Truly turn-key investment property at Secret Beach, Belize.

Off-Grid living in the Caribbean at Secret Beach, Belize. 

We originally set out with the mission of offering an investor the most amazing way to own income-producing real estate in Belize. We wanted to offer a truly turn-key rental property that someone investing in Belize would be thrilled to have as an asset in their portfolio. 

What we learned soon after completing construction was that building the property was only the first step To be able to offer the property as a truly turn-key investment for the new owner, was going to take a lot more work. And what we found out actually shocked us when we first heard about it, so I want to share this information with everyone today as we do a walkthrough of the project. 

I want to discuss this for two reasons:

1. if anyone reading this has property in Belize or is thinking of buying property in Belize with the purpose of renting it out short-term, you need to know these things. It could save you a lot of time and money.

2. Reason number two is that I’m going to show everyone why going through this process is so valuable as part of buying property in Belize. Even if you don’t intend to rent your property out; there are still a number of reasons to go through this process. 

Short-Term rental approvals. 

Turn key investing in Belize. As of right now, one of the only ways to have a turn-key rental property here on the island is to purchase a condo unit in an HOA. You’ll likely be able to have it furnished as well as have the option to rent it out in a rental pool with other unit owners in your building or community.

The reason you are able to rent the property out right away is that the HOA will have all the approvals and licenses that are required already in place. This is great, as there are lots of benefits to buying a unit in an HOA. 

But not everyone wants a condo or to be in an HOA – There are some disadvantages (differences): 

• You don’t own your land with a condo.
• HOA dues can be expensive
• Your rental income might not cover costs. 
• Limitations on personal use.
• High competition for rental nights. 
• High management fees/splits. 

Not good or bad one way or the other – just personal preference in many ways. 

But let’s say you have just purchased a single-family property or have just had a home built on your land and you now want to rent it out short-term to maximize revenue (sites like Airbnb, VRBO, etc,). 

Well, unless you already have all your trade licenses and hotel tax license and approval from the BTB already in place – you are looking at around 6 months of processing before you can rent your home short-term. That was the part that shocked us when we found out. You are now going to lose half the year’s income potential while also taking into account the holding and maintenance costs as well as the cost and effort of getting the rental approvals in place. 

So now the process of buying a single-family or residential rental is more difficult than a condo purchase. 

Most new construction single-family homes come vacant & without furniture. For many people; this is added stress and time of finding and purchasing reasonably priced furniture and accessories in a foreign country to furnish the home with.

All the applications for trade licensing and hotel tax licensing need to be submitted for processing. Just completing the applications and making sure they are complete can be time-consuming. Rejection of initial applications is common adding time to the process. 

Once your applications are submitted – Then you need to have all your inspections. First, your building plans will be checked to ensure that you submitted plans to the town council and that the plans were approved for construction, but they also check that you built to the specifications of the plans and adhered to all the setback requirements and building codes. 

There will be several inspections throughout the process: 

• The CBA (central building authority) will inspect to ensure the structure is sound and built properly based on the plans that were approved by the Town Council. 
• The Department of Environmental will inspect the sewer and waste systems to ensure proper construction and placement. 
• The fire department conducts and fire and safety inspection and ensures property egress in case of an emergency, 
• And then you have the BTB inspection for Gold Status Certification. This is required to rent to short-term guests. 

By the time you get through all these inspections, you are facing around 6 months of lost income and thousands of dollars in fees and service charges to get all the licensing in place. 

And so as you can imagine this was a big challenge for someone who wanted to just own a turn key-investment property that they could use or rent out as much as they want on day one. Then imagine finding out that it could take 6-8 months of waiting before you could start to generate income. 

We saw this as a big challenge for anyone who wanted to invest on the island in something other than a condo. 

So we set about to make sure we were providing a truly turn-key investment opportunity that you really can’t find anywhere on the island. We are the only developer offering individually owned real estate that is ready to rent out on day one. All your furniture will be in place. The landscaping will be completed as well as all the administrative inspections are done. At that point, it is truly the only opportunity to own new construction that is rent-ready on day one.  

Imagine owning an income property, that was also a vacation property, that was also an off-grid eco-friendly living experience on the beautiful Caribbean island of Ambergris Caye, Belize? Now you can!

Changing Trends in Travel and Investing

Located in the rapidly growing town of Secret Beach, these types of properties are seeing strong demand from vacationers, digital nomads and remote workers who are interested in an off-grid experience in cool and unique locations. Airbnb recently said that:

“Remote and hybrid work has untethered many people from the need to be in an office every day, driving the biggest change to travel since the advent of commercial flying. For the first time, millions of people can now live anywhere. 

According to Airbnb’s platform data:

• One out of every five gross nights booked in Q3 were for stays of 28 days or longer. 
• Nearly half of the nights booked in Q3 were for stays of at least seven days, up from 44 percent in 2019. 
• In the 12 months through September, more than 100,000 guests booked stays of 90 days or longer.” 

They also went on to say that “more people than ever are also considering living and staying abroad than ever before. The ability to work anywhere has opened this idea as a real possibility for many individuals and even families too.” 

The New Travel Demand

Other research done by Airbnb has shown; 

• 85% of travelers have said they would like to stay in unique accommodations when they travel next. 
• 50% of would-be travelers have claimed to find nature travel more meaningful, and continue to use nature holidays to relax and recharge, compared with urban spaces.
• 53% of GenZ and GenX respondents want to travel to any place close to nature, followed by Millennials at 44%.
• An overwhelming 94% of respondents would look at sustainable travel when they do leave their homes in 2021. 

Secret Beach Homes is delivering a fun, safe, and unique accommodation, which provides the traveler; with an experience that is close to nature as well as environmentally sustainable. 

Green and Environmentally Friendly. 

These homes are 100% off-grid and eco-friendly, while still providing a level of comfort and convenience. Off-Grid doesn’t mean “uncomfortable” The solar system provides enough energy to power lights, fans, an air conditioning system, and appliances. Fast internet is available too! Now you truly can work remotely while experiencing the off-grid Caribbean lifestyle. Think tropical “Glamping” (Glamorous Camping). 

For investors: 

Off-grid homes and casitas (tiny homes/cabins) can not only provide an exciting lifestyle investment, with full and unrestricted use of the property, but they also have the potential for a strong ROI. 

With the growing trends toward unique, nature-based, environmentally friendly travel experiences, interest in this type of property is only going up.

As an investment property, demand is extremely strong for this asset class. 

Secret Beach Homes combines the best of these trends with an extremely affordable price point and high ROI opportunity. Appreciation in the region is also strong with much of the land prices seeing consistent double-digit growth. 

The homes are 100% turn-key, with affordable entry points. The off-grid homes and casitas concept at Secret Beach, Belize is the perfect product for today’s travelers and off-shore lifestyle investors. 

Property Features. 

Our Casita homes are available in studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3 bedroom/ 2 bath options as well. All units offer a full bath with hot water showers, a kitchenette, air conditioning, ceiling fans, exterior motion lights, and an outdoor deck. Wired for the Internet too!

Features & Systems: 

• Solar power grid system. 240V system of 8 kWh. (The average U.S. Home uses 6-7KWH.)
• 20 solar panels. Lithium Ion Batteries with a 3-year warranty.
• Air-conditioning 
• Ceiling Fans
• LED lights 
• Rain-water catchment system. 
• Propane hot water
• Exterior security motion lights 
• Underground septic system
• Fully insulated walls and ceilings
• Hardwood floors.

The systems were designed to be capable of sustaining multiple guests at the same time. That way you can maximize your occupancy and not worry about not having adequate power. 

The Secret Beach area is expanding quickly with more homes going in daily and visitor count skyrocketing due to the allure of the warm crystal-clear waters of the beachfront with its fun and cool beachside resorts, bars, and restaurants. 

The six-senses resort group is also moving into Secret Beach, as well as other commercial operators who are continuing to bring more employment and services to the area. 

Our Mission: 

Secret Beach Homes and Top Point Development are offering the most amazing way to own income-producing real estate in Belize. A truly turn-key rental property that someone investing in Belize would be thrilled to have as an asset in their portfolio. 

Turn Key. 

• Furnished. Everything you need to be approved for renting out the property.
• Rental Approval: Trade & Hotel tax license. BTB Gold Star Standard. CBA inspections.
• Avoid lost income & time. 
• Enjoy convenience 

Warranties: 

• 3-year guarantee on the solar system and lithium-ion batteries. 
• Guaranteed approvals on CBA inspections; We make sure you pass all inspections.
  • CBA. Plans approved? Built to spec. 
  • Environmental
  • Fire inspect. Safety and hazard.
• 12-month warranty on general construction. 

Interested in learning more? Contact us here.