Taking A Step Towards The Lifestyle We Desire!
Well my wife Patricia, my daughter Néa (2 yrs), and I decided to take a giant step forward towards the lifestyle that we desire; a lifestyle that will allow us to spend a portion of the year in Canada and a portion of the year exploring the tropical paradise of Belize. We look forward to boating on the Caribbean sea, trekking through the rainforest, caving, spending time in unspoiled villages, dancing to the drums of the Garifuna, and who knows what else.
We decided to buy 1.4 acres of land in Sanctuary Bay, which is located more or less between Dangriga and Hopkins in the Stann Creek district of southern Belize. Sanctuary Bay is a community that is currently in phase 1 of its development but over the next 5 years John Usher, the owner of Sanctuary Bay, and his team are building a luxurious eco-friendly community that will be equipped with a marina, a commercial area, landing strip, and other great amenities. For the time being though, we are proud owners of a GREAT piece of jungle that is about a 20 minute walk (at a very leisurely pace) to the Caribbean Sea. Our back yard looks out to the Mayan mountains and we are a stone through away from a beautiful lagoon and river. Over the next two years we plan to build a guest home so that we can start enjoying our investment and then we plan to build a main home that blends our desire to be stylish and eco-friendly.
Family, friends, potential investors, and people who are just naturally curious about our investment seem to ask us two questions; Why Belize? And Why Sanctuary Bay? I thought I would share some of these reasons with you.
Why Belize?
- Amazing natural beauty including tropical rainforest and the second largest barrier reef in the world
- We can escape the rat race and relax in a tropical paradise filled with friendly people and a laid back Caribbean vibe.
- It is the only English speaking country in Central America making business and real estate easy to navigate for English speakers
- Belize boasts a long standing history of a stable, democratic political system
- Commonwealth country with legal and governmental systems based in English Common Law. This is a familiar system for many investors
- Currency pegged to USD ($2 Belize = $1 USD)
- Great financial incentives including no capital gains tax in addition to other incentives for business owners
- Belize has yet to be flooded by foreign investors. This has kept prices low, unlike the already flooded markets of many Caribbean Islands, Costa Rica and Mexico
- Property prices are on the rise creating a good return on investments
- Carnival cruise lines is investing $50,000,000 in their Belize City port
- Both Canada and Europe are working on adding direct flights to Belize, which will increase tourism and bodes well for property values
- Non-Belizeans may own properties and businesses with 100% title and no restrictions on location
- Belize has an amazing retirement plan
Why Sanctuary Bay?
- Sanctuary Bay is located in what many consider to be the most beautiful part of Belize, the south.
- The community sits on the Caribbean sea
- Preserving the natural beauty of Belize is paramount to Sanctuary Bay.
- 12K acres of land are being reserved for wildlife
- The community has lush forest and an abundance of wildlife, flowers, and plants
- An outstanding 70-slip marina is in development
- Amenities such as restaurant, markets, doctor’s office, etc. are part of the master plan for the community
- A landing strip is planned for Sanctuary Bay
- An equestrian centre is planned
- John Usher and his team have a reputation for getting things done
