Join us in Welcoming our new Agents!

CPC is pleased to announce the expansion of our real estate team. Welcome Marsha Samuels and Alice Arana Gillett! Our new agents will be serving the Belize and Cayo Districts. Each agent brings a wealth of experience in the sales industry and both share the same commitment to the world-class customer service that CPC stands for.

All CPC agents specialize in handling the most profitable real estate transactions in their respective areas, guaranteeing the utmost satisfaction for all clients who buy and sell real estate in Belize with us.

Please feel free to contact us for support with your every real estate need!

What to Look for when Buying A House

Buying a new house is a big deal. It’s a huge investment and you need to make sure you’re choosing a house with all the right components to fit your lifestyle, now and in the future. When you’re touring for a future home, some questions you should be asking yourself are “Does this house look and feel like home?” and “Could this house really be my dream home?” Apart from those basic questions, here is a list to keep in mind when buying a house.

Space

The first thing you should be sure of when buying a house is the size and space it offers. It’s always a better option to have more space rather than less. Ensure there are enough bedrooms for your family to be comfortable, your furniture would be able to fit without making the space seem cluttered, the kitchen is big enough for more than one person to move around in and it has enough prep space, and finally that the home provides enough space to grow.

Features

Think of what a typical day for you would be like if you were already living in that house. Make a list of all the activities you would normally do and cross check the house’s features to ensure that it has everything you need in a home. If you have a green thumb and enjoy gardening, an important feature of the house for you would be enough outdoor space with good soil. A nice storage shed would come in handy for lots of outdoor gear and tools. If you have dogs, a fenced-in yard would definitely be a plus so they have room to run around. Aside from enough bedrooms, you should check to see if the home has space for an extra laundry room, office or workout room if those things are important for you to be comfortable.

Proximity

This is a biggie! Finding the perfect home includes its proximity to places you visit most- work, school, shopping and recreation. Do a mock commute to and from work at the same times you normally would to get an idea of how long it would take and the traffic you’ll encounter if you buy the house.

Amenities

Amenities here include those inside the house as well as those in the neighborhood. Check the age and condition of the appliances (refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer, etc.) as their condition will determine whether you’d need to have extra money to replace or service them. Other important appliances to check in the home are the A/C units and water heaters. These items are very expensive to fix or replace, so it’s important to determine their condition when buying a home so you can know if you’d need to a lot a budget for maintenance. 

If you're looking to buy a home in Belize, be sure to get the help of a certified agent at CPC Real Estate Solutions Ltd.

The Beginner's Guide to Owning your First Home

Ready, set, BUY!

If only it were so easy. You will never be without worry when in the market for purchasing a home. This is a huge investment that deserves an equally huge, well thought out plan of action. Here's a concise beginner's guide to owning your first home to help form a steady path on your house-hunting endeavor.

Know what you can afford
The most important factor in determining your success when buying a new home is knowing what you can afford and staying within those limits. As a general rule of thumb, you can afford a mortgage 3 times your annual income. Your monthly payments on your mortgage should not exceed 28% of your monthly income, while your monthly bills should not exceed 36% of your monthly income.

For example, if you make $36,000 a year, you will be able to afford a home worth $108,000 with your monthly mortgage payment being no more than $840 and your monthly expenses being no more than $1,080.

Have your down payment on hand
Depending on the type of loan you're getting, your down payment can be anywhere from 3% to 20%. Having a larger down payment readily available can reduce the amount you have to pay back on the loan monthly. Some other factors that may lower your monthly mortgage payments are having a lower interest rate or a longer loan length.

Other payments you'll need to have on hand are about 1 to 8% of your purchase price for closing costs and anywhere from $250 to $800 for other miscellaneous fees that may pop up.

Get Pre-approved
Being pre-approved for your mortgage is a must in order for you to know exactly how much you have on hand to spend on your new home. Without a pre-approved loan, you may miss out on homes you're interested in because you cannot act as quickly as possible in closing the deal. If you already got the loan approved, you then have the flexibility to make an offer as a home peaks your interest.

Find the right realtor
Realtors are the most knowledgeable people about property on the market for sale. They're familiar with the neighborhood, traffic trends and the prices homes are going for in the area. Real estate agents already know what homes are on sale and which ones meet your criteria, saving you tons of time and providing vital insights into which home will be the best fit for you. Visit CPC for great advice from Belize real estate agents and homes for sale in Belize.

Know what you want
Its easy to get thrown off track of what you really want and need in a home when you see what all some homes have to offer. To stay on track, you should create a list of all your must-haves in a home before you start looking. Then, split that list into two-- wants & needs. Take those lists with you on your house tours and ensure that the home you choose has all your needs in it so you're not looking back with regret for not buying a home with everything you need. If the home checks off all your needs and includes some wants too within your budget, then you've hit the jackpot!

Do your research
Although you'll have the help of your Realtor, its still important for you to know where you stand in your house-hunting journey. It's important to know your budget, but you also need to do your research on the desired location you wish to live in and have some knowledge of the prices homes are selling for in the area so that you can know if the house you're interested in is a realistic option or not.

Make an offer
After you've decided on the home of your dreams, its now time to make an offer to the sellers. This offer is your proposed price for purchasing the home. Your Realtor will normally craft an agreement with your offer and present it to the sellers for them to sign if they are in agreement. If they are, then you've got a new home. If not, you'll have to create a counter offer or find another home that will be sold for the amount you're offering.

Get a home appraisal and inspection
Once your offer is accepted, you will need to get it appraised to know its true value. Also, you'd need a thorough home inspection in order to identify any problems with the home. Both are crucial in knowing if the home is a good investment or not.

Close the deal
In closing the deal on your new home purchase, you sit down and finalize all the legalities and ownership transfer. You'll also make the down payment now and pay closing costs if necessary. Finally, you'll also be given the keys to your new home!

5 Tips Every First Time Buyer Needs to Know

Buying your first home is a HUGE deal. Its probably the biggest investment you'll ever make so the pressure that comes along with being a first-time home buyer is sure to be monumental. Don't let your emotions get caught up and hinder your good decision-making skills. Follow these 5 tips every first time buyer needs to know, and you're sure to have a clear path in finding the home of your dreams.

1. Get approved
In order to come out of this investment successfully, you need to know the right amount to invest. The only way to find this out is by consulting with your lending institution to find out exactly how much you're approved for. This amount will then be your guide in your house hunt.

2. Budget smart
Just because you've been pre-approved for a certain amount doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to comfortably afford it.  You need to take things like renovations, new appliances and furniture, bills and incidentals into account as well with your budget. Ensure that the amount you set to spend on purchasing your new home leaves you with enough change in the budget to cover other expenses so you're not stretching yourself too thin.

3. Research location
More times than not, the location of your new address is even more important than the home itself. A home is something you can always customize to meet your personal taste and style; but there's no changing a location. Do your research and make sure the neighborhood of your potential home is right for you in terms of its proximity to stores, activities, work and school; as well as its crime rate and traffic. Once you have the desired location set out, you can then venture freely into finding a home on the market or land where you can break ground on building your own home.

4. Keep your options open
People tend to get stuck into their pattern of thinking and block out amazing opportunities that lie outside what they've ever imagined possible. Don't let this happen to you. Just because you've decided on an existing home in your neighborhood to be yours, doesn't mean its the best possible option out there. Spend a couple weeks exploring other locations where the  homes may be cheaper, sort through foreclosures or maybe even building your own home from the ground up. Take the time to weed through all the options available to you instead of just latching onto one option immediately based solely on your emotions.

5. Save, save, save
When you're in the market for a huge investment like a home, its certainly not the time to make large purchases or any major career changes that can negatively impact your budget. You never know what emergencies may happen while you're in the process of buying your home. As a basic rule of thumb, you should have at least 3 months' mortgage payments set aside in your account in case of any unforeseen emergency that may arise.

Bonus: Don't get hung up on the decor and furniture in homes that you tour. Remember all these things can be changed to your liking. Keep your focus on the space the home provides and the flow, to see if it would suite your needs.

You can get more insight into buying your home from the experienced agents at CPC Real Estate Solutions Ltd.

5 Reasons You Should Hire a Real Estate Agent

It’s tempting to bypass hiring a real estate agent when you’re buying or selling property. Many people seem to have a lack of confidence in real estate agents and think that their just getting scammed for their money. Often times, however; the people who share those sentiments are the ones that don’t put enough effort into finding the qualified real estate agents in their neighborhood. Qualified agents pride themselves on making property transfers a timely and stress-free process.

Here are 5 great reasons you should hire a real estate agent the next time you’re shopping around for properties.

1. They’ll do all the hard work for you
   If you’re in the market to buy a home, there’s a lot of searching, touring and negotiating involved. You might start off with a good idea of what you want but as you go deeper in the search to find a home, you’ll often times be (1) frustrated that you’re not finding the right type of home that you’re looking for or (2) you become overwhelmed with all the options available. Then after you've finally found some worthy options, you’re stuck with scheduling appointments, going to home tours, and negotiations that seem to go on forever before you finally make a (hopefully successful) close.
   
   The situation is reciprocated with sellers. Without a real estate agent, the sellers have to be available for all the meetings and home tours for the prospective buyers, and then have to conduct negotiations and close the deal on their own.
   
   All these headaches can be avoided by hiring a qualified real estate agent. The only information you’ll need to disclose to the agent are your terms and a budget; they’ll take care of the rest. Because your agent is supposed to act on your behalf with your interests at heart, they’re guaranteed to close the deal in the most profitable way for you.


2. They've been formally trained to buy and sell real estate Real estate agents don’t just wake up one day and decide they’ll sell property. They need to be formally trained and certified by their jurisdictional real estate association. With this education, they already know all the paperwork that needs to be in order before any property goes on sale, as well as the technicalities that go into closing a deal and everything else that needs to be done after a close before you move in. There’s no need for you to spend hours on end researching information you’ll still have no clue about when you can simply hire someone who already knows the information and has experience using it.
   
   
3. No one knows the area better than them
   There’s a difference between being familiar with an area in terms of its locale and knowing the trends of buyers and sellers in the area. If you’re not constantly working with these figures and studying the patterns, you’ll be blind to all the opportunities and pitfalls present which can cause you to possibly lose money.
   
   Don’t dive in blindly. Find a real estate agent who is also a consultant and get all the facts about buyer and seller trends in the area to see if properties you’re interested are in your budget, or if you’ll be making a profitable return on your sale.
   
   
4. They’ll get you the best price possible
   Because real estate agents know the current standing of the real estate market, they are the best people to guide you toward an accurate (and realistic) budget or valuation of your home. They’re master negotiators, and will definitely get you the best possible deal.
   
   Not all real estate deals go through amicably. When the time comes to close the deal and sort out all the little details, your inexperience will show through limiting you from asserting yourself the way you need to get all your stipulations met. Agents are trained to negotiate and counter offers until the right offer is presented.
   
   
5. You’ll find the overall selling/buying experience a whole lot easier
   Inexperience will be your biggest adversary in the real estate market. Going it alone will only lengthen the process and add frustration to your life. Save yourself the hassle and hire an agent to deal with all the details for you. From securing a loan, getting a home inspection, completing title and so forth, your real estate agent will guide you through all the necessary steps ensuring that the process is as flows as smoothly as possible. 

Don’t go it alone. Be sure to get an agent for all your real estate transactions. When buying real estate in Belize, choose CPC Real Estate Solutions Ltd. – your trusted brokers in Belize!