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[ ] Live on or near the Caribbean Sea, where you can enjoy world-class diving, snorkeling, fishing, beachcombing, and boating year-round.
[ ] Live where English is the official language.
[ ] Stay warm in a subtropical, frost-free climate similar to South Florida’s, ideal for those who wish to garden and enjoy an active outdoors lifestyle.
[ ] Escape pollution, turnpikes, and large cities and return to a simpler way of life.
[ ] Live better on a small to moderate income from investments, Social Security, a pension, or other sources than you can in the United States, Canada, or Western Europe.
[ ] Live where a seaside house still rents for as little as US$250 a month, land (in larger tracts) sells for US$500 or less an acre, a seaview building lot costs US$10,000, and full-time household help costs US$10-15 a day.
[ ] Become a part of a fascinating multicultural society combining ancient Maya, African, Latino, Caribbean, and European influences.
[ ] Live in a stable, democratic country that's a member of the British Commonwealth, with a familiar English common-law tradition.
[ ] Enjoy wide-open spaces in the large parts of the country devoted to national parks and reserves.
[ ] Experience a warm welcome for new residents and retirees (students and vacation homeowners, too), with reasonable residency programs and a retired persons incentive program offering tax-free advantages and easy residency for those age 45 and over who qualify.
[ ] Relax into a friendly, laid-back lifestyle.
[ ] Live in a country where non-citizens can own real estate, including seafront land, with few restrictions.
[ ] Have modern conveniences--such as fiber-optic telecommunications, Internet connections, air-conditioning, and North American-style houses--but without franchised fast-food restaurants, chain stores, or frenetic consumer culture.
[ ] Take advantage of being just two hours by air from gateway cities in the Southern United States.
[ ] You aren't comfortable sharing life with people of every color, background, and heritage. Belize is not for bigots or those who think the world is run by white Anglo-Saxon Protestants.
[ ] You love opera, the theater, bookstores, and art and must be a part of a vibrant cultural scene. Belize is a long, long way from the Upper West Side.
[ ] You're a shop-till-you-drop kind of person. Belize doesn't even have a Wal-Mart.
[ ] You like things done in a certain way: fast, efficiently, and just to your liking. "Belize time" is different.
[ ] You're on the financial edge and looking for a budget place to live--Belize is definitely not the cheapest spot in the world.
[ ] You're a hard-driving entrepreneur looking for a way to make big bucks fast--the good old USA can't be beat for that. As the old saying goes, the easiest way to end up with a small fortune in Belize is to start with a large one.
[ ] You have a serious chronic illness and need state-of-the-art medical care. You can get caring and inexpensive medical services in Belize and neighboring Guatemala and Mexico, but the latest health-care technology and power pills may be not be available.
[ ] You're a political animal who thinks your voice is as important as the next person's. Unless you're willing to become a citizen, your impact on Belizean politics will be slim to none. Politicians will listen politely, then totally ignore what you say. Even as a citizen, you'll probably never be fully plugged into Belizean political life.
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