Alice from Ohio Retires in Cuenca and Rents for $350
UPDATE August 2014: Alice's Landlady raised Alice's rent, after two years, up $50 dollars. Alice now pays $400 for her rent.
We are pleased to share with our readers how an expat's retirement dream has come true in Cuenca Ecuador. Alice shares all of the details of why she chose Cuenca for her retirement and about her new life in Cuenca. Alice also talks about some very important and informative aspects of retirement life for the expat.
In part one of our six part series, Alice tells us "why" she chose Cuenca Ecuador for her retirement city. Below the Video is all the video series with Alice.
Alice Retires in Cuenca Ecuador and Rents for $350 now $400
Expats Retirement Dream Comes True by Going Local (1of 6)Why Alice Chose Cuenca Ecuador
Expats Retirement Dream Comes True by Going Local (2 of 6)
Banking, Social Security, and Safety in Cuenca
Expats Retirement Dream Comes True by Going Local (3 of 6)
Alice Really is Enjoying Her New Life in Cuenca
Expats Retirement Dream Comes True by Going Local (4 of 6)
Alice Shares Her Cost of Living
Expats Retirement Dream Comes True by Going Local (5 of 6)
Tour of Alice's $350 Rental in Cuenca!
Expats Retirement Dream Comes True by Going Local(6 of 6)
Alice Talks about Furnishing Her Rental Home
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Karina Rents for $200 with VIEWS!
Our purpose
is to encourage younger families and those on a smaller retirement
income that it is still possible to start a new life abroad and
live well in Cuenca Ecuador. However,
anyone can do it if they are so led. If interested in finding a local priced rental click here!
Yes, it’s
still possible to rent from Ecuadorians at Ecuadorian rental rates!!! But, as
we show in the video, you will not find these lower priced rentals going to an English-speaking
rental agency. In fact we know personally most of the rental agencies that speak English will raise the rental price when they see a gringo coming or hear a gringo accent.
You probably
will not get these rental rates by staying confined to the gringo cafés and
English-speaking hot-spots in Cuenca. You probably won’t find these local
rentals by demanding 24 hour security and river views, but you might get these amenities
as an added bonus, like Karina did, as seen in the video above.
As shown in
the video, our friend rents in a decent Ecuadorian neighborhood, at the
Ecuadorian rental rate and lives in a nice (1,500 sq.ft) 3 bed/2
bath apartment. Sorry but she did not want us to take photos of the inside of her home, but it's new, has a view, and is nice.
The Spanish
speaking resources we list in the DIY Guide have local priced rentals as well. But,
you may have to weed out the ads that are targeting gringos (pricing to
foreigners) and those that cater to the gringo demands such as river view +24 hour security guard, 5+
bedrooms, 4 baths very large places (near 3000 sq. feet) in some cases, and
furnished w/elevator.
As we discuss in the guide, however, you
should always negotiate, never just pay the asking price. DIY Cuenca Landing Guide
Cuenca Has Different
Priced Rents Depending on Your Needs and Wants
There’s different priced housing for
different types of needs and wants and that is what it all boils down to.
Remember now,
Karina has both the secure building, plus the views and her rent for a nice
three bedroom two bath apartment in Cuenca is $200; she met her needs and wants
through going local; she rents at the local rental rate; she has learned a bit
of Spanish in the nine weeks she has lived here and she has made some wonderful
Ecuadorian friendships, and that means a lot to her. See video for more.
Here is part two of this interview with Karina
If you want some assistance with finding a locally priced vacant long term rental see http://300dollarcuencarentals.blogspot.com/
If you want some assistance with finding a locally priced vacant long term rental see http://300dollarcuencarentals.blogspot.com/
Expat Bill Talks about His Experience at the Quito Airport
As of this writing, there are no direct flights from the US to Cuenca Ecuador. When flying into Ecuador you will either land in Quito or in Guayaquil airports, usually for an overnight layover. Then you can take a commuter plane to Cuenca. Quito just opened a brand new airport about three weeks ago. What is this new airport like? We have a couple of expat brother's who flew into the Quito airport at different times on their way to Cuenca and they both have a story to tell. There have been some challenges for some expats. This is Bill and David's experiences.
Expat David talks about His Experience at the Quito Airport
This is part two with Cuenca expat brothers Bill and David talking about the new Quito airport. They both have a story to tell of their arrival and experience in the Quito airport. They want to let people know what they might expect so they can be more prepared, which isn't a bad idea. There have been a few challenges but it isn't all bad. Sure there is a little disorganization, but we're guessing that everything is going to be running smoother very soon.
What Bill and Dave mean when they say there's "no lodging" is that there is very little lodging, to the extent that it's a day late and a dollar short. Other travelers have reported to us that there's "no rooms available" they're almost always full, so that it is unreliable at this time. Hopefully that will change soon..
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Meet Jim and Kay, New Expats to Cuenca!
The number of people expatriating to Cuenca Ecuador is growing. New expats are arriving to Cuenca daily. Some of them are arriving as visitors for an exploratory trip, while others are arriving to stay and make Cuenca their new home. Meet Jim and Kay, a couple who came to explore Cuenca and they did, and their first impressions are, “We love it and we’ll be back!”
~~~
Future Expat Andrea Shares Her Story with the Ecuadorian Immigration Process
This is part one with Cuenca Expat Andrea talking about her experience
with the Ecuador residency visa. Andrea shares some good information and
new changes to the Ecuador immigration laws, a recurring theme in
Ecuador. Andrea's experience confirms that no matter how many people
you ask, what may work for one person this week, may not work for the
next person next week. Andrea shares her decision to start the Ecuador
Immigration process from home, as recommended in the DIY Cuenca Landing Guide
Cuenca Azuay Expats Comment and Share Tips about Life in Cuenca Ecuador
My apologies if this is shown elsewhere. Can you tell us the top reasons expats leave Cuenca and if you can make a guess, what that percentage is?
ReplyDeleteHi there. Yes, we've written about this subject. Here's the article. Thanks for asking.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.discovercuencaecuador.com/2015/03/why-and-who-is-moving-back-to-north.html
Hi! I saw the video on Mike and Abby Trzpit and was happy for them It all sounded so right. Then I read they had been kicked out. Is there a video or article explaining what happened to them?
ReplyDeleteSorry, never heard of and don't know those people.
Delete