The Ecuador Insider

According to Benito Cabrera, the sub-general of oil production of Petroecuador, as stated in an article in the newspaper El Universo, Ecuador will produce 58 million barrels of oil annually by next year, the current output is about 51 million barrels per year.

As well, this year they plan to drill 65 new wells, and for next year they plan to drill 95 new wells. The cost of production is $5 a barrel and it sells for $89-90 on the open market at today’s market prices. The sale of crude oil funds 30-40% of the Ecuador government’s budget annually.

What does this mean for property investors? I wouldn’t buy large tracts of land in the countries’ Amazon region, where most of the oil is found. Because if oil is found on your property, the government could nationalize it, they would pay you for your land but usually not as much as the market value.

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This week, a few words from a movie (Training Day) came to mind as I sat with a real estate agent on the coast of Ecuador.

“You Disloyal M***** F*****”.

But this time, I was on the positive end of the disloyalty.

You see, I was talking with the seller’s agent of a property I was interested to buy. The seller and I had already agreed verbally on the purchase price when the agent told me “actually, the seller was prepared to drop $20,000 further”.

I think he told me that because I had befriended him, or maybe it was his way of helping to close the sale thinking I would ask for another discount.

But what it really did was turn me off the buy and I ended up making a fuss about a small detail and backing out. Maybe I’ll let the property “marinate” and jump back in the game if it hasn’t sold within a few months.

This serves an important lesson for you this week, in Ecuador don’t disclose, even to YOUR realtor, the absolute minimum price you’ll accept when selling your property… they just might tell your potential buyers! And on the other end, if you’re buying in Ecuador be sure to ask the realtors, “So what’s the lowest bid the seller will take?” They just might tell you. That’s how it goes down here in Latin America!

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This week I’m pleased to announce the new discussion forum for expats located on this site here. Or access it from the link “Expat Q&A Forum” in the upper left hand corner of this site.

Ask questions, get answers, meet new people and network, 100% FREE, don’t delay ask your first question today to join our community online…

To stay in-the-know on all the latest news any savvy investor NEEDS to know before they invest in Ecuador, sign up for my weekly Ecuador Insider’s newsletter below, free! You can unsubscribe at any time:

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Found it.

A 2 bedroom apartment in Ecuador… new building… beautiful furnishings… good area of town near shopping… good short-term growth potential… asking price= $40,000 (similar apartments are in the $50-60k range). Furnished, could get around $500/mo rent. Good buy, within my current budget.

The problem… it’s next to a small bridge and dusty park.

Now, in the US, being next to a park is a plus… but not in Ecuador. Parks and areas underneath bridges in the bigger cities have BAD reps in Ecuador. Locals will tell you, beit true or not, “that’s where all the junkies and thieves hang out at night.”

It’s true, when I first arrived in Ecuador a few years back I stayed with a friend in a rather ghetto area of Quito (the Vicentina Baja), and the first thing he told me was to walk fast when I have to pass under the bridge near his house.

After consulting with a few local friends (who quickly mentioned the same thing about the property) I decided not to buy, the place would probably be difficult to rent out to the higher-end folks.

Rental incomes can be really good in Ecuador (I’ve seen returns higher than 30% annual if you buy right), but consult a few locals before buying, and don’t get caught by the dreaded “bridge effect”!

To stay in-the-know on all the latest news any savvy investor NEEDS to know before they invest in Ecuador, sign up for my weekly Ecuador Insider’s newsletter below, free! You can unsubscribe at any time:

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