at La Playa de Cerros Maya
Testimonials
Beauty, Peacefulness, and Your Own Slice of Paradise
I had looked at several places in Belize to make our new home. There was just something very special about Cerros Sands when Mark took us out there. First there was Mark. I have spent a lot of time on Los Angeles radio and you get to evaluate people pretty quick when you get them on the air. Mark impressed me with his knowledge and vision. Then there was the property which is ideal and perfect in so many ways. You really have to see it to appreciate the beauty and peacefulness of the future community that is already making their way there today.
If you seek beauty and the ability to create your own slice of paradise you only have to explore Cerros Sands to discover what your looking for.
— Dusty Roads, Los Angeles CA
I Love the Sun
My name is Sara and I love the sun! I live in Wisconsin, where if you don’t know, has three months where you don’t have to wear a jacket, if you’re lucky! Therefore, when I go on vacation I want sun and heat, guaranteed!!! I have been very frustrated by vacationing in the continental U.S. and having to wear a sweatshirt. For example, one January I went to Key West and was never able to take off my jacket! Therefore, I started vacationing in Mexico as I knew I would always have heat and sun! I have gone to Mexico several times, and have also been to Jamaica. Tulum was my last destination in Mexico where I continued to be awed by the beauty of paradise beach. It was during that visit that I learned of the new airport to be built there by 2013. Somehow it won’t be the same lying on paradise beach with planes taking off and landing nearby. Then I learned about Cerros Sands and Belize through my brother who is a Cerros Sands owner. I have now purchased the lot behind and adjacent to my brother!!! Why? First of all the geography is ideal. I don’t just mean the guarantee of sun most of the year, but more importantly the Cerros Peninsula and Corozal Bay which offer protection from hurricanes and tropical storms. A stable government, English speaking citizens, and the largest natural barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere’s are also huge plusses. Belize is sparsely populated and very conscious about maintain their rainforest which takes up almost half of its land. Belize is a short flight from Wisconsin and also in the same time zone. The amount I paid for my lot in Cerros Sands is the same amount that the lot next to my parents in Wisconsin is selling for! Can you imagine paying the same amount of money for 9 months of winter versus virtually year round paradise!! Finally, my brother has known Mark Leonard for years and trusts him unconditionally. I feel like I got the deal of my life time for my lot and can’t wait to build!
— Sarah Trampf
Hates European Winters
Some time ago I got the question from Ted, a dear American friend: When you choose a spot for your winter retirement home why did you pick Belize and why Cerros Sands ? I will copy you to my answer.
I hate European winters and the lack of light and sun in the dark & cold winter season. For years I have been looking for places in the sun. This search has lead me to the south of Europe (Italy) to Africa both north (Tunisia & Morocco) & south (Cape town). Italy can be pretty dark & gloomy in winter and the idea of settling in beautiful and attractive Africa was abandoned for reasons of (lack of) safety & political stability. For a time I have envisaged retiring to Australia or Nea Zealand, but there the visa requirements are "extra ordinary". Even the Bahamas were on the radar for some time, but you need a bigger wallet than mine to buy sea front property there.
Two or three years ago I got a subscription to International Living and my attention got drawn to Belize. Belize is English speaking which is a big advantage as it is one of the three languages I speak & write. And I do not care for learning yet another language, retirement should be fun and to too much of hard work. Also when I retire and invest I can live with some level of exotics, but I do appreciate a good night sleep and do not want to push the envelope too far. Belize as a former British colony has a law and political system that may be strange to continental Europeans but at least it is not totally exotic. Big advantage also is that seafront land in Belize is relatively inexpensive compared to other places in the Caribbean. It is even very inexpensive compared to owning a property on the Belgian cost : for the price of a crappy small seafront apartment on the Belgian coast you can build a nice seafront residence in Belize. Why live as a pauper when you can live as a king?
In March 2010 I booked a flight to Belize (not very evident coming from Europe and I do hope that international travel to Belize will improve a lot in the next couple of years). During this trip I visited Corozal (& Chetumal), Belize City, San Ignacio & Placencia. I did not go to Ambergris but researched it (relatively expensive and very touristy) the alternative for Ambergris was Cay Caulker which I visited in July 2010 (somewhat less expensive, very laidback but small). Ambergris and Cay Caulker were not considered by me as I do not want to be on an reef island when a hurricane hits.
I did like very beautiful Placencia a lot, but it is relatively expensive and very far away from everything.
Corozal is a very nice small town, but to me as a future winter resident of Belize the real attraction of Corozal is its closeness to Chetumal in Mexico, which is literally a stone throw away. Chetumal has about 400.000 inhabitants with all the shopping malls, hospitals an international airport and other amenities of a big city. A second point of attraction is the geography of Corozal/Chetumal bay. If you look at the map you'll see there is some protection from the hurricanes as these will first hit Ambergris and loose some strength doing so. By the way my research indicated that most hurricanes go up into the Gulf of Mexico, far less go down into the Caribbean sea.
In Corozal I visited two developments: Cerros Sands which I visited extensively & I also drove by Orchid Bay.
Orchid Bay which is relatively close to Cerros Sands is a much more marketed development. Although further in its development stage I decided against Orchid Bay for the following reasons: Compared to Cerros Sands, Orchid Bay less is less exposed to the sea breeze and therefore has a lot more mosquitoes and in the Case Of Orchid Bay it is clear that marketing costs are passed on to the final customer as Orchid Bay is way more expensive than Cerros Sands.
To be totally sure (and before committing a lot of funds to the winter retirement project) I visited Cerros & Belize again with with the entire family early July. The wife & children gave the project their kudos. Isabelle, my wife has given me 5 years to build our dream house on the beach in Cerros Sands. Right now the adventure has begun as I have started the planning stage with Dan, a local retired American engineer. With some luck in January 2011 I hope we will put in the pilings for our Caribbean home.
— Tom Hillen
Looked at Mexico, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Panama … Decided on Belize
I was looking for a place in Mexico, but there are many difficulties involved with Americans owning property in Mexico. I have been to Costa Rica, and it has become overly expensive. I have been to the Dominican Republic, and it has also become very expensive and I really was not comfortable with the government or the life style, to many guys with machetes and army strong points. I have been to Panama, and there are many beautiful; towns there, but the same as the Dominican Republic, and I prefer the Caribbean, a much warmer ocean. Also with English the legal language, it seems like a much easier transition. I have yet to move to Belize but look forward to the day when I can.
I picked Cerros Sands primarily because of Mark Leonard and the price. I came to Belize and looked at several properties in the Ambergris Caye area, and on the mainland. And then I came to Tony's Inn in Corozal and met Mark. He spent 2 solid days with me and took me to his competitors sites as well as his own. He shared his vision with me for this development, and where he hoped that it would go and what it would become.
I found a site that I liked and the price was right, and that Mark was a reasonable man and someone that I could trust to steer me on the correct path, when it became time to build and to navigate the local issues and constraints. I am still several years away from building my dream. However I look forward to the day when I can work with Mark and others to build my retirement home and live in Belize permanently.
— John Smedes
Friendly people, relaxed pace
I was asked why did we pick Belize as a destination and why did we pick Cerros Sands at La Playa de Cerros Maya as a place we would like to be associated with and to invest in property with the objective of having a place we could winter at and who knows spend time at.
I for some reason had an idea that I really needed to visit Belize and was determined to go. My wife and I went to Mexico with our 2 children actually young adults to the rest of the world but kids to us. My wife and I extended our trip by week and took bus from Tulum to Chetamal and were picked up by a Taxi and went to Corozal.
Rained a lot, very windy, do not speak Spanish etc etc etc. When we got to Corozal and got settled - we met with Mark Leslie and his wife Angie Leslie. Mark took us all over and showed us a lot of properties. One was Cerros Sands at La Playa de Cerros Maya and it was just starting in the development stage. We flew to the island for a couple of days and came back to Corozal.
Mark and Angie took us out, we met some of their family and friends and the weather was still somewhat less than nice and hot. We came back to Canada not committed to anything yet as retirement was still quite some time away.
I kept thinking about the people (friendly) the overall relaxed pace, the water, the view and the thoughts were with me almost daily. After some discussion with my wife we decided we would like to own property in this area and with the plans for the area the overall development plans were attractive to us. They was very helpful in us acquiring a lot and we look forward to future visits planning and development.
We do plan on going for a month to stay and live in Corozal this April and it all works out we will come back with more great memories, feelings and looking forward to extended periods of time in the future.
— Jim Derraugh
Pricing, natural beauty, excellent weather
We purchased our beach lot on 11/12/2005. Mark Leonard and his staff were very helpful and professional from our boat ride to tour the property to completing the paperwork. The process went very smooth and the owner financing Mark offers was especially helpful to us.
We chose Belize because the pricing was affordable compared to other Caribbean properties we looked at. Belize has a stable democratic government, with fee simple title on land. The people are very friendly and speak English. The natural beauty of the area was a factor as well. The weather in the Corozal region is excellent. The QRP Retired Person Program after age 45 is a bonus. The cost of living and property taxes are inexpensive.
After looking at several Caribbean properties, we chose to purchase in Cerros Sands at La Playa de Cerros Maya. The lots available are some of the largest within the excellent price range. We have our own beach front lot and have a beautiful beach to walk. There are deep water channel lots for boaters as well. The roads in Cerros Sands at La Playa de Cerros Maya are excellent. The development catches the nice trade breeze. The close proximity to Corozal , Belize and Chetumal , Mexico for shopping, hospital care, etc. is very convenient. The developer has covenants and restrictions to protect the property values. The developer and staff are helpful, friendly and trustworthy.
— Valerie Trampf, Fond du Lac WI
