[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

David and Lynn,

Great news. We just returned from the states and our vacation. I checked they AIBL website and they did not have new instructions up. So I’m glad to hear they have a new correspondent back. I will re-check their website. Ironically, Heritage Bank also got dumped by BofA. So, as I had read, BofA is continuing to drop their correspondent bank role in the Caribbean and Central America.

Our Belizean lawyer had told us that she believed that Atlantic International Bank would be one of the banks to be able to find a backup correspondent bank. So I am glad that is the case.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

US dollars, since our readers are North American.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Martin,

Just link to the Belize Boy Scouts website above to contact the key leaders in Belize to find out if there is a Boy Scouts club in Corozal.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Ron,

In the past the off peak season was considered to be May through November, but tourism has increased a lot the last five years. Certainly, July through October tourism is much slower than December through April. But Ambergris Caye is busier during the summer than in the past. But many hotels and resorts offer lower rates in the summer, June through November, and deals can be found on line. Check the hotels’ websites for their posted rates, which usually show the seasonal differences.

From what I’ve heard, Placencia is still quite slow in the summer, as is the Cayo. I’ve noticed that many tourists on a tight budget tend to come in October. October seems to have the lowest rates, but it is also the height of hurricane and rainy season. Sometimes it rains for days on end. Other times the weather is delightful. It’s just riskier than the early part of the year, which is when the weather is perfect and the rates high.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

I have taken the bus from Cancun to Chetumal quite a few times. Then I use a Belize transportation service to cross the border to Corozal. It costs under $30 for the ADO luxury bus, which is very comfortable. The Belize Menzies pick up service is about another $15 US. You have to set that up ahead of time, but Menzies is very reliable.

ADO also has a red eye bus from Cancun to Belize City. I do not know if it stops in Corozal, though. It is easier to go through the border crossing with a Menzies guide, than with a large bus group.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Here is an update on correspondent banks in Belize. This week we received a notice from Atlantic Bank that BofA has pulled the plug and now will no longer act as a correspondent bank for any Belize bank going forward. Atlantic Bank is looking for a new correspondent bank. I have been told that they will find one, but we are waiting to see what happens. We can still deposit checks. But as of this time we can’t wire US dollars into or out of our Atlantic Bank account.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Good suggestion about Ian Anderson’s Cave Branch, Ken. Other places where I have seen many younger tourists are on the cayes. Both Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye are a big draw for young tourists, as the water sports are fantastic, the view gorgeous, and there is a lot to do at night, as well. Placencia is another hopping beach town with things to do.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

It would be best to start a new topic because your question is quite different than the one on this thread. I can easily miss it when a new question is posted at the end of a long thread where I already answered the primary question.

I don’t own a car, since we live on Ambergris Caye. We have a golf cart. But I have a number of friends who have bought vehicles in Belize. Some have bought used 4-wheel drives for under $5000. The cars sold in Belize don’t have all the bells and whistles you see on American made computerized cars. It is important to buy from a reputable dealer recommended by other expats. I think most of them are around Belize City. You are correct to pick a 4-wheel drive as the roads can get really bumpy when you get off the main drag.

Since you will move here, make a point of joining the Belize Forum and the Ambergris Caye forum. The Ambergris Caye Forum has sections for other areas of the country, and for general lifestyle questions. Both have many posts about topics like this from people who have moved here and solved a problem, including the one you have asked about buying a car in Belize. I know this is new to you. But when you live in a place like Belize it is important to learn how to use the forums and Facebook. That is how many people share info that benefits all expats who live in the country. You will also find some negative forum “trolls”. Don’t get bogged down with those. Ask a friend to show you how to join a Forum, if you haven’t done this before. Here are the links:

– http://www.belizeforum.com
– http://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/.

You will need to join, which means you’ll need to set a password for these accounts.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Kristina and Martin,

Each area has a different expat hangout. You don’t mention where you will be staying. There are many Canadians in the Corozal area, as well as on Ambergris Caye.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

International Living does not recommend developments. Nor do we talk about the developments where expats live. But when I hear numerous complaints about a specific development I will note that in this forum only. I did recently meet several unhappy investors from Sanctuary when I visited Placencia. They were quite vocal and could not sell their property at Sanctuary, which put them in a bind. That is why I noted this on the forum.

I know the property at Sanctuary is very beautiful. But if there is not a true community, with multiple handy grocery stores, doctors, banks within easy reach, then it is not a community that will be of interest to many International Living members who are looking for a fulltime place to live.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Steve,

As always, our recommendation is to rent for six months before buying. Once you buy it isn’t always easy to sell, if you change your mind. And not all realtors will give you a complete picture for a property or the neighborhood you are looking at. It is important to know which neighborhoods are safe and desirable for expats, especially on Ambergris Caye.

Yes, do talk to as many expats as possible, but you will only be in Belize for a week, which is not enough time to get a comprehensive picture.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

I am glad you had a good experience with your mortgage at Atlantic Bank. Let me know if your US dollar transfers went through quickly. As of this week I’ve heard that all Belize banks are currently having challenges with BofA as a correspondent bank. I am watching to see what direction this goes. The banks are looking for alternate correspondent banks at this time. Apparently, BofA has decided it isn’t worth it for them to continue as a correspondent bank for a small country like Belize, due to the FATCA requirements.

I do wish you luck. The QRP process is usually pretty easy.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

frank,

The Placencia peninsula has the largest marinas with associated condo/townhouse developments, on the lagoon side. I know there is one at Roberts Grove, but there are others there as well. There are a number of condo developments and also some property that is being developed where you can build your own home, on the marina side, and keep your boat in a slip there.

Boris Mannsfeld Associates works with Pathfinders in Placencia and he is part owner of the marina development at Roberts Grove.

It’s always a good idea not to buy on your first trip. You can also rent a house in the marinas. I met a couple who does rent at the Roberts Grove marina. If you rent first and talk to expats who live on the Placencia Peninsula you will hear the pros and cons of the various marinas and properties. Then you can make a better informed decision.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Tim,

There is good fishing all along the Belize coast. But the water is very shallow in the cayes, such as Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, which are inside of the reef, which is about 1/2 mile or so offshore. So any boat used for fishing in this area needs to be able to navigate in shallow water. There are docks on both the front and back sides of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker.

Placencia and Corozal have deeper water so there are more large yachts in these areas with deeper marinas. IN Placencia they are at the south side of the peninsula, and in the back lagoon. In Corozal, there is a marina right in town, on the coast.

Some marinas are associated with developments, but they are mainly on the Placencia Peninsula, on the lagoon side. There are quite a few there.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

David,

That’s a good approach. I was talking to another expat yesterday who mentioned that it seems much easier to open an US $ account these days than a BZ dollar account, for expats in Belize. Once you are here, living on the ground, it should be much easier to open your BZ $ account, since you can follow through with local Atlantic bank staff. Let me know if you have problems getting your BZ $ account set up once you are here.

Things keep changing in overseas banking, in general, since FATCA came into being. Several banks in Belize lost their US correspondent banks recently, so it is no longer to make wire transfers in US $s to those banks. I hope that Atlantic Bank won’t have this type of correspondent bank problem in the future. But the correspondent bank issues often stem from the US side, where US banks are cutting back on which countries they are willing to work with, partly based on size/volume of money transfers. Belize is quite small compared to other countries, so some banks may not think they are worth the effort.

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