No Guts No Glory

By: Tim Callanan

No guts no glory,

It's been about 20 years since I moved to the Caribbean( St. Croix) and it seems like yesterday that my stomach was rumbling, with doubt, and fear of the unknown. Being young, the move was a huge leap for me, I did not have much of a safety net at the time. Five hundred bucks in my pocket and the determination to succeed was my only option.

I had only been on the island for 3 days when I found solid employment, soon after I found my ideal job.

After working on the island for two weeks, a friend asked me to look after their Estate. Hmmm let me think about it……YES.

Now lets recalculate

Great job, Swanky Pad, life was good. The owners came down once a year, on average, so the place was pretty much mine. Then I meet Texas Tina and that was THE absolute thrill of my life. We explored all the different islands, surf shacks, enjoyed Carnival, sail boat regatta’s and sailed around the West Indies. My dreams had come true.

One day I was lying by the pool reflecting, trying to figure out how this all happened. Was this luck, a fluke, or a well-deserved success?

Risk vs Reward

My relocation to the Virgin Islands was a calculated decision and paid very handsomely.

The “Pay off” was the lifestyle, not as much the money. People spend so much time chasing money, instead of their dreams. Really it is simple if you like what your doing and take pride in what you do, you will find a audience that appreciates your work ( = $).

Investing 101,

Does Belize make sense financially; is this something you may also enjoy?

My attempt is to share a few basics and hopefully help you make the best educated decision for your investment portfolio or lifestyle . Follow along and see if this makes a little sense.

Definition

Trend; is something that somehow becomes popular within mainstream society over a long period of time. Example Motorola –technology, waterfront-Real estate,

Trends are showing that some retirees are even venturing so far as to the Philippines and Thailand.

Fad: is something that is very popular with a small group of people for a short period of time. Example: Atari, Rubik’s cube, parachute pants

The savvy investor is always looking for a trend to cash in on. Below is a check list to see if it is a trend or fad.

report on Belize 1.A trend has a solid foundation that supports growth; fads don’t.- STANDARD & POOR’SSTABLE April 06,09(current) Future looks good http://www.alacrastore.com/storecontent/spcred/714204

2. How Accessible to the public.- 2 hour flight from the states http://www.expedia.com/

3.Ease of adoption, appeal - English speaking, Friendly http://belizeretirement.org/

4. Price - One of the Best buys in the Caribbean based on the U.S. Dollar

5. Is the product broadly based - Caribbean is broad based

Belize meets all 5 on the list.

Now if that makes sense and you would like to look a little closer come down, check things out and see if you like it. You will know once you visit. The prices to fly these days are way down. Remember "No Guts, No Glory", you can't call yourself a investor if you’re afraid to pull the trigger. Do your homework, come down on a vacation /scouting mission and see how it goes. At the worst you will meet the most friendly people and experience the best fishing and diving in the world and possibly have a great vacation.

This trend has been going on for over 20 years strong, driven by lifestyle changes and technology. There are more people moving out of the U.S., Canada and Europe than ever before. You must have read about people moving to the Caribbean, maybe you have seen house hunters international. Regardless, you are watching a trend getting more popular and showing no signs of slowing down.

Belize has a great retirement program allowing you to bring all your personal effects, boat, aircraft and an automobile all Duty Free http://belizeretirement.org

Belize is the land of asset protection; International business companies are created in a matter of hours. Much like the B.V.I.'s. You can get incorporated that same day. People really take advantage of the international Banking by protecting their assets from law suits . No Capitol Gains Tax, No Inheritance Tax, Property taxes are a fraction of what they are in the U.S. and Canada.

Have you ever dreamed of living in the tropics? What's stopping you? Is it fear, money, your job, ...? It's not for everyone. How would you know it's not for you, if you haven't tried it. Living in the Caribbean is more convenient these days,and the services are endless.