Happy 4^th of July to all our American  clients. And happy Summer to everyone else.  It is always nice to celebrate   Something.  We here in Belize and at BMA are about to celebrate  the reopening of the international airport in  Belize city on August 15^th.  So  exciting!  We  have a  tremendous  number  of  clients   visiting   on  those  first flights.  We  look  forward to  meeting you  all and  introducing  you  to our amazing Placencia peninsula.   So book  your flights  and experience  an  amazing  place to visit and better yet call home.  Dream of Belize.

The Beach & Pool at The Villas at Cocoplum 

Why Belize and why Now?

Globally we are all dealing with the chaos created by Covid-19.  And in the USA there is also now a tremendous amount of social  tension and instability.  And then we in the USA will have to deal with 5 months of political chaos  as our presidential election comes to fruition in November.    Stressful and irritating days are ahead of us and certainly not behind us. 

Now Belize and especially Placencia offers  just the opposite.  Here everyone  gets along, regardless of race, age, birth place, religion, wealth, etc.  We all speak English so we can all communicate and build long-lasting friendships.  We also enjoy  lots and lots of privacy and freedom here.  No “Big Brother” or Amazon  recording our every move or stroke of the keyboard.   No endless restrictions  on what you  can do with your property or personal time.  Here we all can live life to the fullest.   You can enjoy time with your friends  and family in an amazing setting:  Caribbean waters, palm tree studded islands, pristine rainforests, Maya pyramids with only a handful of visitors, world’s 2^nd largest barrier reef full of life, clean air,  and miles of sandy beaches.  Here we are back to the  enjoying the basics of life:  Family, friends, health and happiness.  It’s all here and in a stable, concise, safe and warm environment.  Belize is  much appreciated during such looney tooney times as we are experiencing now.    We look forward to showing you our  special place. 

Catching the sunrise on the Placencia Peninsula

Your own Caribbean Pier?

Ever dreamed of having your own pier peacefully extending out into the Caribbean Sea?  Your boat just waiting at your door step.  Pelicans diving for their next meal.  The sun painting the sky a tropical orange when it rises and  sets.   Properties with piers are  a scarcity here since the government has limited pier permits to every 1,000 feet.   The community decided years ago that we do not want to have pier after pier after pier like in San Pedro where one can no longer stroll and relax down the beach.  Here is Placencia you can walk and walk along the beach in peace.  We do have a few options right now with piers:

1.    Beach house - Listing #H431  -View Online

2.    Double beach lot - Listing # L476 - View Online

3.    Single beach lot -  Listing # L369 - View Online

H434 - Another Spectacular Beach Home 

What is happening in the real estate market?

Covid-19 has put a serious burden on our clients visiting Plaencia to  view property, experience the lifestyle and make a purchase. The airport has been closed since March so only a few clients (the ones that decided  to stay when the airport closed and a few local ones) have been able to view properties.   However, the demand has really jumped; and it was very strong to begin with.  We are seeing interest in the complete spectrum of properties here:  Islands, farm land, condos, vacation homes, beach homes, hotels, etc.   We believe people are looking for a destination home where they can gather with friends and family in a safe, fun and stable environment.   Some people are planning  their escape route in case such a pandemic strikes again.  And Belize is simply a perfect solution.  Our virtual and live property tours have also been a huge success with clients buying site-unseen  and ones buying  with  inspections set  after the airport opens.

One positive result from the virus is the ability to work from home. Zoom is booming.  Computer sales are booming.  And even house slipper and sweat pants sales are booming.    In Placencia we are fortunate to have high speed internet readily available.  We even have fiber optic cable run to a few properties.  With easy 2 to 3 hour direct  flights daily to many cities in the USA one can easily live/work from Belize and then fly back to the USA for any important meetings as needed.   Welcome to your new “office” in Belize.

The evidence of a boost in vacation homes especially those in more secluded destinations is starting to show.  The Summit Daily newspaper in Summit County Colorado (home to world famous ski resorts such as Breckenridge and Vail and a major second home market) just  reported on July 2^nd - “Summit County realtors see ‘shocking’ boost in business in June.  Work-from-home trend has buyers looking for an escape in the mountains”.  The article went on to state “Despite a dismal April and May, Summit County Realtors are seeing a shocking jump in the market. The past two weeks have been record-breaking for Land Title Guarantee Co., which oversees 90% of business in Summit County. Land Title Director of Sales and Marketing Brooke Roberts said June orders were up 116% from June 2019.”

Forbes Magazine just published their “The Top Caribbean Beaches For 2020” article.  Jim Dobson, the senior Contributor,  writes the travel section and focuses on “Searching the world for the most amazing People, Places and Things.”  Placencia, Belize was mentioned in the Top Beaches article.  Nice work Placencia! 

So we project a significant increase in demand for property here in Placencia Belize. Fortunately, prices are still extremely reasonable especially when compared to other beach destinations.  Beach lots can still be acquired for $250,000, beach homes right on the Caribbean in the $500s, islands for as little as $250,000 and simple non-waterfront homes for under $200,000.   Come see us.  The airport opens August 15^th with United, American and Delta commencing with fights. Other airlines (West Jet, Air Canada, etc.) are also planning to resume flights around this time. 

         Parting Shot - Boris and his kids enjoying Placencia

Thank you for reading our newsletter and for your interest in Belize.  The 16-mile Peninsula is spectacular but there is way more to it than that.  We are one big community and one big family.   Just like BMA.  We work as one team…one family… at BMA to best service our exclusive clients.  So set your dates, escape to the beach  and let us show you  a good time in the tropics. It’s a great time to buy.  So what are you waiting for? 

Boris Mannsfeld  &  the BMA Team