Plan a move you can test before you commit

Before the flight

Define the decision — not the itinerary

Come with questions you can answer through observation. “Do I like Salinas?” is too broad. “Can I handle the heat, the HOA life, and the Guayaquil run for healthcare?” is useful.

Write down the three conditions that would make a move workable and the three that would end the experiment. For one person, a swimmable beach and walkable errands may matter most. For another, it may be a quiet building, tolerable humidity, and a dependable video-call connection.

Time your visit deliberately. Salinas in sunny February and Salinas in gray, windy August are barely the same town — and neither resembles Carnaval week, when hundreds of thousands of visitors pack the Malecón. If heat, humidity, or holiday noise are serious considerations, experience them directly rather than reading about them.

Rent before buying

A rental is not delay. It is due diligence.

A longer stay lets the novelty wear off. You learn which bay suits your routine, how a building handles heat and holidays, what the HOA actually delivers, and whether the Guayaquil run feels easy or exhausting. It also gives you time to assemble an independent legal and technical team without purchase pressure.

Before signing a condo rental

• Read the Spanish contract or have it reviewed; confirm term, deposit, notice, renewal, inventory, and repair responsibility.
• Write down what is included: furnishings, A/C units and their condition, internet, water, electricity, gas, HOA fees, parking, and building amenities.
• Ask for recent electricity bills — A/C consumption in hot months surprises newcomers.
• Test taps, hot water, drainage, locks, appliances, elevator, mobile signal, and the actual internet connection.
• Ask about the building: delinquency rate, pending special assessments (derramas), short-term rental rules, and who handles emergencies at midnight.
• Photograph condition at move-in and keep payment records.

Your first month

Stability comes from small systems

• Save ECU-911 and the contact details for your preferred clinic, insurer, landlord, building administration, and one trusted local contact.
• Know where to obtain prescribed medication and keep an appropriate reserve after medical guidance.
• Establish two ways to pay and access funds; test both before you need them.
• Learn the transport options for daytime, evening, La Libertad, and Guayaquil — including the senior half-fare if it applies.
• Understand your building’s water, electricity, gas, internet, waste, generator, and security routines.
• Create a power/internet backup appropriate to your work or medical needs.
• Join local life respectfully: greet neighbors, use Spanish, support local businesses, and listen before advising.

The purpose is not to reproduce North American life at lower cost with an ocean view. It is to learn how life works here and decide whether you want to participate in it.