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.

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 26.4% to Belize’s GDP  - a higher percentage than the other countries in our sample. 

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.

International real estate in Belize

It's been a tough 2 years for real estate developers in Belize with sales volumes considerably lower than previous years.  For the most part 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 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 real estate 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.

There’s information on price points for real estate for sale in Belize across different categories on our Belize property page.

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