Foreign Investment
Welcome to the latest installment of foreign investments! This time my research takes me to the beautiful land of Belize. For those who dont know, Belize sits right below the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, not far from such beautiful resort cities as Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. A smaller country, with most of the population residing on the coast, Belize is made up a combination of Spanish, Mexican, Mayan, African and British nationalities. The national language is English (although most natives speak Creole as well) and the currency is a Belizan dollar which mirrors the American dollar 1:2 at all times.
My general feeling for Belize is that it was a expat hotspot in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and thus started to see alot of real estate growth (under heavy north american influence). Things were booming and prices for lots and houses were skyrocketing as they were being built. Then 2007 arrived, money became tight, and alot of houses or developments were left abandoned or unfinished.
That being said, I think it is a great opportunity to enter the market now, as investors slowly start to come back. Most communities have all the amenemities already and it is only a matter of time until the growth returns. My professional real estate opinion of buying real estate in Belize – although there isa somewhat high price to get into the market (compared to other central american locations) I think you will still see significant growth in your investment over the next 10-20 years.
The other opportunity that still exists in Belize is buying Islands (or Cayes as they are called there). There are hundreds of tiny cayes riddled within a short boat ride from locations such as Belize City and Placencia that are somewhat easily accessible. Prices range anywhere from 100,000 to 1,000,000+ depending on size and location, but for someone looking to get away to there own secluded island in the Caribbean, this would be an ideal place to start your search.
Let me know if you have any more questions, or want me to put you in contact with a Realtor working in Belize. Thats all for now!
