Category: Investor News/Analysis

Hi {!firstname_fix},

 

 

And on goes the roof!

I wanted to do a house in the typical Spanish style with the red clay shingles.  Plus, I wanted to do a lighter-weight roof with “flex”, like the ones offered by Bradenton Roofer as they would be better for earthquakes than the typical cement roof (losa) common in Ecuador, which is why I’d to contact TheRoofClinic.com to ensure the safety of the house.

Also, I thought it would be nice in the case of a big quake the thought of gypsum and shingles above me appeals to me much more than blocks of concrete.

Plus, i decided to do a four-sided sloping roof with multi-colored clay shingles in a typical-Japanese style.  Rare in Ecuador. Commerical roofing contractors faced this issue professionally. The primary item on a roof replacement estimate is the actual roofing material. The estimate will list the manufacturer and type of shingles the contractor intends to use. It will also show the style of shingle. Architectural or dimensional shingles are the most popular. They create more interest and often mimic the look of other roofing materials such as slate or tile. Well you can approch the firms having manufacturing facilities in mexico because they provide very high quality material. It may include color choice or options if design was part of the initial discussion. The estimate will also indicate the length of the manufacturer’s warranty for that type. You can check this site out for commercial and industrial roofing services.

But first came the metal frame…

Labor cost for installation of metal framework for the conservatory roof (3 days)= $500

anti-corrosive paint $82.50
metal beams for roof $1326
tape $9

Then came the plywood on which goes the shingles are held in place by a little bit of cement.  The costs highlighted below are for the roof, the roof installation cost $580 and took about 2 weeks. Find further information or get a quote now.

Then came the shingles…

In Ecuador to lay roof shingles costs around $3.50 per m2, whereas most commercial roofing companies in Aurora Colorado take far less. When installing make sure there is a decent slope or you will have big leak problems later!  Trust me, I know from a different property! The moral of your friend’s story and its lesson was clear, it is better to invest time and energy to find a qualified metal roofing contractor to install your roof in the first place than, it is to hire the wrong crew that has never installed a metal roof before, and will treat it as another asphalt shingle “get it done in one day” project. Now, that there were no questions remaining as to the importance of hiring a roofing company that specializes in metal roofing, your friend advised you to use a residential roofers Contractors directory broken down into categories by specialties; metal roofing contractor companies organized by location in the U.S, and by specialty categories such as standing seam and metal shingle installers.

According to Commercial Roofing Calgary, the roof on your home or business is the first line of defense when it comes to protecting your real estate property investment! Roofs are generally the most expensive single item that property owners will replace. When it’s time to have a new roofing system installed, it is often difficult to know which roofer to hire for the job! Homeowners should be skeptical of hiring their roofer based on price alone. When hiring a roofer, you generally will get exactly what you pay for! Hiring a roofer solely because they provided the lowest bid may result in a poor quality roof that may leak and diminish the curb appeal of your home.

Total roof install= 2 weeks.

The total spent on the roof for a three bedroom two bath house was $3,788.09.  

See full costs below of weeks 5-10 of build project…

 

28.73 chimney
1239.41 plywood for roof
18.84 screws for roof
11.45 electric tubes
6 telephone
7.50 screws for roof
248.86 ceramics for balcony $7.60 per m2
9.22 latex paint
97.30 cable
15.73 bondex roof
11.28 disc for electric saw
8.00 grapa metalica
1492.90 shingles roof (165m2) for 145m2 house
3.00 electric outlet
3.00 gyprocks misc.
1.20 placa plastica
11.54 fachaleta
$580 manual labor for roof. $3 per m2
219.15 More shingles
$7.75 sack of cement 
940 maestro Jimmy for foundation work (out of $9500)
150 metal door and install for water tank
3.00 teflon
13.20 tubes (codo)
17 breaker

81.95 tank for water
73.18 supplies for tank
62.18 cement
210 gas
1810 of 2260 Gypsum drop off installation included materials. $15 per m2
$4.75 cable
17.50 screws for gypsum
160 last payment for electritian
17.65 outlet
30 transport for tiles
1598.25 porcelen for bedrooms at $15.98 per m2 (100m2)
1175.25 porcelen for bathrooms
1200 last payment maestro for laying foundation (out of $9500)
79.11 ceramic tiles
3.25 brush
13.50 screws
23 telephone calls
8.35 tubes varios
31.40 siicone
$103 bondex for roof
$105.69 electric cable
14.58 roof supplies
140 payment electritian
10.79 polimex
40 uplift metal framing for roof
63 stucco for walls
298.58 bondex for flooringWEEKS 5-10- TOTAL SPENT INCLUDING ROOF for 190m2 HOUSE:  $12,207.If you liked this you’d love my wekly newsletter on living and investing in Ecuador, fill in below to sign up now (you can unsubscribe at any time):

This past week in this newsletter we touched on the reality of Ecuador property in that the municipally appraised values often are MUCH less than the real commercial values the property sells at.

I just want to inform on the reality of the situation, the choice is yours to put the real price you paid on the deed or just the minimum needed or the municipally appraised value.

But there are three things to consider when making the choice…

1. Do you need this property to get an investors residency visa in Ecuador?

If so then you MUST put at least $25,000 value on the property plus $500 for each dependent.  Still valid in 2016.

2. How long do you plan on keeping the property?

Putting the lower amount can help minimize notary and municipal fees now at time of purchase and your yearly property taxes (predios), but keep in mind the next buyer might not want to put the lower amount meaning you’d get nailed with a hefty capital gains tax bill!  So if you plan to keep the property for the long term this may not be an issue.

3. Is there any chance this property could be expropriated by the government?  Like to widen a road (I’ve seen many times in Ecuador), or build a bridge, park, etc…

If so, keep in mind the government only pays according to the low-ball MUNICIPAL APPRAISED VALUE of the property but if you have the higher real value on the property you could make a good case that the property is actually worth that and get all or part of that higher value.

Now, the choice is yours!

Now with the floor and columns up thanks to http://www.cormacmetalspray.com.au/ now is time for the walls…

After building with blocks on this house, next time, I’m going to use bricks, why?

Although the labor time is much more, the walls won’t crack, are more solid and after all you may use less cement cause you don’t have to plaster over the walls when finished.

We used 15 cm wide blocks for walls and filled with cement for noise protection.

For a 190 square meter house that we are building on the coast of Ecuador.  We needed 2100 cement blocks at 38 cents each.   TOTAL price $798.

Cheaper than bricks, you bet, and much faster to build!

3 things you got to know before you buy property in Ecuador…

1. Municipal’s official property appraised values in most cases are WAY out of wack, or under the actual market value.  It’s common to see properties selling in the six figures while municipally valued at $5,000 USD or less.

2. The buyer of a property can put the real price she paid for the property on the deed but must put at least the official Municipal appraised value.

3. Ecuadorians HATE paying taxes, even more then we North Americans do, because I suppose we are more used to it.

Put these three facts together and most who buy property in Ecuador don’t put the actual amount they paid on the deeds but the minimum amount they must put which is the Municipally appraised value.

The reason for this is because it greatly lessens your tax burden, both for your transfer fees at time of purchase and also your annual tax payments (predios) due to the Municipal each year of ownership.

Here is a real life 2016 example of a property I am looking to buy and how putting the actual amount the owner is asking on the deed effects the transfer and notary fees you will have to pay at purchase plus the annual property taxes vs just putting the Municipally appraised amount.

Figures were attained directly from a notary in Ecuador.  

The choice is yours.

Many of us expats (myself included) in Ecuador prefer to live in the Andes Mountain region due to the mild, cool climate (and lack of mosquitos) in the center of the country and then invest in a second home or take vacations to the coast. 

By Andes region I mean the area starting in Tulcan in the north, then going down through Ibarra, Otavalo, Quito, Ambato, Riobamba, Cuenca, Loja and then on to Peru. The communication in these region is not all that bad as you’d expect, for the government here takes care to even ensure that all inter- and intra-networks possess courier insurance.

An increase in the number of cars operating on the roads has led to a tremendous increase in the number of car accidents also. In the midst of such unwanted events, lawsuits and criminal charges are bound to arise. As accidents are events having legal consequences, the role of a lawyer is that of great importance. Car accident lawyer exist to help a person file or defend a lawsuit. Personal injury lawyers specialize in the field of law that covers injury to an individual. This involves personal cases when someone is injured due to the negligence or the fault of another person or to the fault, negligence or the wrongdoing of an employer, an agency, a group of people, a company, or another entity, click to read more here about Kruger & Hodges injury lawyers. A personal injury case is a legal case that allows you to recover compensation from the party that is responsible for your injuries. You may file this type of claim after a car accident, truck accident, slip and fall, or any other type of incident where you sustained injuries as a result of the negligence of another party. By filing a personal injury claim, you can recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Personal injury laws in Florida are complex, which is why if you’ve been injured, you should seek legal representation from an attorney right away. The biggest point to prove is that a loss has occurred due to the negligent behavior of someone else. At amanda demanda law group, we know what it takes to prove liability and recover compensation. Attorney Amanda Demanda will work tirelessly to ensure you are fully compensated.

They represent the interests of their client or clients. The lawyer is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of personal injury law including federal, state, and local statues, regulations, and policies. The attorney represents and protects the interests of their client(s) who are victims of vehicle accidents, accidents in the workplaces, accidents that happen because of defective highways or roadways, slip and fall accidents, injuries because of defective products, medical misdiagnosis, medical malpractice, and many other issues. When choosing the attorney to handle a case, an individual should do some research on what type of experience the personal injury lawyer has. Most lawyers will specialize in certain areas of personal injury and if an individual’s case is about an injury they received while at work and the personal injury lawyer they are considering specializes in medical malpractice, that attorney may not be a good match for that individual.

Another factor for the individual who is injured to consider is the attorney’s track record for winning settlements for their clients. The lawyer should be willing to discuss with the potential client how many cases similar to the potential clients that lawyer has handled and how many they have won for their clients. They should also be willing to discuss how many they have settled out of court and how many they have taken to trial. Even if the potential client is willing to settle out of court, if it becomes necessary to go to trial to get a fair settlement, they want to know their personal injury lawyer is capable of representing their interests in court.

How successful is the lawyer in recovering damages for their clients? An injured individual wants to hire a personal injury lawyer who has a good track record at getting their clients the compensation they are entitled to. A personal injury lawyers provides the offenders or car accident victims with information regarding the numerous practical and legal aspects of personal injury law and car accident claims. It is a fact that almost every person on an average is involved in at least one car accident in his lifetime. A lawyer can be your best friend and a legal assistant, who will not only save your from all legal nuances, but will also tell you about newer laws that can help you in all aspects. Every field of advocacy has special lawyers handling it. Well, personal injury is something that can happen or occur to anyone at any point of life. It is this time that personal injury lawyer will help you and help you at every step. No matter if you are in LI or any other area of US, personal injury lawyer will surely handle your case with effectiveness. LI stands for Long Island and personal injury lawyer in this area, along with others, are quite skillful in managing their task. Contact to Brooklyn Personal Injury Lawyer, if you want legal advice. What a personal injury lawyer does is to tell you all the possible laws that may help you in recovering compensation from the opposite party. Now, it is up to you to decide over the matter and see to it that how much compensation is required. Well, as far as the work of personal injury lawyer LI is concerned, he or she will tell you about the points that the other party may put in front of the judge in their defense. The personal injury lawyer will also tell you about certain laws and points that will help you in maintaining your position in front of judge and recover the compensation. The main task of such a lawyer is to help their clients in every possible manner.

A personal injury can be caused due to any reason. Medical malpractice, accident and robbery can be some of the personal injury cases that may come up in your life. And personal injury lawyer LI will be your best friend in tackling the case for you. In order to have the decision in your favor, all you have to do is first sit with your personal injury lawyer LI and discuss the case with him or her. Discussion period is required to understand the case completely and take out certain points that can turn the tide in your favor. You have to see that personal injury lawyer should be qualified and experienced enough to fight your case.

You will want to contact San Bernardino law offices personal injury attorney to have them help you your accident case. But most who’ve driven it knows it takes 6-8 hours easy to get from Quito driving times in Ecuador to the closest points on the coast.  From Cuenca, it’s a good 3 and a half hours to Guayaquil, then another 2 hours to the closest beach. Most of the journey in between does not have the best roads, and thus uncertain things could happen. You can click here to find how you can recover fast to get back to work if any uncertain incident happens. Taylorsville personal injury lawyer help people who have been injured in car crashes recover the compensation they deserve. How? Anyone who is injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of another person has the right to file a personal injury claim. A negligence lawsuit allows the plaintiff to recover damages intended to compensate for physical, emotional, and financial injuries. You can click this site for the best atlanta truck accident lawyer. The most important thing an injured victim of a truck accident should do after an accident is to seek medical attention. Sometimes, victims may delay seeking medical attention and attempt to “tough it out” instead. But, this is a mistake. The more time that elapses between the truck accident and the first visit with a doctor, the weaker a person’s case against the truck driver becomes. The attorneys or insurance companies representing the truck driver and trucking company will point towards the lengthy period of time and claim that the injury was not that serious. The trucking company’s attorney and the insurance company could even argue that the victim’s injuries were not actually sustained in the accident at all. For these reasons, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible after the accident.

Most don’t know there’s a back way to the coast…

In fact, you can get from Ibarra in the mountains north of Quito to the north coast in just 3 hours!

And the road is well paved, scenic and EMPTY too.  It connects Ibarra to Lita, then on to San Lorenzo on the northern most tip of the Ecuador coast.  From there you turn south and within about 45 minutes you are in Las Penas and the other beaches north of Esmeraldas. An еxреrіеnсеd accident аttоrnеу will fіlе сlаіmѕ against all negligent раrtіеѕ, bоth рhуѕісаl injury, аnd рrореrtу, and uѕе similar vаluеѕ tо іlluѕtrаtе the rеԛuеѕt fоr rеаѕоnаblе rеmunеrаtіоn. Many tіmеѕ a settlement іѕ negotiated tо prevent thе іnѕurаnсе соmраnу оr responsible party frоm аdmіttіng guіlt, ѕо nеgоtіаtіоn skills are сruсіаl. This accident аttоrnеу knows hоw tо leverage this ѕіtuаtіоn.

When I took this road (route 10) recently I didn’t see a single truck and very few other cars during the whole 3 hours I was on it.Great for anyone that wants to try the road less traveled by or for someone who wants to live in the Mountains in someplace like Ibarra, yet be close to the coast!