Belize Teak Plantation

[Henry Clark]

Actually started this venture about 3 years ago.  I might get some activities out of time sequence.  Sit back and grab some popcorn.

I will chop this up into smaller segments, so each one isn't too long of a read and has a central theme.

Both Retiring and doing Self Storage, we hit the mark where we both had the funding and the time to invest overseas.  My wife has never had a specific place in mind, so got to do my choice.  Have always been interested in Aust, NZ, Brazil, India and Belize.  Have travelled to South Korea, Mexico, France, Canada, Maui and Italy. 

Decided on Belize.  Currency pegged $2BZD to $1USD (low inflation issues), Official language is English since it was a British Commonwealth, Property rights and laws are basically the same as the US since English based, 2nd/3rd world thus still Rough which I like (has flavor), 2 hour flight from Houston/Dallas connections, land is relatively inexpensive. These all play into the "type" of investment we wanted to do.

We are in Iowa where December thru March can be cold and windy.  Belize dry season (less humidity) is January thru May.  Great overlap.

Labor for a great skilled worker is about BZD $30 to $50 per day or USD $15 to $25.  Laborer is around USD $25 per day.  This is good pay for them.  Glad to have the work.  They also have an illegal migrant issue.  You could get workers for USD $3 per day to cut brush.

Local produce is relatively cheap.  Rock crab for USD $3 per pound.  Red Snapper, grouper, barracuda for USD $4 per pound.  Anything imported is really expensive.  Gas $10 per gallon.  Can of Spam might be $8.  Yep a Can of Spam can cost more than Rock Crab or Red Snapper.  I actually like Spam though.

Health care is both very inexpensive and for higher end issues, non-existent.  Most US prescription drugs can be bought over the counter from the Pharmacist.  Broken leg $50.  Cancer/heart need to fly home.

Over the course of this post will cover the following Real Estate angles.  Teak, buying property, building house, few buyers, real estate "fronts", preppers, as an Expat "you" will move back at some point, and "Yes" sometimes means "I don't know".

Below is Ramon, checking on Teak trees.  These are 11 months since transplanted, from about 10 inches tall.

[Jerry V.]

Henry, I don't usually read through a lengthy story but, glad I did! lol

Guess the past pics are too old and they don't show but, thanks for posting progress of it all. Most of us don't think to "diversify" in other fields or arenas, much less in a foreign country!  Belize is known for it's Banking and Offshore capabilities but, like most places that are "$ havens" the regular population is usually very poor. (not bad people or culture, the wealth just isn't shared is all)

Looking forward to the continued progression!

[Henry Clark]

Quote from @Jerry V.:

Henry, I don't usually read through a lengthy story but, glad I did! lol

Guess the past pics are too old and they don't show but, thanks for posting progress of it all. Most of us don't think to "diversify" in other fields or arenas, much less in a foreign country!  Belize is known for it's Banking and Offshore capabilities but, like most places that are "$ havens" the regular population is usually very poor. (not bad people or culture, the wealth just isn't shared is all)

Looking forward to the continued progression!

lots of fun. Solar eclipse was near to see down there. 

[Henry Clark]

Went down first week in February.  Caretakers house moving along.  Putting roof on.  Will be an open air rooftop.  
House ended up being 1,800 sq ft.  Wonder if this scheme would look great at a lake front or along a river.  Going down first week in March.  Pick out tiles, order windows, pick out granite for kitchen and tables.  Put a sidewalk.  Also a covered porch on the front.  Guys get a bonus when they are done so we are moving along.  

Sandy our managers wife made a cake so we could celebrate valentines while there.  
.     
Can’t wait to see another sunset down there. 

[Henry Clark]

Managers roof got finished.  They can't wait to hang the hammocks.  More breeze and no bugs up there.

Think they are trying to decide what is for lunch.  Jayden still is growing, snake is 6 foot.

Next week is electrical, painting inside/outside, pour sidewalk and porch.  For the inside paint we add a Mold preventer to the paint.  Easy way to just be done with any mold issues on the walls.

Our managers brother used to put up metal roofs and buildings.  Paid him separate $4,000 USD.  Had quotes for $20,000 not including materials. 

Most materials in Belize cost the same or higher due to import tariffs.  The cinderblocks are made there, so they are inexpensive. All of the metal for the metal roof, is imported as coils for the roof and flat metal for the beams/rafters and purloins.  They then use their roll formers to form and cut the roof sheet steel and to also form the beams, rafters and purloins.  This way they are importing lower cost material and paying lower tariffs.  Plus, since they can cut and paint to size, shipping costs is less, and they stock way less material on hand.

Imported treated pine lumber is astronomical since their pines trees were wiped out by the pine beetle and they also don't have a coating/impregnation process for the raw timber. For termites, has to be treated lumber. Metal is competitive with lumber construction cost.

[Henry Clark]

Moving along.  Laying floor tile.  Just have two small rooms to finish, grout and cut tile pieces for edges.  

Minimum wage is $2.50 USD.  We pay ours $3.50 USD.  Tile cost is about the same as the US.  

[Henry Clark]

Exterior doors installed. Put temporary lock.  Will install two locks per door. Both deadbolt.  These are both mahogany wood. $3.50 USD per board foot.  Local product is cheap since no import tariff.  

Now that we have tile in kitchen and bathroom.  The furniture guys will build and install mahogany counters and cabinets.  

[Henry Clark]

Built porch floor, wheelchair ramp for the future maybe.   Will cover porch later during the rainy season.  We are in the dry season and doing a lot of tree trimming and thinning while it is dry.  

[Henry Clark]

Windows should be installed this week. About $5,000 usd for 1600 sq ft house.  12 large windows installed.  Double panes.  Metal frames. 

Handrails for balcony waiting on quotes.  

[Henry Clark]

It’s fun in a new country learning the way things are, the food and plants and especially the artistry.  

Bought this butterfly coffee table and had a second one made.  I saw this originally at a hardware store. Asked them about it.  Said it was for sale but didn’t have any contact information for them.  Took me a year to find who it was.  They repolished this one and made another matching one. $250 usd each. Fun running into something I would have never thought of.  In the lookout for paintings, slate carvings, furniture, etc with local tint to them for our house there. 

[Scott Mac]

Quote from @Henry Clark:

Managers roof got finished.  They can't wait to hang the hammocks.  More breeze and no bugs up there.

Think they are trying to decide what is for lunch.  Jayden still is growing, snake is 6 foot.

Next week is electrical, painting inside/outside, pour sidewalk and porch.  For the inside paint we add a Mold preventer to the paint.  Easy way to just be done with any mold issues on the walls.

Our managers brother used to put up metal roofs and buildings.  Paid him separate $4,000 USD.  Had quotes for $20,000 not including materials. 

Most materials in Belize cost the same or higher due to import tariffs.  The cinderblocks are made there, so they are inexpensive. All of the metal for the metal roof, is imported as coils for the roof and flat metal for the beams/rafters and purloins.  They then use their roll formers to form and cut the roof sheet steel and to also form the beams, rafters and purloins.  This way they are importing lower cost material and paying lower tariffs.  Plus, since they can cut and paint to size, shipping costs is less, and they stock way less material on hand.

Imported treated pine lumber is astronomical since their pines trees were wiped out by the pine beetle and they also don't have a coating/impregnation process for the raw timber. For termites, has to be treated lumber. Metal is competitive with lumber construction cost.

 When it rains or hails a metal roof that's is open to the living area is extremely loud. Sounds like a million loud bangs.

You might want to think about having it mounted over plywood with something between the plywood and the metal to cut the noise.

I have not looked into it how to accomplish that, but you might want to.

Our family had a summer home that had an open metal roof over part of the patio, and when it rained everyone was uncomfortable with the noise level.

It has since been replaced with a regular shingled roof because of the noise.

[Henry Clark]

Thanks for suggestion.  Our house down there is the same way, with a metal roof, open air, then a concrete floor or roof above our 2nd floor living quarters.  It is very quiet from the outside even in the middle of a storm.  Think it is the concrete walls top, sides and bottom.  Deadens the sound.  We had a hurricane come through a year ago and our caretakers stayed in our house.  They said it was very quiet inside with 40 to 60 mph winds.  

The down sides to an all concrete house is temperature retention good or bad.  Luckily we have big trees around us, so the sun is not on our house all day.  When we first get down there it takes about a day for the air conditioner to cool the inside down.  Once the concrete absorbs the cooler temperature, it stays very comfortable.  Would really have to think about a full concrete house, if we didn't have large trees, balcony or porches to shade the house.

[Tyler Y.]

Fascinating! Lots of "wild west" (pirates of the Caribbean?) to this post. You are very brave for doing this, but it sounds like a rewarding adventure! And you seem to have learned a lot. Thanks for sharing with all of us.