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Miscellaneous See other Miscellaneous Articles Title: Head south to escape messed up America Mike Sager’s a California boy. He loves warm sunny weather and spending all his free time at the beach. He just couldn’t afford a beach home in Southern California. But Mike’s found a place that looks a lot like California. He admits it’s not quite the same as Highway 1. Mike’s coast isn’t as well- known. You won’t see crowds on the beaches — and you won’t get sticker shock when it comes to property prices. Mike’s inviting you to come and see his piece of paradise with him, and check out the prime properties on this coast. More on that in a moment. Now, back to Mike. Mike grew up in Huntington Beach, California. Even back in the 1960s, when he started surfing, he fought his way through the chairs and towels and crowds on the sand to get to the ocean. Once there, he shared the waves with tons of other surfers. Today, Mike lives right on the beach on Ecuador’s South Pacific coast. He opens his front door, takes a few steps, and he’s on the sand. A few more steps and he’s in the water. Even on big holiday weekends, it’s easy to find a piece of this beach to call his own. The rest of the time, he often has the beach all to himself. As Mike puts it: “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 (that will set you back $3.50)... It’s like a scene out of one of those Corona commercials, but this is REAL living in Ecuador.” And here’s the thing. Mike’s got a great beach house. He’s living the relaxed beach lifestyle that many of us dream of. But Mike didn’t have a million bucks in the bank or a fat-cat retirement fund. He worked in the US as a mail carrier. So how did he get his dream home? You could say it’s all down to luck. Mike first came to Ecuador to surf. He liked what he found — beautiful beaches, good surf and a laid-back lifestyle. And he loved the little beach town of Olon. Olon reminds Mike of Huntington Beach. The water’s warmer, but it’s got the same surf and sand. Olon’s popular with surfers, swimmers, and sunbathers. And it’s a great spot for watching this coast’s amazing sunsets. And Mike quickly figured out that although he couldn’t afford a beach house in California, he could afford one in Olon. That was the clincher. Mike moved to Olon in 2006. These days (when he’s not hanging out at the beach) Mike spends his days helping other expats find their piece of paradise on this coast. And this May 1st-5th, 2012, you can join him on a real estate tour that will showcase the coast’s finest properties. You won’t believe the prices. Take a look at some of the properties for sale right now: Beach lots from $45,000. An ocean-view two-bedroom home, a 5-minute walk to a pretty beach, for $54,000. A two-bed, two-bath furnished house in a small private community of 15 homes. It’s a 3-minute walk to the beach, and listed for $62,000. A 2400 square foot house directly on the beach. The 3-bed, 2.5- bath home sits on a large piece of land. The home, with an open-plan kitchen and living area, comes furnished. The spacious upstairs deck overlooks the beach. It’s priced at $139,900. The annual property tax averages less than $200. On the May tour, you’ll see the best real estate bargains on Ecuador’s South Pacific coast. You’ll really get a feel for this location. You’ll get the lowdown on what it’s like to live here. And you’ll meet Mike — and find out first-hand why he loves this coast so much. The tour runs May 1st-5th, 2012. It costs $629 per person. That price includes five nights’ hotel accommodation, breakfasts, lunches and round-trip group transfers from Guayaquil international airport. You’ll travel Ecuador’s South Pacific coast, from the up-and-coming beach town of Playas to the relaxed surf haven of Olon. You’ll also spend a chunk of time in Salinas, the nicest resort city on Ecuador’s coast. If you book before March 1st, you’ll get a $50 discount. That cuts the tour price to $579 per person. Spaces are strictly limited to 24. To get a full itinerary and to lock down your spot, click here. Regards, Margaret Summerfield, for The Daily Reckoning Margaret Summerfield is Director of Pathfinder, Ltd., whose mission is to scout the globe to find the most unique and value-oriented real estate opportunities the world has to offer. For a free report on the best destinations on the planet today, go here. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 6.
#2. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
Bob Chapman gets a lot of questions regarding moving south. He only recommends Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica. All others (in South and Central America) are ruled by dictators or have extremely high crime rates. (Why he thinks Mexico is a good option is a mystery to some of us) Anyway, he says never to buy anything because (a) you need to live there for at least a year to decide if you really want to live there and (b) the government may confiscate your property. Besides that the global economic collapse will cause real estate prices to bottom out (which hasn't happened yet) and you want to wait for that event to buy - but you'll only be able to if you have gold/silver to protect your wealth. He also says that we will be unable to get any of our wealth out of the country in a year or two, due to government restrictions. That will really hurt those Americas living on US income (social security/annuities). Even now, property in Costa Rica is difficult to sell.
Yes, and yes. The president here has power much like a king. However.... Ecuador doesn't quite have the Bureaucratic infrastructure that the USA has, so there are severe limits on what he can actually impose. In the past 15 years, many presidents here have been run out of office into exile so there is a limit to how P/O'd the people can get, unlike in the USA where talk of impeachment is somehow considered a "Constitutional crisis". Here, it's another day at the office. So in practice, US presidents enjoy about as much royalty treatment as banana republic dictators. On crime, yes it's an issue. Here in Ecuador the worst is in the coastal city of Guayaquil, which is Ec's biggest city. Quito, the capital has it's bad times too. But where I am now, in the suburbs, crime is a minimal consideration. Absolutely agree. Corporations like oil companies should be concerned about that but it's not likely to happen anytime soon with homeowners, unless you buy up a huge valley or mountain.
Thanks for the info about Ecuador. I may be looking to move 'south' one of these days when I'm free of certain family obligations.
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