Ambergris Caye Experience

Why Did You Move To Belize?

2011-10-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a real estate broker from Colorado ask me "Why did you move to Belize?" We get asked this question a lot by our clients and people that are visiting the island. The answer that I would have given three years ago is very different from the reason I stay. We came here after getting extremely disheartened and frustrated with corporate life in the US. Like so many others we were watching our portfolios shrinking with an uncertain future. Foreign property investment seemed like a good option to preserve assets. Kim had checked out Costa Rica and considered some places in Europe when she stumbled across Belize. Kim came down as a potential investor and I came to give a second opinion and to have a little tropical fun. We stay because we have grown to love the lifestyle and people we get to meet. Be it for work, play or a little of both. In our three years here we have learned so much about Belize and living here. There is great opportunity and some challenges. We would love to share our experiences, the good and the not so good to help you determine if Belize, specifically Ambergris Caye, is the ideal place for your dream vacation home or your new full time home.

Marco Gonzalez

2011-04-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Aerial View of Site

How exciting that we have our own Archaeological Reserve on Ambergris Caye. Can't wait to see what else may be discovered there!
From the San Pedro Sun
Minister of Tourism, Aviation and Culture, Hon. Manuel Heredia was at the BTB (Belize Tourism Board) Office in San Pedro on Friday, April 1st at 2:00pm along with representatives from the Marco Gonzalez Maya Site Ambergris Caye Ltd. Group (MGMSAC), members of the Government of Belize (GOB), National Institute of Culture and History (NICH); Institute of Archeology (IA) and other invited guests; for the signing of the Statutory Instrument (SI) for the MGMSAC and a Memorandum of Understanding (MU) between all parties involved for the management of the site.

Invited guests included: Ms. Diane Haylock, President NICH: from the IA; George Thompson, Acting Director; Dr. John Morris, Associate Director, Research; Brian Woodye, Associate Director, Parks; Dr. Allan Moore, Associate Director, Education and Melissa Badillo, Staff Archaeologist. From the Marco Gonzalez Board of Directors: Jan Brown, Founder/Chairman; Joe Lawrence, Matt Fowler and Ricky Verde. From the San Pedro Tourism Stakeholders: Mayor Elsa Paz, BTB San Pedro Office Staff; Minister's Secretary Betty Longsworth, Julie Babcock, BTIA; representatives from San Pedro Tour Guide Association; Gach Guerrero, Maya Island Air and others.

The signing of the SI was a historical one for Ambergris Caye as it makes the site the first and only reserve on an island. After the signing, Hon. Manuel Heredia told the The San Pedro Sun, "Ever since Jan decided to come onboard with this project, she had been moving up and down trying to do her best. I think it has been months since this project went underway. I believe that as the Minister responsible, I have to do things right and for that reason the SI was done, as mandated, to be able to have Jan operate the site."

He explained that he further supports the project as it provides an added attraction that the island can offer to its visitors and locals alike; especially the young children who will be now have the opportunity to experience the wonders of our Mayan history without the costly need to travel to the mainland. He went on to state, "I feel that this should have been done a long time ago but we needed people like Jan and her group who have been instrumental in the island not only with Marco Gonzalez but other festivities that we have had on the island as well".

While Mr. Heredia expressed his disappointment in locals who have not taken the initiative to spearhead causes such as this one, he thanked and expressed his appreciation to the Ex-pats who have made San Pedro their home and contributed and continue to contribute to the growth and betterment of the island. Minister Heredia added that he hopes to secure further assistance for the Bacalar Chico Nature Reserve as well, which is in needed of attention and other archeological sites up north. He pledged 20,000 to assist in the MGMS; $10,000from NICH and $10,000 from BTB to be used in the construction of an access route to the site.

A delighted Jan Brown told The San Pedro Sun, "I'm walking on air. My feet haven't touched the ground all day. Now that we have reached our agreements, we're the first co-management that will be able to work with NICH, IA and with the Government and we're very proud that they trust us enough to know that we'll protect their interests - as a recognized Archeological site many avenues of funding becomes opened to the project, we will be looking for grants and we'll be able to go international." Her excitement peaked as she ended expressing her thanks, "I really like to thank everybody for all their hard work. I thank NICH, IA and the Minister Heredia for allowing this project to become a reality for the people of San Pedro and for the people of Belize".

Mr. George Thompson, Associate Director for Planning and Policy and the Acting Director at IA stated, "We'll continue with the work and to do our very best to do all the things necessary for protection and preservation; and to provide all the necessary infrastructure that is reasonably necessary for the full enjoyment of these archeological resources."

The first SI that was signed was to declare the reserve opened to the public. It also gives stakeholders the legal mechanism to put all things necessary in place for the proper management and the responsible use and enjoyment of the site. Strategic planning can now commence for the necessary infrastructure and management presence at the site. This would include having park rangers to administer the site, the creation of trails, visitor centers, restroom facilities, parking facilities and all other amenities needed for the site to be run efficiently.

The site will be managed by the MGMSAC Ltd Group. This would include the collection of fees and the daily running of the site. Entrance fees have been set at $20 for foreigners and $10 for locals. A date has not been set for the completion of the infrastructure needed in order to properly operate the site, however all that can be said, is that the partners have pledged to work together to make it happen. To read up on the cool findings and happenings at Marco Gonzalez go to the following link on our blog: http://sanpedrosun.blogspot.com/2010/07/exploring-marco-gonzalez.html

Top 10 Beaches in Central America

2011-01-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

Wow our little Country of Belize has 3 of the best 10 beaches in Central America! Photo is of my personal favorite, Portofino Beach Resort. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40476459/ns/today-todaytravel/

2011-01-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

For anyone looking for a good read based on Caribbean lifestyle this is a great book. It is full of quirky characters and images of the joys, eccentricities and challenges of living in the caribbean. While we are much more developed now and things are easier than they were almost twenty years ago this story gives a glimpse of the characters and attitude in the caribbean. great fun!

Great Deal on Ambergris Caye

2011-01-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Condo Available http://www.ambergriscayecoldwellbanker.com/Ambergris_Caye/Belize/Condos/South_Ambergris_Caye/Agent/Listing_23338803.html

Christmas in San Pedro

2010-12-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

Central Park Christmas Treehttp://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=lf#!/pages/Ambergris-Caye-Coldwell-Banker/304285106141Check out the beautiful tree the town put up in San Pedro Central Park.

The Time is Right

2010-12-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

Last year Belize appointed a new Tourism Minister who is committed to the development and promotion of Belize as a luxury market for private tourism; this fact is the number one force driving massive real estate investment in Belize right now.

While Belize has long been associated with low cost and attractive real estate and has long been considered an affordable overseas destination for British and American tourists and retirees, never before has it sought to so fully embrace its cultural and ecological advantages and build on its reputation as a friendly and relaxed destination to directly target the wealthier tourism market.

Belize is of course already a tourism hotspot with travellers drawn to the beautiful cayes, the beaches, the barrier reef and the flora and faunabut with the development of a luxury end tourist market place in Belize, the appeal of the country can only rise and rise.

International real estate investors are well aware of this fact and are buying up land and property in Belize to position themselves ahead of the projected upward swing in real estate prices.

Those who are taking advantage of Belizes policy of actively attracting investment today will benefit over the medium term when the countrys plans for the development and promotion of the tourism market are fulfilled. In other words, those who buy now stand the very best chance of making maximum profit.

Not only are real estate investors well aware of this fact, a growing number of American baby boomers are too and they are securing their retirement lot now while prices remain attractively low. They know that if they spend the next few years before they retire getting their ideal property built so that it will be fully completed and ready to move into when Belize is well under way with establishing itself as a sophisticated travel destination, they will be moving straight in to a more sophisticated country as a result.

In terms of what will drive residential property prices up in Belize, as more and more people travel to Belize so more and more people will understand the charm and appeal of the country and will wish to set up home or buy a vacation home in Belize. This increase in demand for real estate in Belize will come from an increasingly wealthy section of society if the Tourism Ministers plans for Belize come to fruition and these people will be able to afford to pay more for property and this will sustain price increases. Furthermore any increase in demand naturally pushes property prices up anyway – and in fact this trend has already started in the most attractive coastal resorts in Belize and just highlights the shape of things to come.

Therefore NOW is the time to buy real estate in Belize if an investor wants to get the most for his money whilst buying into the maximum period of growth potential.

Originally posted by: Investment articles

Stock Exchange Market

Great Article

2010-11-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

This article points out some of the great things about Belize. Ambergris Caye is a great place to settle and use a a gateway to explore the entire country.

http://matadornetwork.com/trips/photo-essay20-reasons-to-travel-to-belize-now

End of the Earth Postponed - Yahoo! News

2010-10-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

End of the Earth Postponed

End of the Earth Postponed - Yahoo! News

Stephanie PappasLiveScience Senior WriterLiveScience.com Stephanie Pappaslivescience Senior Writerlivescience.com – Tue Oct 19, 7:35 am ET
It's a good news/bad news situation for believers in the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. The good news is that the Mayan "Long Count" calendar may not end on Dec. 21, 2012 (and, by extension, the world may not end along with it). The bad news for prophecy believers? If the calendar doesn't end in December 2012, no one knows when it actually will - or if it has already.
A new critique, published as a chapter in the new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010), argues that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar may be off by as much as 50 or 100 years. That would throw the supposed and overhyped 2012 apocalypse off by decades and cast into doubt the dates of historical Mayan events. (The doomsday worries are based on the fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, much as our year ends on Dec. 31.)
The Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies.
[Related: More details on the Mayan Calendar and 2012 prophecy]
Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus.
"He took the position that his work removed the last obstacle to fully accepting the GMT constant," Aldana said in a statement. "Others took his work even further, suggesting that he had proven the GMT constant to be correct."
But according to Aldana, Lounsbury's evidence is far from irrefutable.
"If the Venus Table cannot be used to prove the FMT as Lounsbury suggests, its acceptance depends on the reliability of the corroborating data," he said. That historical data, he said, is less reliable than the Table itself, causing the argument for the GMT constant to fall "like a stack of cards."
Aldana doesn't have any answers as to what the correct calendar conversion might be, preferring to focus on why the current interpretation may be wrong. Looks like end-of-the-world theorists may need to find another ancient calendar on which to pin their apocalyptic hopes.

Columbus Day

2010-10-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Columbus Day in Belize, October 12. Celebrated on Monday Oct. 11 with a National Holiday. - The route Christopher Columbus sailed.

ARRP recommends Belize as a great place to retire.

2010-09-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/livable-communities/info-07-2010/best-places-retire-belize-corozal.html

No excuses low air fare to Belize

2010-09-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,
Continental is flying to Belize from Houston for $199.00. Book your flight for this weekend now.
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/booking/specials/default.aspx

There's No Place Like Home

2010-09-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

I just spent two weeks away on vacation. I went to beautiful Colorado USA to visit family and friends for a week and then to Miami to join my friend for a cruise. I spent months anticipating and looking forward to my trip. I couldn't wait to see my son, parents and dog. I also couldn't wait to eat in US restaurants and shop in US stores. It was a true pleasure to enjoy time with family and friends. What I soon realized is that island life has changed my perspective on many things. I felt a little overwhelmed with the giant supermarket and Wal Mart. I found it to be too cold inside virtually every store and restaurant because the AC was set so cold. It really bothered me to see my friend leave the water running the entire time she loaded the dishwasher. While the drive across the city and the spectacular view of the mountains was great to see again the volume of traffic was unnerving. I found myself feeling very tense and anxious much of the time because all the people I was around seemed a little depressed and negative. I understand that things are very difficult for most folks right now and there are a lot of things to be dealt with and concerned about economically and politically. What struck me was that no one seemed to be trying to enjoy a simple moment like the squirrel in the tree or the beautiful blue sky. No one seemed to smile.While I enjoyed my visit I am very happy to be back on Ambergris Caye where no matter what problems we have to deal with there are always lots of smiling people that in spite of everything try to find time to just enjoy. I'm very lucky to get to live in this beautiful place so full of beautiful warm people.

Ambergris Caye Named Among Top Islands In Central America

2010-08-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

Congratulations are in order for Belize’s Ambergris Caye. Thousands of Travel + Leisure magazine readers recently voted to include the destination on the publication’s “World’s Best Awards List”. Ambergris Caye is one of three places voted as a top Central American island for a vacation.

The 2010 World’s Best Award List ranks the top hotels, destinations, airlines, outfitters and transportation companies around the world.

http://ambergrisdaily.com/belize-news/ambergris-caye-named-among-top-islands-in-central-america/

Rainy Day

2010-07-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

At about 4:00am yesterday I was awakened by a huge thunder clap. The rain was here. Thunder, lightning, wind and rain. It was a great day to stay in with a good book and good food. This morning I woke up to a beautiful sun shining day here in paradise and the rain is a distant memory. Technically it is rainy season but for the most part we enjoy beautiful weather with just the occasional day of rain.

Ambergris Today - San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize#_st1

2010-06-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Ambergris Today - San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize#_st1

Press Release - The organizers of San Pedro Lobsterfest are pleased to announce the official schedule for Lobsterfest 2010. Enjoy five days of fun, celebrating the official opening of Lobster Season in the tropical paradise of Belize.

Facebook

2010-06-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.tacogirl.com/It's Lobsterfest time Again. This year we are fortunate enough to have Joey Stevens and Bob the Parrot from Caribbean weather thanks to all the hard work our own tacogirl has done.

Facebook | Ambergris Caye Coldwell Banker

2010-05-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Facebook Ambergris Caye Coldwell Banker:
Another glorious day. Watching kite surfers enjoying the water and the breeze.

Belize Property Growing on Foreign Scene - propertyfrontiers's posterous

2010-04-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

Belize Property Growing on Foreign Scene - propertyfrontiers's posterous

2010-03-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

I was watching the sunset yesterday and started thinking about what a great time of day it is. The work day is generally finished and it's not yet time for the evening's activities. What a perfect time to enjoy nature's beauty and reflect on the day past and the evening yet to come.

I Love My Job

2010-02-24T17:08:00.000-08:00

We have been touring local islands or cayes for sale. You get on a boat and take a ride in the caribbean sunshine across the crystal blue water to a small piece of land surrounded by the sea. While viewing the property you see all kinds of birdlife, rays, jumping fish and even a big snapper in a secluded little inlet. I do this as work in order to help others find their island dream but the overall experience just shouldn't be called work.

2010-02-18T06:38:00.000-08:00

2010-02-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

The sunrise was spectacular today. Watching the palm trees sway,the water is particularly beautiful today. I love this place.

WadeTheGringo

2010-02-12T04:51:00.000-08:00

WadeTheGringo
Its back at the LIME. The soon to be famous "BIG MAC" clone. Friday Feb 12th for lunch and dinner. Don't miss out.

2010-02-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

"It's going to be a while before most real estate markets see anything like 20% to 25% annual appreciation across the board again. That does not mean this is not a good time to buy. Many "deals" are currently available if you focus your search and, critically, if you're willing to act.  True distressed sales don't generally make it to the Internet. This isn't the place to shop. The real deals are circulated by word-of-mouth. You have to be in a position to get the word at the right time. You've got to be connected on the ground. I call it being 'in a market'--having contacts that keep you informed of what's really going on, well beyond the Internet."

We are full service agents who have made Ambergris Caye our home. We want to be your connection to the real estate market in Belize. We have found our place in paradise, now let us help you find yours!