American expat Emory King having fun in his new home – Belize.
Why retire in Belize? Read on and see how American Emory King explains it.
A T-shirt in Belize proclaims on it front : “Where in the Hell is Belize?” On the back is written: “If you are good and say your prayers you will go to Belize.”
Why wait? Come to Belize now to retire – you may live longer. Forty-five years ago in Belize City I met a man from Florida whose doctor had told him he would be gone in a year. He could hardly walk when he came to Belize. He took a shack on the beach on Ambergris Caye. He quit drinking alcohol. He lived on coconut water and lobsters, fish and conch. A year later he was not only walking, but running his own speedboat standing up, fishing, snorkeling, being a beach bum and dancing the night away with the local girls. He was living the dream most retirees can only imagine.
Twenty years later when he was 83 I saw him walking down the street in neighboring Chetumal, Mexico with a young girl on each arm. He was in high spirits. “I’ve had 20 years of a better life than I had for the first 63 years.” he shouted as he passed by my table on the street side cafe. His name was John Cate and I still have a gold ring he gave me. It is no wonder Belize is rated by many experts and publications as one of the Top Ten Places To Retire.
You want more reasons to retire in Belize?
Here are a few:
English Language, English Law, Proximity to the United States (two hours by air from Miami or Houston, a little more from Atlanta, Charlotte, or Dallas or Los Angeles.
Health, Belize is the healthiest country in Central American or the Caribbean. Health Care, over 200 doctors, a hospital in every town and three big hospitals in Belize City. You can fly Wings of Hope to Mexico in case of serious problems. A medivac plane from Miami can be here in two hours.
Small population – big country. We have less than 400,000 people in a country the size of Massachusetts or Wales. There is plenty of elbow room. Education – excellent based on British and American Standards with English speaking Caribbean emphasis. We have three universities as well as public and private high schools and junior colleges.
Good people. The nicest, friendliest people in World. Here in Belize live six races of people who among them speak eight languages. Yet we have no racial discrimination, no religious intolerance and no political violence. Show me another country like that.
We have CDMA/GSM/3G cell phones and broadband internet. Climate: mild sub-tropical year round. It rains from June to December, but there are no monsoon-type rains. We have hurricanes, now and then. We had six in the 20th Century.
To make this marvelous more attractive for retirees, we have a law. If you are 45 years old and able to put $2,000 US a month in a Belize Bank, (and spend it in Belize, we hope) you can live here as long as you want. You may not work under the law, but you may own a business and watch us work. Under the law you may import a car, and airplane and a boat duty-free. There will be no income taxes on your pension or other sources of income. You may bring in all your used household goods and personal effects duty free.
Belize is not for everyone. If you are just getting by on a modest income and enjoy freezing winters in your home country, don’t come to Belize. But if you want to enjoy the paradise that is Belize – come on up!