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COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER
ParticipantGood luck, Linda! Yes, I know the person you are renting from. She is a friend of mine. You lucked out to find a short term deal. That’s why it pays off to go to a variety of social events. That’s where you meet people and hear about deals. You are a great example of that! It’s also great that she’ll rent out her golf cart to you while you are there.
There is now a moratorium on issuing new golf cart permits on the island, as the traffic is out of control and so many visitors have complained about it. The mayor announced it a month or so ago. It sounds like it will be in effect for a year or so, but it’s hard to say.
You are coming at a good time to find a longterm rental, before the high season starts in late November.
ParticipantYes, duty varies significantly by the type of item.
ParticipantTake a look at the Rolodex on the front page of this website. We’ve listed a number of hotels and resorts in each key area of Belize where expats typically visit. Several are listed for Placencia and Hopkins.
ParticipantYou can also check AirBnB, and Ambergris Vacation Rentals http://www.ambergrisvacationrentals.com/category/vacation/.
ParticipantHarry and Scot,
Before you come to visit, be sure to read the sections on the Belize Insider website that provide a lot of ideas of where to go on Ambergris Caye and in San Pedro. And scan through the Belize Insider issues. I’ve written more about Ambergris Caye than any other area of Belize, in terms of things to do, since I live here.
There are so many places to go to meet expats. Several are listed in the text about Ambergris Caye and San Pedro on the website. Rental management firms and ideas are listed in the June 2015 edition of the Belize Insider. It’s a good time to be looking for a rental, since we’ll be in the off season when you guys are here.
Since English is the primary language, it’s pretty easy to meet people here. But the top spots to do so are: the Truck Stop on Sunday afternoons, Wine de Vine on Friday nights, Marbucks on Thursday – late afternoon, Caribbean Villas on Sunday from lunch on, Crazy Canucks late Sunday afternoon, and popular restaurants like Estels. Wherever you go if the owner of a business is an expat, they are usually very helpful. Just chat them up.
ParticipantEllery,
It sounds like the person who advised you was concerned that your US dollar transfers would not get through. I have made several transfers from the USA through the new correspondent bank, which is in Puerto Rica, to Belize, without any issues. It just takes a few more days than in the past.
To me, the bigger problem would be if you couldn’t get your US dollars out of Atlantic International Bank in the future. There have been no such issues with Atlantic International Bank. And once you transfer funds to their international bank, you can convert them to Belize dollars to use for your construction. I have both an Atlantic International Bank account and an Atlantic BZ dollar account. I can transfer funds easily from the US dollar account to the BZ dollar account on line. I don’t think that will ever be a problem.
But I have heard of expats who kept US dollars in two other offshore banks in Belize and had problems getting their US dollars out. My personal approach is to only move enough US dollars to Belize to live on. I do that in phases, converting US dollars to Belize dollars each month. If you are moving US dollars to Belize to pay for materials to build a home, you should be fine.
That being said, I am really diligent to track any money transfer I make from the USA to Belize now. If the money doesn’t show up in my Atlantic International Bank account within a few days I call the bank to check. Sometimes the funds bounce back to my account in the USA, if something is missing on the paperwork. And last year one of my transfers was held up at the main Atlantic Intl Bank office in Belize City. They said I needed to fill out some paperwork, since the amount was above the limit here in Belize. So I went back into the bank and had to sign a form before they would allow the transfer to go through. If you are making large transfers to build a home, I’d discuss that with your Atlantic Intl banker and make sure you get the paperwork set up ahead of time to explain why you will be moving large sums of US dollars to Belize. They just want to see some justification when a lot of US dollars are coming into Belize.
ParticipantLinda,
The easiest thing for you to do is to just renew your visa each month, until you are sure you want to live in Belize longterm. Check the Belize Manual for the details on residency options. You can renew your visa every month for as long as you wish, without becoming a QRP or Resident, for a nominal cost each month. Although it may be easy to obtain your QRP, once you get it you will be required to move $2000 US/month into the country and to spend it here. If you are gone a lot you won’t need that much to live on here.
There is currently a moratorium on getting a golf cart permit on Ambergris Caye. Since you won’t be living on the island full-time, it wouldn’t make sense for you to buy one anyway. It’s hard to say how long the moratorium on golf cart permits will last. There is just too much traffic on the island right now. So that is one of the ways the Town Board deals with it. They probably won’t issue any new permits for a year or more. They will allow people to replace vehicles. But they don’t want any additional vehicles coming onto the island until some older ones are removed. But, in general, it’s hard to get a golf cart permit until you have been living here for a while and are a resident.
You CAN’T import a golf cart if you can’t obtain a permit. So you can look for a longterm golf cart rental, or just rent when you need to. Many new expats get around on a bike and take taxis when needed. Then they rent a golf cart once in a while and hitch rides with friends who have golf carts.
Also, when bringing a golf cart onto the island, you will pay import duties, which are pretty steep, unless you become a QRP and get the QRP exemption. But it doesn’t make sense to become a QRP until you are spending most of your time in Belize. You aren’t required to spend more than a month per year in Belize as a QRP. But you are required to move that $2000 US/month as long as you are a QRP. Every year you will need to show proof that you did this, in order to renew QRP status.
ParticipantGlad to hear the articles are helping.
ParticipantScott,
Yes, I would definitely talk to a customs broker, and to the QRP contact. Typically belongings come in through Belize City. The customs people at Corozal can operate differently. In other words, you many encounter more problems there if they are not as used to dealing with QRP goods coming through that border. Not many expats move their goods through Mexico. If you deal with the brokers yourself, they will likely expect more incentives… That’s why it’s better to deal with a good broker.
I strongly suggest that you call the QRP office and talk to the person who manages that department, to get their advice. They are typically very helpful. If we are lucky, someone who has done this before may chime in on this Forum. But most of our members are expats who are getting ready to move to Belize, or whom recently moved there, not expats who have have lived in Belize for a while. That being said, we may have a few recent Belize expats in Corozal who have moved their goods in through Mexico.
ParticipantScott,
First of all, with a budget of $1500/month, you should be able to find a nice place, whether in Corozal or on Ambergris Caye. You probably will find places for considerably less, with some luck. You could even rent for six months in Corozal, and on Ambergris Caye, to compare them. The lifestyle is very different between the two. The rents are MUCH lower in Corozal. But there is less to do there, especially if you are single.
Historically, May starts the slow season in Belize. So more rentals open up as snowbirds fly back home to North American. So, yes, you should be able to find a longterm rental starting in May, for a year. When you commit to one year you typically get the best rate, too. So start by asking what the rent is for a few months, six months, and a year.
In general, realtors are not the best ones to go to for rentals. The property management companies have a much better inventory and service track record, as that’s their business. I wrote an article for the Belize Insider, for June 2015, that covers suggested ways to find rentals in each region. So go to the Belize Insider Monthly section and read that article. The suggestions for Ambergris Caye are still applicable. We have multiple property management companies on the island. And you can even find rentals in the San Pedro Sun newspaper each week, although not that many.
Corozal I’ve added sources for rentals:
-http://consejo.bz/property/rentals.html – Nice rentals in Consejo Shores. But you’ll need to have a car if you live there.
-http://www.belizevacationhomes.ca/rentals-2.html – Corozal Vacation Rentals – but they have quite a few longterm rentals.Good luck! Let us know what you find.
ParticipantScott,
My understanding is that you need to have a detailed inventory of all the items you ship to Belize under the QRP program. There is a section on the Belize Insider website that details how to ship your belongings to Belize, so read that section in detail.
It’s important to have a good customs broker to handle receiving your goods on the Belize side. Typically you would ship your goods into Belize City and they are put into storage until your customs broker handles the inspection locally. Then he can have your goods shipped to wherever you want them to go in Belize.
Since you are a QRP, contact the QRP office in Belize and ask which Customs Broker they work with and recommend. It’s best to let the customs broker handle everything. I have heard that sometimes the inspector won’t even open a container. At other times they may go through the goods with a fine tooth comb. But talk to your QRP contact and ask her for advice on how detailed the inventory needs to be, and who they are currently recommending as the preferred customs broker. Whomever they recommend is used to working with QRPs and the customs inspectors.
ParticipantJust remind me, Linda. I usually go to either Marbucks on Thursday, or Wine de Vine on Friday. I will be in Caye Caulker earlier in the week working on research for IL. So I will be quite busy that week and will need a reminder…
ParticipantJeff,
I haven’t met anyone in Belize who has an adult child with the type of special needs your daughter has, although I’m sure there must be cases like yours in Belize. Belize is a country that is liberal in regards to how people live their lives. Even when they do have regulations, they seldom enforce many of them. So I doubt they have an “requirements” related to guardians of special needs children. So you will need to confer with a Belizean lawyer.
The laws in Belize are based on British Commonwealth law. They are similar to American laws, but not at all the same. American lawyers are not qualified to provide advice regarding Belize laws. We have a list of lawyers in the Belize Manual’s Rolodex. The better lawyers all have websites. So you should be able to contact them via e-mail, then set up an initial call. They usually will talk to you, for free, the first time. You may be able to get enough info on a preliminary call to determine if you need a lawyer. But I would recommend that you have a lawyer prepare a will and guardianship document to address your child’s care if you plan to live in Belize full-time and he or she will be living with you.
ParticipantHi Linda,
Great that you’ll enjoy your Birthday here on Ambergris Caye.
The hotspot on Thursday night is at Marbucks,about a mile north of the bridge. They have a really pleasant wine night that starts around 4:30 PM, until 7 PM.
On Friday nights we go to Wine de Vine, in town, from 6-8 PM for their wine tasting. Drop in and meet some of the expats who live on the island. I’m almost always there on Friday nights, if I’m in town. Each week we go either to Marbucks, or to Wine de Vine, for a night out.
ParticipantHarry,
Ambergris Caye is an island. So to visit Placencia you can fly, or take a boat to Belize City, from Ambergris. Then it is about 110 miles from Belize City to Placencia. If you rent a car it will take 3-4 hours to drive to Placencia and the drive is fairly easy. The road is decent. Just do not drive it at night, as there are no lights and accidents at night are not uncommon. The drive along the Hummingbird Highway, south, is really lovely, with many lush, rolling hills.
As David mentions, you can fly from the island to Belize City, and then take a connecting flight to Placencia. It is cheaper to fly to Belize Municipal and then on to Placencia. The cost to fly to the international airport is more, due to international fees and taxes. Note that once you get to Placencia you will want to have a car, if you plan to drive around and check it out. And it’s typically cheaper to rent one in Belize City, vs. in Placencia. I think it is cheaper to rent a car and drive to Placencia vs. take a flight. But it depends on what you want to do and how much time you have.
No problem asking questions. I appreciate that you are doing so on the forum, vs. sending me a private e-mail. This way everyone benefits from the interchange.
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