Bella Maya Resort, Placencia, Belize Beachfront Condo Hotel, Caribbean Condo Hotel

Condo Hotel Center: Property Alert

January 11, 2006

Belize Condo Hotel, An Affordable Tropical Paradise

Prices Start in the low $400,000's for Beachfront Units

Hello, Maria Lopez here from Condo Hotel Center. I have a wonderful property to tell you about today, but first, a little background.

When I was in high school, I had a close friend from Belize, a small country on the eastern cost of Central America on the Caribbean Sea. We stayed in touch after graduation and many years later, I decided to take a vacation to visit her.

What I found was a spectacular vacation destination. Coconut tree-lined beaches, crystal-clear waters, and unspoiled islands set against the magnificent skyline of the Maya Mountains. I absolutely fell in love with the country.

So when I heard there was a condo hotel being built on Belize, I decided to track down the facts. What I learned was that a luxurious resort was being built overlooking the Caribbean Sea on the east and Placencia Lagoon on the west. Leave your winter woes behind, and come with me today on a visit to Bella Maya Resort in scenic Belize.

Bella Maya Resort
Bella Maya Resort will be a luxury resort of four-star quality set upon six acres of beautifully landscaped beach and lagoon-front land. It will have over 400 feet of private beachfront on the Placencia Peninsula.

Bella Maya Resort will be a luxurious resort with a private beach and lush, tropical landscaping.

Designed to look like a Caribbean village, Bella Maya will consist of eight low-rise buildings of two- and three-stories. There will be a total of 60 condo hotel units. The facilities at the resort will include:

Restaurant, Bar, Outdoor Grill Bar, Pool Bar
Swimming Pool
Pool side changing room
Air conditioned gymnasium
Resort Shop
Private Pier and Boat Mooring
Tour & Dive Center
Beautifully Landscaped Gardens
24-Hour Airport Transfer Service
Wireless Satellite Internet Access
Cable TV
Air Conditioning Throughout
Laundry Service
24-Hour Reception

A $28 million 18-hole golf course is planned. It will be located less than 2 miles away from the Bella Maya Resort.

Buyers can choose from wonderful views overlooking the Caribbean Sea or the lagoon and Mayan mountains.

Condo Hotel Units Overlooking the Water
Each of the 60 condo hotel units will have two bedrooms, two baths and a total of 1,125 sq. ft. They will be delivered fully furnished with equipped kitchens, travertine marble floors, and a private balcony or terrace. They will offer stunning views overlooking the Caribbean Sea or the lagoon and Mayan mountains.

Keeping Busy in Belize
Tourism in Belize is increasing by over 20% annually, with Placencia one of the most popular places to visit. The pristine beach peninsula of Placencia is long and narrow, paralleling the southern coastline for nearly 12 miles.

Belize ranks among the best scuba diving and snorkeling destinations in the western Caribbean. At a length of 185 miles, Belize's Barrier Reef is the second largest reef in the world.

There are a number of diving and boat operations which run from the Placencia pier. World-class snorkeling and diving can be had just offshore in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. There are also many beautiful islands just off the coast which can be explored.

All kinds of fishing, including snapper, barracuda, marlin and bonito, can be enjoyed year round. I personally can vouch that the fishing is good because even I caught a fish, my very first, fishing in Belize.

Belize's 20 river systems and smaller streams are ideal for kayaking, canoeing, white water rafting and wildlife viewing. Caving and archaeology are popular pastimes, with the country boasting many ancient Mayan ruins which are fully accessible for visitors to explore.

Bird watching is extremely popular in Belize. Hundreds of bird species can be observed, particularly in the national parks.

Other activities readily available are horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking on jungle medicine trails.

Getting There
Belize City International Airport is just a couple hour flight from many major U.S. airports including Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC. Belize is serviced by Continental, US Air, Delta and American Airlines.

Once in Belize, Tropic Air and Maya Island Air fly hourly to Placencia Airport, and the cost for the 25-minute flight is very cheap.

Bella Maya is just a 15 minute drive North from Placencia Airport. You can travel to the resort by taxi or use the 24-hour Bella Maya transfer service.

Construction is Underway
Construction on Bella Maya Resort started in March 2005. It will be complete by summer 2007, just in time for the busy tourist season. Already tour group operators are making reservations.

Construction on Bella Maya is well underway and will be complete by spring 2006.

Rental Management & Living Restrictions
As an owner, you'll have a choice of three different rental management programs which will affect how much you can use your condo hotel unit and how much rental income your unit will generate over a 12-month period. You will have an opportunity to change your management program each year.

Bella Maya Resort is set to be the most upscale development on the Placencia peninsula.

The Appeal of Bella Maya Resort
Bella Maya Resort offers three main advantages over other similar projects in the Caribbean:

1. Condo hotel units are available now at pre-construction prices. Once the development is complete and open (May 2006) the value of the condo hotel units will likely be significantly higher.

2. Because construction is already well underway, there is no doubt that this project will be built. Best of all, you'll be able to start enjoying your new vacation home within the next few months, not 18-24 months out as is often the case when buying condo hotels in pre-construction phases.

3. Bella Maya Resort is set to be the most upscale, well-designed and spacious development on the Placencia peninsula. Other developments are cramming in four times as many apartment units in the same area, which will make them less desirable than Bella Maya.

The resort's restaurant will feature indoor and outdoor dining and will include a pool bar as well.

Why Buy in Belize?
There has been a widespread increase of investment in Belize and in particular Placencia. Prices have begun increasing over the past year, in large part due to interest from the nearby U.S. market. Annual capital appreciation is quoted at over 20%. Land has been selling incredibly fast, and there are now very few plots of land left for commercial or resort use.

With the airport extension, the new $28 million golf course, expanding tourism, and strong foreign investment, Placencia is set to see price increases for many years, to eventually match property valuations of that seen in other Caribbean destinations.

Need a few more reasons to invest in Belize? Consider these facts:

There is no income tax or capital gains tax.
It is a democratic, stable, English-speaking country.
There are no restrictions on foreign nationals buying/owning property.
It's legal system is based on British common law (comparable to U.S. law).
Belize offers the most attractive incentive program for foreign retirees anywhere in the world.
It has a low cost of living.
Off-shore banking is available.
Tourism is booming; property prices are rising.
It offers a beautiful, unspoiled, natural environment.
It has a delightful subtropical climate.
It has the world's second largest barrier reef.
It offers a wealth of activities - archaeology, diving, caving, water sports, adventure sports, fishing, bird watching.

The Developer - Someplace Else
The developer of Bella Maya Resort is a British firm called Someplace Else. The company specializes in seeking out investment opportunities in new and emerging markets around the world. In particular, they deal with countries that are attractive to foreign investors and where the laws relating to foreigners purchasing property are reliable and straightforward.

Regarding Bella Maya Resort, here's what Someplace Else has to say: "The Bella Maya Resort was formed so that our clients can benefit from the excellent investment potential of Belize. We strongly believe that Belize is on the verge of a huge tourism boom, whereby property prices are set to increase as are rental yields. You can clearly see from the large amount of development going on in the country, increased property and land sales, that we are not the only ones who have realized this potential."

Someplace Else now operates full-time, staffed offices, in five different countries - the United Kingdom, Belize, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Latvia. It is currently looking to open its sixth office in Brazil later this year.

Prices and Financing
At Bella Maya Resort, all condo hotel units are two-bedroom, two-bath with 1,124 sq. ft. including a terrace or balcony. You can choose from two views, lagoon front or beach front. Prices start from the low $400,000's. There are also several penthouse units which range from the low $400,000s to $450,000.

You should also be aware that there is a 15% transfer cost which is required by the Belize government and payable to them directly. While this sounds costly, the relatively low prices at this luxurious condo hotel, when compared to oceanfront units in the U.S., still make Bella Maya Resort a good value. This 15% is a land transfer tax for non-citizens, and it consists of 5% stamp duty and 10% alien land holding tax. On the plus side, property taxes are very low compared to those in the U.S.

There is an $1,800 reservation fee. This fee will be applied toward the first down payment. A payment totaling 30% down is due within seven days of signing and contract and 20% additional within 35 days, bringing the total to 50% down, which is typical of what we've seen in foreign countries. Developer financing of up to 50% of the purchase price is available at a 15-year fixed rate of 6.5%. There is a 10% discount to buyers who pay in full in one payment.

Want More Information?
I've put together a data sheet on Bella Maya Resort that will give you more information on the property as well as additional photos of the on-going construction. It can be e-mailed to you immediately. In accordance with developer requirements, we ask that you first provide your name and contact information.

While there is no cost to you for this data sheet or for Condo Hotel Center's services, please understand that upon requesting this data sheet, you will be registered with the developer as a client of Condo Hotel Center, a licensed real estate broker.

Request the Bella Maya Resort data sheet here.

Well, I hope you enjoyed our little trip to the Caribbean in the middle of winter. I know many of you can see snow outside your window. While that's not the case for me here in Miami, I will still always think fondly of Belize, a fantastic vacation destination and the place where I caught my first fish.

New Condo Hotel Listings
Before I sign off, I wanted to let you know that we've recently added quite a few new properties to our website. If any of them sound appealing, just click on the links below for more information:

St. Regis Resort & Residences, Bal Harbour, FL. Prices start at $1,171,000.

Solis Chicago Hotel Condominiums, Chicago, IL. Prices start at $335,160.

Reunion Square at Reunion Club Resort, Orlando, FL. Prices start at $550,000.

The Blue, Doral, FL. Prices start at $450,000.

Red Residence, Sports City, Dubai. Prices start at $224,095.

Thank you for your interest in news from Condo Hotel Center. Joel Greene will be back next week with another featured condo hotel property.

Maria Lopez
Condo Hotel Center
13499 Biscayne Blvd. Ste. 210
N. Miami, FL 33181
PH: 305-944-3090
FX: 305-948-0460
Maria@CondoHotelCenter.com
www.CondoHotelCenter.com

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