Easy, Comfortable, and Affordable - Check This Out

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Dear Reader,

We're sitting in a little restaurant looking out to the deep-blue Pacific. Just a couple of steps from our chairs, the beach stretches into the distance. Teenagers chase other into the surf, splashing and laughing. Smaller children tease the sand into castles and moats.

A cool breeze stirs the wind chimes hanging from the thatched roof of the restaurant. The waitress slides a huge platter of shrimp into the center of the table. She surrounds it with smaller dishes of rice, salad, dipping sauces, and fried plantains. We toast the sunshine...the setting...and the perfect day.

I was scouting property on Ecuador's southern coast. This was a brief pit-stop for lunch, at one of the many beach restaurants just outside the coastal city of Salinas. Salinas is a fun place to spend time. It's got great beaches. But it's also a city, with good infrastructure, and lots of amenities.

If you're looking for a comfortable, easy spot for a beach home in Ecuador, Salinas is your best bet. And it's very affordable. Our delicious lunch worked out at $6 a head. A chilled beer on the beach...$1. You can afford household help to take care of the chores. In fact, you can live comfortably here on $1500 a month.

And property prices are just as tempting. Beach property in Ecuador is the best value of any country on our beat.

Take an ocean-view condo currently under construction. It's on the 8th floor of a beachside building, with 66 square meters (710 square feet) of living space. A couple of minutes in the elevator and you're at the pool and social area. A few more steps and you're on the beach.

It's due for delivery in March 2012, and priced at $75,000. Because it's not finished, you still have time to customize the interior. You can decide on the best floorplan...the color of kitchen cabinets...or the floor tiles you want.

The condo is newly-available. Changes to another condo in the building released some additional floor space. It's unusual to find a new ocean-view unit, so close to the beach, at this price. I don't think it will stay on the market for long.

Contact the developer, Amy Pinoargote, here, to find out more.

Amy can also help you come and see Salinas on a real estate tour. It's the best way to get a taste of the Salinas lifestyle, and see if it's right for you. Just let Amy know when you want to visit, and she'll take care of the logistics in Ecuador. You'll see a mix of new and re-sale properties...houses, condos, and lots. In fact, you'll only see what you want to see...when you want to see it.

To arrange a real estate tour, you can contact Amy here.

Margaret Summerfield

P.S. There's one penthouse unit available in the same building. It's got three bedrooms and three bathrooms, and covers 308 square meters (3314 square feet). Its large ocean-view terrace overlooks the beach. Again, you can still customize the floor plan and finishes. The price of $312,300 works out to only $1013 per square meter. You'd easily pay double that in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, or Colombia. Contact Amy here for more details.