Live Like a King on $1,000 a Month December 1, 2003 Dear International Living Reader, My wife Merri's and my mantra for the past 36 years has been, "the sun is always shining somewhere." There are always places where you can make a fortune, live better for half the price, and enjoy cool but sunny weather almost every day…places like Ecuador. And guess what? This nation is so tiny and has been so poor for so long that some amazing facts and opportunities have been missed by the local and national press. Let me share a few of these things about Ecuador here and show you why there is special opportunity right now. Though the majority of Ecuador's population is poor, this poverty combined with a national abundance of natural resources offers an exotic lifestyle with personal services (maids, gardeners, cooks, etc.) that we in North America and Europe have forgotten exist. Even those with $1,000 to $2,000 a month income can live like a king. There are two special ways to reap very rich rewards in Ecuador I call "taking advantage of the ups and downs and the pockets". For example: a couple of years ago we discovered a pocket of cozy, beachfront properties that were selling for $5,000 each. Then the economy dropped and the owner wanted to sell them in a hurry at $2,500. We took a group of readers and 16 of them bought on the spot. These lots now sell for over $20,000! Another "pocket" on the coast developed when the government put in a new road that ran right along the coastline and replaced an inland highway. Landowners did not realize right away what this new accessible Pacific-view real estate was worth. One 25-acre plot we stumbled across was for sale at $12,000. As you can imagine, this didn't last long. Just outside Quito we discovered a pocket of subsidized, brand-new houses for $800 each that really were nice. We rushed a group there. Those who have joined us on these and previous trips have already made fortunes and enjoyed enormous opportunities. Now there is another special "pocket" developing that I believe will be a huge opportunity. Let me explain why. When we first took friends to Ecuador in 1996 there were five short-term problems: an energy shortage, an upcoming Presidential election, the failure of several Ecuadorian banks, a stock market crash, and worst of all, an armed conflict over border disputes between Ecuador and Peru.We felt then that each of these problems, if resolved, could cause the real estate market in Ecuador to take off like a skyrocket. With this in mind we took hundreds of readers to Ecuador. Timing could not have been better. The groups were overwhelmed on the trip and we were flooded with letters and calls telling us that this was the best trip we have ever conducted. They loved the hotels, the low, low prices and most of all, many made more money than they ever imagined. Some of those who originally journeyed there with us doubled their investments there in less than 18 months. Then Ecuador crashed again. Three terribly corrupt politicians became President in a row. These men were so bad that everything seemed to fall apart at once. Two huge volcanoes erupted, El Nino poured torrential rains wiping out bridges, and roads, ruining crops, all the banks shut down, there was a banana war (Ecuador is the largest banana exporter in the world), the shrimp industry was devastated by a disease called White Spot (Ecuador is the second largest shrimp producer in the world), the stock market nearly dissolved, the country even ran out of gas (even though it is the second largest producer of oil in South America). Things seemed in ruins until the last of these three bad Presidents was ousted in a bloodless coup. This created plenty of bad press about Ecuador. But the secret is that we found these disasters created even greater bargains. The crash made the exotic lifestyles even less expensive for anyone with a little cash. Real estate prices dropped so low that many of the readers we brought to Ecuador bought condos and land on the spot. Several returned to buy huge tracts of land, lakefront estates for $60 an acre, oceanfront lots for as low as $2,500, and hotel sites on the beach at under $10,000 an acre. Merri and I personally felt like kids in a candy shop and bought a hacienda with 860 acres of land. Then the country dollarized. When the U.S. dollar became the official currency in Ecuador, there was a period of euphoria. Prices rose and I haven't been taking tours there for the last two years. The new "pocket" I am excited about has formed because the new President (who appears to be a good man) is in office and he has really been working to turn just one area, Old Quito, into a special place. Prices are really low. For example, our friend who has been researching Quito property down there for us found a house on one acre with an incredible view of the entire city for $2,500. Here is what he wrote: "Found a place today that is about an acre with a view of the Old City to kill for, and they want $2,500. You have to walk up 122 steps to get to it, but that is cheap." If you prefer not to walk, we have unearthed an entire block of renovated condos for $17,000. There are properties for even less as our friend pointed out when he wrote, "Gary & Merri! Hello from the land of MANY opportunities! I saw at least a dozen houses yesterday, so many I lost count. I took many photos. We will go back Tuesday to see more houses. There was a new listing in today's newspaper for $8K house. There are loads of places to buy in the $6,000 to $45,000 range." If you want to move upscale, there is even a castle for sale, the Castle of St. John…It is the DEAL… Best property for the dollars there. There are many 400-year-old houses that were magnificent and can be again, because the President in Ecuador has set up a special council that will make ten-year interest free loans so you can renovate these houses. Yet the press has not caught on. No one except International Living and me are writing about the opportunities in Ecuador. We have been working hand in hand because the dollarization has brought inflation down. Roads are being improved, tax collections are up. National industries are being privatized and a new oil pipeline has been built. Plus an important U.S. military base has been added to the country bringing a flow of money into Ecuador. Perhaps most important: Ecuador and Peru signed a peace treaty ending decades of military tension, and a new airport is being constructed for the capital city of Quito. Things everywhere in Ecuador are looking up! Opportunity is even greater in this exotic adventure that is less than four hours from the U.S.A. This is a fun, inexpensive, wonderful country to visit and even to live in during the winter or full time. In the mountains the temperature ranges from 45 degrees Fahrenheit at night to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during most of the year. I have been amazed at how many of the delegates who visited Ecuador with us have said they never felt better. Many return again and again or move here to stay. So I invite you to join Merri and me for our next journey into Ecuador, February 13-15, when we will learn how to live and do business in Ecuador plus inspect Old Quito property for sale. If you're interested in being part of this group, visit http://www.ildiscoverytours.com/show_tour.cfm?id=3557 Gary Scott
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