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Buying in Ecuador

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live2hike
  5/24/2019 08:37 EST

My husband and I are very interested in buying a retirement place in the next few months. Unfortunately we are still very much tied down with work and one more college student. We are unable to visit all of the places we are interested in. Ecuador is on our radar but we do not know much about it. We live in NJ so our questions are flight convenience, we want things to do and a lifestyle, privacy, beaches for sure. My husband was liking Belize but I dont really want a tourist commercial environment. Anyone out there that has some advice on the best place to retire or buy ??? if you need more information on what we are looking to focus on open to questions to narrow in on a place Just join the exchange so a little vague I know

ronwatral
  5/24/2019 12:17 EST

LIVE2: DO NOT BUY RIGHT AWAY....rent first...stay flexible so you can experience different cities...Manta...Salinas....Playas, Good luck

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LasOlas1
  5/24/2019 12:27 EST

Hello, My wife and I are owners at a development north of Manta. I would be happy to share the details. Please contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to chatting. Paul

BingoBill
  5/24/2019 13:04 EST

My Wife and I visited both Belize and Ecuador last year. Planning on a return visit to Ecuador in October. It has many areas that are not all tourist. Costs there are a bit pricey, due to large tariff on imports. Not much made there. Ecuador can provide a less expensive lifestyle and so many beaches and things to do. We moved to Florida from NY 7 years ago. Time for a new place. Best of Luck!

WebFey
  5/24/2019 13:41 EST

I have to agree, if you have not spent time here.. Do not think of buying!! Do not fall for adds that show great places being built on the coast. Come stay, travel, fall in love with an area. BUT.. This is not FL, life is very different here, and many go back disappointed. I would say the same with Belise where my brother fell in with a GREAT GUY, who was building a community. 10 years later!! But do come and check it out first. We have been here two years and love/hate it.. But we are not going back. Have learned that all expectations of two years of reading about Ecuador were gone in two weeks.

Dachdog
  5/24/2019 14:49 EST

Exactly. Don't romanticize it. It's a culture. And you have to prepare and know the negatives as well. You have to adjust. And do as the Romans, as they say. If you can change easily and adjust and mold yourself you'll be happy. But of you want to compare and complain you'll be miserable. If you're big on justice, don't come. If you can accept things the way they are and adjust. Come. Please notice the word adjust many times. That being said, there are many positives. And the changes are good for you. And the people are wonderful. know your place. Be humble and kind. And not entitled.

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peggyjune
  5/24/2019 15:00 EST

Dashdog - very wise words indeed! I am going to Ecuador for a 2nd trip - for another look around, I have lived in a foreign country, so I understand what you are saying. Everyplace has it's "plus" and "minus". Thanks for sharing your views

Dachdog
  5/24/2019 15:49 EST

You're welcome. I did a lot of research before coming. Mostly on culture and the difficulties. How best to succeed and how best to learn a language. I also came with built in support. So even though I was totally immersed I had help and people who had come before me to help me with challenges. That being said. I love it here. This is my home. I have no desire to return to my country. I have seen people come here and they were not emotionally, physically or spiritually prepared for the changes and they didnt blend well. Having your eyes open will make the transition much easier. I had a visitor from the states this last week. Having heard all.my stories and what to expect she came with open eyes and hearts and nothing upset her. And I was amazed at how well she liked her visit. I was very happy she enjoyed it. Happy planning peoples!

withoutego
  5/24/2019 17:02 EST

Live2hike

I will second the two best points of advice offered to you so far. This from someone with nearly ten years in Ecuador.

1. Do not buy in haste. Being advised to hurry and sign is a red flag. In Ecuador you should rent until you are very familiar with the feel of the place. Also, do not sign a contract. Rent month to month. I know too many folks who tied a noose around their neck that way. There is no need to. As others have said....its not the states, it is different.

2. Do not struggle to like it. Do not pressure your partner to like it. So many people blow their tops after several years of keeping a lid on their discontent. The simple reality is that neither you or Ecuador will change any time soon, I've compared it with courtship - you and Ecuador are right for each other or you are not. Takes time to tell. Like courtship its six months, a year, a couple of years.

Don't worry about the language. I have seen so many migrants here who learn practically no Spanish yet get by. Some people have an almost negative affinity for another language. Trying to force yourself with a crash course will often put you off learning for life...like the person who avoids spinach as an adult because of being pressured to eat it as a child.

good luck

sinego

cmgmemphis
  5/26/2019 16:58 EST

We don't live in Ecuador yet but just completed our first stay in Ecuador in Feb. We flew into Quito then spent 3 weeks in Cuenca and absolutely fell in love with the weather, the people and the overall vibe of the old part of the city. We stayed in a beautiful hostel tgat was once a large family home 3 blocks from the main square and cathedral. We drove through the expat communities and was too much like US suburbs for us. Due to an ear infection we had the experience of finding a specialist and getting treatment in Cuenca. We were pleasantly surprised with the ease of getting an appointment, the time the doctor spent with him, the very low cost for the visits and medicines she prescribed. He had a second visit just before heading home and again had a great experience. We worked hard to communicate as much as possible in out very broken Spanish with the help of Google translate and patient Ecuadorians who seemed happy to help us. We also met locals in the square who wanted to practice their English and had a great time seeing their pride in learning another language and our attempt to learn Spanish. We spent 5 days in Quito before flying home and it dudn't take us long to decide Quito is too big for us. As semu-retired real estate brokers, we had done some research on properties for sale and looked at some of those with a taxi driver we paid for a few hours to drive us around. We also checked out rentals. We saw many nice places but decided that we aren't ready to relocate permanently but would rather keep our current residence in Memphis and make a couple of 30-45 day trips to Ecuador each year. We found it very inexpensive to get 30 day+ rentals thru AirBnB and not be tied down with owning a place in Ecuador. Aa long as we reside in the US for at least 6 months our Medicare Advantage insurance pays for foreign medical needs that are over the minor expenses we would have like on previous trip.

As recent visitors I highly suggest that you make several trips to Ecuador and spend at least 2 weeks in any cities you have an interest in before making a decision about where you want to live and whether you want to ultimately buy or just rent and remain flexible. We loved the mountain elevation of Cuenca and the historical part of town. We lived in south FL for 4 years and didn't like not having seasons and we aren't beach folks so we know beach towns aren't for us. Cuenca seems good for us since it has a good airport and temperatures moderate year round. Now we just plan more visits and more day trips to the beautiful small towns and mountains surrounding Cuenca. We plan to return in August and have a very nicely renovated 1 BR apt 4 blocks from main square reserved for $400 for 30 days. That's perfect for us and any places we checked out could be rented for any length of time we wanted. You will see that AirBnB rentals can seem to be high if rented daily, but with a monthly rate they are as much as 60% less when rented for 30 days.

Good luck with your search but don't make first trip one to buy a house. Take your time to decide where to be and what the right price should be.

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