now we all know that belize is a
tropical country with lots of its
wildlife
adventure and hundreds of beautiful
islands just sitting there like jewels
along the length of the barrier reef
that's the second largest barrier reef
in the world
and is famous for its varied animals
crystal clear waters and ancient ruins
you'll find a wide range of white sand
beaches and palm trees making that
perfect setting for
snorkeling scuba diving fishing and
sailing it could definitely be
enchanting for potential retirees
especially when that climate is frost
free and you have that lure of the
tropical breezes while you take those
long walks along the beach
and i can definitely go on with the pros
a lot of them yes
but you clicked on this vlog to hear
about the cons and
yes there are many of those as well and
which country doesn't but when
researching a country
you always want to hear both sides the
pros and the cons
especially if you're planning on moving
there so let's jump into the 15 best
reasons
not to retire to police starting now
number 15
time is looked at differently now the
importance of time
is felt very different compared to what
you might be used to
experiencing back home when you need to
get something done like a car repair
you'll need to start budgeting a lot of
extra time for
any services that you need and this
includes the government things as well
because the delays will happen you'll
hear about the delays that people
complain about from many
where instead of telling you a firm no
most people will tell you either
possibly or
maybe when you have a request now it
could be a frustrating experience if you
don't expect it would happen
number 14 no financial privacy when
retired
now let's say you become a qualified
retiree the government actually requires
that you submit
an annual bank statement that shows that
you are in compliance with your
financial requirements
some might feel that it's an intrusive
way to see how much money you have
now if you have a family here as an
example they will know that you have a
tax advantage
of tax-free items into the country with
this government-aided status if you want
to have that vehicle
and appliance or various electronics for
your retirement
then you'll want to take advantage of
that tax free imports benefit
number 13 cultural changes in retirement
now there is always going to be that
cultural shock no matter where you go in
the world
customs traditions and behaviors differ
from these standards in your own country
if you're north american or european
you'll be used to all the entertainment
from where you're from but you'll find
once in belize there are going to be
cultural limitations like theater and
opera if you're
into that kind of stuff you'll be out
instead on a tour of the history of the
region
and its archaeological sites and maybe
you might not care much or
go only once dancing on the beach is
another a welcome pastime that always
has an
open invitation but only if you like
dancing
number 12 shopping for stuff you'll find
that services and belize are not always
available
there's very little infrastructure and
limited services and amenities
there's less goals on that immediate
gratification from
consumerism in belize and it's a simpler
life
you'll be focused more on what you'll
need to get through each day
but you might not have options to get
supplies for that hobby of yours
there are no big department stores and
you'll need to hop from one small
shop to another you'll even find things
an unusual places like gas lane stations
where
you might find the type of underwear you
want or get that car insurance at an
auto parts store or your cell phone
service from where you're
staying at you'll need to double check
some of the items you buy as well
you might not get all of the pineapple
pieces in your canned goods
when you open it or you might get green
peas instead of corn
apparently happens from products from
the united states
number 11 nature could be annoying you
may like nature
but every morning you might hear an
orchestra of birds
and it may be noisy a rude awakening for
some from around 4
30 a.m to 5 30 a.m when the sun rises
and bugs are a part of life here as well
especially in your home
it's the tropics after all you'll see a
sea of ants all over your storage area
to feast there
but they aren't all that bad there are
some good ants as well that
clean out spider webs mites and some
might see them as helpful
number 10 roads are bad now there are
only four
highways in the country so you'll need
to assume that
every other road is either gravel or
dirt that means driving is challenging
even in the best of circumstances
the roads are generally not in great
condition and in most cases it actually
ruins your vehicle
and shortens their lives you also find
that there's salt corrosion as well with
your vehicle
being near the sea you also find that
gasoline is higher than the us
around five dollars a gallon and there
are fewer traffic lights
lots of roundabouts at major junctions
and sleeping police officers on duty
where they don't really patrol
so you don't have to worry about them
pulling you over for speeding on the
highway it's just bumpy everywhere
anyways
just make sure you have your car
insurance it's actually recommended you
buy the more expensive four-wheel drive
vehicles
because most of the roads are dirt but
if you buy
too large of a 4x4 you might not be able
to drive around in town because the
roads are so narrow now you might be
thinking you'll be taking the taxis
but majority of them aren't metered and
fares are highly negotiable
but the public transportation system is
generally safe
but you might be surprised that city
next you might be a creative chickens
and don't rule out the bicycles and
small engine motorcycles as well they're
one of the most popular means of
transportation in belize
just make sure they are very well
maintained number nine
humidity here's a new word for you from
belize humidix
it's actually the combination of heat
and humidity because you'll be getting a
lot of it you'll need to really get used
to it especially if you're older
because it'll be a non-stop natural
occurrence every single day
to prevent it you can even spend those
extra hundreds of dollars a month
so you can live in a cement block home
with glass windows with the
ac ripped up high to avoid it belize
exists in a subtropical climate
which means the weather is going to be
hot and humid throughout the year
it routinely sees temperatures in the
70s and 80s with just
as much humidity so it may be a good
idea to bite the bullet
and pay for at least an air conditioner
you can also find a place that's at a
higher elevation so you can avoid
dealing with other issues that come
along with warmer weather
like the spiders scorpions snakes and
other insects
so humadex might be that condition in
belize that could be
oppressive will be a bit difficult to
adopt in the beginning
if you are from colder regions number
eight
no comforts of home yes it's missing
them there's no large department stores
so
you'll need to do your shopping at
smaller shops or hop
across the border to mexico there's also
no large food supermarkets
you won't find too many sidewalks on the
street either
and sometimes taxi service is even hard
to find and the police are
less swift but i think you get the point
that it's less developed many of the
common nice things
living in places like the us and canada
just don't exist in belize
it's also not as developed as other
central american countries like mexico
and costa rica
services like home and auto repairs will
likely not meet your expectations
due to the cultural lack of urgency to
get things done as well and it may take
longer to get where you're going
due to its less developed infrastructure
and on top of this you'll need to be
prepared to lose your sell signal
at any time as well there might be a lag
with your high internet speed as well
if it's even available number seven
taxes
now some taxes may be exempt but you
still have to pay some of them
if you work you'll need to pay taxes at
a rate of 25 percent
if it's over an income of ten thousand
dollars but if
you're a non-resident it won't apply to
you and you'll actually have to pay
taxes
right from the start transferring real
estate you'll need to pay taxes as well
and you'll have to pay taxes on any
properties that you own
number six island life can be busy life
in belize is colorful and loud
and it might not be for those that want
the opposite it's known for its party
culture
your neighbors might even be awake until
early morning
hours listening to loud music as they
continue to socialize with friends
for those that want that peace and quiet
might be faced with the many festivals
parties and loud music
and not just during the weekends even
the churches have their joyful noise
with their celebration of life that is
different than the expectations that
some retirees have
and if you want that peace and quiet
you'll want to search for a different
home
but of course there are the quieter
places that has that peace and
relaxation
but you need to really look for the
peaceful areas and look for that right
spot as well
might take some time as well and might
have already been taken
number five utilities you'd be surprised
but belize has
a higher than the cost of average rates
in the us the food and housing is
reasonable
but internet access cell phone service
gas electricity and telephone
are more expensive and if you want that
good access to the internet
then the costs are going to be
significantly higher
than what you pay at home number four
hurricanes are common
now this is definitely a problematic
issue since 1930 there have been
16 hurricanes that have struck release
and this doesn't include
milder tropical storms that were about
to become one
half of them were major storms making
landfall or pass by
close enough to cause damage injuries
and fatalities with damages
up to 100 million dollars in agriculture
and infrastructure damage
so yes the threat of tropical storms and
hurricanes is very real
along with it comes the expense of
insurance to
protect your property as well condo
owners and others who own
common property may also be faced with
renovation bills on a regular basis
number three health care is limited
receiving quality health care in belize
could be spotty
it does offer basic medical services but
any emergency care or specialized
procedures
is best handled by flying north to the
united states
mexico or canada medical facilities in
belize are
not as advanced as the us in mexico but
you don't want to cut
corners when it comes to your care
filling your medications requires you
to carry each one of your prescriptions
as well but belize city has the three
best
hospitals in the country for simpler
things they are very good and cheap
compared to the united states
but for serious treatment you'll need to
get private medical insurance for
better treatment some expats even return
to the us once in a while to see doctors
there
in belize is also a relatively small
country so it comes as no surprise that
healthcare resources available to you
if you retire are going to be limited so
you won't find the same variety of
specialists that you would
have elsewhere and living in rural areas
will have its challenges as well
where even the basic treatments may not
be easily available
number two crime in belize we all know
that crime is
everywhere even where you're watching
this vlog from there are always going to
be those
few bad seeds everywhere and in every
culture
but for belize if you check out the u.s
state department's belize travel
advisory
you'll find that belize is actually
rated high for crime
and has one of the highest per capita
murder rates in the world
they're mostly gang-related incidents
and other criminals that use violence as
a
means to resolve disputes although it's
advised to exercise caution
in most cases if you're wise with your
decision making it won't affect you
and it's advised to stay away from the
south side of belize city
in some remote areas along belize's
borders and there are scams as well as
pickpocketers and
robberies as well but living on the
north side is known to be safer
some expats build concrete walls around
their homes
put burglar bars in and have larger dogs
just to be safer
number one expensive now belize is more
expensive than
other central american countries but
it's still an affordable choice for many
retirees
one reason for this is the retired
person's incentive act where it offers
incentives
to retirees who are 45 years old or
older
to have proof that they bring in a
monthly income
generated from investments or pensions
but there's still the high cost for
imported food
fuel and household items to think about
as well
high import duties up to 70 percent of
retail value
or higher on imported vehicles are there
as well
there's also some resentment of wealthy
foreigners and there's also increasing
taxes such as the 12.5 percent
goods and services tax gst on everything
and the 5 transfer tax on real estate
purchases
by foreigners and big ticketed items are
not readily accessible
in belize if you do find them the cost
tends to be
much higher than what you would pay for
back home
even smaller items like clothing or
aspirin can be difficult to find at
times as well
and this issue is due to the high import
taxes that exist in belize that are
combined with limited or no domestic
supplies
now if you're able to look past all of
these cons mentioned where you believe
you can manage and adapt to all of them
living in belize might be that paradise
that you're looking for
it of course depends on the circumstance
you're in belize still has that great
environment with great people around
that makes the experience homely you'll
be living with people who have a simpler
lifestyle
which could be great if you want a life
of less effort
just easier and more manageable renting
an apartment or house for a few months
to go check it out
may be a great solution for you to
figure it all out and yes it does
require you to
involve some common sense to keep away
from the dangerous areas
follow the advice of your home
government and proactively plan for
what you need and once you figure that
out then you can choose one of the
retirement
options provided by the government to
purchase the home and enjoy
an act of retirement it's a beautiful
country with beautiful people
and yes it does have its cons but what
country doesn't if you embrace the way
of life it has to offer and adapt while
keeping out of the north american
lifestyle you'll come to discover that
belize
with that open mind and heart will
reward you with this fun
nature and adventures well tell me what
you think of living in belize in the
comment section below
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