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Articles
About Living & Investing In Ecuador
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Actualities:
Start
a coffee plantation in Guatemala... buy a summer home on the Dalmatian
coast... retire in the Bahamas - New Zealand's unpopular valuables.
The current land boom in Florida has roughly doubled the price of raw land
in the last five years, and people are starting to look elsewhere. I'll
put my money on New Zealand. It's been the cheapest developed country in
the world for the last several years for two reasons: their dollar has
been in a long-term free-fall; and their economy, which runs on wood, wool,
mutton, and dairy products, has been extremely depressed as a result of
all-time lows in commodity prices. Kiwi voters, awhile ago, elected a Labor
government equivalent to the Democrats in the States, reactively blaming
the incumbent Nationals - equivalent to the Republicans, for their problems.
The New Zealand dollar hit a new low of US$0.46 as a result, which is probably
a panic bottom. It's one thing when things are dirt cheap in a Third World
country. But New Zealand looks, feels, and acts like the United States
or Canada, exactly like British Columbia, in fact... (This observation
and much more)
Actualities:
Changes
to the sucre... free dance lessons in Lisbon... driving tips in Nicaragua,
etc. - Assorted mini-articles about the many countries that International
Living cover. Concise, accurate and current information about where
you want to live and work. The kind of information that keeps you
aware of business opportunities and new developments.
AdventureView:
Rita Golden Gelman ~ Female
Nomad Crosses The Globe Solo! ~ by Mark McMahon - Rita Gelman led a
glamorous life. A successful career as a children's book author with over
70 titles to her credit, connections in the entertainment industry, invitations
to the best parties in L. A... Then a vacation to the Galapagos Islands
awakened her long-dormant desire to explore the world. She tried to fulfill
her passion by getting a PhD in anthropology, but years later found herself,
"panting to go off somewhere." Finally she took the leap and did it, on
her own. Aug./05
Crisis
investing in Ecuador: Rock-bottom
property prices, fabulous ocean views, and easy living - “Ecuador
has it all,” I said to the group of adventure-some International Living
readers traveling with me to my adopted homeland. “Beauty, convenience,
and incredibly low cost. And right now, prices are lower than ever.”
I was having little trouble convincing this crowd. We sat at a cliff-top
restaurant and watched the Pacific stretch blue and serene to the horizon.
Miles of empty beach lay in our view. And we had just returned from inspecting
Mediterranean villas that overlook a sleepy fishing village and the sea
(on offer for only $35,000). by Gary Scott - From the Best of International
Living
Dangerous
investing: How one of the four companies traded in Ecuador could make you
a fortune - Investing
in Ecuador - We’re recommending a stock for extreme investors only.
We have to warn you, it’s one of the riskiest, most dangerous investments
we’ve ever recommended. But no one is looking at this company, market,
or country as the big winner it could be. As a result, we believe it has
the potential to make you a fortune. If you’ve read the last few issues
of IL, you know how excited we are about dollarization in Ecuador, and
what we believe it will do to the country’s real estate market. But we’re
also keeping a close eye on the stock market. Because look at what happened
when three countries followed through with dollarization…and took the power
to print money away from their central banks: • Hong Kong: Stock market
rose 500% in four years • Panama: 100 years of monetary stability • Argentina:
Market rose 800% in just three years—and inflation flattened to zero.
That’s how powerful dollarization can be. by Steve Sjuggerud
From Guayaquil
to Esmeraldas: Ecuador’s
best real-estate buys on offer right now - Giant Pacific breakers crested
and crashed on the sand. A damp ocean breeze tickled palms as they swayed
over the beachfront restaurant where I sat, enjoying my delicious 72-cent
cheese omelet and 38-cent cup of fresh, thick coffee with creamy, hot milk.
A boy rode past on his bicycle carrying a bucket loaded with wriggling
fish. This was as good as it gets for those who enjoy the beach... by
Gary Scott
Henshaw
in Quito - Henshaw
in Quito - Expat Vernon Henshaw and his wife Lorna moved to Quito,
Ecuador, in 1999. Prices have risen, but the cost advantages are still
real and there's that sense of freedom he has. Vernon writes, "We
found our new home for about $22,000. A house like ours (2000 sq. ft. in
a gated community) will cost about $50 - 60,000 today, but prices are still
cheap compared with living in the USA. Our property tax: $38.60, registration
of our used car: $18.00; monthly electric bill: $3.50; monthly gas bill:
$2.50. Gasoline costs $1.00 per gallon. Our maid costs $3.50
per day (3 days each week, and she's a great cook). Most of all, I love
Ecuador because of the freedom I feel. I can do essentially anything
I want to, without having to negotiate a plethora of rules and restrictions.
I can make changes to my house without a building permit; I can put in
all the glass I want without violating a building code."
How I found
my perfect retirement home in Quito: a three bedroom house for $20,000
- Retiring
Overseas - The first thing I noticed about Quito was the absence of
bugs. They always come after me before my wife Lorna, and when I didn’t
see any, I was encouraged about our decision to visit this place. We were
looking for a retirement home... We have read with great interest
Gary Scott’s articles in International Living. We were intrigued by the
prices, and by the descriptions of the countryside and the people. We did
some research on our own, and the more we looked, the more we liked what
we saw. by Vern Henshaw
International
Investment Made Easy - The
Sovereign Society ~ by Gary Scott - My wife Merri and I were at Rosaspamba,
Ecuador, our hacienda 5.4 miles north of the equator as we watched a salmon
sunset fade into plum wine and fall drunken in beauty behind a razor-backed
ridge. Stars awakened like diamond beacons studded in ink. Jan/04
Inti, Shamanic
Wisdom From Ecuador - In
Quito ~ by Mark McMahon - During my recent visit to Quito Ecuador,
I had the privledge and pleasure of participating in a small conference
of Shamans and Native Healers. It was organized by Dr. Maximilliano Moreno,
director Ecotrackers. There were about ten people in attendance, including
academics in Anthroplogy and Sociology from several countries. One particapant,
a Toltec Indian from Mexico, lead the group in a series of energy exercises.
(Toltec Tai-chi!) The Shaman, currently living in Quito, is from the same
lineage as Don Juan Matus described by Carlos Castaneda in his books. Mar/05
It’s Back
To The 50s…For Better Or Worse ~ What
Life’s Been Like In Ecuador ~ By Lee Harrison - Great article about
living in Ecuador and why it's such a great place to live in. Ecuador takes
people back to an earlier time, a time when the pioneering spirit was what
people longed for. Ecuador could give you that feeling you always wanted:
starting from scratch in a tough place and making a success out of yourself
nonetheless. July/03
Living
In Ecuador - Real
Estate in Ecuador - Embarrassingly low prices Now, after the
crash, prices are so low that making offers is almost embarrassing. What's
more, opportunities may get even better!
Living
In The Valley of Longevity in Ecuador - Vilcabamba
and the nearby villages continue to cast their spell on savvy world travellers
who recognise a unique location with unusual benefits when they see one.
The highly touted health benefits derived from the energy fields of intersecting
ley lines seem to bear out the legends. In talking with many newly
relocated gringos I hear stories of increased vigor and decreased aches
and pains. It’s amazing how many people I hear from who have vague
plans to move here upon their retirement. But, like everywhere else
in the world where the countryside is beautiful and the living is easy,
progress is inexorable. So my advice is “Don’t wait much longer or
you will miss the boat”. By Andre Grossenbacher Mar/06 |
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