Moving and I don't have a clue

Dear Frank,

Welcome to the Ecuador forums of Expat.com ...

Here is a four-step program for you...

1.  Read up on relevant topics for your move that have been posted at this site .. using the Search function at the Ecuador forum welcome page.  Enter such key words in the Search box as moving, visas, and any topics that relate to your prospective hobbies and interests in Ecuador.

2.  Go to amazon.com and buy a couple of books on moving to Ecuador.

The following are two titles that have received 4.5 out of five stars from reviewers and sell on Amazon Kindle for under ten dollars each...

Relocating to Ecuador by Terry Dean Roberts

Thirty Days in Quito:  Two Gringos and a Cat Move to Ecuador

Or you can read other book(s) available at the site.

3.  Come back to this forum and ask questions to fill in your knowledge.  In particular, since the books and the posts you will have read were not necessarily written during The Situation, seek out information that is as current as possible from Expats here and other members.

4.  Visit this forum frequently to keep current with what is being posted.

cccmedia in Quito

I do not have a financial connection with Amazon .. and do not receive compensation for mentioning amazon.com

Hello cccmedia,
I'm so glad that you have taken the time to give me all that information and I'm going to follow your advice .
I'm a 70 year old retired man who is living in Indiana,  near Chicago.  I only speak English.  I like to fish and was thinking about the coast but do they get Tsunamis and Typhoons?  Are there community's that tend to be predominantly Expat?  Is the government stable there?
I'm going to Amazon now and order those books.

Thank you again

Frank

Frank, there was a major earthquake, 7.8 magnitude, that rocked the Ecuadorian coast several years ago -- creating much devastation, including causing cracks in coastal high rises where Gringos had bought.  That alone rules out purchasing Ring of Fire properties going forward IMO.

If you rent on the coast, keep in mind that there is a big difference in renting oceanfront properties and anything further inland, even a few blocks from the oceanfront.  Direct oceanfront renters generally get the full advantage of the Pacific breezes.

cccmedia

tall1smokey wrote:

Are there communities that tend to be predominantly Expat?  Is the government stable there?

There are enclaves that are largely Expat in Cuenca .. and that city, Ecuador's third largest, had many Expat meetups and events -- until, of course, The Situation.

Vilcabamba, further South, is widely believed to be have the highest percentage of Expats of any city or town in Ecuador. 

---

The government seems stable enough for me, although I don't render a judgment .. and we don't get into Ecuadorian politics much on this site.

cccmedia

tall1smokey wrote:

Is the government stable there?

It is mostly stable now.  You can get some idea here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_p … of_Ecuador

Note that José María Velasco Ibarra was elected President of Ecuador an unprecedented total of 5 times.  I think he finished only one complete term of the 5 he was elected to, legally and peacefully.  When I lived in Ecuador he served his 4th term in office as President in relatively peaceful times.  And things have generally gotten more peaceful and stable since then.

The dolarización of Ecuador's currency in 2000 has undoubtedly helped stability.  The US Dollar is legal tender in Ecuador.  Formerly their currency was the Sucre, named for the libertador and close confidant of "El Libertador" Simón Bolívar, Antonio José de Sucre y Álcala, commonly known as José de Sucre.  When we lived there the value of the Sucre fluctuated between about 5 to 7 cents of a US dollar, so around 16 Sucres equalled 1 US Dollar.  It fluctuated wildly since then with inflation until the dollarization and Ecuador has enjoyed much prosperity and stability since then.  Not just coincidentally Ecuador's last coup d'etat took place in January of 2000 shortly before the dolarización.  At the date of the conversion the official rate was set at 25,000 Sucres = 1 US Dollar...(that's 25 thousand, not 25 for those of you who may use the comma as a decimal point)...

Do not expect stability to the standards and practices of the US and Canada.  But overall, relatively speaking, Ecuador is in a good position even though their economic outlook with regard to unemployment and GDP (called PIB, Producto Interno Bruto) is not always rosy.  For most expats these are not problems that cause them any money worries.