the logo goes here

Leaving “home” for Belize!

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve blogged on Ocean Home from Belize. This blog is directed to all the Americans that are more than just a little afraid of what’s happening to the financial security that they felt was their patriotic right.

Having been born in the heartland of America in the early 50s, raised in a God loving small farm family, and spending 50 years of my life living in different parts of a wonderful country, I can speak only for myself.

Having watched the employment and financial security of my own personal life dwindle through the years in America, it is refreshing to come to a country where individuality and self-preservation is not only revered but rewarded. Refreshing to know that I can take on a business of my choosing in a country where entrepreneurship is rewarded by fair taxes and less Government reigns. Where the local people relish in working a job to receive what is considered fair pay for work done, and are loyal to their employer because he is loyal to them. These are the days of my childhood, my remembrance of being happy working a job, being happy to bring home a paycheck that at least covered my expenses, and lastly; the happiness of knowing that I can save money for retirement THAT I CAN KEEP! THIS IS BELIZE!

As a young boy I got interested in amateur radio. I used to love receiving QSL (contact confirmation) cards from stations I had talked to all over the world, especially the ones with palm tree lined beach scenes from the Caribbean. My desire to travel started then but unfortunately my financial situation and desire to start an early family kept me away from those dreams and I started full time work right after Graduation from college in 1971. Through the years I worked for many large organizations from John Deere Tractor to American Airlines to Charles Schwab & Co. Each move saw a lessening concern by upper management for the lesser employee, me!

I long desired to be self sufficient like my father was in the 50s. To be responsible for my own family in a direct way. Being a semi-pro musician on the side I also didn’t want to go back to the 4:00 am to 8:00 pm days of the family farm. Starting a small part-time business was easy early on, but as I grew older and learned the “responsibilities” that Government controls put on free enterprise I realized how un-empowered I really was.

When I broke free of the instilled feelings of having to remain in my birth country I started to realize that there just might be a better life and opportunities elsewhere. Belize offers and encourages not only Americans and Canadians but all races the opportunity to invest and become self-sufficient. Being an English speaking, self-governed democratic society based on the same Civil laws that founded America, Belize offers the best alternative to those that want to break free.

Belize has been home for my wife and I for the past 5 years and now will be the home of our 38 year old son and his new British girlfriend. He has spent the last 6 years in and out of Iraq and is looking forward to a quieter lifestyle and assisting us in our business ventures and hopefully starting some of his own. Belize has the weather, the relaxation OR adventure that you desire, the friendliest people in Central America/Western Caribbean, safety, and security that you can actually call HOME!

Retirement in Belize is very easy. If you are at least 45 years old, not a known criminal, and have a retirement pension or can deposit the equivalent of $2000 per month in a Belize bank, you can retire in Belize. You don’t have to live here full time if you still want to make trips back to your “previous” home, but you can if you so desire. Once granted QRP (Qualified Retirement Program) status you can bring in a vehicle (car, boat, airplane) and a container full of your personal goods under the program, Duty Free.

You own your own property FREE TITLE. Unlike other countries where title has to be held by a company or you can’t hold title AT ALL, you can hold title personally, through a Belize company, or through a foreign IBC and property taxes are EXTREMELY low.

You can own your own company. As a QRP you aren’t supposed to work in Belize. But as a QRP you can own a company and hire locals to work for you, as a matter of fact that is encouraged. As a Resident of Belize, which can take just a little more than a year, you can work for anyone.  You can also work under a Belize Work Permit which is renewed yearly.

One of the projects we are considering is setting up a self-sustained development. Totally off the grid. Each owner will have not only a plot of land for a house, but a plot of land for a garden to be almost totally self sufficient. It has been said that owning a farm today is like owning a gold mine 50 years ago. To be able to be self-sufficient will be the wealth of the future!

All in all, we are very happy in Belize and encourage anyone to contact us at our email address or call our Houston number, direct to Belize, 713-893-8023. We will be more than happy to talk about Belize and why you should think about calling this English speaking, Caribbean / Central American country HOME!

Bye for now, Living the Dream in Paradise!

OceanHome is Looking For The Top Oceanfront Homes!

Estate of the Week: Thailand

Located on the West Coast headland of Phuket Island this estate looks over Bangtao and Layan beach. The landis set on 6,464 square meters featuring 1,041 square meters of covered living space and 1,350 square meters of open deck and terrace. But outdoor features can be seen throughout the whole property as the interior was designed to have tropical characteristics. The home was also designed so that every room and spot on the terrace has a view of the ocean.

The home features four bedrooms, five bathrooms, five-plus car garage, numerous gardens and staff quarters.

The home is on the market for $16,294,022 and the listing can be seen here

Estate of the Week: Nantucket, MA

Listed by Sotheby’s Realty as “Nantucket at it’s finest” this house can also be classified as ocean living at its finest. The details in this house, from the blue carpets with white stars to a Moby Dick masterpiece made out of wood, makes this single family home as nautical as one can get, while maintaining class.

This home features 7 bedrooms, 9 full bathrooms and 3 half bathrooms. Each room is decorated in perfect pastels that compliment each other and brings the sea indoors. Blues, yellow, reds and whites give the whole home a true American feel, yet manages to keep the relaxed environment of ocean living.

There is also an exercise room/in home fitness center, media room/home theater, wine cellar and grotto. The main house and guest cottage are separated by lawn, pool, and outdoor entertaining area with fireplace, and connected sotto terra by an underground passageway. There are also private stairs to the beach.

The house is on the market for $23.75 million and the full listing can be viewed here

Celine Dion’s Jupiter Home Features Private Water Park

What makes a property in Jupiter, FL worth $20 million? Being located directly on the ocean is reason, maybe having a property that is over 19,000-square feet is another. But for Celine Dion, even though her estate has both of these features, it is her private water park that raises the bar.

The Ultimate Luxury Community recently posted that the mansion that Celine and her husband, Rene Angelil plan to move into is almost ready. The home features a tennis court, tropical-themed architecture, six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a guest house, 2,800 square-foot cabana and of course a water park.

Ultimate Luxury Community sure wasn’t kidding when they made their tag line: “Can you stand that much luxury?”

Estate of the Week: Palm Beach, FL

Sothebey’s International Realty just posted this new  intracoastal single family home located in Palm Beach, Florida. The classic Italian-styled estate features its own private dock created by Euro Homes builder. It has 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, one half bath, a library, 3 fireplaces, infinity swimming pool with waterfalls, a guest house pavilion, a commercial size elevator and 3 car garage.

The estate is selling for $15,900,000

You can find the listing here

Nandana Brings New Meaning to Luxury

Tucked away on a secluded, pristine promontory, Nandana brings a whole new level of luxury living to Grand Bahama Island by Lindsay Lambert

At first sight from a few thousand feet up in the air, it’s hard to believe that a Bahamian beach waits below at Nandana. The resort, which comprises a cluster of pavilions built from teak and copper, looks more like a place plucked from the beaches of Bali or Thailand. But make no mistake: the resort’s surrounding white-sand beaches and crystalline waters, rife with native fish and flora, are distinctly Bahamian, as is the hospitality guests enjoy once they arrive here.

Opened in 2009, Nandana occupies a serene stretch of oceanfront within a private gated community on the quiet West End of Grand Bahama Island. The resort accommodates up to 12 guests in three types of accommodations: Bangala, or Bungalow, Suites; master Pavilion Suites; and a tented Canopy Suite. The Bangala and Pavilion suites cluster around a large main pavilion and 120-foot infinity-edge pool. Large bathrooms with soaring ceilings are complete with indoor and outdoor showers (Pavilion Suites also have Jacuzzi tubs), and generously sized closets provide ample storage space for a vacation’s worth of wardrobe.

Making the most of its beachfront setting and offering guests what arguably is the best ocean view around, one of Nandana’s two master suites features floor-to-ceiling glass walls on two sides that retract fully, dissolving any type of barrier between inside and out. Across the length of the infinity-edge pool, another Pavilion Suite has a patio that has its own private plunge pool.

For what some might consider an even more romantic stay, guests can choose Nandana’s 2,000-square-foot tented Canopy Suite. The suite is outfitted with the same furnishings and amenities found in the guest pavilions, but its safari-like ambience offers an altogether different exotic experience.

Although the architecture and ambience alone are worth a visit to Nandana—the property is a veritable treasure trove of Asian antiques and artifacts—what stands out most are the amenities and extras that come with it, starting with a private staff. Nandana, an exclusive-rental resort, employs a complete, full-time staff, who are at guests’ beck and call most hours of the day. For us, that meant a steady supply of sophisticated snacks and homemade cocktails by the pool, as well as instant tips when it came time to explore the island.

Another amenity not to miss amenity is Nandana’s 50-foot deep-sea-fishing yacht. We spent a sun-drenched morning aboard the boat under the expert tutelage of Nandana’s own boat captain, who helped us reel barracuda and other native fish aboard. Upon exceeding our quota of freshly caught fish, we set out for a nearby deserted island, where we were greeted by Nandana staff and treated to a picnic on the beach. Here, like true pioneers, guests can snorkel and explore the uninhabited island, or simply laze in tepid, shallow surf—cocktails in hand, if they please. While visitors to the island can easily spot colorful starfish in its waters, it’s also a hotbed for harvesting conch; the mountains of discarded conch shells on its shores make for great photo ops.

Back on Grand Bahama, there are plenty of options for guests who prefer to explore on land, as well. Visitors can take the resort’s bicycles for a spin, or traverse more rugged terrain on a pair of ATVs. For more involved exploring, however, the best option is a drive in Nandana’s SUV. Nandana’s soft-spoken house manager, Vinay, played tour guide to our group for a day that included stops at various points around the island. Although guests can sample Grand Bahama’s more commercial offerings in touristy Port Lucaya, our favorite stop was the less-trafficked Port Lucayan National Park. One of three national parks on the island, and purportedly the most popular, Lucayan national Park is also the only place on Grand Bahama where visitors can see all six of the island’s ecosystems in the same location. There, on a self-guided tour, we wound our way along a system of pathways, stopping along the way to spot mangroves, orchids, and other rare species. The highlight of our visit, however, was emerging from the park’s tree-shaded trails onto the vast and silent Gold Rock Beach. The beach is a truly beautiful sight to behold, particularly during low tide, when a bare and rippled sea floor is in full view.

Such adventures are sure to ignite an appetite. At Bishop’s Restaurant & Lounge on the island’s East End, patrons can sidle up to a sleepy beachfront bar for local beer and fried conch and fish dishes, not to mention conversation with friendly locals. But it’s back at Nandana where cuisine is at its best, thanks to its duo of chefs, who present carefully crafted menus using fresh, local ingredients. During our stay, we feasted on ceviches, tartars, and entrees made with lobster and the fish we caught earlier.

Upon departing from Nandana, after several days spent savoring the best of what Grand Bahama has to offer, the only thing we saw when looking back was paradise.  $4,700-$12,500/night, nandanaresort.com.

Hingham, MA

Built in 2001, this Hingham home is the total package, with more than 10,000 square feet of living space. The waterfront property is custom designed to provide views of the Boston skyline and Hingham Harbor from its South Shore setting. The 18-room Colonial-style home has five bedrooms, six full baths and two half baths, a four-car heated garage, and a custom-built gourmet kitchen with a 20-foot island. Brazilian blue king marble countertops and manicured landscape are just a couple of the home’s appealing amenities. Want to entertain outside? With an illuminated 185-foot water dock and an infinity-edge pool surrounded by a bluestone patio and spa, your guests might just want to overstay their welcome. —Brooke Neuman

The Details: $7,400,000, Joanna Conway, William Raveis, 781-749-3007, raveis.com.

Waterfront Property – Exuma, Bahamas

Exuma, Bahamas

An Oceanfront Property
The beautiful feature of this house is the large sweeping deck with its 360 degree panoramic views and access down to the sandy white beach, the crystal clear waters, and the landscaped tropical gardens.

The layout is ideal for large families and entertaining.
150 ft. of rocky/beach ocean frontage, this home has 3,156 square feet of living space, 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and oversized 2 car garage, a 1 bedroom/1 bathroom studio apartment, central air conditioning, living room with ocean views, floor to ceiling windows, open floor plan, and a modern kitchen.  This turnkey Out Island paradise was updated in 2009.

Located approximately 2 miles from the International airport and 6 miles from Georgetown.
Offered At: $1,450,000 USd

For additional information or questions please contact Charles Blickle at 954.205.4383 or cblickle1@comcast.net

Pre-construction oceanfront condominiums released at 1200 Hillsboro Mile

oceanhome

The developer of 1200 Hillsboro Mile, the new ocean-to-Intracoastal condominium residences along the prestigious “Mile” in Hillsboro Beach, Fla., announces the release of 18 residences within a planned oceanfront building. The 11-unit building bordering the Intracoastal Waterway is already completed and partially sold and occupied.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of pre-construction pricing directly on the ocean, especially because these condominiums provide exceptional value and there is no other new condominium construction taking place in this area, which is central to Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton,” said David DePaolo, executive vice president with West Seneca N.Y.-based Marrano/Marc Equity Corporation.

Nita Summers, associate broker at Keyes Company Realtors at Mizner Park in Boca Raton, the exclusive sales agent for 1200 Hillsboro Mile, concurs. “Our buyers recognize that they will never see prices like this again for prime waterfront property. In addition, the developer has secured access to financing for qualified buyers who want it.”

The newly released oceanfront residences are offered at pre-construction price points from $1,295,000 to $1,995,000.  The five remaining residences within the Intracoastal building are available for immediate occupancy, starting from $650,000 upward to $1,149,900.

Two floor plan options are offered at 1200 Hillsboro Mile, each with three bedrooms, two and one-half baths, more than 2,000 total square feet and large, covered terraces.

1200 Hillsboro Mile has completed amenities that include an Intracoastal dock for overnight visitors’ boats; a pool, pool house and spa; a designer-furnished lobby; a club/media room with an outdoor entertainment deck; a fitness center; and private, deeded beach access.

Summers pointed out that monthly homeowners fees are very reasonable compared to fees charge in larger, full-service buildings. “This, too, is a draw for many of our buyers because they don’t want to be strapped with exorbitant fees, particularly if 1200 Hillsboro Mile is used as their vacation residence,” she explained.

She was quick to point out that some buyers are living at 1200 Hillsboro Mile year round, while others are “snowflakes” who visit frequently, as well as investors who anticipate long-term financial gains from their purchases.

1200 Hillsboro Mile is situated in the town of Hillsboro Beach, a small peninsula just over three miles long. Though it has a quaint village residential feel, it is convenient to world-class restaurants, shopping and entertainment.  In 30 minutes or less, residents can be at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, Port Everglades, or the Boca RatonTown Center mall.

For more information, call (954) 418-8033, or visit www.1200hillsboromile.com.

3095 South Highway A1A Apt A, Melbourne Beach

3095-2This is a spectacular property, located on the ocean in highly sought after Melbourne Beach. First floor tiled foyer leads to office, bedroom or media room, great for mother-in-law suite. Step up to the sunny living area with an expansive porch, overlooking your own private spot on the beach. The stunning master bedroom has its own private balcony and large bathroom with garden tub. Once you make the turn into your brick paved drive, you are in your own private oasis.

Contact Patricia Corcoran:

411 Ocean Avenue
Melbourne Beach, FL 32951
Phone: (321) 704-3843
pcorcoran@mac.com
www.2brevard.com

1025 Easter Lilly Lane #4, Vero Beach

ea_1025easterlillyln4_1OCEAN PARK PENTHOUSE! In-town living within walking distance of boutiques & restaurants.  LR w/ fireplace, media room, climatized wine rm, “ocean room”, covered lanai, rotunda dining rm, gallery, oceanfront rotunda master suite w/ vaulted beamed ceiling, 3 guest suites. 2nd fl interior balcony overlooking 1st fl gallery. Priv. elevator entry. 2007 taxes on entire parcel-preconstruction.

Contact Matilde G. Sorensen Dale:
Sorensen Real Estate
3206 Cardinal Drive
Vero Beach, FL 32963
Phone: 772-532-0010
Website: sorensenrealestate.com

Digital Flipbook

Ocean Front Property Search

Minimum Bed/Bath
Price Range

Watch our video

Get connected

Advertisment