We have been coming to Belize for over 20 years and it sure has changed in those years. We started traveling to Ambergris Caye when it only had one hotel and was a small village with a tiny airport. That area developed and got too big for us and the experience we were seeking. We traveled to Placencia and met Boris Mannsfeld of BMA Real Estate and he showed us several homes. We felt comfortable with the area as it still had much of its original town charm, nice beaches, and easy access to the reef. We enjoyed the people and the fact they spoke English and used the US Dollar or the Belizian Dollar at a 2:1 ratio. There were no large hotels or resorts and the airport was very up to date. We purchased a home on the Lagoon side of the peninsula and enjoyed that for many years. We were able to AirBnb or VRBO it and help offset some of the costs. In the end, we decided we wanted to be on the beach so we sold that home and purchased a lot on the beach inside the Naia Resort and Spa. This has the appeal that the beach is managed by the HOA so the seaweed also known as Sargassm was swept up and taken away every day. The resort also had a world-class Spa, Gated Security, a restaurant, and a gym. We spent over a year designing the home with an architect and finally broke ground in October 2023. We expect to be able to complete the house in 18 months since it is concrete and moves slower than US wood construction. We hope to put it on Airbnb and VRBO as soon as it is complete but plan on spending much of the winter there.

So why Belize? As mentioned earlier we love the small-town feel and the use of English and the US Dollar. The Belizean Dollar is Fixed to the US Dollar at 2:1. It is an easy flight from so many places. Denver has direct flights of around 3.5 hours along with the short commuter flight from Belize City to Placencia. There are many flights from Texas, California, Seattle, and more. We see many tourists as well as temporary residents from those areas. We have made many great friends in Belize who then became great friends back in the US. We also love the wide variety of excellent restaurants and bars. The variety of things to do from Snorkeling and scuba diving to sailing will keep you busy. It is easy to reach the Jungle in San Ignacio for yet another realm of activities. We love the weather as it hovers around 80-85 degrees most of the year. They do have a rainy season and hurricane season like most tropical destinations.