A great way of looking into what’s available before making a big move is to hunt around online. Of course, once you’ve decided Ecuador is where you want to buy, you need to get out there and look around for yourself.
The following websites have a decent range of property for sale and are useful as an indicator of price and location:
Make sure you’re prepared to tackle the market before you begin your house hunt - research what you can get for your cash, give yourself a budget, and look out for any renovation work that needs doing.
Many Ecuadorian property owners may be interested in selling up, but will not have formally listed their property. This is where establishing yourself and making contacts can come in handy. If you’ve found the place you want to move to, you might consider renting for a few months and putting feelers out to find property for sale in the area. Some real bargains can be found this way.
Equally, it’s worth contacting estate agents and setting up viewings of listed properties. If the estate agent recommends a lawyer, make sure they’re charging a reasonable amount for their services. The more Spanish you can speak, the easier this process will be. Non-Spanish speakers can sometimes be charged higher rates. If you do speak some Spanish, make sure you show it off as much as possible.