Customs and practical considerations affect every business. When working with a Realtor in San Pedro (and other areas in Belize …… ) knowing and remembering these tips will make your life easier and your real estate search more fun. Doing business in a tourist destination is a little different than other places and has it’s own special challenges ……… the Belikin factor is amongst them!

Please DO contact a local broker. Please DO investigate the wonderful opportunities waiting for you in Belize. Please DO ask for, and expect honest service from your broker and if you don’t get it, find another broker. There are some great folks in the business and buying property in Belize may be the best thing you ever do.

OFFICE HOURS - Generally 9-12 and 1-5 Weekdays.
Half days Saturdays.
Closed Sundays.

PHONE CALLS -
INTERNATIONAL – Do not expect a return call if you call from out of the country.

Why? Cost of phone calls from here to there is about $1.80 US per minute, and most of our customers want to begin with a lengthy description of the weather. We just can’t afford it. If you are a new customer and you want to get serious attention from a broker, DO place a call – they will be impressed with the fact that you are willing to invest a little in the co-operative effort to get the job done.

LOCAL – If you request a return call, leave both a number and a time where you can be reached. If you are staying at a hotel, please tell the front desk staff who you are, where you may be (pool, restaurant, etc.) and advise them that you are expecting a call.

E-MAIL – This is the cheapest and easiest way to communicate with your realtor from afar, but when it gets time for details you should either show up in person or place a phone call.

SHOWING PROPERTY - Days only, appointments preferred. Ask ahead of time how much time the realtor will need to set up the showing – in some cases you may need no advance notice, and in others a day or two may be required. Property in distant locations may require hiring an airplane or chartering a boat. It is customary for customers to pay for such transportation. If you buy a property you have seen this way, it is appropriate to ask to be reimbursed for the cost of the initial showing at closing. Weather affects transportation and access to many properties, as does a fully-booked tourist season (in the case of holiday rentals of condos, etc.). If you want to see property while you are here, please make arrangements to see property early in your stay – that is the only way you will get the time, the attention and the access to property that you seek.

FREAKY FRIDAYS - Typical scenario ……. Tourist arrives in San Pedro on Sunday – relaxes on Monday, dives Tues-Wed-Thurs. Can’t dive Friday because they fly on Saturday. Tourist has fallen in love with Belize and wants to buy something. Late in the morning on Friday, after lamenting the pain and heartache of leaving San Pedro behind, the tourist arrives in the real estate office eager to see and perhaps to buy. The office is packed three-deep with people who feel the same way. Realtors who spent all week polishing their desks are now faced with several parties of people all wanting to see property that takes a full day to see and each needing and wanting individual attention. Results – frustration. ADVICE – show up on Monday while you are still getting settled. You’ll be glad you did – you may make a new friend, see some great property and will surely get some good advice on how to spend your week.

“THE WEATHER IS TOO BAD TO DIVE….. so I thought I’d look at property”. Bad idea. If the weather is too bad to dive it’s probably to bad to go out looking at property. Don’t get mad at the realtor who tells you this – it’s true.

MULTIPLE LISTINGS - This is a tiny community – sometimes the brokers are getting along pretty well and sometimes they are not. This affects the sharing of information. When you ask a broker to show you property, ask them point blank if they are going to show you property listed by other agencies. Go out with them, see if they really do show you other folks’ listings, and if they do, be loyal to that agent. You may wish to drop in at other agencies and pick up their brochures – bring them back to your chosen agent to review, to show and to handle inquiries. This will save you time and money. If on the other hand, you learn that the broker has a policy of only showing their own listings, you should be sure to ask agents in other offices to show you property as well.

DISCLOSURE - There is no law or policy regarding affirmative duties of disclosure or representation by agents or agencies. Some agents and agencies do their homework and others do not. Ask lots of questions. Do your own due diligence. Pick the professional who represents you with care. This is good advice no matter where you go.

PROPERTY AVAILABILITY – WHAT’S REALLY FOR SALE?
INTERNET SITES- At the time of this writing, most web-sites for local brokerages had not been updated for several months months. This is due to many factors including a busy season, limitations by internet providers, and the fact that the sites are generally read by people who are primarily looking for an overall sense of prices, size and location anyway.

FOR SALE SIGNS – Once they go up they tend to stay up …….. especially on raw land. If you see a sign on a property it means that the property is either now for sale or used to be …… ask you agent for specifics.

BROCHURES – Things change every day and an agency cannot keep day to day list updated for hand-outs. Sellers change their minds about prices and terms and forget to tell their agents too. When you pick up a brochure or listings, ask if it’s current.

AGENTS – They know what is for sale, and can track down the most current information for you. That is their main job – not planting signs, writing web-sites and typing brochures. Ask them what is for sale – they will tell you and help you see it.

BREAKING DATES… If you have an appointment and are going to be late or not show up at all, please call and let your agent know. (I sincerely hope this concept does not need to be explained further …… )

DRINKING… Please do your best to be sober when you contact your broker. Property may be prettier after a beer, but drinking and business do not mix.

WE DON’T WORK NIGHTS - The days are beautiful and long enough to get the job done.

AMERICA’S MOST WANTED - If you are wanted by the FBI, Interpol, or an angry and well-armed spouse, please contact an agent in Nicaragua or Brazil. This is kind of a joke and then again it’s not.

Obviously not all of this advice applies to each reader ……. take what you can use, and forget the rest. Then book a trip to Belize. It’s a nice place to live and a nice place to do business……… you can be a part of it if you wish.

We’re already here – the rest is up to you.
www.ambergriscaye.com

A Recreational Vacation Home show was held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Saturday April 24th, 2010. Bart Lamb attended the show and presented all Re/max Isla Bonita listings and the benefits to purchasing on Ambergris Caye to those in attendence. Edmontonians have had limited exposure to Belize because of flight schedules, but new schedules allow 1 day travel and many people indicated they would be visiting in the fall and spring. There are fall Recreational Shows scheduled in Calgary and Edmonton in mid-late September, watch this site for details as they become available.

BEL Powers up Across SP Lagoon

Press Release – BEL, Brahma Blue, and Mr. Bob Dillon would like to proudly announce that Costa Del Sol Island, Caribbean Cove is now official a customer of BEL. On Saturday March 13, 2010 Brahma Blue Resort was officially power by BEL. This success is the result of a two year project by BEL and its partner customers.BEL began by submerging a cable from their generating facility in San Pedro, across the lagoon and then to Costa del Sol island. A transformer was then installed and the cable connected. This portion of the project was completed November 2008.The more challenging aspects of the project involved distributing, and trenching hundreds of feet of wire that will eventually supply power to all the different owners and projects on the island. A limestone rock base, an unusually soggy season, and equipment problems made this more difficult than anticipated, thus erasing a projected completion date of November 2009. However persistence and hard work on the part of all parties involved produced the intended outcome, consistent, and reliable electrical power.

Anthony Anderson, General Manager of Brahma Blue stated, “We have waited patiently, as this has been a long time coming and is a blessing in so many ways.”

For the past two years all the power to run the resort has been produced by four generators, three of which experienced mechanical failure on Christmas day 2009, resulting in a stressful, hectic, and negative PR producing effort from which the resort is still recovering. The smiles on the part of the entire resort staff, guests who were in attendance, and Mr. Paul Tillett and his BEL workers indicated that the wait was well worth it!

www.ambergristoday.com

Tell your family and friends that Grand Belizean Estates and Re/Max Isla Bonita (Belize) can be found at Booth #51, Earls Court London 26th-28th March, 2010.

San Pedro High School is Math Olympiad National Champ

It seemed as if a rock star had just arrived on the island as commotion took o the streets of San Pedro Town Wednesday afternoon, March 10. But indeed celebrities in their own right, the San Pedro High School Math Olympiad team are indeed famous. Residents lined up along the streets to cheer along with the entire school for the National Champions of the Math Olympiad. It is a great accomplishment for San Pedro High School and we are all proud of our team.

Dear Editor:
Let me first publicly congratulate the Math Olympiad team lead by Jing Han, Vicky Balam, Ismael Kay and Emily Gomez from San Pedro High School for holding high the name of San Pedro. Winning the National Math Olympiad is not an ordinary feat; yet our students and coaches proved even to the skeptics that San Pedro High School could stand head to toe with established giants in our country.

When you look at the giants who have won it before, the likes of St. John’s College, Corozal Community College and Belize Christian Academy are there. I can only extrapolate and reach to the conclusion that something good must be happening at San Pedro High School. This is no accident, last year we won the National Food and Nutrition competition and led the delegation that eventually won the Caricom Food and Nutrition competition.

As an educator, I appreciate the effort placed by these youngsters in the name of academics. To Mrs. Iris Herstig (head coach), Mr. Gary Tabony, (volunteer teacher), and Mrs. Shakira Coleman (volunteer teacher) I would like to tip my hat off for your unselfish effort to prepare these students for such prestigious event. The qualities that you have displayed: commitment, patience, generosity just to mention a few have made it possible for these students be able to experience what it is to be on the top and to truly be the best. You depict the profile of what a teacher should be and we are blessed to have you working at SPHS.

I came to San Pedro in 1997 to work at San Pedro High School and promptly fell in love with the island, the community and above all with the institution. San Pedro High School see, is not an ordinary High School; it was not founded by the Government of Belize, or by any Religious Denomination to serve its need and the need of the community. But rather, it was established in 1971 by community oriented natives who had a vision of providing quality education to local students who could not make it to the mainland for an education.

These founders stood firm in their vision to provide this insignificant (education was not relevant to the livelihood then) venture and now can enjoy the fruits of their vision. In many other institutions people come and go, not in San Pedro High, people like Mrs. Martha Guerrero, Mrs. Celi Mckorkle and Mr. Angel Nuñez are still active and vigilant of the needs and accomplishments of “their” school.

I have mentioned it before and will mention it again; parents of San Pedro, there are no need for you to risk the safety of your children or family unity in an effort to provide the best education for your child. San Pedro High School is gradually showing the signs of a great school and it is up to you the parents, your children, the students and us the teachers to put our efforts together to provide the relevant education that our future San Pedranos really need. Mrs. Guerrero, Mrs. Mckorkle and Mr. Nuñez feel proud about what you have founded. It is a legacy that is priceless and the fruits are slowly being enjoyed by those who have put the trust in you. Meanwhile I invite the entire community to join in the celebration of the above mentioned feat.

/s/ Gustavo A. Ellis, Dean San Pedro Junior College
Ambergris Today