Ecuador is MORE than the "Next Costa Rica" In fact Costa Rica will be lost in Ecuador's shadow very soon. Opportunity is at the door and you hear the knock, will you answer...

Or...will you once again say..."I should have invested when the price was right!!"

If you are reading this then you probably already know that Ecuador is quite possibly the BEST deal in ALL of Latin America...that includes Mexico all the way to the tip of South America. It is for a number of reasons and you should consider them seriously if you have entertained the thought of owning a refuge outside of your home country.

Since you are reading this on our site you know...this is Gerald & Laurie Brokate. We have been living in Ecuador for a few years now full time. We visit the states every year to visit my grown children and Grandchildren...if they weren't there I most likely would not venture back to the "Good Ol' USA". Let us share with you some of the things that put Ecuador at the Head of the Class in our opinion. We certainly do NOT know it all about Ecuador, but we have OBSERVED incredible growth and improvements since the day we moved here in 2014. And the influx of others like us confirm that there must be something here that draws so many of us in such a short period of time.

We think one of the strongest points to share is that Ecuador is growing from within! we say that because even though there are large numbers moving to Ecuador...we are NOT driving the market here. Ecuadorians are driving the market AND prices are on the rise because of what THEY are willing to pay for real estate in their country. We have yet to see large amounts of foreign investment money coming in....when we do...watch out, prices will Sky Rocket at a phenomenal pace then. Costa Rica was driven by foreign dollars coming in...not so here. We watch the market around us continue to climb to what I feel will someday catch Costa Rica prices. We have seen prices in exclusive neighborhoods go from $50 a square meter for a building lot to over $400 a square meter and were NOT talking about beach front...this is INLAND in Guayaquil. Thankfully the most expensive beach front properties are for the most part in the $200 a square meter range. Oh...you can still find stuff at a couple of dollars per square meter, but you will need to buy a LOT of it and typically bring in utilities and infrastructure (which is great for a person with some Developer in their blood). Where Salinas' beach front lots used to be about $75 to $100 a square meter...they are now approaching $300 or more per square meter depending on the location. Once again the majority of the buyers are locals...so forget about this "Gringo Pricing" thing you hear. You will see that still take place from time to time on remote properties, but if you or an Ecuadorian are standing "in line" to buy a condo, town home or home in a gated community...you will BOTH pay the same price. We all know the old saying about beach front..."they ain't making anymore of it". That is alive and well/true in Ecuador. Once an area experiences positive growth watch out. The "Hot Spots" are Salinas, Ballenita, Punta Blanca, Ayangue, Manglaralto, Rio Chico, Montanita, Olon, Puerto Lopez, Manta and further north is are much slower now due to the earthquake You need to come STAND on as many beaches as you can and see which one is THE place for you. The Andes offer the same experience for those that love the majestic mountain style of living. From Quito to Vilcabamba you can find lifestyles of the Rich and Famous...to the local farmer living off the land. What's important to you...THAT'S what is important. Where do you wish to live, invest and enjoy life?

Another big draw is Ecuador has such a consistent year round climate in most of it's popular locations. We experience NO severe weather patterns...no monsoons, typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes...nada. So your little "grass shack" will be there for years to come. The typical initial thought is "Ecuador...on the equator...must be the hottest and most humid place on earth"....WRONG...We were pleasantly surprised the first time I came to Ecuador to find LESS humidity, much less heat and just an overall Spring/Summer type existence in most areas I visited. There is humidity, but nothing like Central America or the southern states up in the USA. We can honestly say we have NEVER seen a 100 degree day in Ecuador...can't say that about California or Missouri where we grew up. So you have this very pleasant year round climate to enjoy. Your body also will be thankful it doesn't have to "gear up" for harsh winters or brutal summers. This is one of the contributors to long life here...you body will thank you!

We mentioned "nothing but improvements" since we have been here. we have witnessed road ways improve dramatically ALL over the country. We have seen new and improved medical facilities spring up....even in smaller villages. We have seen schools improve and offer wider based curriculum...most every High School student here can READ...not true in some places "up north". The government has been one of the more stable and PRODUCTIVE we have seen. Every country has it's problems, but it seems Ecuador hits theirs Head On and get's things done when needed. We have witnessed a few uprisings, but in a matter of days they are OVER...FINISHED....and business goes on as usual. We see the president here more as a CEO rather than a president (of course there are politics, but he is smart...even clever in how he works with other leaders). We call him a CEO in that "WHY?" would you get rid of a CEO when he is making the "company" stronger, more productive, improving conditions within the "company" and LEADING his "company" in the right direction. It makes no sense to change things if things are improving, growing, becoming the BEST country in Latin America. Many of the other countries are in trouble and staring at a dismal future...Ecuador on the other hand has a bright future ahead.

One thing most people don't take into consideration is that Ecuador is NOT a strategic location...so NOT high on anyone's list as a country to Take Over. We have enough natural resources to completely care for the country, but NOT enough to take care of the world. We also can function if by chance the Internet was to be taken down by terrorists (which we truly believe will happen one day....we are not a Dooms Dayer's, but this would bring chaos to most every country on the globe). Ecuador for the most part would go on operating as per the norm and people would not freeze, die from heat stroke, starve or kill to get what they didn't have. You think this is crazy thinking?? Think about what CAN NOT take place when the Internet goes down....NO shipping, NO traffic control (we mean actual car traffic), NO flights leaving major airports, NO power distribution, NO life as everyone is accustom to in today's World of Technology. Communication would cease as this new generation has become DEPENDENT on. People here (the majority of them) do NOT depend on technology for their day to day needs. If something goes wrong around the world....we know we will have food to eat. water to drink, stores able to sell items with or without the Internet or even electricity for that matter and not have to worry about someone breaking into our house because we have a storage room full of food etc. We imagine you get where were going with this. People here know how to live off the land, be resourceful, creative and share what they have with others. Ecuador is almost idyllic...no...We would say it IS idyllic.

Markets come and go. They go up and they usually go down somewhere in the journey. The beauty of this market is EVEN if you get "stuck" one day (which we really doubt) with owning a piece of Ecuador....would that be a Bad Thing???? We don't think so. We like to have the worse case scenario have a happy ending...If we are stuck swinging in our hammock, sipping fresh coconut milk out of a coconut, watching the waves wash into the shore and NOT able to sell our home one day....WHAT'S the problem???

We have become enthralled with this place...is it perfect...NO...but it might be perfect enough for you...it is for us.

First of all a lot of the info you receive from some sources can be somewhat outdated or not current with "reality". We have told people for years this is like being in Costa Rica of say 15 plus years ago. We have great prices, but they are rising at a surprisingly rapid rate.

Gone is the day of the $10,000 beachfront lot or the $50,000 beach house. Let us qualify that a bit... you can still find those on RARE occasion, but they will be either very remote, in dire need of repair or something will be wrong with the paperwork (the title). We all dream of hunting down that "Piece of Paradise" somewhere in the world and we still believe Ecuador is your best Latin American country to do that in... just get ready to probably pay a bit more than you had hoped. When compared with the rest of Latin America you can't beat the prices or the VALUE of what you can buy here. Value is an important word to keep in mind when thinking of a purchase. Costa Rica and Panama (and other countries) have been riding the wave as the place to buy, but now they have topped out in value and the chance for appreciation after the purchase has waned. The other contributing factors to Ecuador's value is it (in our humble opinion) has much better weather (less humidity and heat), a strong growing economy (more on that in a moment), stable government, the people here are very warm and engaging, your beach front property belongs to YOU (unlike Mexico and a few other Latin American countries) and they use the US dollar as their currency (yes, that has advantages and disadvantages, but it works very well for the time being).

So basically we all want "a good deal" and to feel like we were not taken advantage of in the process. That can be accomplished here... you just need to know the value of surrounding like parcels, homes or condos. Unfortunately with a newer MLS system the comps are just not there yet. That's where years of experience come in handy when hunting down that Piece of Paradise. Paradise can get ugly fast if you don't do your homework before the purchase. Involving a good lawyer is always suggested, but they too can be hard to find (as it is anywhere in the world nowadays). The person you work with hopefully has an up to date knowledge of prices and the surrounding areas high/low points. Any upcoming improvements or problems in the area of interest that could have an impact on property value are paramount to know. This is not as easy as it sounds, but being in the "Loop" pays off in Aces! The old saying "It's not what you know, but who you know" is alive and well here. There are so many areas that are getting cash infusions and as many NOT getting them. Obviously where money is being spent to improve an area will no doubt help your purchase appreciate faster than those in areas that don't have that luxury. I have been fortunate to be in the right place a number of times over the last 8 years. And not by luck... but by receiving information that was bound to turn an area into the "next spot" to live or invest in... Playas is one of those areas. We came to Playas over 3 years ago on information that a huge transformation was in the midst of taking place. Well, that transformation did take place and it continues to do so. Prices are still very good, but definitely on the up tick.

Now something that you have to keep in mind and embrace actually is that foreigners are NOT driving up prices here on the coast like you see them doing in the Andes' regions. Reason being is the economy in and around Guayaquil (Ecuador's largest city and closest to the beaches) is booming and there is a LOT of money in Guayaquil. Many people here have the ability to own beautiful homes in the city AND buy beach homes or condos for holiday use primarily. The old premise of Gringo and Local pricing is somewhat of a myth here (unless you go out on your own and knock on a door with a for sale sign). Yes, Gringo pricing can still take place, but when you go to buy a condo, home in a gated community or a building lot in a gated community you will pay the EXACT same price as the Ecuadorian in line to buy the same property. We get tired of hearing that "we" are driving up prices here. This is misinformation that people LOVE to keep pushing. Know your market or have someone that does and then make your offer. Keep in mind that this is actually a Seller's Market, but the prices are still very attractive. People are not "trying" to sell things for the most part, things are selling readily at fair prices on the coast.

So bottom line is the $10,000 beach front lot has now become (a minimum of) a $40,000 beach lot. The $50,000 beachfront home has become at least $100,000 in most areas, but let's put that in perspective. In California that lot would be a minimum of $300,000.00 based on 5,000 sq. feet of beachfront or view property. The beachfront home REALLY takes a jump... it could be as much as $6.5 million... so buying real estate in Ecuador on a warmer stretch of the Pacific turns out to be quite a value and the taxes are much lower. In fact just the tax savings alone can sometimes be your entire year's needs for living expenses. You will still find the occasional $50,000 condo with a view, but it will normally need some sprucing up. You can find homes from $100,000 upwards to $2 million so all hope is not lost. It all depends on what is YOUR idea of Paradise and how much that Piece will cost you. So when you hear that land is "cheap in Ecuador"... well, it really is, but just not as cheap as it used to be.

Lately too many of those executions have been just that...killers of our returns in this market. Every day there is more gloom and doom and unfortunately it is well founded at this time in the markets. What if there was a place, an investment, a commodity let's call it that is returning 50% or more in less than a year's time. Would that be worthy of investigation...maybe even "pulling the trigger"? We am talking about the abundance of real estate that is waiting for foreign investors here in Ecuador.

Opportunities present themselves from time to time and some are worthy of investigation and some aren't worth the time it takes to review them. We have mixed feelings about sharing this opportunity because we all know what happens when 'the word gets out'...prices start to rise...those that get in early make money and those that hesitate sing the blues once more. Can an investor come here and make money? Is the ride just starting or pulling back into gate? Let us put it this way, if you could have bought property around Cancun, Bocas del Toro, Boquette or other 'Now' hot spots 15 years ago would you have done so? Ecuador will be and IS the next Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua.

Profits are increasing with every person that steps onto the tarmac in Quito and Guayaquil (Ecuador's two International Airports). From there investors are finding prices to their liking in every region of the country. Cuenca offers European architecture mixed with the charm of this culture. Beautiful condos or homes on the rivers that run through Cuenca start at $40,000. Travel into the countryside and find entire villas for $150,000 or less. This part of the country has become very popular with expats and investors. The entire backbone of Ecuador high in the Andes reveals town after town with incredible deals on country living. There's Cotacachi, Banos, Otavalo, Quito's colonial district, Loja and the intriguing village of Vilcabamba to the south.. The returns investors have recognized in these areas have also been 50% in less than a year's time.

Let's head to the coast. Do you like the idea of finding the likes of Puerto Vallarta, but in its infancy. Here the time frame for profits is compressing. Everyone that comes to Ecuador wants to own beach front here...even if they had not planned on such a purchase. This is where we are experiencing investors buying a property one day and literally the next day someone coming in behind them and wanting to buy it from them. I am not exaggerating at all believe it or not.

So the question comes to mind as to what and where should one buy to make money in Ecuador? We can answer that in four words....everything and everywhere selectively. The Andes, the jungle and of course the coast. The next question and maybe even more important is your time frame. How long do you want to hold that investment? What are your goals...income, appreciation...both?

If you are looking for rapid return on your investment then you will want to concentrate on the hot spots. On the coast that would be Ballenita, Salinas, the Montanita/Olon beaches, Rio Chico, and Manglaralto. Each area offers instant gratification. Salinas your best bet for both appreciation and income would be a condominium that is finished or in the construction stages. Pre construction brings you a wonderful profit that can be made during the building phase or the big return when the doors open for occupancy. In Montanita just about any purchase made will guarantee success in the return arena. A restaurant that was purchased just a couple of years ago for $40k is now being offered at $250k and is getting a lot of interest. A beach front hostel that sold for $150k just a couple of years ago just brought $250k. These are but a few of examples of what can be expected from investments in this booming location.

Ecuador brings to the table a feast of fortune to be devoured by the hungry investor. Investors that want to wait to see what is left will get just that...left overs.

Life is Good in Ecuador!

Imagine you're cruising down Highway 1 and approaching Malibu when a home catches your eye, but the figure 5,000,000 goes through your mind... back to reality. Now take that same drive on the stretch of beach we mentioned above and you see a similar home on the beach and the reality on this beach is 300,000... not five million dollars.

Life is Good in Ecuador. This stretch of beach is in Olon, Ecuador. We call it Malibu Beach because it has miles of beach homes and estates on the sand. The best thing is that there are NO high rise condos nor will there ever be. There is a three story building restriction on this beach so you see nothing but beautiful homes and beach cottages (with a mix of fishermen's homes... that are disappearing slowly).

Okay it's not quite Highway 1 in California and that's a GOOD thing. You don't have all that traffic nor tons of people on the beaches here. This place is sort of a hidden paradise. Oh yeah, people know about it, but in limited numbers. I grew up in Huntington Beach, California and even back in the sixties you would have to watch where you put your foot while trying to part the crowds in order to get to the waves. You have NO problem like that here... even on big holiday weekends you can meander the beach and find your own "spot in the sand" without being stepped on, crowding others or fighting to protect your beach towel's "spot in the sand". Come lunchtime we stroll down to Lolita's Cabana on the beach and dine on the freshest seafood that has ever crossed your palate. We share with people that if you're eating seafood here... it was swimming less than 24 hours ago (more like a few hours ago). Sitting with your feet in the sand, a cold beer in your hand and a huge plate of fresh grilled mahi mahi in front of you will set you back $4.50. It's like a scene out of one of those Corona commercials, but this is REAL living in Ecuador. Catch a little hammock time after lunch and then once lunch has settled make for the water. You can sea kayak, boogie board, surf, swim or just let the waves chase you back to your beach towel... you choose and enjoy. Probably the best part of the day though is when that big orange ball is heading for it's dunkin' into the ocean. The sunsets here are phenomenal and beyond words. Watching that globe slowly drop into the water is a very soothing and tranquil part of the day. We have even seen that green flash people talk about a few times as the last little sliver disappears for the day.

...Life is Good in Ecuador... come see for yourself.