Starting to Reconsider Ecuador- Need Advice Bad!

Rent for 6 months to a year and see if it's a good fit for you and you mother. No offense, but selling off your assets, and moving to a place that you have no first hand knowledge of is a recipe for disaster. As far as financing am not a definitive source, but most countries in Latin America are a cash based economy.

I think come here and stay for a while is a good suggestion.
To move to another country is a big move. I went to the States this year (just for 3 months) and I felt was a huge change.
Like wath people likes to eat at lunch time.
Prices for little things.
No sidewalks where to walk.
Restriction for all kind of things.
How people behave.

In Ecuador you will be abe to find nice stuff for your pet in mayor cities. People in little cities has another things in mind and they use their money different.

About makeup, is not big deal. Just you will need bring your own and be ready just in case you cant find something that you like.

I have a blog where I try to explain things to people who is interested to move to Ecuador. goodlifeinecuador.wordpress.com or FB GoodLifeInEcuador.

If you have any question I will be glad to respond. Hope I have the answer!!

Oh, btw gringopost.com is a good place to talk to people:)

Grace: I totally agree with the 'rent first' advice. I've seen several people get burned here in the Philippines by buying property, and then later realizing this isn't the right place for them.

I'm not there, but based on my research $50k-$75k seems very optimistic for beach living. To be honest, it sounds like something International Living might say -- if that's where you got your info, I would definitely suggest doing more research.

Re makeup and pet supplies -- outside big cities in most foreign countries, it can be difficult to get some of the products you are used to. Here, there's little problem finding most of what I want in Manila or Cebu, but in smaller towns the stores carry only what the locals buy. That's another reason for renting first.

Thank you for the advice. Moving down there for six months isn't feasible for me in my situation. If I go down there it would have to be to move.

No, I wasn't getting those prices off LI. I was seeing them on real estate websites showcasing properties for sale. There are a lot in Salinas being advertised for $35-$100,000 a few blocks from the beach.

I'm not too worried about makeup as much as I am that once down there, we wont have certain things we need. Hearing that there are pet stores in big cities is good, but it's concerning when they might not have something necessary where we are planning and getting anything shipped from the US is a joke.

I've heard reports it's a paradise, then it's a bedbug infested hellhole. I've heard you can rent a luxury apartment for $200 a month in Cuenca, to it's closer to $1000 to live there.

I'm watching videos on Youtube, researching through Google, talking to realtors and expats, and everyone's story seems a bit different. It's good to hear all the pros and cons before moving.

One of the big draws of Ecuador was the healthier food. Then I've heard that Ecuador imports a lot of food from America (perish the thought!).

It seems really hard to find reliable information. (

Like the rest of us, read, read, read & read. You will notice after awhi;e that common themes begin to become redundant and those usually mean there replies and insights are fairly accurate and reliable.
Ain't nothing but an adventure and after 2 years I still find a new one a day sometimes 3 or 4 a day/
It's all good, just not America so if having a strip mall or home depot around the corner is important and offers you some reality than you're screwed.

I wouldn't be moving to Ecuador looking for Home Depot or strip malls so that wont be too much of a shock.

You are very right Grace about trying to find reliable information. People have different experiences, expectations, and the like. For some it's a paradise, and for others it's a miserable experience. Some info. is just bogus with an agenda to sell, but a lot of the info. is coming from people's own personal experiences, and it's going to vary from person to person.

You and your mother could find a terrfic place at a great price, and it could be a great fit and experience for you and your mother. However the other side of the spectrum which people never want to face is what happens if you sell your place, buy something, and come to the conclusion that this isn't really a good fit for you and your mother? Now you might get lucky, and be able to sell right away and get money back, but there's also a good chance that you won't be able to sell any time soon, or have to take a big loss. Now I don't know your financial situation per se, but have to look at things from all angles (both good and bad).

Yes and that is very commonsense. I don't know if I'm not asking the question correctly. I've posed it on this, and another forum and gotten strange reactions. People seem to assume that I'm trying to find a "Little America" or have everything in Ecuador that I have in America. I'm not sure why they make this assumption, as I'm just trying to find information so I can flesh out my expectations a bit. I'm simply looking to understand what life might be like if I make this move. If I will be able to buy an electric toothbrush and Water Pik for instance? Or if there is a huge problem with bug or rodent infestation? Will I have to worry about crime? Are there shipping companies that can get needed items down to me (I happily found out there is). Can you really rent an apartment in Cuenca for $250 furnished? What kinds of activities can you enjoy down there? Are there American movie theaters? Is there modern shopping outside of major cities? How are 'Gringos' really treated down there? Etc.

These are all commonsense questions that I'm trying to answer to determine if this will be a good fit for me, and it seems rather difficult to find the answers!

Hello,

Life in Ecuadsor is very different than in the States. An, in Ecuador, is very different to life in a big city: Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca than in a small town.
In small towns you don't have big shopping malls, good hospitals, paved roads, good internet services.... Things  are improving but there's a log road ahead. 

In the coast you have few touristic towns like Salinas, Bahia de caraquez, Tonsupa were you can find nice apartments,houses but they're expensive, then you have small charming towns, with low rents but life there is very simple.

In the coast the big deal is ants, if you leave a small piece of food in the kitchen you will have a buch of ants there.
About Cuenca,the city I live, you can get good renting places  they're hard to find but $200 is not going to happend, is more like $300 and unfurnished.

Come here and be happy is about attitude and willingness.  You have two options, live in a gringo guetto or try to blend.

Vinny

Dear Ms Grace,

You could come down with every intention of staying long term and RENT ...

Try a month or two or ...? in each of several locations that interest you (based on what you can learn on this forum and other sources) and find out for yourself which one(s) if any are worth BUYING into.

Since residential real estate isn't likely to be an investment Home Run in Ecuador, you won't have left much, if anything, "on the table" profit-wise if you buy 6 mos. to 2 years after arriving.  The best way to make a good investment here is to KNOW what you're getting into from personal experience.

Also, rather than have a bunch of folks on this blog tell YOU what to do [me included], you might wish to leisurely review all of the relevant posts that remain on the site (as previously suggested) and then perhaps use "Private Messages" with one of more folks that you think have credibility as well as YOUR best interests at heart to get confirmation and/or elaboration on specifics.

I guess my point is ...  The only BIG mistake you're likely to make is a bad R/E purchase.  Everything else can be changed, tweaked, adjusted, etc without a lot of grief.  As for safety, there are no guarantees anywhere, even in Newport Beach (California, Virginia, Oregon ... ???)

Take care and best wishes ...

    Carlos  aka  "ElGringoBueno"

PS  I have no financial or other axe to grind.  If you want to know who I've determined offer useful, helpful information you're welcome to send a Private Message by clicking on my username.  I've not been to Ecuador yet, so I'm not a good source of the specifics, nor pretend to be ...

Why do you say that Ecuador doesn't have much real estate investment value? I might have been mislead but what I've researched tends to suggest that you can make quite huge gains on your investments. I'm researching buying a home in Salinas, and am seeing many homes sell for $30,000- $100,000. I've been told repeatedly that prices are going up quite a lot. I've heard that people are purchasing land in (I think it's called Puerto Cayo?) and flipping it a year or two later at 250% their investment.

One of the big draws for me in moving to Ecuador, is the possibility of turning meager capital into something that can grow better than I would be able to in America.

I would love to hear what you have heard to the contrary, and anything anyone would like to chime in with about this issue. This is probably one of the biggest deciding factors for me!

Thanks )

You might want to consider whether the folks who are telling you about the outrageous profit potential of anything, anywhere, anytime have an economic axe to grind ...

If you revisit this topic on the blog, you'll find the same advice over and over again ...

You're welcome to choose whom to believe ...

   Carlos

PS  If you're simply jerking our chain for entertainment purposes, then give yourself one LAST notch on your six-shooter ... 

PPS  Perhaps you're posting should be titled Need Bad Advice instead of Need Advice Bad ...?

If you want to buy real estate I will like to suggest use a ecuadorian smoke screen.. I mean, ask a ecuadorian find prices for you and dont look in gringo places.

These are just suggestions, you know what you want.

My husband and I were looking for a real estate on the beach and we found it at Puerto Lopez, at the best price and the best view that we found after ride around asking prices for 3 weeks.

I called, walked, talked to people all that time.

For some reason, gringos are asking too much money, more than when the owner is a ecuadorian. And if you think a ecuadorian will ask you too much, ask a ecuadorian friend ask for you.

Or, ask for recomendations, someone reliable that can help you doing that.

The place that I found in Puerto Lopez is big, the owner still have 6hectars for sale at $20-30 sm

If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Sure you can get lucky, and make big profits in real estate in a short time. It's speculation. You're speculating that the price will go up and you'll make a profit. Have no problem with that personally, but beware the risks that you'll lose big time are also very real. Not every property is going to go up in price. Kind of reminds me of the internet .com stocks awhile back. Everyone said it's a new economy, and prices were always going to go up no matter what stock you bought. We all know how that worked out for most, or even more recently the housing bubble. It was a new economy, and housing prices were going to rise forever. Well how did that work out? Same principles apply to Ecuador or any other country. Don't count your profits until they are in your pocket.

Virtualgrace you got great advice do not sell off anything.
Move down here 180 day visa rent for six months...look around dont talk about buying naria pia is honest she emailed you and gave you her site....i know her...
You should know spanis to move here because i think eighty percent speak spanish abd you have to know what is going on....you can buy anything but would you want it??????  ha no kidding.   some beaches you would not want to be around lloss of humidity and not a lot of people not beautiful beaches like you are thinking..
You can keep your money in states and get a little at a time...come with two credit cards and hide them....see you open up a savings and a checking here but you dont p
ut much in here because if you and your mother want to leave you have to pay five percent on the meney you brought in to go out....there is a lot to think about here... You will learn a lot from gringos.....and you can ask each one questions checkiyou ng their anwers....there are a lot of proceedures here...you do not want a reasonable house with no water and electric and in a dangerous area for your mother and yourself....you will have to give up things dont kid yourself your coming tova different country a different world...you will need a lot of paper work to move here and orginals with seals on them, plus aposeled from state abd not an old date  as you can tell there are a lot of things you have to do...a lot...you just dont march in...and it is frustrating...they dont do it like america it is different so start learning spanish now...
You could get here and not like it...we thought mexico would be to violent and we hear it is.
No guns in ecuador which is nice though in country sides men are violent towards women so you want to stay in populated areas which woman tend to do stay in numbers smart.  but look at that girl in india that was raped and killed on a bus and no one helped her.

So true so true i agree how many yrs before you see your profit tell me that

virtualgrace wrote:

These are all commonsense questions

No, they are not.  People considering moving to a foreign country, with a parent to support, having very little income, do not ask about making 250% profit on real estate deals.  I'm not in Ecuador, but I don't have to be to know that's just silly.

If you're serious about becoming an expat, take the time to read through the posts on this forum and others like it.  Better yet, read the blogs of people who have moved to Ecuador.  You'll find plenty of information about day to day life.

Don't read International Living.  Ignore investment schemes.  Quit looking at gringo real estate websites.  If it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true.

John

Left you have been doing Expat.com a long time.....its scary to read people coming who have no experience IH MY GOD they are in a hurray...are they kidding, havent read, havent done research, oh mt and tgey think they are going to come and do well they are not..,.are they drinking ir smoking?????
please dont come without a lot if research you are not going to make a lot of money....,it is difficut to live here..,,very..,get accurate infornation and nit from international living haha
Left is right....

Have been reading these blogs, talking to some expats in Ecuador and researching a number of other places online that have good Ecuador info for about seven months. I have done a fair amount of travel and lived 10 years in bush Alaska. It really sounds like you should think very carefully before selling your house and showing up with the $$$ even to rent.When you talk about needing light-skinned make-up, pet specialty stores, electric toothbrushes and water-piks it really does sound like you might have a difficult time adjusting. Had you considered going for a few weeks vacation? Cost of living is relative to standard of living that is acceptable to you. Can't say much about real estate but all of the posts above sound like good advice.

suefrankdahl wrote:

and lived 10 years in bush Alaska.

Extreme divergence in POV, eccentricity = 1. You automatically qualify as an expert on this point. Do you know Sara Palin? I have lived in the bush...lol. There's nothing like it.
James

Rather, remote part of Alaska. I should have seen that coming.
Actually did live for awhile in Wasilla which is her hometown. Some very funny stories about her. Don't know if you follow American politics (best if you don't we can be very uncivilized) but she made a  jackass out herself every time she spoke off script and was great fodder for  comedians and satirists here.

Sue

suefrankdahl wrote:

Rather, remote part of Alaska. I should have seen that coming.
Actually did live for awhile in Wasilla which is her hometown. Some very funny stories about her. Don't know if you follow American politics (best if you don't we can be very uncivilized) but she made a  jackass out herself every time she spoke off script and was great fodder for  comedians and satirists here.

Sue

It's in the Canadian nature to study US politics. When you are a mouse living next to an elephant, you want to watch his every step. 

Palin reminds me so much of people i have known in life. The fact that she can be just a regular jackass sometimes is maybe an endearing trait. Would I vote for her? Maybe in local office, possibly. (diplomatic answer)

James

How you doing virtualgrace?

Are you getting your paperwork together? Do you know what paperwork you will need in Ecuador? Did you know you can ask for 180days visa? So you can have time enoguh to get residence and aply for social benefits for your mother?

In personal experience I will suggest:

Dont trust in lawyers.
Ask different people, not only Americans (I have found some of them are taking advantage of other Americans, lying or over pricing)
Learn what certain words means.
Ask more than 2-3 gov functionaries (some of them has different version of the same thing)

Hope you are doing well.

Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum and this is the first post I'm reading. I was born in Ecuador and lived in Guayaquil most of my life, although I lived almost 10 years in North Carolina, which I consider home.

I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer here, or discourage people from moving to Ecuador, as I understand it all depends on tastes and the lifestyle every person wishes to have.

What I can tell you is that the saying "the grass is always greener on the other side" is more than true. I'm amazed at how many Americans want to move here. Their reasons to leave the states and choose a third world country that develops at the speed of a turtle as their permanent residence is beyond me. I wouldn't move to Bolivia or Venezuela even if the airline ticket was offered to me as a gift.

Ecuador can be a nice country to live if you have tons of money (you can make a very decent living with $3,000 steady dollars every month, that's good for a family of 2. With children is way more difficult, because good schools run from $500 each month, and that without including uniforms, materials, books and fees for different activities. There are also public schools, but not at all like in the States, the system here is corrupt, students in the public system are always in the middle of sex and drug scandals, I mean big time scandals involving death threats to teachers and videos of sexy parties uploaded in youtube that no parent would like to see their kids in.

Health is only good if you can afford private doctors and hospitals, social security is a big joke here and people have to wait up to 6 months and sometimes more to see a specialist or get an MRI, for example. There are HMO's too, but they sound more like a rip-off and I never had coverage with any of them to be bale to tell my personal story.

It's funny because most people here would kill to be able to live and work legally in the United States so they can run away from Ecuador as fast as they can. This is the land of NO opportunities, most people with university degrees are driving cabs because there are no decent jobs available, and the minimum wage (which is a monthly salary, not an hourly rate) is $350 dollars. I met a woman who worked steadily for the past 40 years with the minimum wage. When she retired, her pension came out to be $200 dollars a month! Talking about jokes.

To buy a home may be cheaper here than in the states, but do you really want to live in a country where everyone is looking for a way to rip you off or charge you three times more because you're a "gringo"? Renting is the same or even higher than in the states, which is ridiculous taking into consideration the $350 dollar monthly salary that most people survive on.

Groceries are even more expensive here, we don't have Sunday grocery coupons coming with the newspaper, or "buy one get one free" promotions. At Harris Teeter, I could afford way more stuff than in Mi Comisariato, which with Tía are the most economic supermarkets in town.

If I would have the money, I wouldn't invest ONE PENNY in this country, the laws are designed to protect evil people. People often don't respect the law because for petty crimes like not paying the rent or not fulfilling a contract there's no prison or fines, people can go on with their lives after they have screwed yours.

I miss the goodwill and generosity of the American people, the peace of mind that I had living in a small American town without the fear of an "express kidnapping" or an armed robbery or someone breaking into my house. I miss the fall in North Carolina and how everything is so beautiful and organized. The perspective is different after living most of my life in a third world country, you guys are blessed and I wish I could be in your place. I wouldn't want to come back here, never, ever again.

Great post Michele. I hope a lot of people see it. You should have started a new thread. I bet more people would read it that way. It is nice to have a different perspective.

Michele, a great post that should be mandatory reading for those considering a move to Ecuador. While Ecuador has several attractions, it also has significant downsides.

Thanks Michele,

It's very kind of you to go to all the trouble writing that and posting it for everyone. I admire you for that.

Thanks a lot.

Thank you a lot for giving me the opportunity to share my views, I will follow your advice and open a new thread.

Michele, unlike the folks who posted above, I find your comments interesting, but I don't agree with them. In my travells, there are two places in the world where I see the good old American dream still alive and well, and I believe there is a lot more opportunity than in the USA. Those places are Ecuador and S. Korea. Yes, it's true, Ecuador is not a good place to be a minimum wage worker. It is, however, a great place to opperate a business.

There is a reason people are bailing out of the USA like rats off a sinking ship. It's no different than the influx of immigration from Europe to the USA in the 20s and 30s. If I were Ecuadorian, I might feel differently, but having been to the 4 corners of the world, I believe Ecuador is one of the best places, and I think it has a brighter future than the USA. Yes, there's corruption, but in the USA the corruption is legalized and just an everyday part of the system of governance.

I have known too many people that have moved to another country before experiencing it. I would seriously try before you buy. And I mean exactly that - don't sell all your assets only to find out you don't like it or it's not a good fit. 

Many of your questions will be answered only a couple weeks after arriving. As far as corruption - it's everywhere not just Ecuador.

Given your comments about the shipping, quality of life, not being able to have a cell phone some are probably extremely exaggerated and some just urban legends. However the shipping is true. Welcome to South America.





Matt V. - Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil
Visit my Personal Blog - brazilbs.blogspot.com

Altho' you've likely thought of it already, I would suggest that you "copy and paste" your original, well written piece.

It appears that many expats on this and other blogs are retired with no children in the household and many likely have upwards of $2,500 or so to live on.

There are many, however, who buy into the Int'l Living hyperbole and then are quite disappointed.  Americans tend to believe what they want to believe and then blame everyone and everything for their poor choices.

I haven't made the move yet as I'm soaking up all of the info [and ignoring the BS from Int' Living and the expat Lonely Old Farts Club members] ...

There is a trade off that might not have as much value to you as those who have watched America change over the past 20- 30 years ...

After a lifetime of mindless consumerism, broken promises and suffering a culture steeped in celebrity worship, a little simplicity might appear to be a good alternative.

I may well remain in the US of A as I'm not a quitter and there appears to be the chance for some positive results from the current meltdown(s) in the federal fracas ... 

However, as a non-quitter, I will continue my due diligence on Ecuador before making the go or no-go decision.  It seems to be making some progress [perhaps slowly] under a populist president and it might be nice to help out in some small way.

    Carlos   aka "ElGringoBueno"   

PS  You sound like a good soul, America could use a few more like you ...!

PPS  Some of the expats are good souls, too ...  Others?  Not so much!

You got that right about corruption in the good ole USA!!!!

She actually was quite a good governor. Knew how to kick but and get things done. She was absolutely ruthless in local politics.
Once she got dazzled by the spotlight of national politics all her small town Alaska ways just couldn't stand up to the scrutiny. Ah well, at least she's rich and put Wasilla back on the map. When I was there it was full of new empty strip malls, developer heaven. It was supposed to be the capitol because of it's proximity to Anchorage but there were some dirty dealings and Juneau became capitol. Actually quite a charming city as Alaska goes.

"There are many, however, who buy into the Int'l Living hyperbole and then are quite disappointed."

I think you hit the real problem right on the head... "expectations". When you read some of the letters you see that people are looking for "the former American good life". They want what the US has on a budget.

If these are the expectations... it will never be achieved because it only exists in one's mind.

I have seen this living in the Middle East. The people who don't do well are those who want things the way they were back home.

It's also the same with travelers. The best just go with the flow...the worst keep comparing things to home or keep looking for a Holiday Inn.

If you want the US life style stay there... if you want adventure... go for it.

michelealzate wrote:

I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer here, or discourage people from moving to Ecuador, as I understand it all depends on tastes and the lifestyle every person wishes to have.

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights.  I welcome and appreciate all honest advice, negative or positive, about Ecuador.  Would you mind talking a little more about the cost of living?  You are the first person I've heard say it takes $3,000 a month for a couple to have a good life in Ecuador.  That's double what some of the retired Expat.comgers are saying, and from here in the USA, it looks like they have a pleasant life, with health insurance, a clean apartment, etc.

My wife and I are definitely coming for financial reasons.  To put it bluntly, staying here means poverty and working until the day we drop dead.  That said, we look forward to learning the language, meeting new people, and making a home and place for ourselves among Ecuadorans in an Ecuadoran neighborhood.  We think it will be challenging in some ways, but what isn't?

We are amused by some of the expat complaints - can't find their favorite candy bar - there's only two bathrooms in their high-rise condo - they had to pay double for a BMW - somebody stole their cell phone.

I grew up in a trailer, worked construction all my life, drive a ten year old truck and get my shoes from the Salvation Army.  My wife cooks from scratch, fixes vintage furniture for extra money and grew up in a small one bathroom house with three siblings.  Crime?  There have been twenty murders within six blocks of our house in the last two years.

Anyway, thanks again, Michele.  We constantly rethink our plans and look forward to hearing more from you.

$3k gives you a fancy life here.
Furnished apt, all services include, in a decent area $400-$600
Bus ride: 0.25cts
Taxi Ride: never I had ask $5
Lunch in a decent restaurant: $2.50-$7
Cellphone service: You can receive calls even if you dont have credit on it.
Banks accounts: Anybody with legal residence can have one
Come to the beach: $8-$12 Guayaquil ride, $2.50 extra to Montañita
Make a color copy: 0.25-0.50cts
FB goodlifeinecuador

[Moderated: Off topic + No politics]

Thanks for the cost breakdown Maria.

Would you or anyone else be able to give me a cost of schooling ( in Quito )?

Also, as someone who works as a paramedic in the UK what work/wages is there in Ecuador?

BlaenauBoy wrote:

Thanks for the cost breakdown Maria.

Would you or anyone else be able to give me a cost of schooling ( in Quito )?

Also, as someone who works as a paramedic in the UK what work/wages is there in Ecuador?

Blaenauboy:
As an expat with an Ecuadorian wife, we returned to Quito in 2005 to care for her ailing mother. Based on this I would recommend against moving here:
1. As they say "you can never go home". I am sure your wife has fond memories of bonding with family and the comfort of living in her culture. Reality is over time relationships change and your wife's expectations are different than when she last lived here.
2. Education for children is expensive and job opportunities are very limited.
3. Your ability to find a job as a paramedic is probably good however the compensation will be poor.
4. Any relocation requires acceptance by both parties. Obviously you have strong (and realistic) concerns which will resurface on a daily basis.

Best of luck.