Every real estate market has an origin story. Belize's is a family who booked a vacation to a country they had never even heard of, simply because it was the first direct flight on the airline app. Six years later, that family runs one of the most active real estate practices in the country.

That is the story Dean Astren shared as the first guest on Owning Paradise: The People Behind The Places, Airdomo's new interview series hosted by Stephanie Gilezan. The series exists to introduce buyers to the builders, brokers, and developers actually shaping the destinations Airdomo represents, starting with Belize.

How Did Dean Astren End Up Living And Working In Belize?

Dean was not searching for Belize. He was searching for a direct flight out of Calgary, Alberta, somewhere he and his wife Kim had never been before. Belize happened to be at the top of the airline's list of direct destinations.

What started as a one week trip on a small private island turned into something neither of them expected. By the time they reached the airport to fly home, Kim was already searching for flights back.

"This is the first time that we actually visited a country that we looked at each other and said, there's something about this place, we've gotta come back and explore. And we're not the only ones that have said that." Dean Astren, Real Estate Agent, Belize

For the next several years, Dean and Kim returned roughly every six months, landing in a different part of the country each time and simply exploring by rental car. That pattern of returning again and again is what eventually turned a vacation habit into a relocation plan.

The Trip That Made It Permanent

Around 2020, Dean and a group of partners were already exploring a development opportunity in Belize when international travel unexpectedly came to a stop. His family happened to be in the country when the airport closed behind them, and they ended up staying for several months while the world paused.

Rather than treat it as a setback, Dean saw it as a test. If Belize still felt right during the hardest possible stretch, it was worth committing to. They went home, sold their belongings in Canada, and moved permanently.

What Makes The Belize Real Estate Market Different From The US Or Canada?

Dean's background is not real estate. It is mechanical and electrical engineering. When he first connected with a broker in Belize to explore a development deal, that broker suggested he join as an agent instead. Once the original development plan fell apart, Dean and Kim became full-time agents, and his engineering background became one of his biggest advantages with buyers.

According to Dean, roughly 90 to 95 percent of Belize property buyers come from outside the country. Local demand is limited, partly because the government leases land to residents through a lottery-style system rather than requiring locals to purchase it outright. That leaves the private buying market, particularly beachfront property, dominated by North American and international investors.

From Retirement Destination To Investment Market

Belize's real estate market has shifted meaningfully in the last six to seven years. Here is how Dean described the transition:

1. Early buyers were largely retirees and semi-retirees looking for a quiet, affordable escape, similar to snowbird communities in Arizona or Florida.
2. Those early buyers often purchased large beachfront acreage decades ago for very little.
3. Many are now subdividing that land into smaller lots and selling them off individually.
4. That subdivided land is fueling a new wave of construction, much of it aimed at short-term rental income rather than retirement living.

Dean has even worked with buyers who purchased lots sight unseen with the sole intent of building and reselling, without ever visiting Belize in person.

What Should Buyers Watch Out For When Building In Belize?

This is where Dean's engineering background matters most. Belize follows the International Building Code, the same standard used across the US and Canada, and permits require full architectural drawings. The gap is enforcement.

In six years, Dean says he has never once met a government building inspector on a job site. That means nobody outside the contractor is verifying that the approved drawings are actually being followed once construction begins.

"Is it the drawings say you want half-inch rebar, but they're putting three-eighths in, and then they pour the concrete? The owner shows up, how would they ever know? My philosophy is you don't pour concrete until I come look." Dean Astren, Real Estate Agent, Belize

Dean is careful to note that most contractors in Belize are reliable, but the incentive structure can work against absent buyers. Because contractors are hesitant to turn down work, they sometimes take on more jobs than they can properly staff, which is how a project can stall for a year with little visible progress.

For buyers who are not physically in the country, Dean's team manages funds directly, pays contractors and suppliers on a controlled schedule, and personally verifies materials before concrete gets poured. That level of oversight, not the permit itself, is what actually protects a remote buyer's investment.

What Do People Get Wrong About Belize Before They Arrive?

Two misconceptions come up constantly, according to Dean.

• Belize is not an island. It sits on the Central American mainland, bordering Mexico and Guatemala. Ambergris Caye, home to the popular village of San Pedro, is a separate island and the country's main tourist draw, which is usually where the confusion starts.
• Belize is English-speaking. It is the only English-speaking country in Central America, and its legal system is built on British law. Contracts are straightforward, and buyers hold true title in their own name, unlike the ownership structures common in some neighboring countries.

How Does The Belize Dollar Work For Foreign Buyers?

The Belize dollar is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed two-to-one rate. It has held at that ratio consistently, with no history of overnight currency swings.

For North American buyers, that predictability removes one of the biggest sources of anxiety in international real estate: currency risk. Prices, budgets, and returns can be calculated in familiar terms without worrying about exchange rate volatility eating into a deal.

Is Belize Actually Safe For Buyers And Investors?

Dean draws a clear contrast between Belize and the all-inclusive resort model many travelers associate with the region. There are no gated compounds, armed guards, or bus-only excursions. Within a month of moving, Dean's wife was comfortable driving two hours alone to buy furniture from a stranger's listing in a village she had never heard of.

Dean is candid that crime exists in Belize, as it does everywhere, and that certain areas of Belize City are best avoided after dark. But day to day, life in the residential areas where most buyers settle is markedly more open than the resort-bordered experience many expect.

What Is A Reachable Real Estate Dream In Belize?

Not every buyer is chasing a multimillion dollar beachfront estate, and Dean is quick to point out that Belize has room for a much wider range of goals.

Staying strictly in the tourist-heavy areas means paying tourist prices, similar to what visitors pay anywhere in the world. But a five to ten minute drive inland puts buyers in local villages with dramatically lower costs of living, where the same meal that costs twelve dollars near the coast might cost two.

Dean is also seeing a distinct shift in who is buying. Alongside the retirees and investors, a younger, remote-working generation is increasingly drawn to Belize for small hobby farms of two to three acres, where they can grow their own food and work from anywhere. At the other end of the spectrum, investors continue to buy multimillion dollar beachfront homes to place into short-term rental pools.

A Deal That Closed At The Table

Asked for a story that captures how business gets done in Belize, Dean described a client who insisted on meeting the owners of a resort and restaurant he wanted to buy, despite the sellers initially refusing. Once the meeting happened, the buyer asked for the neighboring house as part of the deal on the spot.

"He goes, how much do you want for it? And so they threw a number at it, and he goes, okay, done. Reaches over, shakes their hand, and says, write it up." Dean Astren, Real Estate Agent, Belize

It is a small window into a market where relationships and trust still move faster than paperwork, which is exactly why having a local agent who can navigate both matters so much.

With around 450,000 people spread across the entire country, Dean describes Belize as a place where every region has its own culture and pace, and where opportunity has not caught up to demand yet. His advice to prospective buyers is simple: come see it in person before assuming any one part of Belize represents the whole country.