We used Josh and the team at Ambergris Seaside Real Estate to purchase our home and can’t recommend them highly enough! We had originally reached out to another realtor on the island to start our search, but found that realtor to be very slow in communicating with us and only willing to send us information on properties where they were the listing agent. Once we made the switch to Josh and his team, it was like night and day! He was extremely responsive; very knowledgeable and professional; and sent us information on all properties that might appeal to us, no matter whether he held the listing for the sale or whether another realtor did. Once we arrived on the island to see the properties in person, he spent a lot of time with us, taking us by boat and by golf cart to see all the properties that fit our criteria. We ultimately ended up purchasing a single-family home in June 2013 and the service didn’t end with the sale. He and his team helped us arrange for a home inspection; select an attorney for closing; set up our Belize bank account; get our QRP application approved; get our local driver’s license and vehicle permit; set up all our utilities for our home – you name it, they did it! In the 2 + years since the sale, Ambergris Seaside Real Estate has remained an invaluable resource for us. They assisted us with getting our pet permit approved when we moved here full-time, and we know that we can stop in or call upon them for help with any issues we encounter on the island. They are always friendly and welcoming, but most of all extremely helpful. They really do go above and beyond!
Dealing with Real Estate transactions in a foreign country can be daunting, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming. Luckily, we have used the team at Ambergris Seaside Real Estate each time we have needed a realtor in Belize. We have both bought and sold a property through Ambergris Seaside Real Estate. They make the experience simple and easy. Their communication was outstanding and they were always quick with an answer to our many questions. And, they are easy to work with. No high pressure sales tactics and they listen to what you want and need. They really made the process enjoyable and stress-free.
I would highly recommend Ambergris Seaside Real Estate – their knowledge of the island, their level of professionalism, and their friendly and patient style is second to none!
I, too, was referred to Josh Buettner at Ambergris Seaside Real Estate. Before deciding to work with Josh, I spoke with a few other realtors. They all had encouraging things to say and gave me plenty of food for thought as to why I should work with them. Beside my GUT, what made me decide to work with Josh and his team is that, one, my calls and emails were replies to within a very short / reasonable period of time; two, when I visited / spent time on the island and talked with some of the ex-pats I met, quite a few mentioned Josh’s name or his company. They let me know that, if I was interested in purchasing property on the island, I should work with Josh and his team at Ambergris Seaside Real Estate. Getting unsolicited recommendations / advice meant a lot. It even carried more weight when my gut was already telling me that Josh and his team would be the ones for me.
We eventually purchased a pre-construction condo on the island, and Josh and his team have been everything we expected and more. He and his team are virtual advisors providing lots of tidbits regarding our relocation to the island. For those of you who don’t know / realize, there is a lot to get done besides just getting your residency / QRP Incentive Program card. There is a lot of setting up. Remember, you are not moving within your homeland of Canada, GB, US, etc., but rather have chosen to move to a country with its own laws and what-to’s. Things are done differently. For example: You don’t need a Belize driver’s license to drive a golf cart / vehicle in the country but, guess what? You do need a driver’s license to own a golf cart / vehicle. Wait! To get a driver’s license, you need to get a doctor to sign off on a document stating that you are healthy enough to drive. Oh, yes, you have to pay for the so-called physical. You have to pay an administrative fee, which doesn’t include the permit to give you the right to own a vehicle on the island. Yes, yes, I was so pleased that Josh and his team offered to help and provide us with all sorts of information as to where to get…what to do with…how to handle…and, and, and. At times, I wondered if Josh and his team just did that for us because of where we were buying. I soon found out that he and his folks do that for everyone he works with even while they are still house-hunting. He and his team seem to have an extra desk and chairs in the office just for folks stopping by to copy, print, ask questions, and make phone calls. Josh and his team are simply more than just realtors. They are ambassadors, and everyone gets that welcoming treatment. Today we are almost settled and, I must say, we haven’t had any glitches / lumps / bumps. People say that the folks on the island are slow-moving and function on what is referred to as “island time.” We found the folks to be very, very nice and more than willing to help. In fact, I found folks going out of their way / going the extra mile to help us.
A word of advice: Leave your American / Canadian / British homeland ways behind. Treat the folks here nicely, be patient, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how helpful they are in assisting you to navigate through the system. Josh and his team did a ton for us, and we will be forever grateful – especially after hearing what other folks claim they have gone through to get settled on the island.
When I first visited San Pedro, I knew I wanted to be connected to this beautiful place and as soon as I got home from my trip immediately began researching the process to purchase property as a foreigner. Scouring sites and connecting with various agents who would send great properties but just not for me, until I met Jill. I found a listing on their site and submitted an inquiry and Jill did everything else from start to finish. When we connected in person on my next trip I told her exactly what I was looking for and it was very specific which included pets allowed, short term rentals allowed, water views and all the amenities. It was not an easy ask and yet, Jill magically made my Belizean dream come true. There were many properties that met my list but just didn’t love them and then she found the exact perfect match. And… she did it in less than a month after we first met. I’m sure I did not make it easy but it didn’t matter to Jill. Without being pushy or pressuring me, she honed in on exactly what I wanted and made it happen. Now, I have my (first) property in San Pedro and I couldn’t be happier. I will highly recommend Jill, without any reservation, to anyone wishing to purchase property in San Pedro.
I found Seaside Real Estate through recommendations. I worked closely with Jill before ever visiting the island. Jill listened to my check list and budget and found me the perfect location. Jill was communicative and patient while I looked at all my options, but ultimately I knew the location she had located for me was “the one”. Jill explained the buying process thoroughly so there were no surprises. She has always been very helpful and responsive to any questions or concerns, even after the buying process was completed. I would definitely recommend Seaside and will use them again in the future, if the opportunity arises.
Josh most definitely is one of the good guys. I got badly burnt by a San Pedro realtor. My dream home was never finished. Josh has been very happy to answer my questions over many years, do market appraisals and when I was finally ready to walk away, sold my property. You can trust this company and its team.
We have been coming to Ambergris Caye for the last 15+ years and finally decided to look at purchasing a property there. We were fortunate enough to be placed with Jill Adz of Ambergris Seaside Real Estate. She was extremely professional and helpful in walking us thru multiple properties. She also was extremely helpful with all the investment information and her knowledge of the real estate market on Ambergris was exceptional. We ended up purchasing a property at Sunset Caribe and we could not be more happy with the exceptional job Jill did in making our dream become reality. I would recommend both Jill and Seaside Real Estate for any of your real estate needs in Ambergris Caye and we look forward to using both of them again here in the near future.
Coming from a real estate background in the States, we knew that it might be challenging to find a realtor to list and sell our raw land on North Ambergris Caye that would fit our expectations. We interviewed several agents and agencies and felt that Josh had a similar philosophy to ours with regards to the Real Estate Industry. He is calm and patient and extremely thorough. Anyone can sell real estate, but not everyone can close a real estate transaction. His knowledge of the local customs, practices and laws gave us sense of ease as he helped us navigate the closing process while protecting our interests in every way possible. We think the bottom line is, especially in an unregulated real estate market like Belize, that you can trust Josh and his team. Thank you Josh for your knowledge, patience, reassurances and mostly for your honest and ethical behavior. Jackie and Adam Feldman
Hi, we are Frank and Lauren Stoakes from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and have been a two – time buyer and a one – time seller through Josh Buettner at Ambergris Seaside Real Estate. Our first experience with Josh in 2009 was the purchase of a condo in San Pedro. We found him to be both knowledgeable and professional and he steered us in the right direction. His help and support didn’t end at the “sale” and in 2012 we bought beachfront property south of San Pedro through Josh. Again, Josh not only guided us through that process but also offered helpful suggestions on contractors, building standards and architectural details and in 2013 we started construction on our new home (which is completed!). Finally, as we installed ourselves in our new house, Josh negotiated the sale of our condo while also guiding my wife through the Qualified Retired Persons (QRP) process. The staff at Ambergris Realty helped us prepare and submit much of the paper work required to import household furnishings, pay our various taxes and obtain and license our vehicles. They kept us informed on a timely basis of what we needed to do to complete these sometimes confusing processes. Throughout this whole time frame we have always felt welcome to drop by the office for a chat or to ask advice and he and his staff have proved to be friendly, knowledgeable, trust-worthy and helpful local resources. Again the help and support doesn’t end with the “sale” and we can highly recommend Josh and all of the associates at Ambergris Seaside Real Estate as your San Pedro real estate needs.
I do all my real estate transactions with Josh at Seaside Real Estate. I just finished my third purchase last week. Everything went smoothly. Highly recommend using them if you are considering buying or selling property in Belize.
Joshua was great to work with. He did everything he said he would and worked to get me the best price possible.
Josh and his team are very professional. Josh is a real straight shooter, and delivered what he said he would. We were very pleased with his service, and help in pricing our home to sell.
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