[DAVID L.]

We have had an interesting experience with banking in Belize during the last several months.
For cash flow reasons, we decided to get a home mortgage for new Consejo home from Atlantic International Bank. Once our house in the US sells, we’ll remove the mortgage. But, more to the point, Atlantic Internal Bank was great to work with. Arlette Arana (aarana@atlanticibl.com) was extremely helpful. Mention that David and Lynn sent you – I think it will help.
We had a ton of paperwork to complete for a mortgage. More than the US (we have bought/sold 22 houses). I think this is a good thing because it shows the bank is careful about their lending practices. At least that thought made me feel better gathering up all of the necessary paperwork. No guarantee though.

We got caught in the BOA de-risking of Central American banks. Atlantic International kept us informed and did secure an intermediary exactly when and as they promised. So our deal went through on schedule.

Note that there are fees when sending a wire transfer either from the US or to the US (US banks to Belize or Belize banks to the US). Charles Schwab seems to have the best rate and a charge card that does not charge foreign transaction fees. And, don’t forget, many important papers should be “FedEx’ed” to make sure of timing and accurate delivery.

The downside so far with Atlantic International is that they don’t accept US checks anymore. They may in the future but I think it is more of an intermediary bank restriction. It’s a bummer.

We have applied for a local account at Atlantic Bank. We are waiting to hear that we have been approved by the Central Bank. Once your dollars are in Belize dollars, it is time consuming to change the Bz$ back to US$. So be careful how much input into a local Belize bank.

We have found that BEL (electric) and BTL (phone/cell) can be paid online via a US charge card. Very convenient.

I read that the US Social Security check can be direct deposited into a foreign bank account (with some restrictions) once you live overseas. I am checking this out and will let you know.

Hope this helps,
David
David

[DAVID L.]

Three thoughts about the hurricane question:
1) As Ann points out, concrete homes are a good idea for several reasons including resistance to hurricanes. Doors, windows, backup generator are also important. But, a concrete home is a good start.
2) Certainly where you live is also important. Think about exposure to storm surge. This is more critical for ocean-facing coastlines, as well as, the islands (cayes). There are land-protected bays (Corozal Bay, for example) that help protect from the full fury of a hurricane.
3) Plan your exit strategy. Are the roads sufficient to get you inland or do you need to take a boat to get off an island or is the coastline so remote that road travel is difficult in an emergency situation?
We have lived on the east coast of the US including Florida. Paying attention to what’s going on is always a good idea. As Ann points out, hurricanes don’t seem to favor Belize – and, that’s a good thing.
David

[DAVID L.]

Ann, Sounds like you have it covered. Let us know when you’ll be at the Millennium so we can meet. We have had quite an experience – traveling north and south of Belize, finding a house, setting up an off-shore account and securing a Belizean mortgage.

David and Lynn

[DAVID L.]

Hi Ann and any others that are interested,

Many expats meet at the Millennium every Wednesday evening from around to 5pm to usually about 7pm or so. Food, beer and talk. The times we have attended, there have been both US and Canadian expats (about 20 or so – just depends who’s in town). Lynn and I will be there both Wednesday Nov 11 and 18. If you are in Corozal, take the Consejo Village Road (4th Ave extension about 7 miles. Millennium will be on the left.

[DAVID L.]

Thanks Ann. I did try to use the feature before and it didn’t work. Being in the “computer” field for 45 years, I understand “technical issues”. Hopefully, it will be an added feature soon. David

[DAVID L.]

Hi guys,

I understand that the bus station is a “government zone” or something like that. So, we’ll meet Mark at Applebee’s (yes, Applebee’s at the Mall). It is a very short distance from the bus station (under 2 miles?), so we’ll grab a quick taxi. The driver is Mark Jones and his Belizean number is 501-600-5657. Our real estate agent is Karen Wilkinson (kwinbelize@live.com). She set us up with Mark, originally, and is very knowledgeable about Corozal and Consejo. (We bought our house through her.) If you contact either or both, drop our name, I think it will help. David and Lynn Lawson.

PS: be careful about calling Belize. Our US cell phone was $1.99/minute. I thought that was high until I found out that CenturyLink was $3.99/minute. Talk fast! We’ll be getting MagicJack once we move.

[DAVID L.]

Martin/Barry,

Lynn and I will be in Consejo (6 miles north of Corozal) from Nov 8 until Nov 22. We are traveling through Cancun and busing it to Chetumal with a driver waiting for us in Chetumal. We have never done it this way before but it saves several hundred dollars. So, it is worth a try. More to the point, every Wednesday evening (early), a group of Canadians/Americans meet at the Millennium in Consejo for a bite, a beer, and talk. It is NOT fine dining but it is fun. This is where we first learned about the Cancun/Chetumal connection. If this fits your itinerary, let us know and we will coordinate. David and Lynn

[DAVID L.]

I have not gotten good/timely response to questions using email to the Belize Tourism Board (they run the QRP program). Thankfully, they do have an 800 number. It is 800-624-0686 and ask for Ms. Hall (I think her first name is “Shaume” but I wouldn’t bet on it.) Hope this helps. David

PS: For the old timers on the program, Roshel Godfrey is no longer with the Tourism Board which is a loss to us.

[DAVID L.]

Just sent you an email with our contact information.

[DAVID L.]

Barry and Diane,

My wife, Lynn, and I have visited Belize last year and this year. We started in the south, then up to the northern islands and finally to Corozal. We just closed on a house in Consejo (north of Corozal and just south of Mexico). We went the mortgage route to preserve funds until our current state-side house sells. I think we will be moving permanently in the Jan, 2016, timeframe. (My wife thinks we are moving this afternoon. Somewhere in between those two dates probably lies the truth.) We would be happy to speak with you and provide our view point. Let us know your contact information so we can connect.

David and Lynn

[DAVID L.]

And, just as importantly, they work!

[DAVID L.]

Kristen, Lynn and I just bought a house in Consejo (north of Corozal). We received a mortgage through Atlantic International Bank. An interesting experience. Our house in the States is for sale and, as soon as it sells, we’ll be moving to our new home in Belize. If you would like to converse, we could arrange a stateside phone call between us. David and Lynn

[DAVID L.]

It is confusing. I usually use USD, BZD or CND just to make sure it is clear. It is said that real estate transactions are done in USD. However, fees associated with the transaction can be stated in BZD. It a figure looks too high, then it is probably BZD. Always check especially if you are dealing remotely.

[DAVID L.]

Delta also flies to Belize City from Atlanta.

[DAVID L.]

Hopefully, Southwest will put downward pressure on airfares.

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