Ambergris Caye: Hot Spot Of Booming Belize Real Estate
Diane Campbell, a former Realtor in southern California whose husband, Bob, built homes in Malibu, moved to Belize's San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye in 1992. They continue in similar roles in the country's most popular second-home area, a narrow island a short plane ride from Belize City, where they operate Ambergris Caye Properties.
"We felt alive and healthy and happy here more than any place we had ever been," Diane said. "All the rest of the stuff - work, immigration . . . those things made the move possible, but they were not the motivating factor. The motivating factor was a passion for this country and what it represents."
The Campbells' primary customers are not unlike the buyers of second homes in other countries. These curious bands of aging baby boomers and early retirees are affluent folks looking for "active retirement" in a healthy and interesting location. Their focus is on outdoor sports, good basic health services, and communities they can enjoy and into which they can easily integrate. The single most common dream is a beach house, warm seas, palm trees, and an endless summer.
"People often come here with the same set of the questions that they have in the States," Diane said. "But they have no idea that the first-ever road is now in front of the house or that electricity is now available or that there is an improved airport. What has been increasing property values here is infrastructure improvements rather than speculation. Sure, there are people who say they could have purchased here for pennies years ago, but they probably would not have even considered it because there were absolutely no services back then."
Anyone can sell or buy property in Belize. The cost of real estate - like anywhere else - is obviously driven by location and demand. Property on Ambergris Caye probably is going to be more expensive than in the retirement communities of Corozal Town, on Chetumal Bay near the Mexican border, or in Placentia, one of the first retirement communities located on a 17-mile long peninsula on the country's southern coast. Caye Caulker, a 30-minute water taxi ride from Belize City, is a long-time fishing village and dive-snorkel haven first popularized by a bunch of hippies in the 1960s. And, if you really want off the beaten beach path, check out the relatively new expat community of Hopkins, a lazy seaside village about eight miles south of Dangriga on the central coast once described as "the edge between paradise and poverty." Building materials typically are less expensive in the northern portion of the country because they can be imported from Mexico while homes on the islands and cayes are more expensive to service and typically need additional fortification from the weather. In fact, some areas have no public services and rely on solar and wind power and private septic systems. By: The Real Estate Communicator Article Source: http://www.ArticleDashboard.com Tom Kelly is a real estate columnist and radio show host with 33 years of experience as a professional journalist providing consumer hints and tips, as well as explaining concepts and terms in a friendly, understandable style. His book, Cashing In on a Second Home in Central America, is considered an indispensable guide to Latin America real estate purchase south of the border.
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