Why Amy Quit South Florida for this South Pacific

Saturday, February 04, 2012

Dear Reader,

Yesterday, I wrote about California boy Mike Sager and how he found his dream beach house. But Mike's dream home isn't in California. It's on Ecuador's South Pacific coast -where he paid a fraction of what a similar home would cost in California.

Mike now helps property shoppers uncover the hottest bargains on Ecuador's coast. And this May 1-5, he's running a South Pacific real estate tour. I'll give you full details of the tour in a moment.

Mike's co-host on the tour is Amy Pinoargote. Now, Mike's love of surfing brought him to Ecuador. But Amy's not a surfer. So how did she end up relocating to Salinas, Ecuador with two small kids?

The answer is salsa.

Amy's into salsa. And it was at a salsa dance club that Amy met Gerardo. Gerardo's originally from Salinas. Amy and Gerardo eventually married and started a family. They were living the American Dream. They had a nice house, two beautiful kids and busy corporate jobs. It was everything they'd ever wanted.

But they weren't enjoying it as much as they thought they would.

Once a year, Amy and Gerardo vacationed with Gerardo's family in Salinas. They shopped in the local farmers market, seafood market and mom'n'pop stores. Amy couldn't believe the low prices for produce, fish, and fresh-baked bread.

They took the kids to the beach to swim and snorkel. The beaches around Salinas are beautiful. They drove along the coast, and each beach looked better than the last. They kicked back and relaxed.

And Amy noticed that although Gerardo's family worked hard, they weren't stressed. They spent more time with family and friends. They ate lunch and dinner together. They spent more time on the beach. They enjoyed life more. And that made her think.

Amy realized that she could get the same standard of living in Ecuador that she enjoyed in the U.S. And it would cost much less in Ecuador. She and Gerardo wouldn't need to work so many crazy hours. They'd get more time with their kids, and more time with each other.

In fact, Amy figured they could upgrade their life in Ecuador. The kids could go to private school. They could easily afford to hire someone to help with household chores like cleaning, cooking and laundry. They'd slash their medical insurance bill and their property taxes.

And they could sell their relatively modest Florida home and buy a luxury condo or beach house for less money in Salinas.

Amy and Gerardo started their move to Ecuador by becoming business partners with Gerardo's brother in a beachfront condo development in Salinas called Spondylus II in late 2007. They chose a penthouse unit in Spondylus as their future home.

They "commuted" at first, shuttling back and forth between Florida and Ecuador. In 2009, the first tower in Spondylus II was finished. They could move into their new beach condo.

So Amy and Gerardo quit Florida and moved to Salinas to live full-time.

Three years on, Amy still loves Salinas. She says that the city's modern grocery stores, shopping mall, movie theater and sidewalk cafes made the transition easier. She runs her own business. She spends more time with her family. She's finally living the life she dreamed of for so long.

Amy is now a real estate agent in Salinas. With Gerardo's local connections, and her sharp eye for a bargain, they've uncovered some gems:

New 1100 square foot townhouses in Salinas half a mile from the beach: $66,000
An ocean-view one-bed condo in a great central location in Salinas: $47,500
A 1700 square foot remodel-ready condo across from the beach in Salinas: $80,000
A two-bed, two-bath oceanfront condo in a complex with a pool: $105,000
A posada in Salinas with 9 guest rooms; it comes furnished including the kitchen appliances: $200,000

Amy and Gerardo will join Mike (and Mike's wife, Andrea) on the real estate tour this May. You'll see a selection of Amy's bargain listings. And you'll get the real skinny from Gerardo on Salinas...the best place to buy produce and seafood, how much the city has changed in the last 20 years, and what it's like to live here part-time or full-time.

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 airport.

You'll explore Ecuador's coast from bustling Playas to laid-back Olon. You'll check out the coast's best beaches...and the hottest properties. You'll get a feel for Salinas and see why it's the best option on Ecuador's coast for a retirement or second home.

Book early and you'll save $50 on the tour price. You'll pay $579 per person if you book before March 1st 2012.

But hurry. The tour is strictly limited to 24 people. I'd hate for you to be disappointed.

To get a full itinerary and to lock down your spot, click here.

Margaret Summerfield