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7 Reasons Why You Should Move to Belize
Date: 11/06/2009 Author: Len GalvinWedged between Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, Belize has no strategic importance to anyone. Maybe that's why it has such a peaceful history.
The pirates of the Caribbean thought so—when they needed a base in the 1600s, quiet, little Belize was their first choice. The 200 islands scattered off the coast made perfect hideaways. Later, when the Spanish tried to settle the mainland, it was a disaster...
Wedged between Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, Belize has no strategic importance to anyone. Maybe that's why it has such a peaceful history.
The pirates of the Caribbean thought so—when they needed a base in the 1600s, quiet, little Belize was their first choice. The 200 islands scattered off the coast made perfect hideaways. Later, when the Spanish tried to settle the mainland, it was a disaster. The pirates didn't like the idea of someone else telling them what to do.
Today, Belize retains that fiercely independent streak. It's one of the best banking and tax havens in the world. They don't believe in taxes—no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax, no corporation tax. If you join the special retiree program, you don't pay tax on foreign-earned income. A special Belizean retiree is loosely defined—you can be in your 40s or 50s and still working, and get all the program's benefits.
Whether you chose to be a retiree or not, the lifestyle here will tempt even the most committed workaholic to relax. This is picture postcard Caribbean. Divers and snorkelers explore its 176-mile barrier reef. (The largest living reef in the world.) Sport fishermen are equally happy. They reel in snapper, grouper, barracuda, bonito, tuna, kingfish, sailfish, and marlin.
You'll be blissfully free from commuter crush, 24-hour news, and workaday stress. This is a land of few cars, abundant fresh food from the sea and the trees, and great natural beauty. Belize is undeveloped and sparsely populated. You'll have lots of room (on the beaches, in the jungle, in the rainforests) to stretch out. There is no rush. Where would you rush to? Yes, there are fiber-optic phone cables, computers, and cell phones, but these things are conveniences, not obsessions.
Everyone who visits English-speaking Belize talks about the friendly people. Of course, lots of countries have friendly locals. But in Belize you can quickly and easily make friends with them—because you already speak the language.
You can buy a home on a Caribbean island for less than $100,000…and a house near the beach on mainland Belize for $35,000.
For a country where not much happens, there sure is a lot of opportunity in Belize. That's why we've created a brand new report called Belize: Live the Caribbean Dream…For Less. If you're interested in a place in the Caribbean sun…but you don't want to pay typical Caribbean prices…you need to read this Belize report.
We've also put together a free recording on Belize called Florida Expat Reveals the Caribbean's Best-Kept Secret.
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In Mexico, all the comforts and luxuries you're used to (cable TV, high-speed Internet, restaurants, opera), plus full-time household help, full-coverage health insurance, full-time fun—set you back $2,000/month or even less. Despite what you think you might know about Mexico, here's why, now more than ever, you need to turn your attention there.
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