RETIRING OR MOVING TO BELIZE???

-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.)

____________________________

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:
                  ________________________________________________________

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

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.

Posted by A Professional BEACH BUM retires in Belize! at 8:26 AM