Belize real estate companies have boasted in the last couple of years that the Boquette, Panama counterpart of Belize is Corozal. A retiree's destination for low cost living, yet high quality and peaceful life.

In our age today, “baby boomers” are the central focus of businesses and companies. These companies create products with them in mind such as anti-aging items, spas springing up like mushrooms everywhere and, of course, retirement settlements. With the economic crisis affecting the globe, a lot of baby boomers are now on a minimum pension and don't have any idea where they can find a low budget, yet grand place to settle and live the rest of their days away, free from worry and the worldly issues existing today.

The answer to that is Corozal, Belize. Corozal is located in the northern area of Belize and is just below Mexico where the population is pretty minuscule and where things are a whole lot cheaper compared to countries like Canada, US and the UK. Interested settlers can either live on the water, near the water or in the mountain ranges and still have a comfortable life in peace with nature.

Corozal town's population is not something people would think is the same as in New York. The town's population is approximately 9,000 but not more than that. The whole district has an estimated 35,000 population. The reason why a lot of expats, retirees and even regular immigrants choose Corozal is because of its access to Mexico where one can get duty free imported products (since most of the products in Belize are imports), it's quick access to the mountains, the Mayan Riviera, the fishing village of Sarteneja, the famous resort area of Ambergris Caye, the appendage of the Yucatan Peninsula and a lot more reasons. Adventure is not something to be missed despite living far from Belize city. Since there's a boom in property sales in Corozal, the Belize real estate companies took the opportunity to really expose Corozal to the world by featuring them in Belize real estate online sites and other ways of endorsing the area. As of the moment Corozal and Boquette of Panama are in quite a steep competition.

A comfortable climate can always be expected in Corozal. It is very much the same as South Florida and South East Asian countries. Be assured that you will never have to shovel snow since the freezing temperatures of winter is never experienced in the area. Meaning, expats and retirees need not prepare heavy and thick clothes when planning to move to Corozal.

Corozal is inhabited by Mestizos mostly, some mixed Indian races, Europeans and of course, expatriates and retirees from all over the world. Though some Asians, like the Chinese, can also be seen. Gringos, East Indians and a few Creoles are also living in harmony with the others. With such diversity everyday, living in Corozal is either exciting, peaceful and interesting, but never boring. The locals here live in harmony and peace with each other and is a happy community of people with a taste for good music, feasts and celebrations.

Situated just south of Mexico on the Caribbean coast of Central America, Belize offers a beautiful island escape for numerous Americans, Canadians and Europeans each year. However, Belize is rapidly becoming more than just a popular vacation spot these days and its appeal is stretching to snow birds and retirees around the globe. As an English-speaking country with a very low cost of living, Belize is one of the world’s greatest tax havens for retirees looking to save a few pennies while living beachside surrounded by beautiful scenery

Just as we thought it couldn’t get any better, this innovative little paradise has taken it a step further by offering tax and residency incentives to expatriates wanting to call Belize home.

The Qualified Retired Persons Program is a plan that allows you to keep more of your assets while also bypassing hefty import duties and taxes. Better yet, qualifying for this program doesn’t require one to be retired or even of retirement age to take advantage of the inducements. A prospective candidate simply must be aged 45 or older, have a monthly income of at least $2,000, and comply with several other minor requirements. Once a retiree is approved, they can also bring along their spouse and any dependents under the age of 18, or children less than 23 years of age if they are attending college. Upon entering Belize, an expat is allowed to bring in any new or used household goods as well as a car, boat and/or light aircraft without paying expensive duties and taxes. This applies whether you already own one of these transports or purchase them in Belize. One of the only limitations imposed by the program is that a retiree is not allowed to work for payment within Belize; however, they are allowed to earn m
oney so long as it is from a source outside Belize--be it freelance work, investments, etc.

To find out if you qualify, simply fill out an application and include the following:

1. Birth certificate
2. Marriage certificate
3. A police record from your most recent place of residence, issued within a month prior to the application and stating that you don’t have a criminal record
4. A copy of each page (including blank ones) in your passport. Retain a notary public to certify the copy with his seal and mark how many pages are in the passport, the passport number, and your name
5. Proof of income. This can be in the form of a statement from a pension of Annuity Company or from your bank. The statement must show that your income is at least $2,000 a month or the equivalent of at least $24,000 a year
6. Medical certificate stating that you are in good health and not HIV-positive
7. Color photos–four recent front-view and four side-view passport-size photographs of yourself and any dependents who are applying
8. You must also submit a non-refundable $100 application fee plus a “program fee” of $500 for yourself and $350 for each dependent. If you’re accepted into the program, you’ll owe an additional $100. Also figure on $2,500 to $5,000 to retain an attorney who can steer you through the application process and, often more importantly, run interference with the bureaucracy.

So, whether you’re looking to escape the cold for a few months out of the year or relocate altogether, not only does Belize offer impeccable scenery, beautiful coastlines and a relaxed island atmosphere, it also allows you to hang on to more of that money you worked so hard to earn and take advantage of a few extra perks at the same time.