Hello everybody!!
My Husband and I have been riding around the beach and asking about properties. We been finding many people who owns land, dont has any paperwork of it.
We have been in:
Salinas.
Montañita.
Olon.
San José.
Puerto Rico.
Rio Chico.
Ayangue.
Ayampe.
Las Tunas.
Puerto Lopez.
Machalilla.
Puerto Cayo.
Curia.
We found a 1000m2 land in Puerto Lopez for 120k. This is by the board walk.
A house with 6 beds for 130k. This is by the board walk.
A not finished house 180m2 in a lote of 1000m2 for 200k. This is on a hill, ocean overlooking.
A lote of 250m2 for $3500. A 300m distance from the beach.
A lote of 500m2 beach overlooking but not paperwork. The “Owner” said he is overthere since 1959 and the lote is a heritance from his parents in law.
In Ecuador, if someone finds a land and nobody is overthere can build a house for X time and become the “Owner” of it. If the real Owner shows up they must go to the Court. Is little complex, I been looking the law in order to show you guys, so you can be prepare when you find a house or land and you like it.
Please check here: “Ley de tierras baldías y Colonización”
http://www.darwinnet.org/docs/tenencia_legalizacion.pdf
Is important the seller shows you all the paperwork. It includes:
Escritura (Means the tittle)
Historia de Posesion (Means a list of owners of the property)
Certificado de No Gravamen ( This is a document it shows no has any debt, the owner is not using the property to get credits from any source, so nobody can take it from you)
Pago Impuesto Predial (This is the fee receipt payment. With this doc you can see who is the Owner, the tittle from the Municipality and the record of the legal paperwork)
My suggestion is: ask for all this doc, not just one. Just because you need be sure how and where you are spending your money, even if is little money.
If you buy a property and it does not has paperwork, and you dont know any local person, you dont speak the language and also dont know the culture, you will loose your money.
The first time that I met the gentelman who is now my Husband, he was working in his ecuadorian visa. The lawyer who was taking care of it, was no honest. I catch him telling lies and asking money. I founded out when I was verfiying information by asking the gov oficce.
Finally we got my Husband visa without lawyers, by ourselves. The lawyer gave his money back (not with out struging) Its not easy, but also is not complex. Everybody can do it.
So, my botton line is: Always, always, always ask for paperwork and ask someonelses opinion. If someone wants take advance of you, you will find the true by speaking with local people.
Usually they are friendly and are glad to speak and talk to people.
I hope you find this information usefull, and if you do please share the link with your friends 🙂
I will be glad to answer any question that you can have and share my experience wit you.
@GoodLifeInEcuador
Facebook: GoodLifeInEcuador.
Good Life in Ecuador!!! 
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