12 countries in 12 years

Thursday, September 11, 2014

10 Warning Signs You MAY Be Paying Too Much for Rent in Cuenca Ecuador


 


Some of you might think you got a great deal on your rental and maybe you have. However, we know that many expats in Ecuador are overpaying for their rental house or apartment. So consider the list below to see if you may be getting gringoed on your rent.


  1. You procured your rental through an English speaking/ Ecuadorian real estate agent or online.  

  2. You asked for any one of these amenities in your new place: views 2) elevator 3) by the river 4) near shopping 5) walk to Supermaxi.

  3. You took the first price that was quoted and did not negotiate.

  4. Your new place is a furnished one bedroom suite. (Tourist rental) 

  5. Your landlord raised the rent after one year. (Illegal in Ecuador)

  6. You paid three months rent upfront. (The locals do not do this)

  7. You compared the Ecuadorian rental price to what you WERE PAYING in the u.s.

  8. You brought your u.s standards of living with you.

  9. You simply don’t care how much your rent is.

  10. You’re paying more than $400 for an unfurnished 3-bedroom 3-bath house, or you are paying more than $350 for an unfurnished 3 bedroom 3 bath apartment that does not have 24 hour security or elevator.


None of these are a guarantee that you are getting gringoed, but we think you should use it as a red flag, and do some more due diligence.   



Are you paying too much for your rent?



We're an Expat Family of Five Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy in Cuenca Ecuador! Enjoy the blog!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Punta Blanca (Centinela) Beach in Ecuador

We're back at the beach! This time we are in Punta Blanca Ecuador. The beaches are nice with great weather; we're staying in a private beach resort (click here to get a bird's eye view) and that's why you don't see a lot of people on the beach and it is winter time in Ecuador right now.  With the Humboldt current that runs through the ocean in this area it's too cold to go in the water for chickens like Frank and me. However, the frigid water temperatures did not stop Brandon from going in!

                       

We're an Expat Family of Five Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy in Cuenca Ecuador! Enjoy our blog!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Towns and Places to Visit that Are Only One Hour from Cuenca Ecuador

If you live in Cuenca you might like to go visit some of the nearby towns and other places of interest. Here are several of them put into one video. You can take a bus or taxi and get there in less than one hour and make a day trip out of it.

                 

We're an Expat Family of Five Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy in Cuenca Ecuador! Enjoy our blog!

Monday, September 1, 2014

What Electronics and (other items) Should You Pack in Suitcase to Ecuador?

Most of our long time readers know that we did not ship anything in a container to Ecuador and we are still very happy we did not go through the trouble. We packed only two suitcases and two carry-ons each. If we had to do it all over again, Frank would have packed some of his "DEWALT" tools, and Angie would have packed more clothing, (especially jeans and pants) and a couple more pairs of good walking tennis shoes. We hope this video will help you out a bit when it comes to packing your suitcases; whether you're just staying three months or moving here for good, some of these items are a must have. Remember, everything cost more here!

                    



We're an Expat Family of Five Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy in Cuenca Ecuador! Enjoy this blog!