Where is Belize?

Belize - The Best Place to Retire?

Many times we have compared and contrasted the Best Places to Retire in relation to cost of living. Now more than ever those approaching retirement or recently retired are concerned about if or when their financial resources may run out. The ups and downs of the stock marketed combined with advances in health and longevity make this a real concern. So it's important for retirees to consider cheap places to live abroad in retirement. Places where they know their savings and retirement nest egg will last.

Latin American countries have been the darlings of the media and many retirees for the past decade. It started with Costa Rica in the '80's and '90's and then spread across the central American map as more and more of these places developed infrastructure and services specifically targeted at the retiring American Baby Boomers. For five years in a row Panama ranked number one in lists of the top retirement places while countries like Nicaragua, Honduras, Roatan and Belize often made the top 10 lists.

Recently we have been writing about retiring in Belize as one such place where the pace of life is slow and easy and the cost of living more than reasonable for most. I've been getting some feedback and questions about Belize and it makes sense the first and most popular question is...

Where is Belize Located?

That's a pretty important question! After all ow will you get there if you don't know where Belize is? Seriously though, when it comes to retiring abroad one of the most important issues is location - how close will I be to my children? My grand children? My home country? Other countries and places I may want to visit?  It's not atypical for a retiree living abroad to make numerous trips back to their homeland so moving relatively close and with easy access is of paramount concern. Thuis is probably one of the biggest reasons Latin America has become so popular for a seasonal or full time retirement home and Belize is located smack dab on the middle.

Belize is found on the Caribbean Coast of Central America with Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west.

It is easy to get to from the United States with flights of less than two hours from Miami, Houston and  Dallas. You can also fly a little long from Atlanta, Newark, and Charlotte.

More about Belize

Formerly Belize was a British Colony so the official and common language is English. This makes it quite easy for retirees from North America to communicate and quickly feel at home. The 'Retire Belize Program' was modelled after other successful retiree incentive programs in countries like Panama. The incentives offerred to people who wish to live but not work make for a very attractive lifestyle by cutting the cost of living even further. The population is estimated at 300,000 persons residing in eight urban areas. Over 30% of the people live in Belize City. Belize is quite small at just 8,867 square miles but it is still one of the lowest densely populated countries in the Americas.

Weather in Belize

The Belize climate is subtropical, with an average annual temperature around 80°F. Highs can reach over 90°F while night time lows at cetain times of the year may fall as low as 60°F.   Belize is also an attractive destination for suba divers as it is home to the longest living Barrier Reef in the world which stretches along the entire Eastern Coast of the country.

Belize boasts large areas of unspoiled jungles and national parks, amazing rivers, waterfalls, wildlife, caves, and even archaeological ruins. Living in Belize as an American you will immediately notice the vibrant blend of cultures, including Mayan, Hispanic, Garifuna, East Indian, and Creole.

The Retire Belize Program

Recently the finance division of Yahoo quantified Belize as one of the top retirement destinations for 2011 and it probably is in no small part due to the "Retire Belize" program. It is formally called the Belize Qualified Retired Persons Incentive Program and sets out to make it easy and attractive for retired persons that have some reasonable way to support themselves, to spend their golden years retired in Belize. When you discover where Belize is located you'll understand why so many Americans are finding it an attractive place for a seasonal or retirement home.

Of course those folks that want to participate in 'Retire Belize' (my name not theirs) program do have to jump through some hoops and prove that they have a secure income from either a retirement program, pension or from investments but for many Americans that is not an issue at all. Belize Tourism Board, who administers the program, has done a pretty reasonable job putting an attractive group of benefits together for the retiree that is looking for more than cheap places to go on vacation. 

Let’s look at a few of those benefits and you can be the judge.

1. Belize generally has a stable 'dollar'

2. Not far from Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and the USA

3. Really Nice People

4. Magnificent Natural Beauty

5. Tax Breaks

6. Belize is Peaceful

7. Speak English

8. Warm year round sub-tropical weather

9. Good Schools

10. Import tariff waivers

There are some important qualifiers for a person that might be interested in the benefits of the best country to live in. By far, the most important filters are age and income. One must be forty five and have a verifiable income of at least $2000 a month. An added benefit is that only the person qualifying has to meet these requirements. Their dependents do not. Dependents in this case can be both spouse (no age requirement) and children up to 18 years old or up to 23 years old if they are still in College.

There are some legal requirements to prove that a pension is valid but these, although tedious and detailed, are not hard to provide. In a ironic sort of attempt to streamline the process the Belize Tourism Board will waive some proof requirements for fortune 500 companies. I find this loophole somewhat ironic since in the present economy, (post 2008), the size of the organization does not seem to necessarily correlate to financial stability but that is purely personal conjecture and I certainly understand why the board may have acted in good faith in its attempt to make the process of application easier for these pensioners.

In a not too surprising attempt to keep trouble out of Belize , the Tourism Board requires a background check for the 'Retire Belize' program by the Ministry of National Security of Belize.

There are several more qualifications that address other details and stipulations on the "Retire Belize' program and here we will take a look at a few of the more minor ones.

1. Must follow the rules for bringing in personal goods on the move into Belize

2. Can't look for a job or be employed while in the program.

3. You have to let the board know if your situation changes in a way that would affect qualification for the program

4. Must follow Belizean laws

5. The benefits of the 'Retire Belize' program are only for qualified person and dependents

6. Board has the right to do their investigation on all the documents you provide to them.

7. If you leave Belize indefinitely you must tell the board so your assets can be liquidated.

8. Documents in the application for the program become property of the board.

9. You can have no outstanding criminal issues at time of application

10. You have to provide required information about dependents

11. Must show proof via yearly bank statement, that you have the required income.

12. Must live in Belize at least one month a year to continue to qualify for Retire Belize program.

Although one would want to familiarize oneself with these and the other rules they don't present too much of a burden to gain the benefits shown before.

The normal type of documents will be required beyond the application form itself like birth certificates, marriage certificate, police record from most current location, passport, proof of income as stated before, medical exam results including the results of an AIDS test and four passport size recent pictures. All of these are quite reasonable for this sort of application and to be expected.

Although this process is quite involved and in this authors opinion it would be best approached with a local attorney, it is like many such involved applications. It is very detailed and detailed but with attention to those details it is a step by step process that takes a fair amount of time and should not be rushed. The good news is it is done all the time and has been completed by many before.

Hopefully this post has been educational and informative in giving you an overview of the "Retire Belize" program as I call it. As stated before there are many benefits that the Belize Tourism Board has put together for living in Belize as an American but please do yourself a favor and seek professional advice to undertake this process. When you are successful you will end up in one of the cheapest places to live and retire in Belize and with a lot of personal advantages besides living in a tropical paradise.

Teaching Jobs Overseas For Americans

Teaching jobs overseas for Americans might be the perfect job for you if you really like to teach and have an interest or curiosity about foreign cultures. Your successful job search is not based on cheap places to go on vacation but location is a major concern most likely and should be one of your major concerns. Because there are so many different types of teaching jobs all over the world, surely you can find one that will mesh with your desires and passions. Most teaching jobs are for people that speak English and would find it attractive to teach to students as a second language.

There are a wide variety of qualifications depending on where you might teach and who the employer is. Sometimes a bachelor’s of Education degree is required and other times it is not necessary that your degree be in education at all. Sometimes it is not even necessary that you have a University degree as long as you speak English as your native language. Extensive experience is not necessary in many cases either but can be helpful to secure an attractive job. If your degree has a concentration on instructing English as a second language, your chances are increased exponentially. The pay you can command can also be greatly increased when your degree fits that job.

Martial status or life partner issues sometimes will play a roll in determining the eligibility of a person. In some cases the school will look at a couple as a more stable situation and prefer that, while others will look for primarily single teachers. If both partners are teachers this can be an advantage for the school system as the housing requirements will be less for a couple and in essence they only have to provide one residence for two teachers. Not surprisingly, most school systems no not tolerate dating of the student population and a stable relationship may be looked on as a help in this regard.

Being able to speak the local language is not usually required and it is sometimes preferred that you do not. When my friend was living in Belize as an American it forced her to learn the local language faster since many only spoke Spanish. Likewise, I am sure it will force your students to acclimate to English faster if you don’t speak the local language for them to fall back on. It is looked upon as an advantage that you do not rely on the local language and your students do not usually expect it either. Sometimes you will find there are programs provided by the school to help the teachers in their own interaction but as far as the classes are concerned the local language is usually not required.

A year teaching is the standard assignment for teaching in most foreign schools but there are exceptions to that especially when it is a volunteer job. The volunteer jobs are far more flexible with commitments than are those that are paid.

As with any job the pay depends on several factors and when you ask the question ‘what city should I live in to teach’, pay will be different. The job / contract length, what is required of you in terms of qualifications and where the job is located all make a difference in pay. The latter is primarily due to the cost of living. It would behove you to do some serious research about the cost of living before you accept any teaching job so you have a good idea what you are getting yourself into.

Something that you may be surprised to find out is that certain locations prefer certain English accents. It is generally whatever has become acceptable in the school location. In turn, that is what they want from the teachers that they hire. For instance in Mexico they want American accents but in Europe they mostly want the British accent. It really makes sense as it is what the locals are more accustomed to hearing.

One primary concern that people have about teaching abroad is around getting set up in the new location and the cheapest places where they can stay. It is often the case where the school will either provide the teacher with housing or if not, at least provide them with help in securing the cheapest place to live. Just be very careful that there is a clear understanding (in writing) about what sort of arrangement there is and who is to provide what. There is nothing that can ruin your experience faster than uncomfortable or unsuitable accommodations.

Another thing to be clear about before you make any real commitment is to figure out who (what group) you will be teaching. It could be professionals; it could be housewives, children or other age groups. Each of these groups will take a different focus and skill set so you will want to know what you are getting into.

Because you will be signing a contract in order to get these jobs you will want to be sure and research every aspect of the position and that you understand exactly what you are getting yourself into. Spend an appropriate amount of time researching every aspect of the arrangement and know exactly what it means for you to find international jobs for US citizens and then you will be able to help others along the path to finding teaching jobs overseas for Americans if you want to.

Best Country to Live in 2010

A few months ago we launched the New Year with a discussion about the Best Places for Quality of Life. The list of countries came from International Living Magazine who rate over 100 countries for quality of life. Of course the data is collected over the entire year so when we look at the list it's historical, meaning the best places, in this case the best countries for quality of life  would be from 2010. As we all know a lot can happen in one year and even during a year. Ratings will fluctuate particularly in lessor developed countries. As I look back at the countries who made the list for 2010 I notice some interesting things that very likely have changed up the order and ranking quite a it. But let me pause and recap for a moment.

What was the Best Country to Live in 2010?

If you read my post back in January, Where Should I Live in 2011, you would have learned that the United States was the best country for quality of life in 2010. Looking back over the past year, even over the past few months you can see that a lot has changed in our crazy world. Has it changed enough to dislodge the U.S. for that #1 postion - probably not. In fact I would say recent world events have probably solidified that decision even more. The U.S. is still one of the healthiest and wealthiest countries to call home. Relative to recent international turmoil be it earthquake, Tsunami or revolution the states is also one of the safest and most stable countries on the planet, save perhaps Canada which one most certainly rank up their as one of the best places to live.

Best Places to Live in The World

But lets have a look at what may have changed over the past few months in terms of the Best Places to Live in the World. Canada for one was suspiciously absent from the Top 20 Countries for Quality of Life in 2010. I'm certain that was some kind of oversight or typo as Canada ranked #9 on the 2009 list. Given the rising cost of oil and the strength of the Canadian dollar I've got to believe Canada would now move quite close to the top of the list. If market indicators are any measure it may very well be number as the U.S. dollar has slipped to a value of 95 cents compared to the Canadian Loonie. Japan is another country that we have all been watching closely. Sure it has had soem economic woes over the past few years with a crippling debt and aging population. However, this small island nation still ranked 7th on the 2010 list of best places for quality of life. The recent earthquake followed by a devastating Tsunami and now an ongoing and as yet unresolved nuclear reactor problem will surely have pushed Japan well down the list if not even off the list altogether.

All in all the events of the past few months have certainly confirmed that we are living in challenging and constantly changing times. Lists are fun and interesting to read but current events tell all. For me I'm  thinking a peaceful little place like retiring in Belize may just be the solution - it may even bring me right back to finding the cheapest places to live!

Living In Belize As An American

Some people get really excited about the "Retire Belize" Program (Qualified Retirement Program) when they think about living in Belize as an American but the reality of making that happen is that they have to go through a long drawn out procedure to get this special retired persons visa. It is probably best to get an attorney to handle it for you as it is not a simple matter for even the most patient of Americans living in Belize. We are just not used to things being quite this complicated and drawn out. Nothing in Belize is simple and here are some reasons why that might be the case.

Before I even tell you this, just understand it will be a shock. Things in Belize are not computerized. Just let that sink in for a few minutes. The government is not computerized. The banking system between branches is not computerized. The local law enforcement is not computerized. Rewind back to the 60s and 70s and think about how things were done in America. Everything had to be written by hand or typed. 

Bookkeeping was by hand on ledgers. Records were created in duplicate and everything was filed in a filing cabinet and if you wanted to have the information you had to contact the person or organization that had it and ask for a copy of it or to verify it with a form. The result was that everything was form based and was very slow moving. And if there were not copies when all record were lost of what had transpired then it was just lost. Can you even imagine going back 40 years in time?

This country is very behind in terms of technology and they seem to be perfectly OK with that. This country is the definition of relaxed and laid back. No one gets too excited about anything much. They have a high rate of unemployment and a very high rate of poverty too. They live very simple lives with very small homes often crammed with several people and little furniture. Tiny homes with 5-10 people and one shower and it is OK. Many walk everywhere because they don’t own a car and getting upset is a waste of energy for everyone. Now if you're into all of the modern conveniences and speed of access to everything we enjoy in A,erica than this may not be the place for you. However, these qualities are also what is attracting many retirees to this wonderful, simple little country. It truly is a great way to escape the rate race and live the 'tranquillo' lifestyle. 

One other important thing to ask is, Where is Belize? When you discover that Belize is located right in the middle of Central America you can relax a little. It's easily accessible from numerous U.S. airports, some less than two hours flight time away. So, if you find yourself getting a little island fever it's simple enough to hop on a plane and get your city fix in Houston or Miami. Or you may even want to use your new home as a base to spring board south to discover Panama City or other south American destinations. 

If your thinking about moving to Belize and especially if you haven’t spent much time there, will be a shock but it will be a slow shock. One that may ultimately make living in Belize as an American a frustrating experience if you are not prepared for it. You just need to talk a breath and go with it if you intend to be in Belize for very long. Darling, you’re not in Kansas anymore!

Best Places to Live - UK

Finding the Best Places to Live in the UK

If you ever watch HGTV's House Hunters than you know UK property expert Phil Spencer. He says,

"Picking an area to live in isn't just about a budget, it's about finding somewhere that suits your family and lifestyle."

I came across Phil's solid tips on On HouseToHome.co.uk where he writes about:

How to choose where to buy in the UK

Phil advises buyers in the UK to:

1. Think about transportation hubs and connections. The closer you live to a train station or major highway or airport the more popular the Real Estate - you'll have to pay for that convenience though. But convenience aside there are some negatives namely noise pollution and less privacy. It's a good idea to check train schedules and flight paths for where you are considering. Sometimes agents will pick optimum times to show a property - when the train is not running or the airport is quiet. It can be quite a shock if you're awakened at 5:00 am to the whistle of a commuter train passing through your backyard!

2. Look for places with useful amenities. Shopping, restaurants and entertainment close by can really turn a house into a home. It's about lifestyle and living. Also look for trends. If you spot small shops being renovated and new ones being opened it's a good sign the neighbourhood is moving in the right direction. You can also review current and past issues of local newspapers and magazines for announcements. You may even want to visit the local planning department to get an idea of the future for the community your considering.

3. Be alert to places that offer open spaces likes parks and water features. If you have a pet or children it's important to have recreation areas close by where you can walk and simply enjoy the outdoors. The best places to live are often associated with nature.

4. Check out the education system, even if you don't have children. Research has revealed that crime rates are in direct correlation to the quality of education in an area. Where a community is focused on developing the potential of their youth there is less chance you will find school drop-outs who pick up a life of crime. Well educated people believe in themselves and are contributing participants in the community they live in.

Of course as you read through this list of tips for finding the best places to live in the UK you've probably notices that they are applicable to finding the best country to live in and then using the same questions and criteria to find the best spots within hat country. After all we share the human condition regardless of our nationality or where we chose to live. Even when timers are tough and you need to find the cheapest place to live these tips can still help you skew the odds in your favour for finding the best place.

Cheapest Time To Go To Vegas

Determining the cheapest time to go to Vegas is not really as difficult as it might appear. You don't have to have any sort of inside connection in order to figure out that there are certain times of year and certain seasons where it is cheaper to visit sin city then other times. Plus Vegas is a cheap place to go on vacation.

Las Vegas room rates are the place where one can most easily negotiate savings if in fact you are flexible about your travel dates. Of course, things like getting plane tickets cheap and Vegas deals from places like Expedia, Orbitz or Southwest airlines will need to be factored into the equation but because cheap air fare is so difficult to predict it is best to start with what is predictable and work backwards. Besides, plane tickets prices don’t vary that much, it may become secondary to the hotel rates that can be as much or more for one night as it is for one plane ticket. Because hotel room supply and demand has such a strong effect on Las Vegas room rates it is relatively easy to figure out when the demand will be low and in turn the room rates will also be reduced.

There are three factors that generally dictate the number of rooms available at any given time in Las Vegas and in turn the best time to travel to Las Vegas. The first factor is the number of conventioneers in town. Conventions are the lifeblood of Las Vegas hotels and when they are absent, hotel rooms can be a bargain. The second factor is the weather. Because Las Vegas is famous in the summertime for extremely hot weather, this can play an important role in determining when people decide to visit the gambling mecca. July and August generally are the hottest months with temperatures sometimes reaching near 120°F and lots of visitors will stay away. The third factor that heavily influences the traffic in Las Vegas is the time around what traditionally have been family holidays. Primarily holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas will be slower times in Las Vegas and in turn the cheapest time to go to Vegas.

In order to figure out the cheapest time to go to Vegas one can take any of the aforementioned circumstances and with a little research generally come up with considerable savings on hotel rooms to make your visit the best time to go to Las Vegas. For instance, planning a vacation to Las Vegas might involve first checking the cheapest flight and then checking the Las Vegas convention schedule (available from the Las Vegas convention Bureau) to find out the gaps or periods of time when few conventions, if any, are in town. Overlay that with either the hot months of summer or traditional family holiday periods and you usually will come up with the least expensive time to visit Las Vegas.

Because the hotel casinos do their very best to keep their guests entertained inside their own properties you will find it very conducive to remaining indoors the entire time you are in Las Vegas. It is a hotel owners dream to have their guests never leave the property so they work very hard at making sure you have every opportunity to be catered to without stepping foot outside their door. And even should you find it necessary or desirable to leave the property it will be a quick taxi ride to another equally entertaining property a short distance away.

As a 10 year resident of Las Vegas and frequent visitor to the Las Vegas strip I would not hesitate at all to recommend Las Vegas in the summertime for a visitor who plans to take advantage of the things Las Vegas is most famous for. These mega-resorts that make up much of the Vegas strip have spent billions of dollars making sure their guests will not only be comfortable but happy for the entire visit.

In conclusion, you can see that determining the cheapest time to go to Vegas is when it is generally being ignored by large groups of people. This can be a vacationer’s window of opportunity to visit the world-class resorts of Las Vegas on a budget.

What City Should I Live In?

What City Should I live in?

On the weekend I got news that my landlord had decided to sell the house I am living in - time to move again! If you've been following me and this blog for any amount of time you know that an event like this stirs up that crazy adventurous spirit inside me. So, you know I'm like to not just move down the block. No these are the times I jump on line and start surfing this amazing planet of ours. At this point in my life I'm definitely not into the calm and quiet of rural living. No this time round I'm asking myself, "What are the Best Cities I should live in?"

BrainFall.com

Google is so cool! After I typed in my search one of the first sites to pop up was a quiz on BrainFall.com called, 'Which City Should You Live In?'  How cool is that?

Where Should I Live Quiz
The BrainFall quizz starts with four interest categories: Classes - how you like to learn; Celebrities - your personality type; Family - how you like to relate; and Schools - what you like to learn. The quiz then goes on to ask questions in similarly grouped categories - drilling down to find out what your interests are, how you like to socialize, live, love, etc.

This is one fun little quiz. I liked the questions. They got me thinking a lot about my likes and dislikes - some surprises there with things I haven't thought about for a while. On the critical side I would say the quiz is tailored to someone considerably younger than myself. If I were to guess I would say the, 'Where Should I Live Quiz' is geared towards a fairly recent high school or college grad who is single and looking for a place to make their mark or get their start.

Which City Should I Live In?

I'm sure you're now curious to know which city the quiz suggested for me. And the drum roll please...Survey says,

"You should live in Paris.
The city of lights will appeal to your appreciation of beauty and romance. You are a lover and a poet by nature, and Paris' sensitive charms will be a perfect match for yours."