-copied to Western Belize Happenings Blog written by Ray Auxillou, trader for Jaguar Capital Management ( family private hedge fund ) (running over 30,000 hits per month from people around the world.)
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RETIREMENT IN BELIZE
From Dot-Com Millionaires, Humble Farmers, And Eco-Adventurers To Volunteers,
Privacy Seekers, and Retirees Looking To Stretch Their
Retirement Budgets While Enjoying The Adventures Of Their Lifetimes...
Savvy, Independent-Minded People From
All Walks Of Life Are Opting For
Low-Key, English-
Speaking Belize
In Ever-Growing Numbers
Here's A Road Map To Help You Decide If Belize Could Be A Fit For You, Too
Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,
We first alerted you to the many charms of little
English-speaking Belize in 1987. In those days, it was mainly scuba
divers, sport anglers, and independent free spirits who invested or
made new homes in Belize. Back then, Belize was pretty rough around
the edges. And both Belizeans and expat residents preferred it that
way.
I was in Belize recently, and, boy, what a difference 20-plus
years have made! You could say the tides have shifted. Belize today is
attracting people from all walks of life. Some are famous, ridiculously
wealthy public figures...others are just normal folks like you and me.
The common denominator I can identify among everyone finding
his (or her) way to Belize's shores today--from scuba enthusiasts and
eco-adventurers to missionaries and billionaire investors--is a desire
for a simpler, freer, more private way of life.
With everything going on in the world these days, Belize's back-to-basics lifestyle is almost irresistibly appealing.
And it's attracting a new breed of investors and expats eager
to stake their claims. They come seeking escape from the doom and gloom
back home. They come seeking the freedom to live their own lives and to
make their own way. They come in search of privacy, for themselves and
for their money. They come in search of paradise.
And they're not disappointed. For example...
Who Are All These Expats Seeking Escape And Safe Haven In Belize?
Eve's a great example. She spends five to six months a year
living part-time on Ambergris Caye, Belize's best-known and
most-developed Caribbean lifestyle choice. Every winter, Eve and her
husband look forward to escaping the grueling Canadian winter in San
Pedro Town, where they own a small condo on the beach. It's perfect for
them. Eve's constantly in town, where she knows everyone. She spends
her time volunteering. There's no shortage of opportunities to get
involved with the local community here, and Eve takes full advantage.
You see her everywhere, at every social event, always with a smile on
her face.
Ambergris Caye is quintessential Caribbean, offering all the
azure water, white sand, and swaying palm trees your island-loving soul
could ask for. It's also the most expensive lifestyle choice in this
country. But don't worry. You have many other desirable but lower-cost
choices, as well. More on those in a minute...
Residency That's Ultra User Friendly And
Super Flexible
Ann Kuffner, our Belize Correspondent, was originally
attracted to Belize for its diving. She wasn't even thinking about
retirement when she made her first visit to the country.
But, the better she got to know Belize, the more she came to
appreciate the advantages it offers the would-be retiree. Ann and her
husband Mike bought a piece of land on Ambergris Caye, built a home,
and, eventually, looked seriously at Belize's residency options,
including its resident-retiree program.
Their
conclusion? Belize is hard to beat, not only for the Caribbean
lifestyle it offers on its cayes, but also for how easy it makes it for
a foreign retiree to make Belize home.
And a QRP retiree can be as young as 45 years of age!
Today, Ann lives in Belize full-time with her husband. He's a
full-time resident; she's a QRP. They made their decisions as to which
residency option they wanted to pursue independently and, as a result,
have been able to take full advantage of the residency benefits Belize
has to offer.
Ann and Mike pay no US income taxes on income they earn while
living in Belize. Because they're Americans, they retain a tax
obligation Stateside, of course. However, because they're Americans
abroad, residing full-time in Belize, they can earn up to US$186,000 of
income each year that is U.S. tax-free. And, Ann is not liable for taxes
in Belize, either, since she's a QRP.
Plus, thanks to their residency statuses, they were able to
ship their personal belongings and household goods into the country
duty-free...
No Translation Required!
Linda is a professional artist who first visited Belize on a
catamaran charter. She and her boyfriend had attended a conference in
Panama in 2004. They drove all around Panama and considered settling
in that country, but Linda didn't feel comfortable. The idea of
learning Spanish was just too daunting for her. She couldn't talk to
the locals, so she felt unable to connect with them.
But
Belize was a different story from the day they first arrived. Every
day the couple was able to dive, snorkel, and fish among Belize's
beautiful Caribbean cayes, all the while making friends with the local
Belizeans. Linda felt safe and welcome from the start.
After her initial visit, Linda worked out a swap with a resort
on Ambergris Caye so she could return. In exchange for free
accommodation, she completed a number of paintings for the resort owner.
And, during that five-week trip, she made her decision. Belize would
be her new home.
Linda returned to her old home in Monterey, California. It took
her a year to sell her house and her art gallery and to prepare for the
move. Today, Linda is a fully delighted full-time resident of Belize,
where she has opened two art galleries. She divides her time between
Ambergris Caye and San Ignacio and loves both locations and the
wonderfully relaxed lifestyle they afford her...
The Sustainable Life
Belize is also a top choice if you're interested in a
"sustainable life"--an opportunity to live off the grid, completely
self-sufficient.
Good friends in this country have been living the sustainable
life for more than three decades, since long before it was a
fashionable idea.
 Kathleen, as a reader of Overseas Opportunity Letter
and a Private Placement Funding Syndicator for over 25 years, I really
have to commend you for your honestly and insight into telling it like
it is to your readers. It is uplifting to read an article from a person
like yourself who is delivering the truth to her readers. Keep up the
good work. 
-- Norman S., United States
|
In 1977, Mick and Lucy Fleming traveled from Great Britain to
Belize. They had but US$600 in their pockets. For Mick and Lucy and
Belize, it was love at first sight. They fell in love especially with
the country's Cayo District, a region of rain forest, rivers,
mountains, and Mayan ruins. As soon as they could scrape the money
together, Mick and Lucy bought a remote piece of property in the Cayo,
on the Makal River. And they lived off the land. The only way in to
their property back then was on horseback or by canoe, up the river.
That was more than 30 years ago and, today, Mick and Lucy have
developed their Chaa Creek property into the most impressive and most
applauded rain forest eco-resort in the country, rated the Best
Eco-Resort in all the Caribbean by
Caribbean Travel & Life four years straight.
A visit to Chaa Creek qualifies as a luxury experience these
days. However, it's still very possible to have the back-to-basics,
off-the-grid experience that first attracted Mick and Lucy to this part
of Belize so many years ago.
Today, the Cayo District, is the fastest-growing area in the
country. The lush tropical rain forests you find here, the abundant
freshwater rivers, the largest underground cave system in the Western
Hemisphere, and the fertile Belize River Valley once supported
hundreds of thousands of Maya. Today, they support 21st-century
adventurers and environmentalists looking to escape to a simpler,
sweeter life.
One Of The World's Most User-Friendly Jurisdictions
Belize is a tiny country, about the size of Massachusetts, with a
population of just 330,000 people. The entire country is like a small
town. It's easy to become part of the community here. Everyone's
friendly. Welcoming. Very willing to lend a hand and to make an effort
for a neighbor.
Retire To Belize On US$1,000 Per Month...
Or Less
In Belize's Cayo, you could enjoy a rich, fulfilling
life on a budget of as little as US$1,000 per month, if you buy locally
and use the local resources.
The key to maintaining a low cost of living is getting to
know the local vendors, farmers, and suppliers. I have several Belizean
friends with higher standards of living than many "First World"
residents. They purchase locally grown foods, which are far superior to
the more expensive processed foods imported from abroad. They have
more quality time with their family and friends because they can afford
maids, cooks, and gardeners. They build their houses using readily
available local materials and talent. If they need something that isn't
on hand, they go to the Mennonites in Spanish Lookout, who can
fabricate just about anything for far less the cost of importing it...
-- Part-time Belize expat Phil Hahn on life in the Cayo
|
But it's not only your neighbors who'll go out of their
way to make your new life in Belize easy, comfortable, and everything
you want it to be...
Take local politicians, for example. In Belize, they mingle. They're happy to talk to you, even to listen!
Take a walk in downtown San Pedro town on Ambergris Caye any
weekend, and you'll likely run into Minister of Tourism and Civil
Aviation Manuel Heredia, relaxed and barefoot. When he's out, as he
often is, the Prime Minister likes to stop to chat with his
constituents. Most are his relatives, friends, and neighbors.
Easy access to a local politician like this really makes a
difference, believe me, when you need assistance on a business or an
immigration issue.
Local politicians are easily accessible in this country...and
so is the local banking industry, which qualifies as seriously
user-friendly.
Belize banks are safe, secure, and private. This is one of the
most appealing offshore banking jurisdictions in the world right now.
Small, low-key, and off-the-radar. Those are the best descriptions for
the Belize banking industry. And, in times like these, low-key and
off-the-radar are both big benefits when it comes to banking.
Belizeans value nothing more than personal freedom, privacy,
and respect. The independent Maya were the first to inhabit Belize.
Centuries later, renegade pirates, in search of privacy, settled here.
Then the Mennonites emigrated to Belize. They came for religious
freedom.
This tradition of privacy and security is nowhere more important than in this country's banking industry.
Belize is a true banking haven, a jurisdiction that prizes
banking secrecy. Anyone in the Belize banking industry who violates the
country's secrecy laws goes to jail for a minimum of 18 months. Trust
me. You don't want to spend 18 months in a Belize jail.
Ironically, the recent meltdown of the world's biggest banks
has been a turning point for little Belize. Before the crisis, no one
cared about bank liquidity rates. Today, the fact that all banks in
Belize are required by law to maintain liquidity rates of at least 24%
gets investors' attention...for good reason. Belize banks sailed
through the recent global industry meltdown without worry. Belize
bankers sat back and shook their heads at the shenanigans going on in
other jurisdictions around the world, feeling rightly a little smug
that their depositors' money was safe.
It's super-easy to open a bank account in Belize, as a resident
or a non-resident. You don't even have to make the trip down to the
country. Belize is one jurisdiction where you can open an account
long-distance.
No need to be a millionaire either. You can open even a non-resident account in Belize with as little as US$500...
Your Own Piece Of Belize For
As Little As US$20,000
It's easy to purchase property in Belize, too. And the
opportunities on offer are tempting...from deeply discounted beach
condos on Ambergris (being offered by highly motivated sellers right
now) to emerging-market buys in the Cayo, where you can own in a
private riverfront community, for example, for as little as US$20,000.
Not ready to buy? You can rent in the Cayo and elsewhere for as little as US$200 per month.
Meaning you could enjoy a rich and comfortable
retirement in one of the world's most appealing offshore havens today
with a retirement nest egg of US$1,000 per month or less...maybe much
less...
In Belize, Both You And Your Assets Are Safe
Belize offers two structures specifically designed to help
keep your assets safe. The Belize International Business Corporation
(IBC) and the Belize Trust are both solid parts of a plan to protect
your assets, including from frivolous lawsuits.
Kathleen, you are like the Babe Ruth of overseas living.
-- Sean A., United States
|
Furthermore, a Belize IBC is not subject to income, social
security, capital gains, withholding, or stamp duty. Nor to gift, death,
estate, dividend, distribution, or inheritance tax. And an IBC is not
required to file annual returns.
We're not suggesting you do anything that is not legal or 100%
compliant, of course. My point is that you can create a structure in
Belize that is fully legal and compliant...and also rock solid.
Entrepreneurs Most Welcome
Savvy investors looking to keep their investments and their
assets safe are finding their way to Belize's shores in growing
numbers...
As are entrepreneurs looking for opportunity.
If I had to choose a single word to describe Belize, it'd be "potential." Belize is a frontier. A land for pioneers.
The
Belize government is doing its part to make modern-day pioneers feel
welcome. Opening a business in this country is straightforward and
relatively red tape-free. As an entrepreneur in Belize, you enjoy
significant tax advantages when you structure your business properly.
Remember, all transactions take place in English. Plus, Belize's
no-nonsense legal system is tied to the high court in Great Britain.
This gives many investors and business-owners the comfort of
familiarity.
As a result, Belize is enjoying an influx of Americans, Canadians,
French, Italians, Brits, Irishmen, Jordanians, even East Europeans, all
making their way to this country to stake a claim.
One of the best-known among this group is Francis Ford Coppola, the
award-winning American movie director. In the early 1980s, Coppola
visited Belize and, like so many others, fell in love. Like so many
others before him and since, he wanted a little piece of Belize of his
own. He purchased the abandoned Blancaneaux Lodge.
You
are so much better than the others out there writing on these same
topics. I receive this kind of information from many other sources. None
of them compare. They're all sales letters pitching their next seminars
or books or secret stock tips. Anyway, just wanted to let you know you
are on the right track. Anyone who makes the comparison between you and
the other resources available will choose you.
-- Stephen S., United States
|
For more than a decade, Coppola used the resort as a family retreat. In 1993, he opened his tropical paradise to the public.
Mr. Coppola was drawn to Belize by the beauty of the country itself.
But, in time, he came to appreciate the advantages of setting up a
business here. And he continues to invest. Coppola bought a second inn
in Belize, this time in Placencia, in 2001. The Turtle Inn, located on a
white-sand beach that dissolves into the clear Caribbean Sea, "is a
personal joy," Francis says. "It features any number of original ideas
and details, which, I confess, continue to delight me. I made the
resort as rustic as I love and as luxurious as I could."
The open-arms business climate encourages this kind of innovation and imaginative investment.
Where In Belize Might Suit You Best?
Belize is a tiny country, but its geography belies its
diversity. Perhaps the biggest challenge as you consider all the
opportunities that Belize has to offer is determining where in the
country might suit you best.
What part of Belize calls to you?
Are you drawn to the pristine sugar-sand cayes and the aquamarine waters of the
Caribbean?...
Or would you feel more at home amidst the lush
rain forest, the mountainside waterfalls, and the rivers that meander through ceremonial Mayan caves in the Cayo?...
Maybe the
lively and growing communities, both expat and Belizean, of San Pedro Town and San Ignacio would suit you?
Would you prefer a simple, close-to-nature lifestyle, living fully
self-sufficient and off-the-grid?...
Or are you more inclined toward an active, vibrant community in
a town that has colorful festivals, trendy restaurants, expat-run
cafes, and lively beach bars?
Are you
an entrepreneur looking for a niche to fill? Or a would-be volunteer, looking to give back?
Are you seeking a low-cost, easy-to-obtain retirement residency...part-time escape...or a second passport?
All these things and many others are possible in this beautiful little country.
So, again...how do you choose how to make the most of all the opportunity Belize has to offer right now?
How Do You Determine if Belize is
Right for You?
You get help from the experts.
You seek out direct access to comprehensive, accurate,
up-to-date intelligence and insights. Not information. You can get all
the information on Belize you want free from google. That's something
else.
Informative and factual, no bunk! I really appreciate that.
-- Judith D., United States
|
You don't need information when trying to make a decision as
important as this one. You need judgment. The kind of judgment that is
borne of real-life experience and on-the-ground research.
I've been spending time in Belize for nearly 25 years at this
point, and, over those two-plus decades, I've developed an extensive
network of in-Belize friends, contacts, and resources, experts all at
living, investing, and doing business in this country.
And, when we decided to create our new
"Live and Invest in Belize Home Conference Kit," I called on them all.
To Create Our New "Live and Invest in Belize Home Conference Kit," I've Called On All My Top Belize Experts
Contributors to our brand-new, hot-off-the-virtual press
"Live and Invest In Belize Home Conference Kit" include:
________________________________________________________
BELIZE retirement real estate - FORMER HOSTEL FOR SALE IN CAYO DISTRICT
guests communal kitchen,dining area
Three story hostel annex.
The
former HOSTEL known as FALCONVIEW BACKPACKERS ADVENTURE HOSTEL closed
down in Fall of 2009. Ray, his wife Silvia and brother-in-law Gustavo
are getting too old to run it. We are building a duplex a block away,
designed suitably for old folks. There are many web sites on the
internet describing this popular HOSTEL.
A good site for photos of the two rental apartments in the ANNEX is: http://stellapinzon.tripod.com/apartmentwesternbelize/
A good website with information on real estate sales can be found at:
http://www.belizefirst.com
There is another story called "retirementinbelize" can be
found on BELIZE NORTH website using GOOGLE.
The former HOSTEL
has an inner small 400 sq.ft. house, with two bedrooms, bath and kitchen
for the owners. The HOSTEL in the lower story has a living room with
hammocks and currently used as a private living room for television,
reading books and Silvia's weaving projects. There is also in this
building an 8 bed double bunk dormitory with a shared bathroom, with
three toilets, three showers and two sinks. Quite a large bathroom
designed originally for the HOSTEL lower dormitory. The other side of
this lower building has a large common kitchen and dining area. Now as a
private home, currently used for warping weaving projects and reading
books on the futon, hammock, and the weekly housekeeper also makes her
own lunch in the kitchen. In the second annex building, a three story
affair, is a lower floor warehouse, used for a tool room and furniture
making as needed. The two pickup trucks are parked also in this
downstairs lower section. This floor also has a seperate tool room and a
storage room under the stairs. The second floor contains a furnished
one bedroom apartment with bath, kitchen and verandah. Nice view here
too. The other side of the hallway is a 4 bed dormitory and bathroom for
guests. The third floor has a vegetable nursery in the photo below and
an apartment of which the bedroom has been converted into a trading
room with two computer desks. It has a lovely verandah with beautiful
views over two valleys.
Belize is very much outdoor living. There
are usually numerous papaya trees growing, a breadfruit tree, an orange
tree, couple of coconut trees around the central courtyard. Around the
perimeter of the buildings are dwarf coconut trees and also a cashew
tree. All this on a corner 75 ft x 100 ft lot in Hillview on the slope
of Green Parrot Valley. We are ten minutes from shopping. Though there
is a local village grocery shop with most things urgently needed.
This
nursery is on the third floor of the annex, opposite to the third floor
former apartment, which bedroom has been turned into a trading room,
with two computer desks.
This nursery is downstairs in the backyard. Both nurseries were part
of a 3 year NGO RESEARCH PROJECT to do a book on vegetable growing in
tropical Belize - the project is now finished and both nurseries when
time permits will be taken down to make way for additions of some sort.
Ray on one cold morning in January when the temperature dropped into
the high 60's F. Using the four computer option trading room, which was
made out of the bedroom of the furnished apartment on the third floor of
the annex. The beds from this room were put downstairs in storage.
Ray Auxillou is currently at his daughter's house in Miami, seeking treatment for pain, from what looks to be terminal cancer. He is not expected to live out the year. He's 75 yrs old. His wife will handle the sale of the former former HOSTEL, currently their home, and expects after the sale to move to a smaller duplex a block away, in Hillview, Cayo District, they built in the twin towns foothills of the Belize Alps. If you buy for cash before he dies, he will knock $25,000 usa off the $249,500 usa asking price. Otherwise you can deal, putting 50% down and a lease/purchase arrangement for the balance over 5 years at 8.5% interest. The place has a workshop and warehouse convertible to a streetside store. Two dorms, hostel kitchen and dining area, living room with tv and hammocks, owners inside center house of 400 sq ft ( 2 bdrm, 1 bath ), 2 rental apartments, small with bath and verandahs with scenic views over the valleys, a big computer trading room for his Jaguar Capital Management operations on the third floor. Furnishings and two vehicles will go with the sale. Turnkey business if you wanted to re-open Falconview Hostel? But the place was built as a multi-purpose building.
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"We live as a community in friendship. That is why we don't have any problems, we live in peace."
Hand held drones being used by British military in Afghanistan., All kinds of drones are becoming popular world wide. So why can't University of Belize engineering graduates able to make and export them to Latin America? This palm sized drone, checks the terrain ahead of movement, or locates enemy snipers with a small video camera that sends signal back to front line troops on the ground. Can operate even in strong winds., This one is made in a small Scandinavian country,.
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