"Timing is everything when it comes to purchasing real estate and now is an excellent time to choose real estate in Belize." Platinum International Real Estate and Investments looks forward to welcoming you to Belize and showing you the real estate opportunities available to you. The team behind Platinum International Real Estate and Investments has over 20 years of experience in international real estate and the network and connections to give you an insider's view and bring you the region's best lifestyle and real estate opportunities.

 The other day we headed out Barton Creek to my friends property to check it out.  At first I was a little curious as to why my friend Mike bought a property a few miles away from town; but as we drove there I found out why.  Driving towards Barton Creek all the way to his property was a site you must see. At every turn you could see peeking hills fill with a diverse blanket of colors of green on all the hills and valleys of the golden oranges orchard in Cool Shade. Cool Shade is a Mennonite community of farmers who work and live there. Further in, Mennonite family community was more visual. You could see the men farming, women working and some children helping others playing. All of them were wearing their traditional clothes and was unique to see that they are still Mennonites that keep their traditions and culture alive.

-Market 'Feel'  ­PMA

Things here are pretty optimistic and no doubt that a "PMA",  Positive Mental Attitude, is a very important factor. The world economy and the political situation dampened the enthusiasm that was prevalent here for the past decade, but overall most people here are pretty upbeat. It is pretty hard not to be actually. The sand is still white, water is still aqua blue, the weather is warm and sunny, the people are still as friendly as ever and economically the island will do well this coming year. The losses that were experienced due to the economic and political situation this year will fade. You only need to look at the expansion of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship
dock and the opening, on November 20th this year, of the new Carnival Cruise Line port to see how life can spring right back to normal.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico has become one of the most popular tourist resort destinations in the world. Because Vallarta is located along the Mexican Riviera on the Pacific Ocean, a substantial portion of these tourists arrive by boat; the majority in large cruise ships, however many come in their private yachts.

There are so many exciting places to visit in the world. Many are better to visit than to live but that depends on your critera for a retirement or 2nd home location.

Roatan? Where is that?

Do you remember the 1927 novel, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", which was about a couple of down-and-out Americans that joined up with a crusty old timer to prospect for gold in Mexico? It was later adapted into a film by John Huston in 1948, who returned to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 1964 to film "Night of the Iguana".

Quaint, as defined by Webster and others, means unusual or old fashioned in a pleasing way, with a charming old fashioned quality, or oddly picturesque.

Los Cabos Real Estate: Safety First

Carol S. Billups