Is Belize For You?

Yesterday, I began reminding you (and me) why Belize is one of my favorite places on Earth.

In addition to all of the points I made then…

Belize is also home to the second-longest barrier reef in the world.

Offshore its coasts are some of the world’s best snorkeling and scuba diving…

And these waters are a fisherman’s paradise.

Maybe you saw Matt Lauer’s NBC “Today Show” special that highlighted the beauty and significance of Belize’s reef system.

Banking and financial services are important parts of Belize’s economy, but they’re not as important as tourism.

This country is a peaceful, eco-tourist retreat, home to more than 540 species of birds, 4,000 species of flowering plants, and 700 species of trees. Nearly 40% of Belize is protected as parkland and nature preserves.

Belize is home to the world’s biggest concentration of Mayan sites. Two of the most spectacular are Lamanaii, the largest continually occupied city in the Maya world, and ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal), to the west, in the Cayo District. To reach it, you travel through a forest and then swim through a cave…

Belize is rain forest tours, horseback riding in the mountains, hikes to the 1,000 Foot Falls (one of the largest in Central America), and pristine rivers cascading into shallow pools perfect for an afternoon swim…

True Safe Haven

A country of but 300,000 people, most of them farmers and fisherman, and home to a large community of Mennonites, Belize is one of the safest places I’ve ever spent time.

I’m not alone in this opinion. “Open Road” travel guide says this country is, “Peaceful and non-meddlesome, blissfully unimportant… Belize rarely merits attention in any foreign newspaper.”

Belize is full of warm, wonderful people. As Correspondent Phil Hahn, who divides his time between Belize and the States, explains, “I’ve felt at home in Belize since my first visit in 2003, and, since then, I’ve worked to make it my second home. I return monthly. When I took my family with me on one of my early visits so they could see what I was so excited about, my children said, ‘Dad, you have more friends here than you do at home.’ They’re right.

“These friends I’ve made in Belize have come from all over the world, and all have fascinating stories. Some are adventurers, others educators or entrepreneurs, some salt-of-the-earth folks looking to make new lives.”

Most people you meet in Belize have two common characteristics. They are hospitable, and they are fiercely independent. The average Belizean—including those who’ve adopted this country as their homeland—would choose to live in a humble home and off the land and sea rather than be beholding to someone. This country operates according to an old-school mentality that many of the world’s more developed nations seem to have forgotten.

Consider Sue, for example. She’s the proprietress of Amigo’s, a popular Belizean watering hole, who came to the country in the early 1980s. She was dating a guy at the time who had decided to check out the opportunities in Costa Rica. He and his dad were at the Miami airport waiting for the flight.

After several drinks, they realized they’d missed their plane. So they went to the ticket counter and told the agent to book them on the next flight headed south. A couple of hours later they were in Belize. Shortly after that, Sue was starting her first business in her new country (a sand, gravel, and concrete company). She has been an independent businesswoman ever since. After the concrete business, Sue ventured into agriculture, then into the restaurant/hotel supply business, then, in 2004, she built Amigo’s.

Another expat in this country, Rev. Macarena Rose, who moved to Belize in 2004, describes coming to this country from Florida as “a lateral move.”

With its English language, common law tradition, private property rights, and abundant natural attractions, it’s easy to see why people from the United States, Canada, and the U.K. feel so at home here.

The Good And Simple Life… But Is It For You?

Belize is the simple life defined, but the country also boasts the modern conveniences you need to live comfortably. Easy Internet access in most areas allows you to continue working, if you want, and it makes it easy to stay in touch with friends and family back home.

This is not to say that Belize is for everyone.

More to the point: Is Belize for you?

There’s only one way to find out. Come see the country for yourself.

I’ve been traveling to Belize for more than 20 years. I knew from the first day of my first visit, as a just-starting-out travel writer, that this was a place I wanted to spend time long term.

That initial, instinctive response to a place is important. You know in your gut, often right from the start, whether a place is right for you or not. It feels like a fit… or it doesn’t. You feel at home… or you don’t.

Before you can make a determination one way or the other about any place, you’ve got to wander the streets, walk the beaches, hike the hills, speak with other expats who’ve already made the move, and, critically, have all your questions answered by experts with firsthand knowledge and experience.
Is Belize a place you should consider spending your time or money? Would you be happy living here full-time (like our Correspondent Ann Kuffner)…or maybe part-time (like longtime friend and Correspondent Phil Hahn)?

(Belize’s unique QRP residency program means you can enjoy the tax advantages of being a Belize resident even if you spend but two weeks in the country each year.)

The only way to answer those questions is to get on a plane.

And that’s what I’m writing to invite you to do. Come on down to see this unassuming English-speaking haven for yourself. Join me and my top Belize contacts and resources for two-and-a-half days in February for our Live And Invest in Belize Conference and have every one of your Belize questions answered by people who know from firsthand experience what they’re talking about…

Isn’t Belize really humid?…

Aren’t there a lot of bugs?…

Is the government stable?…

What are the benefits of the QRP residency program? What’s required to qualify?…

What would life here really be like… on Ambergris Caye, on the mainland coast, in the mountainous Cayo?…

Is there a developed expat community to look to for support?…

What’s required to open a bank account?…

What are the options for medical care?…

What cost local health insurance?…

Is Belize City as unsafe as some make it out to be?…

Where does it make sense today to buy for investment?…

How much to build a home?…

What about Guatemala? Aren’t they ready to invade Belize?…

Where are the best beaches in the country?…

Can I really get the things I need? I mean… how would I live without Wal-Mart and Home Depot?…

I’m counting down to my next chance to return to a country I fell in love with more at first sight more than 30 years ago.

Lief and I will be in Belize City to host our Live And Invest In Belize Conference taking place Jan. 18–20.

We’ll be joined on stage by our entire on-the-ground team of experts, expats, colleagues, and friends…

And, together, we’ll show you everything you need to know about residency and taxes (Belize is one of the most user-friendly places in the world to establish foreign residency and a true tax haven)…

About bank accounts and corporations…

About holding structures and health insurance…

About employment opportunities (these are limited) and starting a business…

About investing in real estate… for investment or personal use…

And about having the adventure of a lifetime in this sun-drenched eco-wonderland.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Peddicord
Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter