As a foreigner or expat, can I buy or own land or other real estate property in Belize?
Boris Mannsfeld - Boris Mannsfeld & Associates
A foreigner can own land in Belize and there is no difference between the foreigner owning land and a Belizean owning land. And, you can own land on the beach (excluding the first 66 feet, which no one can own).
A foreigner can own land in Belize and there is no difference between the foreigner owning land and a Belizean owning land. And, you can own land on the beach (excluding the first 66 feet, which no one can own).
Posted December 1, 2014
Kate Corrigan - Caye International Bank
Anybody can buy real estate here in Belize. I don’t believe there is any differentiation in this regard between being a Belizean citizen or a foreigner in any way when it comes to buying real estate. If the property is for sale, you can buy it. I suppose the only difference might be who you know. A Belizean might know somebody who can get a better deal for you than you as the expat. And you have to bear in mind that there are slow, and there are high...
Anybody can buy real estate here in Belize. I don’t believe there is any differentiation in this regard between being a Belizean citizen or a foreigner in any way when it comes to buying real estate. If the property is for sale, you can buy it. I suppose the only difference might be who you know. A Belizean might know somebody who can get a better deal for you than you as the expat. And you have to bear in mind that there are slow, and there are high seasons here. So with you being a gringo in Belize, they would love to try to charge you a bit more than they would charge a local, but they are all out to make money, I suppose. You just need to roll out your bargaining skills. During the slow season you have more chips than during the high season.
Your real estate agent should be somebody that you can look in the eye and feel comfortable with it. The best strategy is to stay in the place where you want to buy even just for a week and have a look around, walk about, but do not mention you are looking for real estate. Get to know people and ask questions such as, “If I were to buy here, what would it be like? I am not looking at the moment, but it’s a really nice town.” That way, people will give you their perception. Remember, there is the small island mentality here and everybody is out for a buck. Every restaurant, tour shop, and anything or anybody else that you refer somebody may get a small commission for referring you. It takes a little while to make true friends, but it is fun trying.
Posted December 1, 2014
Gwido Mar - Grupo Mar Realty Ltd.
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Foreigners can absolutely own land in Belize. You do not need to have a residency or be a citizen in order to buy titled property in Belize. An expat cannot own leased property because only Belizeans are entitled to that but you can definitely own a titled property. You can also have free hold property here in Belize. A free hold property means that is it yours outright. There are some restrictions with regard to a house close to the water, regardless if it...
Foreigners can absolutely own land in Belize. You do not need to have a residency or be a citizen in order to buy titled property in Belize. An expat cannot own leased property because only Belizeans are entitled to that but you can definitely own a titled property. You can also have free hold property here in Belize. A free hold property means that is it yours outright. There are some restrictions with regard to a house close to the water, regardless if it is close to the sea, a lake, or a creek. There is a 66 foot reserve. You cannot build anything on that 66 feet from the water’s edge to your boundary. That same rule applies to both Belizeans and foreigners.
(Turneffe Atoll, Belize available for home or resort building, pictured.
Posted April 19, 2015
Walter T. (Tom) Fisher - Corozal Belize Properties
Buying land in Belize, yes, is very "doable," but here are some suggestions and comments here for the foreigner or expat. One of the real advantages of buying in Belize is that the documents of sale, including contracts, land transfer document, and eventual "Land Certificate" are all in English. Land laws in Belize are very similar to other Commonwealth countries established by the British. Some words of advice, though. Be sure...
Buying land in Belize, yes, is very "doable," but here are some suggestions and comments here for the foreigner or expat. One of the real advantages of buying in Belize is that the documents of sale, including contracts, land transfer document, and eventual "Land Certificate" are all in English. Land laws in Belize are very similar to other Commonwealth countries established by the British. Some words of advice, though. Be sure you know who you are dealing with and that your agent and people working your transaction do the proper due diligence on your behalf. This would include a title search for the parcel you are looking at, to make sure names match the contract, there are no liens, etc.
Make sure your realtor or agent provides you with all the costs of the transaction. In addition to the sale price of the land, there will be legal fees, the Stamp Tax (5% of the ASSESSED value, which can differ from sales price) and filing fees, etc. We provide a "Good Faith Estimate" document to clients so these costs are fully understood. Property taxes (which are VERY low compared to U.S. or Canadian standards; mine are about $24 USD a year) nonetheless must be current before a land transfer will be approved by the Lands Department.
(House in Consejo Shores, in the Corozol area of Belize, with an ocean view of the Mexican city of Chetumal, pictured.)
Posted April 26, 2015
Charles Evan - Panama Chuck's Everything Store
Anybody can buy land in Belize. You can come down as a tourist today and tomorrow own a piece of property. There's no difference to the type of ownership compared to a Belizean citizen.
Anybody can buy land in Belize. You can come down as a tourist today and tomorrow own a piece of property. There's no difference to the type of ownership compared to a Belizean citizen.
Posted August 2, 2015
Bentley Wildman - Consejo Shores
Anybody can buy land in Belize. You can come down as a tourist today and tomorrow own a piece of property. There's no difference to the type of ownership compared to a Belizean citizen. (On the Corozal Bay, a seafront lot available at Consejo Shores, Belize, pictured.)
Anybody can buy land in Belize. You can come down as a tourist today and tomorrow own a piece of property. There's no difference to the type of ownership compared to a Belizean citizen. (On the Corozal Bay, a seafront lot available at Consejo Shores, Belize, pictured.)
Posted August 2, 2015
Victor Gomez
A foreigner or expat can buy land or other real estate property in Belize; there are no restrictions against coming and purchasing property anywhere in Belize. A foreigner would have the same exact rights as a Belizean. You don’t even have to be a legal resident to purchase property. You can just come for 3 days, buy a land, and go back home. There are no restrictions against expats or foreigners coming and purchasing property...
A foreigner or expat can buy land or other real estate property in Belize; there are no restrictions against coming and purchasing property anywhere in Belize. A foreigner would have the same exact rights as a Belizean. You don’t even have to be a legal resident to purchase property. You can just come for 3 days, buy a land, and go back home. There are no restrictions against expats or foreigners coming and purchasing property anywhere in Belize.
You can own the property as an individual or a company. You can either transfer the property under your name or set up a company and have that title transferred into that entity. It’s wide open and there are really no restrictions. Belize has some reserves and some national land that you won’t be able to purchase, but that’s pretty much it.
(Land for sale in Belize, pictured)
Posted August 22, 2015