Sanctuary Belize

To anyone even thinking of buying at Sanctuary Belize, be aware that Andrew Pukke still owns and runs this development. He is hidden behind screens because of his conviction and jail sentence for fraud, but he still pulls the strings. Buyer beware!

Katie you are a very brave lady...a close friend of mine went after these people and now she's dead. Don't have a clue what happened to her, or why. Not accusing anybody, but you should let people make up their own mind.

Like PT Barnum said, there's a sucker born every minute

Katie, while I sincerely appreciate your "warning" I have two comments that I would like everyone to consider.  First, I'm almost certain that you're incorrect.  From all of the research my attorneys did prior to my purchase (which included discussing the situation with the Receiver's for the FTC in the Pukke case) he is no longer an owner at SB.  They were absolutely certain of that and if anyone researched that exhaustively, it's them.  From what I've been told, he does still assist with the marketing of the project but does not have any ownership in it.  Second, again, from the research my attorneys did, there is nothing illegal or improper about him assisting with the marketing.  From what I've been told, he's a "marketing genius" and is responsible for a great deal of the success SB is experiencing.  Also, in the spirit of fairness, Mr. Pukke nor his companies were never even accused of "fraud", never mind convicted of it.  Apparently they fought and eventually settled a CIVIL FTC claim.  The bottom line is that I, as a property owner at SB, don't have a concern about his involvement in the project.  In my opinion, what he was accused of previously has nothing to do with SB and if his abilities are helping to drive their successes, more power to them.  There's a reason why SB is by far the most successful development in BZ and it's likely that Mr. Pukke's contribution is likely a big reason why.  In my eyes, all his efforts are doing is helping to increase the value of my investment there.

By the way, I know the people behind SB very well and to even insinuate that they had an involvement in your friends death is so outrageous, it's laughable.  I'm not laughing about her tragic death in anyway.  I am laughing at the fact that you think they may have had an involvement in it.  Absolutely crazy!!

Its funny that somebody like you who claims to know nothing defends people you don't have a clue about?

Response to diverdown69 postings 2/25/14  by the Ghost

I am afraid I am not laughing.  For a single property owner you doth protest much too much, diverdown69.  Or should I call you Andrew Pukke, or a new Sanctuary plant or shill.   

Patricia Nichiporowich's murder appeared to be a targeted killing and not a house theft gone awry.  Her candor about the shills, plants on the Sanctuary forum, her disclosure of what appeared to be buildings built without permits at Sanctuary, and her repeated advice to experience Belize and spend time in the country before buying overpriced property at Sanctuary or anywhere in Belize all worked against the economic interests of Sanctuary Belize.  Is there motive here and could the interested parties in the Sanctuary development or their agents be people of interest in the investigation of her killing?  I am still not laughing!  I am a person of interest and have no motive nor was I in the country when the crime took place.  Would you not like to share that distinction with me.

Your postings are so transparent; do you really believe that the average person cannot see through your writings and identify you as a shill.  You must believe the average reader is very very stupid.  Why can you not provide a clean link to Mr. Enderle's recant of his earlier article.  Is it possible he never wrote it and that you did.   Much of what was written was generalization and name dropping about or on behalf of people that no one knows or would have reason to know.  Very questionable and hardly believable by an intelligent person.

I take exception to developers taking advantage of the average person to enrich themselves and that is what I believe is happening here.  Patricia Nichiporowich believed the same and that is why she contributed to this forum.

[moderated: pls post your ad in the housing section]

Wow, it is hard to understand all of the hatred from a few people who have never even been to the place that torments them so much.

Maybe after all of us suckers get settled in we'll have you all down for a cook out.  I'll be sure to have a copy of my building permit on hand.

Life is too short to hate.

Lucky Larry wrote:

Wow, it is hard to understand all of the hatred from a few people who have never even been to the place that torments them so much.

If this was a soap opera I'd predict that as the story line unfolds we find out that the culprit had been posting with Nicki's account to set it up like someone else had a motive, then paid a local to do the deed after he left town so that he would have an alibi.  But, of course it's not a soap. I honestly hope the responsible parties are apprehended, for everyone's sake.

Maybe after all of us suckers get settled in we'll have you all down for a cook out.  I'll be sure to have a copy of my building permit on hand.

Life is too short to hate.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
― Edmund Burke

Lucky Larry that was a horrid post. I do not think any one HATES SB. I think some people have tried to warn naive purchasers about financing someones dream of  of this development.  I say dream as it is so far from completion it is still just that.
On my most recent visit last month, viewing locations for our moving there. I spoke to a lovely couple who were wildly enthusiastic about the country and were going to see  properties to purchase and asked if I knew about  SB and who to contact to visit it in the 2 weeks  they would be here. I could not give them any information as I only know  the things I have read on here but I gave them the general location and told them how much I iked that part of the country. They were Canadian and had been in the country for 2 days.
The 3 rd day it rained, they could not get the small rented car through the mud to enter the resort the top way and had to park at the bottom of the steps and walk up the 200 feet of steep steps to get into the resort proper. That evening they were suddenly not so enamoured with Belize, They had expected a little rain but the delluge had ruined all the plans they had for that day as they found traveling round was much more difficult than they had expected. They did not realize when told most of the roads were not paved it really means they equate to farm tracks in Canada. They decided to enjoy the rest of their vacation and while still enjoying Belize would need to spend time getting to know it before they made any huge decisions to purchase land or a home.
Had they arrived in the real dry season they could very easily have contacted SB and purchased the dream, without ever knowing Belize. Most of the people who write about SB negatively are only trying to let people experience  the affect of  that one  day of  Belize rain  had on this lovely couple Stop and think of a much bigger picture than a subsidised holiday with a tour of dream land. Hate is far too emotional a word to use for these sort of posts, I doubt any one Hates SB they are trying to show a balanced and more practical view of moving to Belize, it is only common sense that you do not trust your retirement plans on a few days of sunshine with a Luxury lifestyle in what you may find to be an alien environment for you. We are moving on with our plans to move in the next 12 to 18 months but it is to a country we know and love and have done so for 20+ years. I did suggest this forum to my new friends so I hope if you read this Judy and Bill you will not mind my telling your story.

You have to be kidding, anyone who is associated with SB has been investigated or put in jail. Yes I know I'm in jeopardy every time I post....but I say send them after me and lets see how it plays out. I don't like what happened to my friend, and even though I've been asked to stop posting because I could be in danger...well sorry I won't.

The good thing is about 100 people know what I'm talking about...so if something happens to me...well then its a done deal.

I still don't understand the accusation by Lucky Larry about all the' Hatred of from a few people" What Hatred? I dont see people wishing harm on the development. All the nasty words seem to be from the supporters who are quick to claim everything is perfect and everyone hates us. Just like the kid in the school yard' it is not because I am obnoxious it is because you are Jealous'  Never worked in the school yard why expect it to work here.
Bringing information to the public forum, Which the project owners would prefer not to be in the lime light does not constitute HATE. I am totally neutral on SB I live in California and have never seen any ads for it on the TV or elsewhere in the Bay Area, I have followed the discussions on here and i can tell you the nastier messages are not coming from the nay sayers.
I did not Know Patrica but found her to be helpful and pleasant here on the Forum and Lucky Larry's Soap opera scenario was in my opinion in very poor taste if not simply Offensive.

terrific wrote:

I still don't understand the accusation by Lucky Larry about all the' Hatred of from a few people" What Hatred? I dont see people wishing harm on the development. All the nasty words seem to be from the supporters who are quick to claim everything is perfect and everyone hates us. Just like the kid in the school yard' it is not because I am obnoxious it is because you are Jealous'  Never worked in the school yard why expect it to work here.
Bringing information to the public forum, Which the project owners would prefer not to be in the lime light does not constitute HATE. I am totally neutral on SB I live in California and have never seen any ads for it on the TV or elsewhere in the Bay Area, I have followed the discussions on here and i can tell you the nastier messages are not coming from the nay sayers.
I did not Know Patrica but found her to be helpful and pleasant here on the Forum and Lucky Larry's Soap opera scenario was in my opinion in very poor taste if not simply Offensive.

I agree with you, (Lucky) reminds me of a famous guy from Italy....lmao....I too am from the Bay Area

I knew Patricia very well, she was a brilliant Lady and on the who's who list of the world. Not only was she a special person to know she was a special person to many who never got the chance to meet her. They may never catch the person or person's involved in this. But God and Patricia will have their day.

Hi Katie,

I am interested in the airport at Placencia.

I see that you wrote that nothing will be happening for a couple of years yet, can you please tell me why it has ground to a halt and anything else about it please as I was given to understand that it would be ready round about now with direct flights from Gatwick and other airports in Europe?

Look forward to hearing your thoughts

kind regards

Bronwen

Maybe I can help.  The airport in Placencia is privatly owned. Google "The Placincia" or follow this http://www.theplacencia.com/.  They are the developers that own the airport.  Like any private enterprise they will finish it when it makes sense and it can be profitable.  I spoke with a represenitive about two weeks ago and he said that after a major delay, they are now back on track and will be finishing the airport within the next year.  I take that with a grain of salt.  They have to build a hospitial before they can open as an international airport, so it would be my guess that 5 years would not be out of the question.  Its just plain ecconomics here.  The area is hot and property sales are moving at a brisk pace.  Sanctuary is selling like mad and The Placencia is also sell at a fast pace.  There are several other deveploments like CoCo Plum moving lots in the area as well.   All that said,  there is not enough people planning a move to the area in the next two years to warrant the hospital just yet.  This place is going to develope slowly at first, then explode in my opinion.  Now a lot of things could change that, like another global recession.  I could be wrong but I think it will be a while.  Some one once told me "In Belize buy what you see"

Lucky Larry.  I side with you on this one.  These bashers out there who have never been to the place seem to get ticked off when someone with some facts correct them. Then they attack you for having the balls to call them out on it.  I think naive purchasers, one called it.  What does naive mean?   Then they even insinuate that you might get attacked if you should dare to cross these evil developers.  Seriously!  One said they had Motive.  Let's look into that a little deeper.  Sanctuary is selling lots way faster than their most aggressive projections.  Yet they would risk everything to silence a person with nothing more than an opinion that people should be careful before investing, on a forum that only a few will ever read.  Now if she had proof of fraud or anything, I might agree that this could be motive.  But all she had was a opinion that the building permits did not match the number of buildings.  No proof was given, just her opinion. I'm sure that the accusation of permits has been looked into after her death to see if any possible connection could be made.   What happened to her was very tragic and I was saddened by it.  It is scary to think that she was murdered in a country that I am planning to live in.  Its part of the reason I chose a gated community.  But to make accusations like they have without any evidence cheapens her life IMHO.

Larry, I look forward to sharing a Belikin with you someday

The preceding poster is much more optimistic than I about brisk sales and rate of development.  I think it will be a long long time before either intl airport or hospital are viable.

I agree with Katie. There is no doubt that actual completion is 10-15 years away at best. I visited last fall and the proposed development as well as the staff were very nice. But the exact reason I chose not to purchase was that it has a very long lead time ahead of it to completion.  That's what I even told my sales associate as to why it wouldn't work for me. Perhaps if someone is 40'ish they would have the time to wait but if someone is 55 or more they are going to be retiring into an area plagued by the noise of construction equipment. Who wants to spend your later years in retirement listening to that development noise? I do believe the mention of brisk sales but that's only of land. The pace of home building seems far slower. I believe that there will be a fair amount of default due to just buyer remorse  or as you can already find many lot owners trying to resell their current lots and often below what they paid. Some of those ad's are posted in other parts of this blog. It does make perfect sense to first rent for a year if you plan to retire anywhere,(NOT JUST BELIZE) even here in the states. I've decided to remain in the states most likely Florida so I am going to rent for several months next winter and see if I like the particular area then I will be able to make a educated "over time" decision to buy if I buy at all. When I was there last fall I have to admit I was very surprised that so many people seemed willing to buy a fairly large investment based on just 3-4 day visit. But I guess that's what makes us all different.

well said

If you want info on lots and prices just look up availability map sanctuary belize you should get all the info you need I have been there and the tour and it was awesome and we did buy , I have to add that no mater what real estate deal you do there is always a risk factor but I think that most people that buy here do have some degree of experience , hopefully things work out !!

Just an FYI for those who are truly searching for legitimate information on SB.  Here is the January news letter.  Enjoy!

Chairman's Letter

Dear Friends,

2013 was a strong year for Sanctuary Belize.  Although we experienced an extraordinarily long rainy season, which slightly delayed some of our development initiatives, I'm happy to report that we made major strides with the design, planning, and permitting.  This now allows us to push forward strongly in the upcoming year!



We also heard requests for more-frequent reports of on-ground progress, as well as for a client-development liaison to facilitate and improve communication between everyone who has a stake in this amazing development. In response to these requests, we will now be issuing bi-monthly bulletins (in addition to the Quarterly Newsletter) highlighting progress and discussing the future development plans. We also have requested that Dianne Allen add the role of Client-Development Liaison to her responsibilities, and she gladly accepted.  She will be writing a section in each of these bulletins and will also now be available for direct contact.



We started the year off with our chief excavator, Abe Froese, cutting the waterways in Sapodilla Ridge at an incredible pace. The excavation plan was ahead of schedule when the rainy season paid us an early visit in May, and proceeded to overstay its invitation making it impossible to move around in the muck! The rain meant that we had to switch gears, which allowed us to focus on finalizing the marina village master plan and obtaining government approvals, working with BEL to plan out the installation of power further into the different subdivisions and into the marina village, designing the first phase of villa townhomes at the marina village, and of course putting the final touches on the Sanctuary Beach Club pool deck, cabanas, changing rooms, and restaurant.
When the sun came out, we made progress on constructing the underground power transformers and pulling cable down the first half-mile of Allamanda Lane in Sapodilla Ridge, finishing the thatch roofs on the marina and beach club cabanas, and bringing a solar power system to Sanctuary Caye to provide power for the on-site staff.



As 2014 begins, we already have the heavy equipment working at breakneck speed in the drier sections of Sanctuary Belize.  Abe's D6 bulldozers are now clearing roads into Equestrian Estates Phase 2 at the rapid pace of over a mile a day! The D9's are working in and around the nursery, widening and hardening the road between it and the Sittee River, so that drainage works can begin for all of Waterway Village. Once we have drainage, then Abe can bring the D6's over and clear the roads into Waterway Village Phase 2. In addition we are drilling a well in the nursery which will supply water for both it and Waterway Village, as well one in the Equestrian Estate Lots to supply water for those residents. As Sapodilla Ridge dries, we are preparing to complete the waterways as well as harden the roads and finish the drainage at the south end. Water and power will make its way into all of Sapodilla Ridge as the weather improves.  We'll certainly keep you updated as groups of lots get “online”.

We look forward to a very successful year at Sanctuary Belize and I hope to see you on site soon! Please come down, check it out, and see our community grow!

Sincerely,

Johnny Usher
Principal







Hello Fellow Sanctuary Belizeans!

It is my pleasure to announce that I have been appointed by the Developer to be your Client-Development Liaison. In this role I will continue to liaise with all property owners, builders, and stakeholders in the development, providing answers to specific questions regarding ownership, development, and the building process at Sanctuary Belize. Essentially, I am a prime point of contact when you have questions or would like to know information regarding the development!

My main priority is working with everyone who has a stake in our development, facilitating communication, cooperation, and building relationships. In addition to being directly available for contact, I will address the top questions and concerns every other month in the Sanctuary Bulletin so that everyone can benefit from the information.

Dianne

Thanks guys , that's pretty good info .

Spending time in Belize and warming to the country is good advice, as are many other suggestions. Thanks all for your contributions.

Please.....let me know how you got out of the deal.  We bought in 2012, visited last week and saw very little change.  The pool club was completed except for the restaurant.  Have had no luck in getting a return reply from anyone involved in the development or sales!

Yep......lot only
Mine is for sale

Imdone wrote:

Yep......lot only
Mine is for sale

LMAO...once you are part of Sanctuary you will always be a part. Did you ever see Logans Run the movie. Well it was Syfy just a dream not real at all.. But you must be having a problem Dianne said she will handle all problems. Good luck still LMAO

I just uploaded a 1 minute video of my 3/31/2014 flight that passed over SB. youtube.com/watch?v=FEoAGCaKVck

Yap looking good my wife and I were there in February and lots of stuff going on so whoever says its a dream and not a reality they need to visit or shut up !!

Nice video

Here is a link to a San Pedro blogger on her visit to Sanctuary Belize: http://www.sanpedroscoop.com/2014/03/sa … lize.html.  She includes several photos in her three separate posts on the subject. Definitely worth reading opinion from a 7 year expat.

Cheers,
Lucky Larry

Lucky Larry wrote:

Here is a link to a San Pedro blogger on her visit to Sanctuary Belize: http://www.sanpedroscoop.com/2014/03/sa … lize.html.  She includes several photos in her three separate posts on the subject. Definitely worth reading opinion from a 7 year expat.

Cheers,
Lucky Larry

Wow, it looks wonderful - thanks Lucky Larry.  I suspect for all of those that have invested they are probably very happy to know things are moving along.  Does anyone know when the first owners will be able to move in?

I know that one couple moved in several months ago.  Our third, and most recent visit was last November and they invited us into their home to visit and see the design decisions they had made.  It is a very beautiful home and just down the street from our lot, so we got to see a preview of the view we will have.

I know that there were at least five other homes which were complete but at least one of the couples were only living there part time and one is currently only used as a vacation home.

Thank you so much Lucky Larry.  I'm heading to Belize in July. I'm wasn't planning on a lot but I'm going to check them out all the same, thanks to your information and some other great posts! As well as for the others that didn't have such a great experience. Cautions heeded. peace

I can't seem to get the link to work. Has it been removed?

I have to say this is very interesting chatter on both sides of the aisle. As I have said in my posts I think the place can be beautiful if finished but it's history has been extremely slow. I don't think anyone can argue with that This leads me to believe perhaps if you're looking to retire in the near future it may not be right, if you younger and you're looking to 15-20 years it could be paradise.

Like most level headed people moving to anywhere, visit first....rent for year and see if you fit in before investing hard earned money that you cold lose. It just makes sense whether you're moving to Belize, Florida, Arizona......anywhere that you're not familiar with.

realpro669 wrote:

I can't seem to get the link to work. Has it been removed?

I have to say this is very interesting chatter on both sides of the aisle. As I have said in my posts I think the place can be beautiful if finished but it's history has been extremely slow. I don't think anyone can argue with that This leads me to believe perhaps if you're looking to retire in the near future it may not be right, if you younger and you're looking to 15-20 years it could be paradise.

Like most level headed people moving to anywhere, visit first....rent for year and see if you fit in before investing hard earned money that you cold lose. It just makes sense whether you're moving to Belize, Florida, Arizona......anywhere that you're not familiar with.

Yes It was tricky for me too.  I just ignored the error message and clicked on popular posts or something like that and there were two or three different ones.

Yes there are still lots of questions around this development mostly because of how it's being financed.  I have to agree with the 15-20 plan. good luck

I have a lot there i own out right looking to sell personal reasons.OK big D lol lot 126 power and water area sold out anyone interested [Moderated] Dino Felice

I know Andrew.. I know Andrew personally. sorry you are miss informed... he has no part of this in any way shape or form .Kattie do your home work

SB will stop discover Belize tours in August this year.  Projections are to be sold out by that time. Two full years ahead of schedule.  It will be a full two years before all the power and water is available to all lots.  I'm not sure that my optimism is to aggressive.  I think that five years from now the airport will be running and some of the shops and amenities will be in place.  Medical facility's will at least be under construction.  It's just my opinion but the money is flowing and they have momentum.  It would make sense to capitalize on it.

The ownership of the development has recently employed what seems to be well qualified individuals to fix some of the prior issues.  Those being project time line and marina development.  They now have a coo with major project and architectural background and have outsourced management of the marina to what is supposed to be a major player in marina management.