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My Ecuador Real Estate
Dawn over an Andean valley in southern Ecuador, mist on the valley floor, the kind of place people choose for a retirement home in Ecuador

Build in Ecuador

Build your home in Ecuador, from the land to the keys

We advise you from buying the land, then design and build your home. One team, one point of contact.

Plan your build Book a Call
View from inside a home through a large window onto a snowy backyard in the northern United States in January, grey sky and bare trees
The same window opened onto a green Andean valley in southern Ecuador with layered mountains in warm morning light

The decision

You have worked your whole life. Now you get to choose where it continues.

Spring weather most of the year in the Andes. Warm, dry days on the Pacific coast. A community from the United States and Canada that has been settling here for years.

The Pacific coast of Ecuador near Salinas at golden hour, a long pale beach and calm sea
The Vilcabamba valley in southern Ecuador in afternoon light, a rocky ridge above green hills and orchards
Cuenca, Ecuador, red tile roofs and the blue domes of the cathedral at golden hour

Choose your place: coast, valley or city

Coast

Sea levelSalinas annual average about 25 °C (77 °F)Dry, bright, with the Pacific at the end of the street

Salinas and Montañita. Warm mornings, a cooler breeze from the Humboldt current, and the ocean as the view from the terrace.

Salinas   Montañita   Build here

Valley

About 1,600 m (5,200 ft)Vilcabamba annual average about 21 °C (70 °F)Spring weather most of the year

Vilcabamba and Loja. Green, quiet and connected, with a foreign community that has been settling here for years.

A day in Vilcabamba   Build here

City

Cuenca at about 2,560 m (8,400 ft)Annual average about 16 °C (60 °F)Historic centers, hospitals, airports

Cuenca, Quito and Guayaquil. A UNESCO historic center in Cuenca and Quito, daily flights home, and neighbors who already made the move.

Cuenca   Quito   Guayaquil   Build here

Build the home you have in mind. Or buy one that's ready.

Talk to us about your project Concept rendering, not a built project
An empty lot on a green slope in the Ecuadorian Andes with survey stakes and a valley view, land for sale in Ecuador

Build the home you have in mind

We advise you from the choice and purchase of the land, register it in your name, design to measure and build through to handover, with every document in order.

Build in Ecuador
Concept rendering of a single-storey hillside home with a terrace overlooking a green valley in Ecuador

Or buy one that's ready

We also list homes and villas with local developers and walk the purchase with you, with licensed local attorneys at every step.

See homes for sale
Concept rendering, not a built project

From the land to the keys, one team handles it

We advise you from the purchase of the land and then we build. Five steps, one point of contact, made for people who live in another country.

  1. 1

    The land

    We advise you on the land that fits your goals and budget: location, access, water and power, with a first review of the title and legal status to reduce risk from the start.

    Title reviewed before you commit
    A building lot on a green hillside in Ecuador marked with survey stakes
  2. 2

    Legal purchase

    The land is purchased and registered in your name with licensed local attorneys at every step, so buying in another country and understanding local rules stops being a problem.

    Registered in your name
    A notary desk with a property deed folder, pen and seal for a legal purchase in Ecuador
  3. 3

    Approved design

    We develop the concept with you and turn it into clear, buildable plans: layout, light, comfort and efficiency. Then we take the plans through the permits.

    Plans and permits before the first brick
    Floor plans and a white model of a single-storey house on an architect's table, custom home design in Ecuador
  4. 4

    Construction

    We build with control over quality, cost and timeline, handle the paperwork along the way, and send you progress reports from the site while you are away.

    Progress reports from the site
    Concept rendering of a house under construction on a green hillside in Ecuador, columns, brick and scaffolding Concept rendering
  5. 5

    Handover

    You receive the finished home with every document in order, ready to live in or to register, with no pending paperwork.

    Keys and documents together
    House keys on a wooden table by an open window with a view of green mountains, turnkey handover in Ecuador

Ready to talk about your land and your build?

Plan your build with us

Photos of real sites and finished homes: [PENDIENTE: fotos reales de obra y entregas]. The construction image above is a concept rendering.

What we build, from the land up

Two kinds of project, both managed from the purchase of the land to the finished home. Shown as concept renderings until we publish real photos.

Concept rendering of a valley home with a deep terrace on a hillside in Vilcabamba, Ecuador

Valley home

Vilcabamba, LojaSingle-storey, terrace, gardenBuilt with VilcaBuild
Concept rendering
Concept rendering of a two-storey beachfront house on the Pacific coast of Ecuador

Coastal home

Santa Elena coastTwo storeys, covered terrace
Concept rendering

Prefer a home that is ready now? We also list homes and villas in partnership with local developers.

See homes for sale

A day in Vilcabamba, the Valley of Longevity

  1. Early morning mist filling the Vilcabamba valley seen from a terrace railing, a steaming mug in the corner
    6:00 amI wake before the valley does. The mist is still asleep on the floor of it.
  2. A small-town market stall in Vilcabamba with papayas, bananas, avocados and herbs under a canvas awning
    9:00 amPapayas, avocados, herbs I still can't name. The market knows me now.
  3. A clear mountain river over round stones with giant bamboo, flowering shrubs, palms and a wooden footbridge near Vilcabamba
    2:00 pmThe river in the afternoon. Cold feet, warm stones.
  4. Golden hour light across the Vilcabamba valley with a hammock on a terrace in the foreground
    5:30 pmGolden hour from the hammock. The hills turn amber one by one.
  5. Night over Vilcabamba, the town lights in the dark valley and a sky full of stars
    8:00 pmMore stars than I have seen since I was a kid. Tomorrow, the same again.
Plan your build here

Vilcabamba is where the pace changes.

A parish of Loja canton at about 1,600 m (5,200 ft), with an annual average near 21 °C (70 °F). It is small, green, peaceful and connected: not remote, but far enough from the pace of a big city. People from the United States and Canada have been settling here for years, so you do not arrive to an empty town.

Projects here are built by our local partner, VilcaBuild. How a Vilcabamba build works [PENDIENTE: web de VilcaBuild]

Talk to us about building in Vilcabamba

Your questions

Plain answers to what people from the United States ask us first when they plan to build in Ecuador. None of this is legal, tax or immigration advice; for that we work with licensed local attorneys.

  • What exactly does "one team" handle?

    Lot sourcing, legal advice and purchase in your name, design and interiors, construction and permits, and turnkey handover. You have one point of contact from the first call to the keys.

  • How long does a build take?

    It depends on the lot, the design and the permits. Before construction starts you receive a written schedule, and during the build you receive progress reports from the site.

  • Can foreigners own property in Ecuador?

    In general, yes. Foreign buyers can hold property in their own name, with restrictions in certain areas such as national security zones near borders. Every purchase we handle is registered in the client's name and reviewed by licensed local attorneys who confirm the specifics of each property.

  • Can I buy from the United States without traveling?

    Much of the process can be handled remotely with a power of attorney and remote document review. We recommend at least one visit before you commit, and we coordinate the signatures and the timing around your travel.

  • Who builds the homes in Vilcabamba?

    Projects in Vilcabamba are built by our local partner VilcaBuild, with our team coordinating the purchase, design and handover.

  • What about residency, visas and healthcare?

    We do not give immigration, tax or legal advice. We recommend official sources and a licensed attorney for residency and visa questions, and we can refer you to professionals we work with.

  • How do I start?

    Book a call or send us the short form below. Tell us whether you want to buy, build or are not sure yet, and we will come back with options, no obligation.

Sunset over layered Andean ridges in Ecuador, amber and violet sky

Let's talk about building your home in Ecuador

Tell us what you have in mind and we will come back with options, no obligation. We reply within one business day, in English or Spanish.

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