Orchid Bay and your 401K plan...

Increasing in popularity is the little known "self-directed" retirement account. Some of our buyers are using their retirement money to invest in Real Estate here at Orchid Bay and we have partnered with a company which specializes in this type of retirement account.

As I learn more about it, it makes a tremendous amount of sense to look into this option. It may not be the right move for everyone, but it's certainly worth a look...especially if your retirement account has taken the hit that mine has taken!

Christmas in Belize...

This was in yesterday's San Pedro Sun, I found it very amusing and just had to share!



Ho-Ho-Hoing Tropical Style
by Trish Carter

"Oh, do you celebrate Christmas here, too?" That is one of my all-time favorite questions from a tourist - especially since she was standing in front of the Catholic Church. Yes, Virginia. We celebrate Christmas in Belize. Santa and turkey and presents and decorated trees and everything. Just like a goodly portion of the rest of the world. Granted, we don't do some of the things here that are done in the northern climes. To wit:
We don't wear ski jackets and snow boots unless the temperature drops to the upper 60'.
We don't roast chestnuts on an open fire.
We don't go dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh.
We don't dream of a white Christmas.
We don't spend frustrating hours shopping in a mall.
We don't buy funky ties for favorite uncles.
We absolutely never shovel snow or de-ice windshields.
Santa doesn't come down a chimney.
And, we don't go to a Christmas tree lot to pick out a Douglas fir.
In the tropics, we do Christmas things a bit differently.
We can spend Christmas in shorts, T-shirts and barefooted.
We bar-b-que fresh seafood over coconut husks. It makes chestnuts look pretty insubstantial.
We dash through sand if we bother to dash at all.
We dream of a bright, 80º Christmas, and fervently hope that the weather bringing others a white Christmas will stay north of our borders.
We shop in local stores, Belize City or, perhaps, make a quick trip to Mexico or Guatemala. No one has ever been trampled in a pre-Xmas sale in San Pedro.
If all the uncles here got presents from all their nieces and nephews, the country would be completely bare of anything to give anyone else.
We shovel sand but only if there' an extremely good reason, and we de-salt our windows.
Santa comes roaring in on a mahogany skiff with his hands on the reins of a Yamaha outboard.
We get unbelievably creative when it comes to Christmas trees. We decorate palm trees, branches from Australian pines, cahun palm nut stalks and the hardier species of potted plants. We make Christmas trees out of tortillas, palm thatch, or baby coconuts.
We eat turkey and dressing, ham, and pumpkin pie. We also fill out the meal with lobster, grouper, snapper, conch, or shrimp with fresh coconut pie to finish us off.
We go caroling on golf carts, three and four wheeled motorcycles, and pick-em-up trucks.
We drink rum that's neither hot nor buttered.
We visit a lot on Christmas Day.
We get the holiday extended because the day after Christmas is Boxing Day (which generally has nothing to do with fisticuffs).
We do share some Christmas things with the northern climes.
We have tinsel fallout all over the house.
We look forward to the noise-making toys losing their noise.
We groan and puff with the abundance of Christmas dinner.
And, we share the holiday joys with those around us, and shed the holiday wrought tears for those who are not.
Most of all, we enjoy.

Happy Holidays, ya'll.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from Orchid Bay, Belize!

Back to Orchid Bay...

I digressed a bit with all the recent weather here in northern New England I got carried away with my own woes...and I promised that this would be a blog about what is happening in Belize and more specifically at Orchid Bay! Actually...it is quite beautiful here in NH if you like the snow!

Any way...here is a few pictures of Orchid Bay, they sorta...kinda...are chronological from jungle to the construction of the dock and the first Casitas (beach bungalow.)


Nothing but jungle in the beginning!


Ariel view of Orchid Bay


The Dock at Orchid Bay has been added


Starting construction


Starting construction on the utility building



Ta Da!!!!!!!!

More to come...don't forget...Insider's Tour coming in January...sign up now...

Hit 'em straight...or go find 'em yourself!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

What re they nuts?!

This was Mother Nature's follow-up to our ice storm that was of epic proportions...in 3 days I got close to 18" of light fluffy snow!

It makes Belize look so much more inviting every day!

Want to get away...?

Southwest Airlines does a good job with this ad phrase...generally following a display of someone performing a major faux pas! This time though, I am using it as a follow up to the devastating ice storms here in New Hampshire...followed by a 4-5 inch snow fall this morning!

Hello...? There are still 69,000 people without power! I guess that's not so terrible since it is estimated that nearly 400,000 were without power last week...I'm one of the "have's" right now...NH residents have a new class definition going on...have's (those who have power) and the have not's (you can figure this one out!)

I figure it might be a good time to start looking at getting away...and if you've ever thought about buying real estate in a vacation spot, Belize is the place to look. My buddy at Orchid Bay and his crew host a monthly "Insider's tour" where you get an awesome deal to stay in Belize for a few days for short money, and you get to meet the guys and girls involved in this project.

If you want to escape the wintery mix crap that's been thrown our way in northern New England sign up now at OrchidBayBelize.com, they have one scheduled for January 16-18 and then again in February on the 13-15th...what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day?

Hit 'em straight or don't hit 'em at all!

Bob

"I shot six holes in my freezer..."

Alright...so I didn't actually shoot holes in my freezer but I cam close this weekend! I live in southern New Hampshire and got hit with an ice storm that will go down in history! There's only a million people in New Hampshire and 300,000 were without power!
I'll tell you what, I'd prefer snow over this any day! This pic is not my neighborhood but it may as well be. I don't think Jimmy (Buffett) ever lived this far north, but I guess he may have experienced this in Aspen...no lights, no heat..."I gotta go where it's warm..." was on my mind every time I walked into a different room and flicked the light switch...duh! there's NO ELECTRICITY! Amazing what we take for granted.
but after 41 hours we have heat and electricity back and all is well...although there is still plenty of people without!
I'm very happy to have my 'puter back!
Now I'm back in the office and we NO heat HERE!
Can't wait to get to Belize!

Hit 'em straight!

TacoGirl and my own JBS...

When I first came up with it, I thought I was an original...but when I Googled "Jimmy Buffett Syndrome" I came up with about 120 sites with the words "Jimmy Buffett Syndrome" and I used quotes!
Anyway...I am certain that I have it...have had it for about 5 years now, and still have not made the move...at least not permanently. I do however, have the pleasure of being associated with the previously mentioned Orchid Bay development in Belize.

But for now, and until I get to visit San Pedro, I will be following the TacoGirl blog...it appears that she made the leap already and I am very envious...I hope Tacogirl will follow my blog as our project develops...and please...please...keep writing TacoGirl...because, until I get there for at least half of the year, your daily grind and your photos are fantastic!

Trust me when I tell you that my self diagnosis is real...I have not "Shot 6 holes in my freezer" yet...but the temps here hit near zero degrees last night! "I gotta go where it's warm" and apparently TacoGirl is "Already Gone!" (Okay...so that's The Eagles, but hey...you get the idea!)

Until I get there...hit 'em straight!

Calling all entrepreneurs...

Orchid Bay is a rapidly developing development (ha!) in northern Belize. With construction on new homes and casitas underway and the plans for the condominiums in the first quarter, there is a tremendous opportunity staring entrepreneurs in the face.
If you have been planning or dreaming of opening a business in the Caribbean, this is an opportunity you absolutely need to explore!
Imagine owning the spa or gym in this small community, the jewelry store, the local watering hole or beach side restaurant...Orchid Bay is about to come to fruition, so if you are interested drop me a note at buybelize@comcast.net or add a comment here and I will make sure you get the necessary information. You can also get a better picture of the development at buyorchidbay This is an opportunity well worth a good look.
I am going to speak to a buddy of mine who owns a gym here in my home town to recommend it to him, so who knows...the gym/spa/salon opportunity could be spoken for by the time I post next!

I couldn't resist...

The news in yesterday's edition of the San Pedro Daily was actually pretty amusing...at least the way in which it was presented. So, Bruce (the owner of the barge who suffered the losses)...I apologize!

It has been said though, that "one man's loss is another man's gain," so when a barge carrying a "boat-load" of Belikin beer nearly capsized between San Pedro and Caye Caulker on Tuesday night, a lot of his cargo was washed overboard. now this in itself is not pleasant and I feel for the owner as the losses are apparently his to bare.

The amusing part is in how the report was written, expressing how it didn't take long for some of the locals to hear about it...rush out and start salvaging whatever they could get there hands on!

Read the article at San Pedro Daily.

hit 'em straight!

So what is it about Belize?

Belize is a small country in Central America about the size of Massachusettes; only Belize's 168 miles of coastal ocean front is on the Caribbean. It is a small, but warm and friendly country with so much to offer and a very diverse culture.
Commonly referred to as "Mother Nature's Best Kept Secret," Belize has a wonderful coastline, Mayan ruins, jungles and caves to explore. Nestled between Mexico and Guatemala on the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize is typically sheltered from the normal path of most hurricanes.
This blog will be primarily spent discussing Belize's beauty and the adventures it holds along with the opportunities that will present themselves as Belize emerges over the next several years.
One such opportunity is the new development I have the privilege of being associated with; Orchid Bay...but I won't hit you with all that just yet...stay tuned...I hope to hear from some of the people who invested early at Orchid Bay as they will begin to see some of the dreams become reality...real soon!