Since our daily lives in Belize deal mostly in Commercial properties we also deal with a lot of professional investors. The common thread of most of these conversations deals with “why are properties so expensive in Belize?” This question is always asked in the context of a comparison to properties in Florida.
The most important answer to this question is; “Belize property owners, as a general rule, are not leveraged like property owners in the US”. Since US banks won’t loan outside of the shores of the US and Belize banks’ interest rates are higher than acceptable by most investors, as a general rule most of the properties in Belize are wholly owned by individuals and purchased either with cash or owner financing. These individuals built their businesses through sweat equity, not large bank loans. Yes, we have very large resorts (on a Belizean scale) that are in trouble with the banks, but as a general rule they are the exception.
When a developer or small private owner leverages a property with large debt to income bank loans, counting on the income to pay the note, and a recession hits like in recent history; it is understandable what has happened to properties in the US. With the bank looming overhead they will sell for whatever they can in order to get out from under the bank, sometimes losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process.
Yes you can buy cheaper properties in the US right now, but look what has happened to those investments in the past. Belize property values have been on a yearly climb for the past 20+ years, and will continue to do so. The traveling public has just discovered the lure of this virtually undiscovered Central American paradise and will continue to do so for years to come.
If you want a true adventure, or just relax in a hammock, the people of Belize welcome you with open arms, and even open doors for dinner!
Come to Belize and discover what a true vacation is all about!