A Super Belize Contest - Great Prizes for the Winners!

So here we go, a simple little contest to turn your collective brains into mush for the coming new year. Prizes will be as follows:

First Prize, a copy of the fabulous book "Heavenly Belize" by Marius Jovaiša, an absolutely beautiful book of awesome aerial photos of Belize. ONE lucky (and clever) First Prize winner is out there somewhere.

There will be 5 Second Prizes for some pretty brainy people as well. You'll have a choice. Winners can choose from a book on Birding in Belize, a guide to diving and snorkeling in Belize or a general tourist-type guide book to Belize. 2nd place book prizes may differ somewhat from the publications above...it's all based on availability. I'll ship to you via. Amazon.

All you have to do is describe your impression of Ambergris Caye, the Jewel of Belize. You don't have to mention the words "Belize, Ambergris Caye, San Pedro" or anything like that (although you can if you want). This is good because your description MUST be written in Japanese Haiku style poetry which only gives you a limited number of words and syllables to use. For those of you too lazy to Google it, "Haiku" poetry consists of 3 lines. The first line must have 5 syllables. The second line must have 7 syllables. The third and final line must have 5 syllables.

So, for example, you could write:

Winter sun warms bones

Here on Isla Bonita

Frost free night ahead

OK, that was pretty average, you're going to have to do much better than that to win! Hopefully you get the idea, though, 5/7/5 syllables.

Email your entries to us at belizecontests@gmail.com. I will acknowledge receipt of each entry with a quick "Got it, thanks!" The contest will run until January 15th which I believe is the cut off date for most people to have already broken their New Year's Resolutions. No need to include anything other than your name and your poem. I'll only need your address, phone number etc. if you end up being a lucky winner so that I can ship your prize to you.

If you like what you see on our Facebook page and you haven't "Liked" us already feel free to do so, it'd be much appreciated. You don't have to "Like" us on Facebook to enter. Also, "Liking" our Facebook page won't increase your chances of winning, it'll just increase our number of "Likes" but we'd be grateful nevertheless!

Contest Rules: More than one entry per person is allowed. Be creative! No swearing, at least in your poem(s). Prizes awarded to the funniest, most original, cleverest poems out there. Poems not following strict Haiku style can't win but if you send an entry in and it breaks this rule I will email you to let you know so you'll have a chance to edit out the error. Yes, I'll read them all! Entries must be in by 6pm Belize Time January 15th 2013. English only, I don't know any other languages. Sorry.

Winning entries will be published on this blog on January 16th 2013!

A Super Business Bargain on Ambergris Caye

http://www.belizerealestate.com/lbu.html

You've seen this here before, it's the Ladybug Plant Nursery. For me this is the Real Estate Surprise of my 2012. Actually, more than just one surprise:
1. The owner slashed the price from $125,000US to $45,000US.
2. No-one has yet made an offer.

The owner, Catherine, has said she'll listen to just about any reasonable offer. She's selling for personal reasons. Obviously one cannot warranty the success of any small business but the price of this particular one is so reasonable I think it has people thinking "Why so low?"

Ladybug only makes modest profits but that is because the owner admits she doesn't put the time and investment in that is really needed to make it buzz. On the other hand...think about it..how much would it cost you to start a business like this from scratch...with no guarantee that you'd make any profit at all? Getting a business like this, with a substantial plant and equipment inventory and a decent customer base at such a super low price is just about unheard of on Ambergris Caye

IMO, this is a sleeper. Any hard working green fingered entrepreneur could make this little gem really shine. You'd never make a fortune on it but it has the capability to be a super little business making a decent profit each month. Perfect for a semi-retired couple looking to stay busy in Paradise.

The Grand Caribe snowman wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013!

2013 set to be a GREAT YEAR!!!!!!

Thought of the Year for 2013 (apologies to those who have thought of this before, I don't know who you are, I've never seen it before in the media or on line and so as far as I am concerned it's an Original Thought by me).

So, we have 2013 upcoming. Thirteen. An Unlucky number. Consider this...on January 1st 1914 I bet a lot of people in the world were thinking "Thank Goodness 1913 is out of the way, we are in the clear!......."

Belize's dumb tourist policy vs. Nationals of India

India is the 2nd most populated country on the planet. Its economy is growing almost as fast as China's. While India does have a huge poverty problem it also has a massive, and growing, middle and wealthy class of people.

India is a democracy and it doesn't support terrorism. For its size and especially size of population, one would have to say that India is one of the LEAST controversial countries on the planet.

So, why does the Government of Belize make it impossible for Indian nationals to visit Belize as tourists? Currently I am dealing with some Indian folk who want to come to Belize to see if they would like to invest in real estate. Just like any other person visiting for the first time they want to see if they like it here first. Essentially they'd be coming as tourists, at least initially.

But Belize won't let them enter the country until they prove that they are here to invest. This, of course, is stupid. Why can't Indian nationals be allowed to visit as tourists first, just to see if Belize is for them? What is the reason for Belize's policy vs. India?

I need to know...for now I'll just say that it's STUPID.

The photo below is of famed Indian actress and model Freida Pinto. I personally want to see more people like her in Belize!

A GEM of a Beachfront Home on Ambergris Caye

This beachfront house is absolutely beautiful....much more so than the photos or video suggest. http://www.belizerealestate.com/sra.html

But....it's also quite unique. It has a fabulous location, just north of the San Pedro bridge....so it's close to town but far enough from the madding crowds to be very peaceful. 

Here's what really makes it stand out: The beach does not get used by bikes or motor cycles. It is completely transportation-free, unlike most of the beach north of the bridge and starting at Tres Cocos. So, with this property you get a fabulous home, a large oceanfront parcel, wonderful views AND no-one is going to run you over as you enjoy some sunbathing.

If you're looking for a great oceanfront home on Ambergris Caye this one is a GEM. Click on the photos for much larger versions.

McAfee and his anti-Belize rants....hurtful to the Belizean people?

A friend of mine emailed me a while ago...he was wondering if the John McAfee saga would hurt Belize. It appears the answer is a resounding "No" with possibly even the opposite effect. Go to http://news.yahoo.com/john-mcafee-just-got-jail-might-even-going-151302834.html ...not so much for the story, but for the reader comments. I'd say Belize comes out of this just fine.

It is noticeable on Mr. McAfee's own blog that all dissenting comments are "moderated" out. (When he first started the blog most reader comments were negative vs. McAfee).

I saw a McAfee news article on CNN on line the other day and went to the reader comments....almost all posts were negative vs. McAfee....almost as if they were of the opinion that McAfee was a few virus definitions short of a full software update. In fact, here's one of those articles...go to the reader comments and laugh! http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/07/world/...?iref=allsearch

Mr. McAfee's attempts to hurt Belize (and by definition her people) with his endless blog rants seem to have had the opposite effect. A few days ago Mayor Danny Guerrero said he thinks this is the best thing to happen to Belize in years. He has a point.

Video of our 20 minute stroll Grand Caribe to Capricorn, Sunday 9th December 2012

Beautiful wading birds and chill-out iguanas on our 20 minute beach stroll from Grand Caribe to Capricorn for lunch on Sunday.

Ambergris Caye is such a beautiful place to live!

A 20 minute stroll..Grand Caribe to Capricorn.

Birds and Iguanas, just a lovely relaxing stroll on the beach.

Unit E8 at Grand Caribe

Here's the walk through video of Unit E8 at Grand Caribe. Fabulous views from the veranda at the end of the video. It's all one scene, a walk-through the unit with no breaks or editing. If this unit becomes available for sale the owner has said he's willing to do great seller financing!

Some Really Great New Listings! Here's the first one.

Here's a fantastic deal for a first time home buyer or for someone who wants to invest a little on Ambergris Caye and give themselves an occasional home to visit. Just $117,000 US asking. Offers welcome, very easy owner financing too. Click here for details.

Surprising Wildlife Sighting on Ambergris Caye!

Concentrate on the two small trees...look at the foot of the trees as the camera zooms in. What an amazing sighting...it really surprised me! Make sure audio is turned up.

Hurricane Sandy....why so much damage?

Why did Hurricane Sandy, which made U.S. landfall as a Category 1 storm last Monday, cause so much terrible damage? Winds were in the 70's with higher gusts. To people who live in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye these are not exceptional wind speeds. We have seen several storms in the last few years with similar winds and we've suffered only relatively minor damage. This year Mahahual, which is only 60 miles north of San Pedro, took a direct hit from 90mph Hurricane Ernesto and suffered relatively minor damage. Mind you, in 2007 the same Mexican town took 165mph Hurricane Dean and got flattened.

The same Hurricane Dean gave us 80mph winds which gave us a 18 hour power outage and a few downed tree limbs. That was it....less than 48 hours to a full recovery. In some parts of the U.S. North East it is said that it will be weeks or months before all power is restored. Let's look at the many reasons for the disparity in damage between recent storms which have hit our island and the U.S. North-East:

1. Storm size: Sandy was monstrously large, 1000 miles across and with damaging winds spread over 200 miles in diameter as it made landfall. The tropical cyclones which have affected Belize in the last 10 years have been much smaller in size, even some have been a bit more powerful wind-wise.

2. Storm surge off an open sea: We have our coral and limestone Belize Barrier Reef, the North East Coast of the USA has deep ocean and sand dune barrier islands. Protection wise there is no comparison. Most of Sandy's damage was from surging salt water.

3. Tides....in the U.S. North East the lunar tides are measured in  feet. New York, for example, sees a 5 - 6 ft tidal difference each day and it's not an exceptional range by any means. Some parts of the U.S. North East see even greater tidal ranges and Sandy hit during a full moon.  Here in the Caribbean tides are measured in inches. Again, Sandy's main weapon of destruction was the massive amount of sea water which surged ashore at high tide. Imagine if San Pedro had a 5ft tidal range each day........

4. We're used to storms and so much of our construction is geared to taking a hit. Mind you, make no mistake, a strong Category 2 or above storm giving us a direct hit would cause plenty of damage. Category 4 Hurricane Keith in 2000 was no fun for us at all, direct hit, lots of damage, it was weeks and months to a full recovery. We lost our (wooden) house. In the U.S. North East the homes are all built close to the ground. Most "totalled" homes were done in by the surging waters...look at aerial photos of Sandy's aftermath and you don't see missing roofs caused by strong winds...all of the damage is at ground level from the sea.

5. In the last 30 years U.S. coastal areas have seen massive development. There are literally millions of new homes inappropriately located for the type of construction they're made from. There are some really low-lying areas where huge luxury home subdivisions have been created...some from reclaimed land. And the homes are built to ground level. In a part of the world with such high tides and no barrier reef protection one has to shake one's head at such unfettered and badly planned development. It's one thing to create such housing in low-lying areas, it's quite another not to raise the buildings off the ground on concrete columns in order to protect against storm surge damage. (This is why I shake MY head at the DFC subdivision here on the island...everyone here knows what will happen to it one day...naturally it was built by government...most private individuals would not have been so insane to have planned it that way).

The U.S. and Canadian North East has had its fair share of storms over the last 100 years. it only takes a deviation of a few degrees to cause a storm to make landfall rather than go out to sea. People talk about climate change causing Sandy. In reality Sandy was just another Atlantic hurricane which made an unfortunate turn of a few degrees. This caused it to make landfall where it did. Need proof of this? Look at the storms which have hit Halifax, Newfoundland and the vicinity, in the last 100's of years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canada_hurricanes. Did "global warming" cause these storms to hit the cold north east?

Our good wishes and prayers go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy. We hope your recovery takes a lot less time than is currently being predicted.

Why Won't Reef Village Developer Hand Over Titles to Owners?

(Long post but worth a read, all the way to the profane end!):

Reef Village is a development which has taken its share of flak over the years. But, the units are nice and airy, the finishing work is adequate, it's in a great location and the prices appeal to a wide range of buyers. So, what has gone wrong there? Why does it have the appearance of a failed development when in reality people who own and live there are very happy?

Much of the angst has to be directed at the developers. There are a lot of homeowners who have paid in fully for their units but have not received title. I know a really nice couple who own a villa there. They have been promised their title now for well over 6 months and it has yet to be handed over. THE DEVELOPER HAS THE TITLES but for some reason he is holding on to them and making excuses as to why he wont part with them.

To the best of my knowledge he's not trying to borrow money using the titles as security...that would actually be a criminal offense. It looks like he is hanging on to them for reasons of leverage but I can't put my finger on why he would do this.

I call upon the developers to issue the titles to those owners who have paid for their units. There is no reason for this nonsense. If I was a homeowner at Reef Village I would be making this a criminal issue, not a civil one. In Belize once you pay for a property you have to be issued title because that's what it says on the contract. Withholding title is a form of theft and fraud. It is time for the developers to say "Thank-you" to their buyers for their trust in investing there and not "Fuck You" by withholding titles.

Ambergris Caye....it's almost perfect - but not quite.

Is it perfect here on Ambergris Caye? It's close but we do have our problems and I don't want to sugarcoat them just because this is a real estate themed page. Everyone knows about the crystal-clear waters, the incredible marine life, white sandy beaches and the warm friendly people but we do have our problems. Tourists and potential buyers know about them and feel them acutely at times. Here's what I want to see get fixed in the next 3 years:

1. Drug dealers in town and around tourist spots such as bars. Get rid of them, we don't need them giving our tourist guests harassment at all hours of the day. Drugs are ILLEGAL in Belize but if a tourist wants to score some pot perhaps he or she should go and look for it rather than be confronted by it every step they take. Drug dealers  and drugs pretty much account for 90% of the crimes committed on the island. I'd love to see them eliminated altogether, it isn't going to happen but let's at least keep them away from our valued tourist guests.

2. Our roads: The government, both local and national, need to pave our arterial roads without delay. These roads are an embarrassment to tourists and residents alike. Heck, the Romans built roads in Europe which are still there more than 2000 years later. By "Arterial Roads' I mean the road from the bridge to Las Terrazas, the road through San Pablo to the end of DFC and the road which runs past Pedro's through to the gas station. Once these are done then 99% of the population of Ambergris Caye will be no further than a few hundred feet from a paved road which will certainly make for pleasant journeys for our residents and tourists alike.

3. Our beaches continue to be trash strewn in places on the island. It doesn't look good. Private landowners need to keep the beach in front of their property clean otherwise they should be billed for the Town Council to do it.

That's it! For now.

Great Free Service on Ambergris Caye! We'll make sure your property tax bill gets paid!

Now for the good news about paying your Ambergris Caye property taxes. As some of you may know from experience you mail your check to the San Pedro Town Council along with your property tax statement. And then.....nothing happens.
The check is or isn't cashed but no acknowledgement or receipt is forthcoming from the Town Council. We have seen this time and time again.

If you don't live on island, next time you want to pay just email us at info@pelicanproperties.com. We'll get it done for you. Scan and email a copy of your title or your last tax statement (so we know it's your property!). We will get the latest tax statement from the Town Council and scan/email it to you. 

Now you just mail us a bank draft (cashier's check) made out to "San Pedro Town Council" and not only will we ensure the bill gets paid but we will also email you the receipt along with a NEW tax statement confirming the payment.

Our fee for this service is ZERO. No catches, no gimmicks. It's 100% gratis. 

Paying Your San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Property Taxes

About time I wrote something...today it's some sage advice on paying your property taxes here in San Pedro. This is a long post, bear with me:

1. Go to the Property Tax desk.
2. Ask for your computerized tax statement EVEN IF YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU HAVE TO PAY.
3. If 'The System Is Down" and they can't print out a statement then find out when it'll be working again and WALK OUT.
4. If the

property tax person prints you out an up to date statement (ie. the system is working) take it to the Cashier and pay your tax bill.
5. VERY IMPORTANT: Take the receipt back to the Property Tax desk and have the tax person input the amount paid into the system and print you out an updated statement showing a zero balance.

Here's why all of this is so vital: Over the past few years the Property Tax system has been subject to frequent outages. Paying your tax bill and getting a hand written receipt is no guarantee that the Town Council will later input it into the system. At a later date you might end up paying twice over simply because it's easy to forget you paid in the first place. Or, you might sell the property and the closing agent gets a statement from the Town Council claiming you owe taxes even though you've paid.

If you're living abroad it's even harder because now you have to send in your check and hope the San Pedro Town Council credit your account. We have seen lots of the time they fail to do so.

More on this subject tomorrow. I will have good news for you.

Really Great Deal For Small Business on Ambergris Caye

Here's a FANTASTIC deal. "Ladybug Plant Nursery" has been drastically reduced in price...from $125,000US to an incredible $45,000US. The business makes a modest profit. There's room for more profits for someone with a real love of plants and a dedication to working hard.

http://www.belizerealestate.com/lbu.html for details!

Grand Caribe Moon Stuff

A glorious moony evening at Grand Caribe, Sunday 30th September. 

Getting a Great Return on Investment on Ambergris Caye...how it can be done, The Answer At Last!

OK, you’ve been very patient. Here’s how you can make a great short-term return on investment which is ALMOST 100% guaranteed to work: Buy a piece of land at THE RIGHT PRICE. Built a small and totally charming house on it and sell the package for a nice profit. Sounds too easy? It isn't but it's also not that hard and it's within the reach of any serious small real estate investor. Read on!

1. Everyone knows that real estate is all about Location, Location and yet more Location. Ambergris Caye is a pretty good geographical location but some parts of our island are better than others. Pick a great residential location on the island as this plan is residential in nature. In this case I will select the Tres Cocos area of the island, generally reckoned to be one of the finest residential subdivisions on Isla Bonita. (There are other great residential areas too…Holiday Lands, San Pablo Canals, Boca Ciega). All have great locations, they’re all close enough to town for easy access but all peaceful areas too…do not make the mistake of buying cheap land too far from town).

2. Again, we’re using Tres Cocos for this example. Look for a building parcel which is being offered at a great price. By “great price” I mean $55,000US or less. It doesn’t have to be beachfront (well, it can’t be at that price!) but it DOES have to be visible to passing traffic and would ideally be located on the main road which passes through Tres Cocos.

3. Found the property? Buy it! Pay cash, get the title in your name.

4. While all of this has been going on you’ve also worked on some great plans for a small and very charming and simple little island house. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 850 square feet under roof, nice little covered veranda of about 120 square feet. There are one or two great guys on Ambergris Caye who can draw superb plans at very reasonable rates. Expect to pay no more than $3000US for a full set of great building plans along with planning permission from the Ambergris Caye Planning Committee assured.

5. Find a great contractor. We know a few, it won’t be hard for you to find them. They’ll build your house for about $70US per square foot. included in that figure is the caveat that you’ll be buying most of the finishing materials yourself in order to get good discounts from suppliers. To get this rate you have to avoid expensive luxury finishing materials for the kitchen and bathrooms. Instead of granite and marble, for example, you’ll be using something like hand painted Mexican Talavera tiles and basins for the bathrooms. It’s really beautiful stuff but also quite inexpensive in price.

6. This part is very important. The exterior of the house must be utterly charming with tons of “curb appeal” when it’s finished. I would suggest a Mexican style exterior, arches, curves, a rough stucco concrete finish and a colourful, bright paint finish. You want people driving by to stop and take notice.

7. So, let’s add this all up. You bought the land for $55,000US or less. Built the house for $70,000US including plans. That’s an investment of $125,000US. Sell it for $199,000US or thereabouts. Even after paying a real estate commission and covering some unforeseen costs you still get a return on investment of about 40%.  How many homes are there in Tres Cocos for sale for under $250,000US? And, if there are any, how many are actually worth the money? Your house would sell like the proverbial hot cake because it would be utterly charming, right?

8. There’s actually a way you could greatly increase your percentage return on investment if you can qualify for a bank loan. Buy the land for cash, borrow the money from a local bank for the construction. If you can get the house built and sold within 18 months here’s how the profit would stack up. You’ve paid $55,000US for the land, $3000US for the loan setup fees and about $11,000US in interest assuming you use the whole 18 months before selling. That’s an investment of $69,000US for a profit of $45,000US, about 66%.

9. Now some of you are going to ask me “If this is such a sure thing, how come you’re not doing it yourself.” Two answers to that question: (a) I’m already pretty busy and (b) I’m thinking about it.

10. So, what can possibly go wrong here? Well, we are in the Hurricane Zone……..an obvious calculation that everyone investing in the Caribbean takes. Hurricanes have visited before, it could happen again, one day it probably will. But, chances are good that you’ll avoid disaster during the relatively short period of this little investment project. And, if you do suffer a storm related setback the chances are good that it’ll just cause a delay rather than end the project.

Email me at info@pelicanproperties.com if you have any questions!