chenry

Enjoy the music by Chayanne just to get you in the Spanish frame of mind.

RENT or BUY

The following comments are strictly my own but come after 2 years living in Cotacachi, Ecuador. So the first question is do you rent or buy a home? During the International Living Conference we attended in Quito 4 years ago they advised renting first.  Of course we did just the opposite. We fell in love with little Cotacachi and found a home that suited us but the yard was fantastic and great for our three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.  Just image picking your own lemons, figs, oranges and avocado’s in your backyard.

I love watching the colorful, playful, hummingbirds dart around outside my kitchen window. The property offered great views of both volcanoes plus just a short walk into town. We liked the fact of living in a gated community with an active Home Owner’s Association since that was what we were familiar with in Texas. We were also concerned with waiting to buy since we might miss the price bubble as we did in Costa Rico a few years earlier.

So fast forward to today. We have made many improvements to our little house by adding a new American style electric kitchen and expanding our bodgeo (storage building).

Plus we have now rescued two additional street pups to our family as well as a kitty. We certainly would not have been able to do this by renting a home.  Another plus is our home is the only one in our gated community that has a huge wall around it which we love for privacy kind of like own own little hacienda.  Our life is surrounded by a botanical garden and every morning as I sip my morning coffee I feel blessed by my life.  I recommend that you pay attention to how the Ecuadorians live which usually behind a large wall. We have both gringo and Ecuadorian friends! I am once again studying Spanish and bound and determined to learn this beautiful language.

REAL ESTATE COMPANIES

You need to be careful when purchasing real estate especially in a foreign country. You should proceed with caution if a real estate company requests that you pay earnest money down using Paypal to the real estate agents personal account.   The only 2 companies that I highly recommend are Remax Real Estate  agent Yolanda Santana and  Cotacachi Real Estate agent Mickie Enright & Carolina Depoli who has appeared on International House Hunters.  They  have been in business for many years certainly know the local area  and I have found them to be honest. I would recommend caution and certainly do your own research involving other real estate companies since they seem to come and go. Ecuador requires all real estate agents or their broker to be licensed  which requires  language specific testing. Their license should be openly displayed in their place of business.  It is easier to purchase real estate from an individual from your home county since the money transaction is easier. No mortgage’s so  you pay in cash. Make sure you involve your Ecuadorian Lawyer to assist you.  Just as in any country there are people that will take advantage of you. So caution is advised. In the event that you buy directly from owner you will save the real estate fee of usually 4% which is what we did. Sometimes, a property manager will take care of the property as designated by the owner and will qualify for some sort of  commission if they initially show the property.  This could result in the seller saving money and may provide you with a negotiating tool. Regardless of which route you take they will all refer you to an Ecuadorian attorney to close the deal.

SUITECASES  or SHIPPING

The next decision is do you pack  up suitcases and sell your things at home? Or do you hire a shipping company. You need to decide how important it is to you to have some of the items that remind you of home. I would recommend that you explore the furniture in Ecuador. We found it to be very modern, beautiful but not comfortable. Remember the Ecuadorian are small people. Clothing is another concern since you will not find the larger sizes just as a ladies size  10 and up.  I have found boots in a size 38 ( 8 1/2) that I can wear. We decided to ship our contents in a 40 foot high cube and have never regretted that decision. We are spoiled with our Sleep Comfort Bed and Lazy Boy Recliners. Linen and towels are different here so if you are suitcase bound make sure you include these.  You will be able to find most of the electronic gadgets and appliance but usually they will cost more and the quality may not the same.

The only shipping company I recommend is Sandra Baquero, Sanestar International Shipping out of Cuenca & Guayaquil. I refer to Sandra as a energizer bunny since she is always on the go to help her clients. Ha! I was one of her difficult clients since I was always so worried about everything regarding the move. I would email her at 3 am stating sleepless in Texas with lots of questions. She always got back with me and constantly reassured me! She turned out to be an angel for me during a difficult process. The inventory list is a nightmare but maybe because I am so anal. I could have never done it without Sandra’s calm reassuring advise.  

So just a little history about Sanestar International Shipping  founded by Sandra Baquero, a 34 year veteran of the international shipping industry. Her company specializes in household goods imports and all kind of import shipments to Ecuador, collaborating specially with foreigners that want to start a new life in Ecuador. Sandra offers personal consultations to design a shipping plan to meet client’s individual needs and  budget. You can ship a pallet, crate, 20 or 40 foot container. So maybe you do not want to bring everything but just a few of your treasures so there are plenty of options.

Ms. Energizer Bunny  aka Sandra coordinates every phase of the process as visas, immigration, including local moving, pet transport, storage and pick up in origin, ocean freight, customs, inland to final destinations in Ecuador, unloading of the cargo, unwrapping and accommodation of each items in your place. She certainly is a subject matter expert and will make sure your treasures arrive safely and in the time promised.

Front porch We brought the blue fish bowl and bench from Texas Flowers Mama Cotacachi Volcano in the distance My furniture makes it feel like home! Love the flowers

The process may  at first seem expensive but I have friends that have selected other shipping companies only to find out later that they container got tied up in customs and they ended up paying additional storage fees. So, watch out of add on charges that may not be included. I think all shipping companies require a deposit on the shipping container to assure it is returned.  Our shipment arrived in 30 days on Thanksgiving! We even received a small refund from Sandra which I think is nearly unheard of these days. Plus she made sure our little pet family arrived safely.

I have friends that came with just suitcases and are certainly happy but covet our Lazy Boy Recliner’s. So the decision is up to you.

SINGLE HOME or GATED COMMUNITY in HOME OWNER’S ASSOCIATION

Selecting the community you are going to live in is also very important. How do you feel about roaming street dogs and loud music in the hills during celebrations? You need to take this all into consideration. Interesting enough I have found the Ecuadorians’ to be some of the most polite, caring, gentle people and eagerly welcome you to their beautiful country. However, you do need to watch out for the gringo’s that seem to bring their personality luggage with them. I have classified these people into the following categories which when you live in a small city the numbers and personalities really begin to  stand out.

Know it all 

These folks are new to Ecuador but think they know it all even if they do not understand Spanish. They still want to embrace their home county laws and practices. You will hear them frequently say in the United States this is how it is done. They have a difficult time adjusting to Ecuador and the laws that govern this country. It always makes me wonder why they even moved to Ecuador.

People Collector

These folks can be charming and their whole goal is to collect people that can help them in whatever they require now or in the future.  They will wine, dine and offer advise to assist you as they add you to their collection.  However, just cross them once and you will be in for a very rough ride. They prefer to stand out as different, need attention and community pot stirrers.

Follower (cool aide drinker)

These people easily fall in the trap and manipulated by the people collector and love the attention received by food and drink. Usually these people are followers, very naive but generally good people that have been lured off track  and unfortunately may never find their way back as they alienate others as they are under the influence of the people collector. They will soon forget why they came here in the first place.

Whiner

This person is easily identified because they always have a negative cloud hanging over their head. You will never be able to help this person since all they do is complain and wear you out with their negativity.

Psychopath

Yes, you read that right their are people hear that are easily placed in the category of psychopath. They can be somewhat similar to the people collector as they like to stir the pot and pit people against each other. These people frequently are they ones that do not take responsibility in paying homeowner’s dues. They excel in communicating by email and not face to face communication

Adventurous

These people luckily are the vast majority that  have moved to Ecuador for the adventure culture and love of life. They making lasting friendships with both the Ecuadorian and gringo communities.  However, after years of dealing with the know it all, people collector, follower ,whiner and psychopath they may decide to  move on and look for greener pastures.  They will be looking for people that are like minded in values and ethics.  That is really unfortunate since it is the adventurous folks that really shine and contribute back to the community. So if you are anything except an adventurous personality then do us all a favor and stay where you originated from.

Healthy Lifestyle

Living in Ecuador nearly guarantees you a healthy life style. The vegetables and fruits are fresh and yes some are even still organic. You will lose weight if you walk instead of owning a car. You may even not be dependent of previous prescribed medication because you are now healthier. You can take part in a variety of activities that you never had time for before such as: gi gong, yogi, exercise, writing, art, ceramics, sewing,salsa dancing, gardening, storytelling,  cooking, volunteering and so much more. I am involved with a group of women that walk 3 times a week in the beautiful hills and enjoy the spectacular views of nature and wildlife.  After our walk we go to the local coffee shop similar to Starbucks to plan what we are going to do with the rest of our day.

Of course, there is a  downside which involves walking around town. Simply stated this can be compared to an obstacle course with cobblestone streets, open man hole covers, high curbs, huge steps even on the buses, no side rails on the flights of multiple stairs, cars that do not yield to pedestrians.  I never have been able to figure out the high steps since these people are small but oh so strong!  So many gringo’s fall and break or sprain bones. You really need to watch where you are going and be somewhat healthy when you start your adventure.

So if you fall into the category of the adventurous pack you bags you will love it here and feel so welcome kind of like you are coming home!

Hugs to family & friends