Ron and Terresa just bought a snug little mountain hideaway and a Pacific beachfront condo, and they paid less than $120,000—for both of them.
It’s like a picture I once saw, a high cliff somewhere on the coast of Ecuador. A cottage is perched on the brow of a jungle shrouded cliff. Far below, a ribbon beach and rows of tiny white breakers.
Verdant green tropical forest sweeps down to golden-sand beaches washed by the rich blue Pacific.
We were impressed when a developer told us that you could build a home in his project for $45-70 a square foot, and that $50 a square foot got you a good standard of construction. The developer stressed…
The theme to Green Acres is one of my favorite songs. And nothing makes me want to belt it out more than standing high on a mountain top with rich, green fertile land “spreadin’ out so far and wide” below.
See the video for Dan Prescher’s weekly wrap-up of the IL postcards for the week of May 24 to 28. Dan sends you this week’s video from Cotacachi, Ecuador.
Along Ecuador’s northern shoreline you’ll find the country’s finest stretch of coast.
Along Ecuador’s northern shoreline you’ll find the country’s finest stretch of coast. Here virgin forest covers the hills. The beaches extend ribbon-like along the seashore—pristine, empty and beautiful. This time of year, the foliage is lush and green…almost luminous. The water is clear and blue, and when the sun hits it a certain way, it looks turquoise. Lone surfers have miles of beach and awesome surf breaks to themselves.
During the past year, I had the good fortune of two assignments taking me to Ecuador. And even though I lived there for more than five years, I was continually amazed that such an affordable paradise can still exist in 2009.
Warm weather, swaying palms, and glorious Pacific sunsets are just the beginning of what Ecuador’s central coast has to offer.
The north coast of Ecuador is one of the most beautiful and least expensive that you’ll find anywhere. This natural section of coastline has changed little during more than a decade of International Living coverage.
On the stretch of coast between Atacames and Bahía, you’ll find a way of life that many people dream of but few ever find. A warm-weather haven, where you can live well on less than $1,000 a month…enjoy inexpensive, fresh tropical fruits and vegetables all year…and buy a small rental unit for $28,000 or a new 1,200-square-foot beachfront condo for $73,000…
“How much did you say they’re asking for this place?”
We stood at the front window of a four-bedroom brick house sitting on an acre of land.
A four-course lunch of salad, soup, chicken with rice and veggies, dessert, and with beverage for $2. More long-stemmed fresh flowers than you can carry…just $2. For a measly buck get 30 oranges in the market, a cold beer in a bar, or a taxi ride anywhere in town. A gallon of gas is $1.40. And you can buy a brand-new condo for less than $50,000.
We’ve discovered what we believe is the most undervalued and overlooked section of coastline in South America. On the tropical coast of Ecuador you can still buy a beachfront home for $50,000 and live comfortably on $1,000 a month. Some properties in the area, specifically the towns of Manta, Salinas, and other resorts have gone up by as much as 30% and 40% in the past year and much of the rest of the coast looks poised to join the up-trend. But it’s not too late to get in on the opportunity.
A motorcycle-loving, rock-n-rolling free spirit…and honorary Ecuadorian. That about sums up Mike Sager, an expat whose tale began some 10 years ago, in his hometown of Huntington Beach, California. It was from here that Mike embarked on a quest—to forge a new life far from the masses that had crowded once-verdant Orange County.
