housing

July through September is rainy season in Belize,Rain is heavy most of the time

I'm from Scottsdale and currently living in Corozal. You didn't mention where in Belize you wanted to live or visit?

Hi, thank you for your response.  As a former Scottsdale residentc,  how does your new life style compare. Are you full time residents of Corozal???

We still have not deceided where to live/visit in Belize. Any suggestions? ?

In my research of Belize I've discovered each of the 5(?) Districts are quite different.  Being such a small country you could probably cover it all in two weeks!  We are heading there in September but only have a week so we're going south to Punta Gorda then up to Corozal.  If we like what we see, we'll return for another tour with more time. 
From my understanding, it takes less than 7 hours to drive from south to north  Belize!

Hi Kim, Thank you for the insight.  We need to do further research on the five districts.  Your response is appreciated. Bob & MJ

For housing you can find a number of home rentals online for short term.  You won't get the best deal online, but we rented our first home 2 bed 1 bath fully furnished home in Corozal on a month to month lease for only $275/mo.  The utilities were in the owner name we just paid them, and we did install internet with only a $17.50 installation fee.  Internet & electricity are expensive, and both go out a few minutes to a few hours 3-4 times per month.  After you get down to Belize you will be able to look around and get a better home or deal.  We found a much larger nicer home only a few blocks from the ocean for only $325/mo.  They originally asked $500/mo.  Always negotiate.

This is great information and gives us the information we need to get started. Do you suggest traveling to Belize to get housing or can it be accomplished over the phone or internet? ?

From our experience, I would highly suggest traveling to the areas before renting or financially committing to any location.
We visited Caye Caulker, Belize City, Ambergris Caye and Corozal before choosing.  Each area is vastly different in terms of cost of living, lifestyle etc.  your personal needs, budget and desired lifestyle should be considered before committing.  Although they are all "Belize".... They are all so different.
Good Luck in your journey.  We love the country!

Hi, thank you for your input.  While discovering the five districts, did you have a base or use short term housing during your vetting process?

Bob and MJ

We made several trips down throughout the year, yes it was a little expensive, but gave us a a great firsthand view of each area in the rainy season.....high tourist season etc.

Because we knew we wanted to be near the beach, we were able to quickly narrow it down to Ambergris Caye, Caye caulker or Corozal.

Corozal was a little too remote for what we wanted And  beaches were not as nice, more of a Bay Area.  Although, the prices are more affordable and there seem to be lots of expats.

Caye Caulker has a great island feel, shops restaurants and reasonable housing for an "island".  For us, we wanted more amenities, more options.
Ambergris fit our needs, having access to markets and restaurants, shops and beaches.  I had heard it was a "party island" and a little wild.  Obviously, if you want to find a bar and hang out all nite, I'm sure you can do that nearly anywhere.  However, we have found the island and the people to be peaceful and welcoming.

The island was again the #1 Island in the world from Trip Advisor for 2014.
We feel comfortable with the positive changes we have seen, even in the past 18 months.  Property is selling fast, new developments are sprouting up.
You will see lots of different opinions on this forum for each area.  I think for the majority, they are all true......just finding what fits your needs is the key.
We also visited the San Ignacio area and also loved this part oft he country.  If you are considering looking inland, maybe for a little property, I would check this out too.
We rented a car from the airport and were very comfortable exploring the area!

Pm me if I can help!
Good luck in your search!

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Ah hah! Busted! That explains your critique of my Belize critique. I should have known. Here is info aimed at the newb's (aka FNG's): my experience is that you can never get objective, reliable verifiable  data on life in Belize from commercial ex pats. This includes the following: so called relocation experts, real estate agents and developers, hospitality industry types eg restaurants, resort owners, hoteliers or travel consultants. Also commercial photographers (weddings esp.)
I on the other hand gain nothing by posting the  reality of Belize backed by researched stats and personal anecdotes with no capitalist driven monetary gain. My more noble motivation  is socialist derived altruism based on the so called starfish metaphor..
ie if one potential ex pat can be saved and redirected to Panama it is one small leap for mankind.