Has anyone retired in Belize?

[txtig]

Stopped at Wahoo’s for a Belikin . . . RE was nowhere to be seen.

 

[Palmtree]

We just came back from our 5th trip to Belize. Good country with friendly people. With english as the primary language and the US dollar a common currency I would not hesitate to retire there. Just stay away from Belize City and you'll avoid 96% of violent crime. (Think of it as the bad parts of Chicago.) San Pedro has overgrown it's natural area. Golf cart traffic jams are the norm. If I was to retire there, I would buy or rent across the north bridge in the more undeveloped areas.
Actually, no. I'd probably look about 3 hours north and settle near Placencia.

 

[Stonewalker]

And, I don’t recall the bugs being bad either. But, I’m from Houston, so probably have a higher tolerance for the heat than a lot of others.

... and a higher tolerance for bugs. The mouse-sized roaches here in Houston have astounded me for nearly forty years.

 

[Sarah in SC]

A close friend retired to the Placencia area after falling in love with it on a trip with us there many years ago. I expressed my reservations about it at the time and often since then, but he was committed to the move.

I enjoy visiting Belize, but the combination of corruption and foggy property laws would be enough for me to seriously warn anyone from doing the same.

Several other folks I know do live there and seem to be doing fine, but my friend took his own life last year after being detained briefly by local police for a charge that was never proven.

 

[MarieIG]

A close friend retired to the Placencia area after falling in love with it on a trip with us there many years ago. I expressed my reservations about it at the time and often since then, but he was committed to the move.

I enjoy visiting Belize, but the combination of corruption and foggy property laws would be enough for me to seriously warn anyone from doing the same.

Several other folks I know do live there and seem to be doing fine, but my friend took his own life last year after being detained briefly by local police for a charge that was never proven.

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[brucethebroker]

A close friend retired to the Placencia area after falling in love with it on a trip with us there many years ago. I expressed my reservations about it at the time and often since then, but he was committed to the move.

I enjoy visiting Belize, but the combination of corruption and foggy property laws would be enough for me to seriously warn anyone from doing the same.

Several other folks I know do live there and seem to be doing fine, but my friend took his own life last year after being detained briefly by local police for a charge that was never proven.

Are you implying that living in Belize and/or being detained briefly by the police are responsible for your friend's suicide? I guess I'm lost on why this was part of your post.

 

[gerntz]

I’ve read that the local police can be corrupt...and the crime against expats can be overlooked by them. There’s something to be said for picking up the phone in the US and calling 911, knowing Americans are charging to your aid!!

Are the remote police better?

 

[gerntz]

I really do get tired of beach & ocean after several days. Lots of sameness to me. After a year or two, OK to visit again. Give me the variety of hills & mountains.

 

[eytonxav]

We had a guest speaker at our breakfast club who owns condos and the Wakes rental store on Ambergris Caye. That is one of the questions I asked him about retirees there, and he said yes, but did not provide much additional info. One thing he did say is that the Caye, which is one of the most desirable areas has a fresh water problem, as there are no desalination plants. He raved about the food however, as all the fruits and vegetables and fish are so fresh, and taste like nothing you can get stateside. He also had pictures of some of his places that were built using a lot of mahogany wood which is quite cheap vs costs in the US.
He also said crime is not a concern, but that the locals especially on the mainland have no respect for handling trash, as there is littering everywhere.

 

[redduck]

I imagine that many Belizeans (aka Belizers) (aka Belizites) have retired in Belize.

 

[txtig]

We had a guest speaker at our breakfast club who owns condos and the Wakes rental store on Ambergris Caye. That is one of the questions I asked him about retirees there, and he said yes, but did not provide much additional info. One thing he did say is that the Caye, which is one of the most desirable areas has a fresh water problem, as there are no desalination plants. He raved about the food however, as all the fruits and vegetables and fish are so fresh, and taste like nothing you can get stateside. He also had pictures of some of his places that were built using a lot of mahogany wood which is quite cheap vs costs in the US.
He also said crime is not a concern, but that the locals especially on the mainland have no respect for handling trash, as there is littering everywhere.

I think they do have desalination plants here and that is the primary source of fresh water in the island. But unfortunately, you are correct about the littering problem. Over and over again I’ve seen the locals just throwing their trash on the beach. From adults down to small children. It must be a cultural thing where littering just seems ok to them. And, I’ve had lot of long walks on the beach and there are not a lot of trash receptacles. In my opinion, making it easier to properly dispose of trash would go a long ways toward solving that problem.

 

[eytonxav]

I think they do have desalination plants here and that is the primary source of fresh water in the island. But unfortunately, you are correct about the littering problem. Over and over again I’ve seen the locals just throwing their trash on the beach. From adults down to small children. It must be a cultural thing where littering just seems ok to them. And, I’ve had lot of long walks on the beach and there are not a lot of trash receptacles. In my opinion, making it easier to properly dispose of trash would go a long ways toward solving that problem.

I might have misunderstood his comment on desalination plants, he might have meant the present capacity is insufficient, as there are water shortages during peak demand times. I imagine there are also rain water collection systems as well. He did say the trash problem is a cultural one, and although efforts have been made to teach the locals, it is not working out too well. It's a shame, especially if trash ends up in the reef.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Are you implying that living in Belize and/or being detained briefly by the police are responsible for your friend's suicide? I guess I'm lost on why this was part of your post.

Yes. I believe that the cultural disconnect there, over time, contributed to his death. It is a country I love and have visited many times, but his is a cautionary tale I’ve used to attempt to dissuade friends from settling permanently in other countries. Expat life can be fine for many folks, but it is far more difficult to adjust than some will admit.

I’m an inveterate traveler, but as I age, I find my own wanderlust to be limited to exploration and a welcome return to my known culture and network of friends and family. YMMV.

 

[Koolau]

The only reason I researched expat life was as a back up plan. IF I could not afford to retire in the US, then maybe the expat route would be possible. Most of what I read suggested it was "doable" but there were many downsides. No Medicare, difficult to maintain US accounts (bank, brokerage, etc.), potential political strife, cultural issues, "ugly" American syndrome, etc. etc. If I had decided that expat life was all that would make ER possible, I would have simply w*rked longer instead.

Now, visiting exotic places is different. Belize seems like a great place to visit as does Costa Rica and parts of Mexico and parts of South America. Living OUS however, has lost all appeal to me for many reasons (some not listed above.)

We noticed when moving to HI that the culture shock is real, even though it is still the US (It's the US, but it's not America as the saying goes.) So I make no recommendation, but OUS living would NOT be for me. Just one man's opinion so YMMV.