So, you’ve decided to attend International Living’s Fast Track Ecuador seminar 2012 in Quito, Ecuador. Congratulations. That’s the first step to starting your new life overseas…And if you’re interested in property in Ecuador, we’ve got some options for you to explore on our pre and post seminar tours.The tours will all highlight one thing: affordability. Ecuador is by far one of the best value locations on our beat. Whether you’re looking for a beach home with killer views…a condo in a colonial city that’s a cultural hot spot…a quiet mountain retreat with an active expat community…or a coastal location with huge upside potential…we’ve got it covered.Combining the seminar with a real estate tour is easy. We asked our developer and broker partners to figure out the logistics. All you do is choose the area you like, and book—it’s that simple.The tours run either before or after the seminar, for up to four days. Let’s start with two cool, lush highlands locations…Highlands Tour #1: CotacachiIn a fertile green valley between two towering volcanoes, Cotacachi is a little mountain village high in the Andes. It’s 90 minutes from Ecuador’s capital, Quito. But it’s a world away from big city noise and bustle. It’s an oasis of calm that’s attracted a bunch of expats in recent years, looking for a low cost of living, a cool climate, and a relaxed lifestyle.It’s a small town, with little stores selling leather purses, wallets and jackets, a produce market, and mom’n’pop stores. You can get all your home comforts in Cotacachi- high-speed Internet, satellite TV, and drinkable tap water. You’ll find big box stores and large supermarkets in Ibarra, a market town 20 minutes away. And just 10 minutes away, the town of Otavalo hosts one of the biggest markets in Ecuador, selling a dizzying variety of textiles, jewelry, clothing and spices.Cotacachi sits at around 8,000 feet above sea level. The weather is mild, with average temperatures of 70F during the day and 50F at night all year round. You won’t need heating or air-conditioning in this location.A small community on the edge of town, El Encanto Cotacachi, is in a secluded spot that’s only a 10-minute walk to the village center. It’s got panoramic mountain views, landscaped grounds and will only have 23 homes. Homes are in a traditional style, with red tile roofs, lots of hardwood, spacious patios, and big windows to take advantage of the views:Prices in El Encanto run from $118,440 for a 1300 square foot house.If you’d like to visit Cotacachi and the El Encanto community, you can choose from a pre-seminar tour on August 1 or a post-seminar tour on August 5.You’ll travel to the Cotacachi area though the Andes Mountains, passing Cayambe volcano and San Pablo Lake. Once there, you’ll visit the “El Encanto” community. You’ll spend some time in Cotacachi village and visit a nearby crater lake.The tour costs $120 for a single person and $100 per person for a couple sharing. That price includes transportation (Quito-Cotacachi-Quito), bilingual tour guide and lunch. If you’d like to visit Cotacachi and the El Encanto community either before or after the seminar, please contact Salome Proano at elencantocotacachi@gmail.com.Highlands Tour #2: Cuenca The cathedral spires of Cuenca…Set in Ecuador’s southern Andes, Cuenca sits in a rich green valley with the Andes Mountains forming a majestic backdrop. The sparkling Tomebamba River winds its way through the city, its banks lined with trees. The climate’s near-perfect, with warm sunny days and cool evenings year round. It’s a pretty spot, and that’s one reason International Living rates it a top retirement spot. But you don’t have to be a retiree to appreciate Cuenca’s charms.Despite its size and amenities Cuenca is a highly affordable city. Eating out, buying fresh produce, employing a house keeper, medical care, and taxi fares all cost significantly less in Cuenca than back home. It’s possible for a couple to live comfortably in Cuenca for $1500-$2000 a month.And Cuenca is one of the most culturally rich cities in Latin America. Dating from the sixteenth century, its colonial downtown center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, you’ll find countless churches, plazas filled with trees and flowering shrubs, museums, art galleries, and historic buildings. Cuenca hosts more than 200 events a year (many of them free), including art exhibitions, opera, jazz and film festivals, craft fairs and poetry readings.Cuenca packs a powerful punch. It’s hard to resist. It’s already attracted a mixed group of expats – from young artists to retirees – and it’s becoming better-known as a second-home destination.It helps that property prices are low. Plus, there’s a wide choice of property styles. You can buy a traditional colonial home in the historic district, or a modern red-brick condo in a leafy neighborhood overlooking the Tomebamba River. Properties on the market include a 1300 square foot condo for in a modern building for $80,000, a three-bed three-bath condo for $119,500, or a brand-new town home for $140,000.You can choose from a pre-seminar or a post-seminar tour. The pre-conference tour is running from July 28th-30th, and the post-conference tour from August 6th-8th.You’ll fly to Cuenca where you’ll check out condos and homes from $80,000. You’ll also explore farms and lots in the valleys around Cuenca, including the up and coming Yunguilla Valley.The tour costs $599 for a single person and $499 per person for a couple sharing. That includes return flights (Quito-Cuenca-Quito), accommodation in a pretty boutique hotel, transport and some meals.You’ll get a discount if you book before July 1, cutting the price to $575 for a single and $475 per person for a couple.Contact Maribel Crespo here to book, or to find out more: maribel@ecuadorablehomes.com. And now we’ll move on to the beach tours. Beach property always carries a premium. There’s only so much beach land. That limited availability makes it even more desirable. But while beach property prices have soared to jet-set levels in many locations, there is one place where you can bag a beach home without breaking the bank.That place is Ecuador. Blessed with mile after mile of sandy coastline, it boasts the best value beach property prices of any country on our beat. There are two tours on offer covering the North Pacific and south Pacific coasts.Beach Tour #1: Ecuador’s North Pacific CoastThe stretch of Ecuador’s Pacific coast between Canoa and Pedernales is rich in natural beauty, with mountains carpeted in thick forest, where anteaters and wild cats roam freely. Tiny bays and rocky inlets give way to carpets of sand, washed by the bright blue sea. You won’t see high rises or sprawling resorts here: the setting is unspoiled, free from crowds and over-development.The little fishing villages along this coast operate as they have for centuries, with fishermen heading out to sea in simple wooden boats…and then when they return, selling their catch on the beach, fresh off the boat, for as little as a dollar a pound. Lunch will set you back all of $3. For that, you get rice, fish and salad, and a juice drink. The cooking won’t earn any Michelin stars, but it’s filling, cooked perfectly and tasty.Fact is, you can significantly lower your monthly costs by living here. Or you can upgrade your lifestyle for the same budget you spend back home. You can afford to pay someone to do the housework, and take care of the yard…leaving you free to relax, and spend time on the beach.This place was tough to get to, but a new coastal road to Quito opened in January 2011, opening this coast up to tourists and property buyers. There’s now a growing demand for second homes and vacation rentals. For now, your beach home here comes without any sticker shock. Two communities on this coast are well worth a look…and you can see them both on one tour.The first community is Coco Beach Village. This development sits on the beach just outside the fishing village of El Matal. Walk a few steps from your front door, and you can stroll on the sand, or take a dip in the warm ocean…Backed by gentle hills, Coco Beach has a thousand coconut palms dotted throughout the property. The development offers lots from $54,250. You can build here from $65 per square foot. A 1300-square foot home will run around $84,500 and that will get you hand-made hardwood doors and cabinetry.The second community you’ll see on this tour is Jama Campay. It’s also beachfront, and will have 250 properties. Homes in Jama Campay are a short walk to the beach and have ocean views:Already, 24 homes are completed in the development. Only one remains, priced at $144,600. Ocean-view condos are also available, from $85,600.The North Pacific Coast tour is a three-night, four-day trip. The pre-conference tour is running from July 28th-31st, and the post-conference tour from August 6th-9th.You’ll fly to the coastal city of Manta, and then the fun begins. You’ll breakfast in Bahia before visiting Coco Beach and the town of Jama. The following day, you’ll spend time exploring Jama Campay. Your return journey to Quito will include lunch in the cloud forest town of Mindo (a birding hot spot).The tour is offered at a special price of $550 per person for International Living conference attendees and $450 for conference attendees who are RETA members. That price includes your flight to Manta, transport, accommodation, and all meals. Spaces are strictly limited. Contact Francisco del Castillo from Jama Campay here to reserve your spot: franciscodelcastillo@constructoradelcastillo.com.Beach Tour #2: Ecuador’s South Pacific Coast Want to make this your view?There is so much to see along Ecuador’s southern coast that local brokers Gerardo and Amy Pinoargote have joined forces with another broker team, Mike and Andrea Sager, to show you why they believe this is the best expat destination in Ecuador.Their tour will cover the popular beach town of Playas, the established resort favorite of Salinas and charming beach towns such as Ballenita, Ayangue and Olon. Outside Salinas, you’ll often have the beaches on this coast to yourselfEcuador’s South Pacific coast is more developed than the north coast. Yet property prices here are still affordable. Ocean-view lots start from as little as $40,000, condos from $47,500 and beach homes from $100,000 – much less than you would pay elsewhere in Latin America.And this section of coast is packed with amenities. Salinas is a resort city, with malls, supermarkets, restaurants, bars and clubs…yacht clubs, a nice boardwalk, and an urban beach. Just outside the city, small beach communities dot the endless miles of soft sand beaches…Mike, Andrea, Gerardo and Amy have years of experience in real estate and living in Ecuador. They’ll show you the best properties on this stretch of coast – and they’ll share their expertise and personal experiences with you.The tour starts the morning of August 5th with a short flight to Guayaquil. Property viewings will begin in Playas, south of Guayaquil, and travel along Ecuador’s South Pacific coast over the next two days. You’ll see a variety of properties – condos, single family home and lots. Prices on most properties will run between $50,000 and $200,000. The last day of the tour, August 8th, the morning is open, to relax on the beach or to pursue any of the properties you have seen. After a group lunch, you’ll return to Guayaquil by the end of the afternoon, where you will catch your return flight to Quito. You can schedule your flight home from Quito for August 9th.The tour fee of $659 per person – discounted to $599 per person if you sign up by July 1st – includes the round trip Quito/Guayaquil group flight, three nights Salinas hotel, breakfasts, lunches, a welcome happy hour, group ground transfers Guayaquil/Salinas/ Guayaquil, guided property showings and group transportation during the tour. The tour is strictly limited to 26 attendees. Remember, the early sign up rate of $599 is valid only until July 1st. Email Amy Pinoargote, gpinoargote@yahoo.com, to find out more and to reserve your spot. You can also contact Amy if you can’t make the post-seminar tour, but want a custom tour before the seminar.I look forward to meeting you at the conference in August,Margaret Summerfield Pathfinder www.pathfinderinternational.net
