Buying Property in Orchid Bay

[BETH B T.]

I have purchased a house in Orchid Bay to be finished next year. I have 30 days to cancel which would be December 15. I am quite confused with the contract. I had an attorney from the states look at it (they travel all around the world) and they had some concerns. Should I try to get in contact with a Belize attorney?
I realize I am running out of time but I was hoping that the contract would be clear enough for me to understand. Thanks for any help you can give me.

[TERRY G.]

Hello all! My name is Terry, and I have been checking Belize out for quite some time as a retirement possibility! I hope to visit in either February, or March 2015. I had hoped that a friend was going to join me for this exploration, but I’m not sure that it will happen that way! I will do it alone if necessary, but would love to find a travel partner. I hope to find a place to live on my SS benefits, possibly open a small Cafe’, with maybe organic coffees, and baked goods. This is just a thought at this stage. I also want to be close (within a half hour) to scuba diving! I also have thoughts of a small farm in the future, where I can perfect my Permaculture design abilities. I would love to hear from you guys! Thanks….Terry

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Please keep in mind that when you are dealing in Belize contracts you need a Belizean lawyer. The laws are different here and your American attorney will not be able to help you in the event of a problem down the road. If you ever have a dispute about your contract, or have difficulty obtaining a title, you would need to hire a Belizean lawyer to assist you. The USA has no jurisdiction in Belizean legal issues.

It will be difficult to reach a Belizean attorney in this short period of time. My recommendation is that you directly call the office of Ryan Wrobel, and try to catch him. Tell him that I referred you and that you are an IL member. Mr. Wrobel is one of the Belizean attorneys on the list we have assembled in the Belize Insider Rolodex. He specializes in real estate law and is one of the few American attorneys who are also Belizean attorneys. There is a good chance that he’s already familiar with the Orchid Bay contract. You could also contact Margaret Summerfield of Pathfinders and ask her opinion. Pathfinders did interact with Orchid Bay at one time, in the past.

You can also try to reach Belizean lawyer Estevan Perrera. There are a few more names for lawyers on our Rolodex list. Most of them will offer an initial free consultation. But since you are asking for a specific legal review, I assume you will need to pay for that. A final suggestion is to call Julie Ann Ellis Bradley, of Barrow & Williams. She spoke at the Las Vegas conference. She assured me that she would give IL members a free initial consultation. So if you call her and mention you are an IL member, she may respond quickly.

It’s best not to rush into a commitment to buy property or a home in a foreign country if you have not actually spent a period of time living there and renting. So you are wise to be asking this question while there is time to back out. It is often difficult to sell a home in a region like Orchid Bay that’s distant from the local town, which in this case is Corozal. Few expats live at Orchid Bay fulltime.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Terry,

You posted as a reply to another post, vs. adding a new post. So it would be best if you re-post your entry so everyone can benefit from it.

It is possible to live on SS income in Belize, but it is more challenging to do so on the cayes, unless you are quite frugal. The cayes are the only areas that are very close to the reef and scuba diving. On the mainland it typically takes an hour or more to reach the reef for diving.

The least expensive areas are Corozal, San Ignacio and Punta Gorda. All are an hours boat ride from the reef, or more. You can live on $2000/month almost anywhere in Belize. SS varies greatly. So how well you will do in Belize living on SS depends on the amount you will be getting and where you choose to live. It’s tough to live on less than $2000/month on the cayes, or in Placencia. I do know a couple who owns their own home and have assured me that they do well on less than $1500/month living on Ambergris Caye, but that’s not the norm.

Yes, a coffee house can be a decent little business, depending on where you decide to settle. You won’t make a killing but it’s a fun business to own and operate, as you get to interact with your customers daily. A farm is a totally different topic. The farms are mainly on the mainland, away from the coast and scuba diving. So if you want to get into this, you would likely be moving away from the coast.

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