Click Here For Market Overview Click Here To See Listings Map Belize Real Estate Overview
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A luxurious, turnkey home in Belize for nature lovers For Sale : $310,000
For Sale by Owner. Featured on Home & Garden Canada (HGTV) in 'Live Here, Buy This'. Our relocation plans are now in place, hence we are highly motivated to sell. This beautiful 1-acre (150' x 292') fenced property is on more...Country : Belize
Location : Cayo District
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439ft+/- of BEACH FRONT PROPERTY IN SOUTH BELIZE For Sale : $195,000
Located about 1 mile North of Monkey River on the East Coast and 15 miles South of the tourist town Placencia via boat. The property is actually an island known as English Town by the locals. It is separated from more...Country : Belize
Location : Toledo District
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Belize NEW Home for sale for 126 K in San Ignacio For Sale : $126,000
Belize Home for Sale for 126,000 NEW !!! Rainforest Realty of San Ignacio Belize is offering this newly constructed home located by the new hospital in San Ignacio Town in the Cayo District of Belize. This home is ready as more...Country : Belize
Location : Cayo District
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Belize Waterfront, Progresso Heights For Sale : $40,000-$40,000
BELIZE WATERFRONT, Beautiful Lot Right On Progresso Lagoon.LOT#355 In Group 6. Water And Power PROGRESSO HEIGHTS Are In At This Gated Community With A Short Boat Ride To The Carribean Sea. These Waterfront Lots Sold Out Very Quickly.Pictures Taken While more...Country : Belize
Location : Corozal
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New bungalow in gated community with exquisite grounds on Hummingbird Highway For Sale : $189,000
Beautiful new bungalow with nearly 1,750 sf of living space including a 46x10 screened rear veranda. Features three bedrooms and two bathrooms all under a cathedral ceiling with exposed wooden beams, along with kitchen, laundry room and open plan living/dining more...Country : Belize
Location : Hopkins & Dangriga
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Best Kept Secret in Belize-Beautiful Sarteneja Lots For Sale : $129,000
78.5 Ft X 105 Ft - $129,000.00 USD eachCountry : Belize
Location : Corozal
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Gran Baymen For Sale : $99,000-$375,000
The Grand Baymen Community located south of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye Belize, offers condos for sale in a green, country club setting. Known as Baymen Gardens this master-planned condominium community is three blocks from the beach, but integrated more...Country : Belize
Location : Ambergris Caye
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South Beach Belize For Sale : $90,000-$399,900
South Beach Belize is a planned project located on the South tip of Ambergris Caye with a design based on the art deco style. The ambitious master plan includes condos, villas, hotels, marina, casino, theater, restaurants and shopping. The project more...Country : Belize
Location : Ambergris Caye
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South Beach Belize For Sale : $90,000-$399,900
South Beach Belize is a planned project located on the South tip of Ambergris Caye with a design based on the art deco style. The master plan includes condos, villas, hotels, marina, casino, theater, restaurants and shopping. The project is more...Country : Belize
Location : Ambergris Caye
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Sapphire Beach Resort For Sale : $99,000-$290,000
Located on Ambergris Caye, Belize, Sapphire Beach is a village style beach front resort. The project is located approximately 7.5 miles north of San Pedro and is accessed by a 20 minute boat ride. Sapphire Beach Resort has resort-style more...Country : Belize
Location : Ambergris Caye
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Sands Villas, Belize For Sale : $375,000-$550,000
A condo resort with 20 units in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye complete with pool and bar facilities. Ocean view properties are available. The units have close access to the amenities of San Pedro which bodes well for rental returns. The more...Country : Belize
Location : Ambergris Caye
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Sanctuary Bay Estates Belize For Sale : $79,000-$230,000
Sanctuary Bay borders the Sapodilla Lagoon and the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. The master plan offers 135 individual lots with walking access to the Caribbean sea. At 14,000 acres, this could easily become the largest resort community in Belize. more...Country : Belize
Location : Hopkins & Dangriga
Listings Map
Real Estate Market Overview
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Belize often escapes the attention of North American travelers and real estate investors. Perhaps because it’s a tiny country, smaller than the state of Massachusetts with a population under 350,000. Or maybe it’s because the country doesn’t seem to know whether to market itself as Central American or Caribbean.
Belize is a member of the Commonwealth with a legal system based on British law and is the only Central American country adopting English as its first language. If direct flights to UK and the rest of Europe take off (the runway at Belize international airport has been expanded to allow this), more Europeans will sit up and take notice. Some Belize real estate promoters are already urging their clients to ‘buy before the Europeans get here’ and get a foothold at current prices.
For a tiny country Belize packs some punch
The country packs a lot of punch within its small borders. First as a destination for dive enthusiasts attracted by the 260 km long barrier reef that runs along its entire coastline. The reef is the second largest in the world (after Australia) and accredited as a UNESO World Heritage site.But if you ever get bored of crystal clear jade waters, sparkling soft white sand and the rustle of palm leaves, you can always head to the mainland. Here you’ll find tropical forests teeming with wildlife, majestic mountains, rushing rivers and ancient Mayan temples. Belize prides itself on being the seat of Mayan civilization, with well-preserved archeological sites throughout the country, such as Lamanai and Xunantunich, which are easily accessible to tourists.
With these attractions, it’s not surprising that tourism numbers have risen steadily over the past decade. Already a stopping off point for Caribbean cruise ships, the World Travel & Tourism Council estimates the tourism and travel economy to contribute a massive 34.2% to Belize’s GDP in 2011 – a higher percentage than the other countries in Central America.
Unlike the steady march of branded resorts and hotels across more established parts of the Caribbean, the major hospitality chains have not yet made in-roads in Belize. But if you go to Belize, the rumors get louder every year, especially around Ambergris Caye. The celebrity factor is also at play ever since Leonardo DiCaprio picked up a 104-acre island complete with an airstrip.
The Government continues to make efforts to welcome foreign investment to Belize. There’s robust residency and retirement packages with numerous tax advantages (although income requirements are higher than other countries in our sample), and the Government is developing the infrastructure around the main hotspots such as Ambergris Caye and Placencia.
Belize is also well known as a banking haven. Its strict banking privacy laws and high liquidity requirements do much to support its standing. The economy is also doing well with growth rates averaging around 6% in recent years, despite the global downturn. And many hope that the discovery of oil in Cayo district will shelter the country from the worst of the economic storms. See more Belize indicators.
Real estate in Belize after the global downturn
It’s been a tough few years for real estate developers in Belize with sales volumes considerably lower than before the crisis. Apart from a few notable fire-sales, developers selling into the international real estate space have held their ‘official’ prices relatively firm. But at the same time many are offering incentives, special promotions and ‘discounts’.
No question it’s still a buyers market for real estate in Belize, with great deals to be had if you’re willing to spend the time seeking out the opportunities. Buyers will do well to remember that the best deals may not be direct from the developer, but re-sales from third parties.
Belize investors follow the tourists to Placencia & Ambergris Caye
Most of the Belize real estate activity targeting the second home and vacation markets is focused in Ambergris Caye and Placencia. In our analysis of active real estate projects, we found that Ambergris Caye holds almost half the country’s total. If you add the Placencia projects, you’ve accounted for two-thirds.Types of property ownership
Title to property in Belize can be held in three different ways; (1) Deed of Conveyance; (2) Transfer Certificate of Title and (3) Land Certificate.
A Deed of Conveyance originates from the British colonial days and is a registered instrument of ownership. A Deed of Conveyance is a valid legal title once an attorney has confirmed that the seller has good title to the property. This form of ownership can be converted to a Certificate of Title via an application for first registration. Any subsequent buyer is issued a Transfer Certificate of Title. A Land Certificate is an absolute title and applies in new or specially designated areas. Under the Registered land Act of 1987, the government is converting all freehold land (held under Conveyance) to Land Certificate titles to achieve a uniform system as areas are being surveyed.
Real estate purchasing process
The process of legal due diligence involves a review of the property title at the Lands Department, confirmation of tax clearance and an investigation to determine whether the property is free of mortgages, debt or pending legal cases. For certain transactions a technical due diligence runs in parallel and considers (for example) boundaries and topography, water availability, energy availability, analysis of permissions and permits, highest and best use studies, market studies.
Once the due diligence periods have been completed and the property is cleared for sale, the closing is scheduled. At the closing a new property title is drawn, signed and funds transferred. As an English speaking country, most investors from North America will not require translation of contracts but they will need the services of a qualified attorney.
In order to register the property a valuation is carried out by the Valuation Department and the transfer attested by the Justice of the Peace. Registration takes place at the Lands Registry at which time registration fees and stamp duty of 5% on the declared value of the property are paid.
What’s special about real estate for sale In Belize?
- Belize property prices are lower than the more established Caribbean destinations.
- You’ll find smaller, boutique style real estate developments as opposed to the larger destination resorts underway in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
- An emerging world-class tourist destination with strong vacation potential.
A benefit laden “Qualified Retirement Program” - A developing infrastructure, especially around tourist areas.
- Friendly tax and banking jurisdiction.
6 reasons Belize is attracting interest from real estate investors
20 Comments → “Belize Real Estate Overview”
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Sally K Witt
Apr 21, 2012
Looks heavenly! The prices are very impressive. What a nice job to have, offering beautiful options in a lovely area.
Jane
Apr 22, 2012
Hi Sally. Yes it’s a great spot to work in the real estate field.
Joanne
Apr 21, 2012
Looks like a beautiful place.
I would love to visit there one day!
Jane
Apr 22, 2012
Hi Joanne, thanks for stopping by. Yes Belize is beautiful. Many spots offer the picture postcard Caribbean experience. But in addition Belize has an intriguing jungle interior with winding rivers and verdant mountains.
Jimmy
Apr 22, 2012
I just had some good friends vacation there last year. Their pictures were AMAZING! Hopefully I can get there in a few years.
Debra Eckerling
Apr 22, 2012
Looks like Belize is up and coming … and a beautiful place to live. Have met some really nice people from Belize too!
David Allen
Apr 22, 2012
Belize used to be a bit of a dive. Has the place come up in the world lately? At the moment I have more interest to visit Mexico.
Jane
Apr 22, 2012
Hi David, thanks for leaving a reply. Where did you visit? Certainly in the last few years places like Placencia have experienced a bit of a makeover. It’s now fully paved from the Belize City and some very impressive luxury-end developments are going up (many already completed). Ambergris Caye has also had a great deal of infrastructure improvement, in San Pedro itself as well as heading north and south.
Jason Grant-Henriques
Apr 23, 2012
What an exotic place to be selling real estate! Personally i’d like to purchase something in the Grand Baymen Community after i win the lotto of course!
Jane
Apr 23, 2012
Hey Jason, Just dig a little deeper into the prices and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Rocky
Jul 04, 2012
Hey! I’m looking for a 1 bedroom condo close to the beach and diving venues. Can you throw me a link to units on the cheaper end??
Thanks and looking forward to your reply.
-Rocky
Jane
Jul 05, 2012
Hi Rocky, Thanks for commenting. I’ll email you with any owners listings we have on site that fit what you are looking for.
Cathy
Sep 25, 2012
We will be visiting in late February to visually check on some properties. Taking early retirement and have set our minds on Belize. Cathy
admin
Sep 27, 2012
Hi Cathy, Great news. Do check owners listings and re-sales that we have listed. Just scroll up to see them.
Pat
Oct 16, 2012
I will be in Puerto Aventuras, MX in 2 weeks on vacation and coming down to Ambergris Caye for only one day to look at some building lots. I am planing on coming back to explore Belize in more depth in early Spring.
What I’m looking for is a residential lot virtually anywhere in Belize close to a beach, ocean view, or beach lot, utilities available or nearby, little to no building requirements, or restrictions, with some sort of available(owner/developer/bank) financing for under 50K.. I do not plan to build for 5-6 years yet. If you come across something like this, please shoot me an email. Thanks, Pat
admin
Oct 17, 2012
Hi Pat thanks for the note. Our current owners listings in Belize can be found at the top of this page. We’ll also contact you via email.
Selina
Dec 02, 2012
I want to move to Belize very tired of US. I’m 50 single and looking at life a little different. I love the island but, I choose Belize it will take about 2 years for me to get there have ties that needs to be cut. I can’t wait!!!
admin
Dec 03, 2012
Hi Selina – Thanks for stopping by. Keep looking at our owners listings for real estate in Belize. It’s a great way of getting to know the market as you make your plans for the move.
Pat
Dec 03, 2012
I just bought my retirement lot on Ambergris Caye!! I’m so excited to own my very own piece of Paradise!! Now comes the retirement countdown, 5 years + 3 months and counting.. Barely enough time to design my home, find a builder, and get all my ducks in a row!! I can hardly wait to be living the island life forever..
admin
Dec 03, 2012
Congratulations Pat! Thanks for sharing your news. How exciting to be designing your retirement home on beautiful Ambergris Caye.