[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Harry,

There are several golf courses, but they are mainly 9 hole courses. One is at Consejo Shores, north of Corozal. Another is near San Ignacio. I forget the name of that one.

There is a golf course on Caye Chapel. But that was bought by a Mexican corporation. They are renovating the entire island and I do not know if they will maintain the golf course.

As you can see, golfing is not a big sport here.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Harry,

If you review the content on the Belize Insider website you will find a lot of helpful info, including detailed info on visiting and moving to Ambergris Caye. If you review the monthly Belize Insiders you will find that one of them included a summary of property management companies around Belize, including several on Ambergris Caye. I think that was in June of 2015, give or take a month. June is a good time to rent, if you start to plan now. That is low season, so you should be able to find a decent rental.

I don’t think we have very many full-time expat residents living on Ambergris Caye who spend time on this forum, since it’s geared towards people who are seeking info before they move. Most expats who live here won’t donate their time to give a stranger a tour. But if you just come and hang out at some places where you can meet expats, then you’ll find many are friendly and after you become acquainted with some people who live here full-time, they will probably offer to show you around. Other expats charge a fee to do so. Also, just sitting in a restaurant and chatting with locals they’ll give you a lot of advice. This island is small and it’s really easy to get around. So you won’t need a “guide”, although it does help initially, to find out where everything is.

The other option is to join the Ambergris Caye forum, at http://www.ambergriscaye.com. Get on that forum and ask the same question. The people who frequent that forum live here. Some who are retired, with time on their hands, may offer to show you around… But if you go to Estels for breakfast, and a few of the popular watering holds (such as Coco Locos, Crazy Canucks, and Caribbean Villas), you’ll meet other expats fairly quickly, if you are friendly and go out of your way to ask a lot of questions and introduce yourself. Sunday afternoons are a great time to head to the above beach bars, as everyone is out and about, spending time with friends on the beach. The more popular places on the beach have Sunday afternoon BBQs, games, and live music. So it’s a really fun time to get out and meet people, and socialize…

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Bob,

There is at least one credit union in Belize I know of. But it is a Belizean bank, vs. an international bank. So it would not have US dollar accounts. I assume it would not have the ability to accept US $ wires.

I have never met an expat in Belize who is using a local credit union. I assume that this type of bank would cater to Belizean citizens, vs. expats. Even if they did agree to set up an account for you, I assume you would need to be living here full-time.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Francis,

Yes, you can import whatever personal goods you want to bring, as long as you do so during the first year you move here. You are right that there used to be a limit. When I became a QRP there was a $15,000 limit.

In general,the government of Belize makes it very difficult for anyone to bring wood into Belize, as there is so much great wood in the country. You can have fantastic wood cabinets and bedroom sets made in Belize for less than or equal to the price of buying factory furniture in North America. And that way you can pick your design and have the artisan make it like you want it. And the price to do that should be no more than what you paid for your wood products, especially when you add in the cost of moving them. But you should talk to your QRP counselor about this. Most expats do not bring wood with them. But possibly someone will respond on the Forum.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Ron,

Belize has very few all-inclusive style resorts. But an increasing number of hotels are offering a food package which you can select if you like. But in most areas we have many good restaurants to pick from. So it’s a shame to eat all meals at one resort when you can mix them up and try both local and some higher end restaurants.

I am not familiar with the best way to get from Montreal to Belize, since that is a very specific area and I don’t know expats who travel from Montreal to Belize. Major carriers AA, United, Delta, USAir all come here. I assume those airlines fly out of Montreal. But your best bet, when looking for a flight is to do a current search on Kayak to look at what options are available. Airline routes and prices change constantly. There are several air flight search companies on line, but Kayak is one I find helpful.

You do not mention where you plan to stay, the quality of accommodations, or what your lifestyle is like. We do have a list of hotels in the Belize Manual, with their prices. And keep in mind that you’ll pay over $75/day for a car rental, if on the mainland. Those will be your two biggest expenses, so start there. IN terms of food, you can eat a Belizean style meal for under $5 in most parts of Belize. But you can also easily spend $50/person at a high end restaurant.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Thanks, David, for the info you passed on.

I recently made a US dollar transfer from the USA to Atlantic International Bank. It was the first time I did so since they changed their correspondent bank. It took a bit longer, about 3-4 days, but the money went through without an issue.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

David,

Short-term rentals are treated differently in Belize than longterm rentals, requiring different types of permits. Short term rentals are treated as hotel rooms, requiring you to pay a much steeper hotel tax of around 9-10% tax. So most expats avoid short-term rentals unless they don’t mind paying the extra tax.

But rentals can provide a viable income stream for properties in Belize, since tourism is growing here, and expats are visiting, to test drive the area as a retirement option. There is a need for more longterm rentals, in particular, from 1-12 months, in Placencia and Caye Caulker. Expats regularly have a hard time finding rentals of a month or more, to stay long enough to test out the lifestyle.

The demand for rentals, short and longterm, is greater in tourist areas such as the cayes, Placencia, and Hopkins. But longterm rentals are also in demand in these areas, and in Corozal and San Ignacio.

There are some property management companies who will manage and rent out your property for you. Some are great, others are problematic. But you have time to begin looking at properties and having realtors show you what’s available, since you won’t move here for a few years.

Note that property prices have escalated in the tourist areas during the last few years. So there are not many deals to be had these days, unless you are willing to buy a building that needs renovating. And it is not wise to take on a renovation project unless you can be here the entire time, to be sure any work is done according to your expectations.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

No problem, Meggan. Finding a rental in Belize is one of the most common questions I receive. It took some research to find groups that advertise rentals in each expat region, but that was a high priority for me when I started writing the Belize Insider Monthly newsletter. Good luck!

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Meggan,

International Living is not directly involved in the rental management business. We correspondents don’t show any type of properties, rental or for sale. But we do find and list rental management companies in various regions of the country, to assist our members. But since you are coming in the high season, longterm rentals will be scarce. So mainly you can look at the pictures on property management websites, and drive by rentals, to see where they are and what the building looks like.

If you review the monthly issues of the Belize Insider on this website, you will see that I wrote a detailed article about how to find rentals in each region of Belize. The companies and approaches differ from region to region. I don’t remember which issue includes the rental article, but it was between April and July of this year. So check out those monthly Belize Insider issues to find the article that provides info on how to find a longterm rental. You will have to contact each rental company separately and work with them, on a local level. You will find more rentals in Corozal than in Placencia and Hopkins. The rentals in tourism areas are typically snapped up quickly during the high season. Corozal is not a tourist’s area, though.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

William,

Your question is one I have never been asked before. The first thing to consider, as David mentions, is that it may be too problematic to move your propane tank. I assume you will be visiting before you move. On your next trip bring the specific info for your tank, and the type of fitting it has, then talk to the butane company about their fittings. Then go to a variety of hardware stores to see what you can find. But talk to the local butane provider to explore this question, if you will be allowed to bring the tank with you.

it would be much easier, and safer, to just buy a standard gas tank in Belize, rather than take a chance on bad fittings and gas leaks down the road. Gas is not something you want to take chances with in Belize. We do have fire departments, but not advanced burn centers.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Butane is more commonly used than propane.

Gas is expensive because this is a small country and the gasoline is imported. Gas is expensive in many countries, when compared to the price in the USA.

A few years ago crude oil was discovered in Belize. But the source has almost run dry now, unfortunately. Also, there is no refinery in this small country. So even the crude oil Belize did extract had to be sent out of country to be refined. So the transport adds quite a bit to the cost.

This is a very small country, with only 330,000 people. We don’t have much industry here. Tourism and agriculture are the primary money drivers for the economy of Belize.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

It’s not a foregone conclusion that you will be able to obtain a gun license in Belize, which is required before having a gun here. You will first need to be a resident. Before you bring in a gun, or buy one in Belize, you will need to obtain a gun permit. If you try to bring a gun into the country without having obtained a permit they will confiscate it. The rules in Belize are very strict as compared to those in the USA.

Belize does not allow ownership of handgun revolvers with a caliber of more than .44 or higher, or rifles of 7.62 or higher caliber. All assault rifles, automatic and semi-automatic firearms are banned.

There are two types of gun licenses in Belize, one for protection, the other for hunting. Any gun license is issued subject to a background check (accounting for criminal convictions and previous firearm ownership) and a personality profile. Licenses must be renewed on an annual basis and non-citizens pay $500/year for their gun. You must be able to prove that you have a legitimate reason for needing a gun. The primary reasons typically approved are if you own a business you need to protect, or you live in a remotely located farm or location that’s vulnerable. Gun licenses for hunting rifles are issued separately.

Here are the regulations related to guns in Belize:

http://www.unlirec.org/documents/caribe/belize/firearmsactchapter143ofthesubstantivelawofbelize.pdf

http://www.unlirec.org/Documents/caribe/Belize/FirearmsRegulationsincludedintheFirearmsActChapter143.pdf

Once you obtain a gun license, you can buy a gun in Belize, or bring one in that complies with the country’s restrictions.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

David,

Thanks for your detailed info sharing with the group. Since you recently went through this process, this info is very helpful to anyone who is going to move to Belize in the future, especially during the next year. I would like to add a few more comments, based on yours:

– When converting from BZ to US dollars, there is an exchange rate charged. I would discourage people from converting any US dollars to BZ dollars except for what they need to live on, to avoid excess currency exchange fees. And at times the banks don’t have enough US dollars on hand to make this type of exchange, so expats have to go to an external money changer.
– Although one’s Social Security check can be deposited directly into a Belize bank account, our financial advisor suggested that it’s better to deposit it in your US account and then transfer as needed. Given the recent correspondent banking issues in Belize, it would be difficult to deal with any SS checks that might get bounced back to the US if there are future problems. My husband and I have our SS payments deposited directly into our Schwab account and then transfer them to Belize as needed.
– I think that the Belizean branch of Atlantic still accepts check deposits, but the international bank doesn’t. But I’ll check on that, just in case it has changed.
– As you mention, David, Schwab is a great company for those of us who live overseas. We are very happy with their service and the fact that they don’t charge international fees on credit card charges, and they reimburse us for overseas banking fees charged at ATMs when we take out money. Note that it is difficult to make transfers from outside of the USA into Schwab Bank accounts, but much easier to transfer into a Schwab brokerage account. The banks are under more “scrutiny”. So it’s worthwhile having a brokerage account at Schwab if you expect to need to transfer money back into the USA from outside of the country in the future.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Ron,

Actually, every year, before hurricane season our local emergency agency, NEMO, is interviewed on TV, reminding people how to prepare. They also put out bulletins on line and in the local media as to how to prepare for the season. We are now out of hurricane season for until summer 2016 and we didn’t even have a tropical storm this year. But when you live in an area known to have hurricanes at times, you become more attuned to what you need on hand if one occurs. And, yes, we do plan for it. I’ve not yet been through one, though, since moving here.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Ron,

Actually, every year, before hurricane season our local emergency agency, NEMO, is interviewed on TV, reminding people how to prepare. They also put out bulletins on line and in the local media as to how to prepare for the season. We are now out of hurricane season for until summer 2016 and we didn’t even have a tropical storm this year. But when you live in an area known to have hurricanes at times, you become more attuned to what you need on hand if one occurs. And, yes, we do plan for it. I’ve not yet been through one, though, since moving here.

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