots - By Ayah Victoria McKhail

Canadian Business, April 27, 2009 Edition

Despite plummeting real estate prices worldwide, not everyone's willing to give up on this traditional investment. Some are setting their sights down south, buying up properties in popular hot spots such as Belize .... 

Link to full article:

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/managing/strategy/article.jsp?content=20090427_16702_16702

The Financial Post Reports That "Life's a Beach In Belize"!

In October (2008) the Financial Post ran a great article on Belize called "Life's a Beach In Belize".  It includes an insightful recap on the following:

1. Belize's history (nice and concise)

2. Overview of it's eco-tourism industry

3. A snap-shot of some celebrities who have decided to invest in Belize

4. Insight into the real estate market

5. Overview of retirement programs

It's definently worth the read if you have already invested in Sanctuary Bay or if you are considering it.  

Cheer,

Chris

Belize Hotels and Resorts Amongst The Best In The World

On the night of the Oscar's (Feb 22, 2009) I thought it would be fun to share some great news about how Belize ranked in the 2009 Traveler's Choice Awards!

TripAdvisor's 2009 Travelers’ Choice Awards has recognied Belize as having some of the best hotels and resorts in the world.  Some of the Traveler Choice Awards categories that Belize was recognized for are:

• All inclusives resorts
  
• Luxury resorts
  
• Hidden gems resorts
  
• Romance resorts
  
• Family travel resorts
  
• Best bargin resorts 
  

In total nine hotels and resorts were recognized in TripAdvisor's poll.

So what does this mean for Sanctuary Bay investors?  In my opinion, such great press re-assures me that there is growing demand for the "Belize experience" and this demand holds well for Sanctuay Bay property owners:

• The tourist industry in Belize is still in its infancy and this ranking certainly reinforces the fact that Belize is approaching the developmen of their tourism industry in the right way.  Already it is being recognized as a top destination.
• As more people explore Belize there may be greater demand for owning property in the country -- thus driving up property values even more for investors who are 'getting in' during phase 1 and phase 2 of Sanctuary Bay.
• For those of us who are planning on building our homes sooner rather than later and renting out our places, there seems to be an existing and growing market for high quality resorts/homes.  

All this to say, the reports that argue that Belize is an undervalued and up-and-coming destination seem to be bang on!  

Two weeks ... but the blog is now live!

On December 13th the Ottawa Citizen newspaper ran a story on my family’s Belize endeavour and in the story I made reference to the fact that I would be launching a blog.  I think I mentioned to Sheila, the journalist who interviewed me, that I would be launching the blog in late January.  As I look at my Blackberry I realize that it’s Feb 16^th, 2009 so I’m a few weeks late with the launch -- but here it goes!

Tada!  The blog is intended for anyone interested in following the development of Sanctuary Bay and I hope that current and potential owners find value in the blog as well as anyone who has a general interest in Belize and these types of real estate endeavours.

To make sure that I’m delivering valuable information I plan to gather project updates from Sanctuary Bay, reach out to other owners and understand their plans for their land, share research on living in Belize, and providing summaries of general events in Belize.  To help make this blog relevant to you I’d really like to hear your thoughts and comments on my postings.  Please feel free to leave comments or email me (christopher@digital-endeavor.com). 

Cheers,

Chris