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In this Issue of C.O. Local BUZZ…

🤔Local Trivia Question

🌄Bend, OR Weather

📅 Lots and LOTS of Events

🍺🥃🍸The Little Woody - Bend Aug. 30th -31st

🏍️🎶HOT PIPES MOTO SHOW!

🎉New Event Calendar! Central Oregon Local Live!

📰Local News - What’s a Happening?

🚫🚰Troubled Waters: Crook County property owners' years-long battle over tainted groundwater - Central Oregon Daily News

🖼️ New Bend art concepts released after controversy over southern border wall look

🚧ODOT may build Highway 20-to-Bend Parkway connector, but that's years away

📰Business News

🗻Local group explores buying Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort -UPDATE

📰Regional News

🦟In a first, Oregon officials find particular mosquito that can transmit deadly viruses

Central Oregon Fire Info

🔥Air, ground crews stop, contain small lightning-sparked wildfire south of Highway 20, east of Hoodoo

Updates of Oregon Fires

🚧 Road Closures & Construction

🔥⛑️Fire & Rescue News

💥✈️Small Jet Skids to Stop at Sunriver Airport Due to Landing Gear Failure

🚵‍♂️Mt. Bachelor confirms death last week at resort’s mountain biking park - KTVZ

🚨 Crime News

👮‍♂️UPDATE - Bend Police investigating report of shots fired in area of NE Second Street

🏘️Real Estate News

💹Central Oregon Market Report | August 28, 2024

🗝️You can retire abroad without being George Clooney — or even rich — but it helps to have these 3 things

📰 Community News

 Got some news or know of news for our Community News Segment - share it with C.O. Local Buzz!

😁 MEME of the Day

🌆 On going Events

📲Sponsors & Partners

What inspired the name "The Little Woody" for Bend’s annual craft beverage festival?

A) The festival’s original location near a wooded area
B) The small wooden barrels used in aging the beverages
C) The founder’s nickname
D) The mascot of a local brewery

Answer: B) The small wooden barrels used in aging the beverages

Expanded Answer:
The name "The Little Woody" is inspired by the small wooden barrels traditionally used in the aging process of the craft beers, ciders, and whiskeys featured at the festival. These barrels, often made from oak, impart unique flavors to the beverages, making them a central theme of the festival. The event honors this traditional method, which is a hallmark of craft brewing and distilling in the Northwest

BEND

Events Sponsored By

Enjoy Bend Life Real Estate

What’s Up Central Oregon 

Friday, Aug 30, 5-10pm

Saturday, Aug 31, Noon-10pm

VIP Admission begins at 4pm on Friday

The festival is free to attend. Purchase a tasting package to sample beer, cider and wine.

The Little Woody is a whimsical festival held in Bend, Oregon, celebrating craft beverages with a delightful gnome-themed atmosphere. Taking place on the lush grounds of the Deschutes Historical Museum, the event offers a rich array of experiences from beer, cider, and cocktail tastings to non-alcoholic options. Set for Labor Day weekend, the festival's hours are from 5 PM to 10 PM on Friday and from noon to 10 PM on Saturday.

This festival goes beyond mere tastings by featuring live music, a gnome costume contest, and interactive art activities, enhancing the enchanting experience. For those interested in unique spirits, there's a special whiskey tent with limited availability selections offering rare and aged spirits which are only available while supplies last.

Children are welcome during specific hours, making it a family-friendly event during the day, while evening sessions are reserved for attendees 21 and older. It's important to note that pets are not allowed, except for service animals as per ADA guidelines.

For further details on the event lineup, ticket purchasing, and more, you can visit their website The Little Woody.

August 31st 2PM - 10PM

HOT PIPES MOTO SHOW!

This is THE BEST MOTORCYCLE SHOW in Bend Oregon on August 31st, 2024 at 220 NE Lafayette Avenue. We're gonna turn this thing up to 11 and show what Bend and the surrounding areas have to offer in custom and vintage motorcycles. We'll be showcasing chopper culture customs, antique collectibles, vintage racers, and all out speed demons. The show will also feature art from some of central Oregon’s premier artists as well as vendor booths with pinstriping, denim daddies, jewelry mavens, food, bevvies from Boneyard Beer, music by Portland punk band The Shitfits, and much more. Don't miss out on seeing all of these major west coast builders, tattoo artists, photographers, and local business owners all in one spot! Don't dilly dally! The first 250 tickets sold come with an official Hot Pipes poster + sticker pack with wicked graphics by our own Brian Zager @bkzgrfx.

Be there or be square!

Hot Pipes is a family friendly event

Kids under 12 years of age enter for FREE

NO dogs

NO outside alcohol

NO cuts or colors

Troubled Waters: Crook County property owners' years-long battle over tainted groundwater

Central Oregon Daily News

IN FOCUS: Toxic groundwater has plagued dozens of Crook County property owners who want answers and are fighting back. Central Oregon Daily takes in-depth look at the problem which has reached the halls of Congress.

Clean, drinkable water. It is a precious resource in Central Oregon. But for dozens of property owners just outside Prineville, a battle over tainted groundwater has been raging for years.

They say that about the time that a billion-dollar mining company began operations nearby, decades of crystal clear well water became unusable. They also say the State of Oregon and Crook County have discounted their concerns about what might be responsible.

So, for the last three years, their homes, property and lives have changed as they desperately search for the source of their troubled waters. 

READ MORE

New Bend art concepts released after controversy over southern border wall look

Following community feedback that one of two public art concepts for the Bend Public Works Campus looked like the southern border wall, a revised version was released Thursday by Art in Public Places. The public can now review and leave input about the two candidates.

Each of the submitted concepts has two parts. One is a wall that will be erected along Cooley Road on either side of the campus entrance, and the other will be placed at the main entrance of the Public Works Campus on Talus Place.

The wall sculpture Patrick Marold, which was initially called "Deschutes Passage" has been retitled "Woven Passage." While the original version consisted of beams in a bronze-brown color, the new version -- utilizing galvanized steel channel beams -- is white and has more dimension. It contains a wave that looks similar to a river.

The other piece is called "Sway" by Aaron T. Stephan. From a distance, it looks like a collection of one-way signs. But at closer glance, the signs contain multiple variations on the theme including words like Someway, Both Ways and Milkway.

After the controversy over Marold's wall concept, he was given two weeks to come up with an alternate vision before the public was allowed to comment.

The public can take a closer look at the designs here and can leave their input here.

ODOT may build Highway 20-to-Bend Parkway connector, but that's years away

Colby Enebrad, Reporter Central Oregon Daily News

Thousands of people will travel to the High Desert this Labor Day Weekend, inevitably bringing heavier traffic and longer slow downs. Combine that with the major construction on the Bend North Corridor Project and holiday weekend commutes could take even longer.

"Anytime we have a holiday weekend when we expect higher traffic volume, all of our crews will pause construction work, so we can have as high of traffic volume as possible," public information officer with ODOT Kacey Davey said.

One of the bottleneck areas continues to be where Highway 20 ends at Third Street and Empire Avenue. This includes drivers who are trying to get to the southbound Parkway via Empire as they always have.

There is another option for drivers -- the new onramp from Robal Lane to the southbound Parkway. But Davey said that route isn't being used as much as expected.

"If you take the roundabout at Robal (off Highway 20) and go towards the shopping area, if you keep going straight on Robal, there's a southbound onramp that puts you right onto the Parkway so that you can get directly on there without having to get on Empire," Davey said.

While there is no direct connection from Highway 20 to the Parkway right now, Davey says ODOT has a scoping project scheduled for the 2027-2030 budget cycle. ODOT could consider building a connection, such as an overpass, that would allow drivers to get onto Highway 97 directly from Highway 20. Davey says this wasn't in the initial north corridor plan because ODOT did not have the funding and simply couldn't get around to it. 

UPDATE: Since we first aired the story about a local effort to buy Mt. Bachelor ski resort, the organizers say they have received more than 1,000 emails. People interested in learning about the effort can email [email protected]

Local group explores buying Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort

Brooke Snavely, Reporter Central Oregon Daily News

Less than a week after the announcement that Mt. Bachelor is for sale, a local effort is emerging to buy the ski resort.

POWDR Corporation announced last Thursday it was listing Mount Bachelor for sale, along with several other ski resorts it owns around the country.

Central Oregon Daily News met a couple of locals Wednesday who are researching ways to buy and operate Mount Bachelor for the benefit of locals. But it’s a big ski resort with a correspondingly large price tag.

"The two methods we are looking at are a non-profit or possibly a trust but, really, returning the mountain to local shareholders so they have control," said Chris Porter.

"The effort is to bring it back into local ownership of the community," said Dan Cochrane. "It’s the original foundation of the town and the vision of Bill Healy. We would love to return it to the great ski hill that it once was."

Porter and Cochrane are organizing a meeting Thursday night with “people around town, some government representatives and private investors.” They say step one is a feasibility study to crunch the numbers, which they expect are in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Whatever Bachelor’s ownership status, the Powder House Ski & Snowboard Shop on Century Drive is already preparing it’s ski rental equipment for the coming season.

"I remember when Bill Healy used to own it. He lived here. Knew what was going on, heard from the locals. I think it would make a difference and I would like to see that happen," said Todd McGee, Powder House owner. 

"We spearheaded this effort just this last Saturday, hit the ground running and everyone’s excited about it," Cochrane said. "Everyone I’ve spoken to, they are all on board and everyone just can’t wait to see what happens."

People interested in learning about the local effort to purchase Mount Bachelor can email [email protected]

"As the great philosopher Warren Miller once said, 'There’s multiple ways to slide down a hill. Some of them are more graceful than others,'" Porter said.

Video Here

In a first, Oregon officials find particular mosquito that can transmit deadly viruses

by Lynne Terry, Oregon Capital Chronicle

For the first time, Oregon health officials have found a type of mosquito in the state that can transmit deadly viruses.

The Oregon Health Authority announced Thursday that it had found Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Jackson County as part of its regular mosquito surveillance.

“Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are a concern in the United States because they can carry and transmit various diseases that can have serious health consequences such as Zika virus, chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever,” said Emilio DeBess, Oregon Health Authority’s public health veterinarian. The latter two viruses are potentially deadly.

The first mosquito was found July 23 in Talent, according to Jackson County officials. Since then, officials have found 77 specimens in 18 traps in northwest Talent. It’s unclear why it took the health authority a month to announce it to the state.

For more information:

Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/life-cycle-of-aedes-mosquitoes.html.Jackson County’s vector control page: jcvcd.org/mosquito/aedes-aegypti.

Insect control officials set traps statewide on a regular basis to monitor mosquito activity and test for Western equine encephalitis and West Nile virus. The latter, which is also carried by other mosquitoes, typically affects horses and birds as well as humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 290 people in the U.S. this year have been infected with West Nile virus, including Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a COVID expert, who was hospitalized. About 50 mosquitoes in Oregon have tested positive for the West Nile virus this year, health officials said.

The health authority in its release that Jackson County health officials are working with the agency and that officials will “implement strategies” to control the insects and prevent the spread of disease, including eliminating standing water where they breed. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for more details.

As adults, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are only about one-quarter of an inch long and have a speckled black-and-white pattern on their legs and other parts of the body. Scientists suspect they first appeared in Africa. They can’t fly far – only about 500 feet – but they’ve been transported by trade and shipping to tropical and subtropical regions around the world and have emerged in other temperate climates. They’ve also been found across the U.S., including along the Gulf coast, in Indiana, Kentucky and Arizona. They first turned up in southern California in 2013 and have also been found in the San Francisco Bay area, Washington D.C. and New York. They’ve yet to appear in Washington state. 

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes prefer warm and wet weather and often live near homes or nearby woods. They target humans, their favorite food, and bite during the day, particularly ankles, wrists and elbows. 

Health officials said the risk of contracting a virus like Zika, chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever from them is low because they have to bite an infected person first.

“The risk of these infections to local residents is low and depends on the presence or arrival of someone who is currently infected with one of these diseases after infection outside the U.S.,” DeBess said. 

The health authority has not received any reports of deadly diseases passed to Oregonians by these mosquitoes, DeBess said.

They only need a quarter of an inch of water to complete their life cycle and can thrive in plant saucers, tires, kiddie pools, pet water bowls, containers and buckets and other water.  

“Many prevention methods that work for other types of mosquitoes apply to Aedes aegypti,” said Geoff Taylor, manager of Jackson County vector control.

To prevent their spread, officials say people should:

Dump or drain standing water around the home.Remove containers or objects that can hold water from your yard, such as water saucers from under plants, old tires, tarps, buckets, containers, toys and other equipment.Repair leaky outdoor faucets.Keep drain gutters cleared.Cover, screen or remove rain barrels, trash cans, bins, buckets or tubs.Wear mosquito repellent outside. Repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, some lemon eucalyptus, and para-menthane-diol products are most effective at preventing mosquito bites.Sleep under a mosquito net outside or in a room without screens.

DeBess said the health authority’s tracking and monitoring system will help reduce the risk posed by these mosquitoes.

Air, ground crews stop, contain small lightning-sparked wildfire south of Highway 20, east of Hoodoo

SISTERS, Or – A ground and air attack stopped and contained a new lightning-sparked wildfire spotted Thursday on the Deschutes National Forest south of Highway 20 and east of Hoodoo Ski area, which grew to about two acres.

Incident 722, named the Claypool Fire, was reported around noon near the Meadow Lakes area, several miles east of the Willamette National Forest, officials said.

Three engines, an air attack plane and two helicopters were the first resources called to stop the fire, followed by a lead plane and two heavy air tankers. A hotshot crew also was ordered to help stop the blaze.

Air tankers made retardant drops and helicopters dropped buckets of water on the blaze, while a bulldozer joined the fight.

Officials said later Friday afternoon that forward progression of the fire had been stopped, and crews were working to build containment lines around the fire's perimeter. They also said the cause was determined to be lightning.

The fire was 100% contained Thursday night, officials said. Crews will continue mop up operations to seek out and extinguish hot spots for the next few days.

You can find updates on the Central Oregon Fire X/Twitter feed and at Watch Duty.

After a cooler and wetter early August following a record-hot and fiery July, fire officials have advised of the continued dry conditions ahead of a warmup over the Labor Day weekend.

The National Weather Service in Pendleton has issued a heat advisory for much of Central and Northeast Oregon, as well as Washington state, from 11 a.m. Saturday to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Updates of Oregon Fires

Link to: Air Quality Index map

Another AQI Map

Link to: Northwest Large Fire Interactive Web Map

Small Jet Skids to Stop at Sunriver Airport Due to Landing Gear Failure

Sunriver, OR – August 29, 2024

A small jet experienced a landing gear malfunction at Sunriver Airport on August 29th, leading to a dramatic landing but fortunately resulting in no injuries. The incident occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m. when a 2007 Cessna Citation Mustang jet touched down without its landing gear deployed, causing the aircraft to skid along the runway.

According to witnesses, flames and smoke were briefly visible as the plane came to a stop. However, when the Sunriver Police Department and Sunriver Fire Department arrived on the scene, no active flames or smoke were found. The pilot had quickly shut off the fuel supply to the engine, effectively preventing any potential fire or fuel leak.

The jet was carrying the pilot, one passenger, and their dog, all of whom escaped the incident unscathed. The aircraft's landing gear remained retracted throughout the landing, causing the plane to land on its belly.

As of 3:00 p.m., Sunriver Airport's runway 1836 remained closed while efforts continued to remove the aircraft. The Sunriver Police Department has notified the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about the incident.

The Sunriver Police Department extended its gratitude to the Sunriver Fire Department, the airport staff, and employees for their prompt response and assistance during the incident.

Mt. Bachelor confirms death last week at resort’s mountain biking park

By Barney Lerten KTVZ

Mt. Bachelor officials confirmed Thursday that a male guest died a week ago at the resort's mountain bike park, after the crash victim's family shared information with a private Facebook group.

Here's the statement provided by Lauren Burke, director of marking and communications, when NewsChannel 21 inquired about the reported death at the resort.

"On August 22, 2024 at approximately 4:30 PM, Mt. Bachelor Patrol received a report of an unresponsive male guest in the bike park. Patrol initiated CPR and other lifesaving efforts, which continued as Patrol transported the guest to West Village. From there, Bend Fire assumed care and transported the guest to the hospital."

"Our thoughts are with the guest’s family and friends at this time. We are immensely thankful to our emergency responders for their quick response and the medical assistance provided," the statement concluded.

The resort did not clarify how the man was hurt or provide any other details, but NewsChannel 21 learned of a family posting shared on the private Bend Trails Facebook group, saying the man who died in a crash leaves behind a wife and two young children, and loved mountain biking and the mountain.

Bend Police investigating report of shots fired in area of NE Second Street

UPDATE: Aaron Polit, 44, of Bend, was arraigned yesterday afternoon on 7 charges including attempted assault, accused of firing handgun at intended victim on busy NE Bend street yesterday; judge set bail at $500,000, will return to court in a week.

Numerous police officers converged on an area near a northeast Bend intersection Wednesday afternoon on a report of shots being fired. Officers said no one was injured and a person of interest was detained, but asked people to avoid the area.

The report of shots fired was received shortly after 3:30 p.m. on NE Second Street near Franklin Avenue, Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said, resulting in a “large police presence in the area."

Miller said there was no danger to the community, and no word on any damage at this time.

Second Street was closed between DeKalb and Franklin avenues, as was Emerson Avenue between Third and First streets for the investigation.

Central Oregon Market Report | August 28, 2024

by Reed Melton

The end of August before Labor Day typically sees a lull in the Central Oregon housing market before activity picks up in the fall. With the national average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.42% and inventory higher than any time in the last few years, buyers have better conditions than many expected. However, inventory is on the decline, and homes are selling steadily. At the Jackson Hole conference, Jerome Powell confirmed a rate cut is coming. The only remaining question is whether it is 25 or 50 basis points. 

Making predictions about the economy well into the future is a fool's game, but I don't mind being foolish now and then, so here is my take! First, I disagree with Powell's assessment that inflation is no longer a concern. In fact, I see signs of rising inflation in energy and homes, amongst other metrics. Considering that Powell never reached target inflation, and with all the pressure on prices still in play, lowering rates today feels like a political move. Subtracting inflation from interest paid on loans is the real interest rate, and even using the heavily manipulated inflation rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, mortgage rates are hardly punitive. If rates decline, I anticipate well-qualified buyers returning to the market in droves. Increased buyer competition with lower rates will mop up any excess inventory and apply upward pressure on home prices, which are already trending up. 

Year-to-date, 2,157 single-family homes have sold in Deschutes County, up only 20 from YTD 2023. The median sale price in 2024 is up 6.74%, with the average up 5.53%. The price increase of sold homes occurred despite higher rates than in the past several years. With rates slated to decrease and talk from the Fed of more rate decreases before year-end, I anticipate double-digit percentage increases in the median home sale price for 2025. I encourage buyers who have been waiting for the right time to take a hard look at the opportunities available today. 

Inventory in Deschutes County decreased seven this week to 1293 single-family homes listed for sale. A moderate seventy homes are pending this week, with sixty-one closed transactions. The average closed sale price was $795,596.The median days listed for the closed and pending transactions was 36, with the active inventory at 68 days.

Crook County inventory dropped only one to 160 homes listed. A solid ten homes are pending, with five closed transactions. The average of the closed sales this week was $592,253. The closed sales median days on the market stand at 28, while the pending and active listings are each above 70 days. 

Homes for sale in Jefferson County increased six this week to 116, a surprising change for this time of year. Six sales are pending, with three closed transactions at an average of $328,133. The median days listed for the active inventory is 73, with pending sales at thirty-seven days and the closed transactions listed for seventy-four days before buyers secured a contract. 

I am hosting an Open House at 17037 Golden Stone Drive on the Aspen Lakes Golf Course on Sunday and Monday of Labor Day weekend from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come by, say hello, and check out this gorgeous brand-new home! Bring your questions about the Central Oregon housing market, and I will gladly share my insights. 

Active Listings

You can retire abroad without being George Clooney — or even rich — but it helps to have these 3 things

Retiring abroad for a lower cost of living sounds great. How this couple makes it work.

By Edd and Cynthia Staton

Last Updated: Aug. 5, 2024 at 8:21 a.m. ET
First Published: Aug. 2, 2024 at 12:57 p.m. ET

The idea of living abroad sounds so glamorous, doesn’t it? 

Many assume such an option is reserved for the affluent few. George Clooney’s villa on Lake Como comes to mind. As does Johnny Depp’s private 37-acre village in the south of France.

So it may come as a surprise to learn that the Social Security Administration reports over 500,000 U.S. retirees, most decidedly not solely jet setters, receive their benefits in a country outside of the United States.

That statistic doesn’t begin to tell the whole story. Plenty of other retired expats, including us, have their monthly checks sent to a stateside bank.

Why are so many people choosing to retire in other countries? While some seek adventure and others are fed up with toxic politics, the primary reason is the pursuit of a lower cost of living.

The financial shortfall of baby boomers is well-documented. The Federal Reserve Board states that 43% of those aged 55 to 64 have no retirement savings whatsoever.

The need to find a cheaper place to live was a driving force in our move to Cuenca, Ecuador, over 14 years ago. High earners only a few years from retirement, we suddenly lost our jobs and much of our savings during the Great Recession.

Read: Recession almost ruined our retirement — but now we’re living the good life in Ecuador for $2,000 a month

After months of unemployment, we realized that time was not on our side. At our age, we were not going to be able to recover from this massive setback. If there was any hope of rescuing our retirement, we needed to come up with a new game plan quickly.

Our solution was to retire early, take our remaining assets, and start a new life abroad. That bold leap of faith paid off beyond our wildest dreams.

Ecuador’s low cost of living and inflation, along with our combined Social Security incomes, allows us to experience an upscale lifestyle, travel extensively, and even add to our savings.

When we tell people about our daily life in Cuenca — renting a penthouse apartment, fresh flowers, housekeeper, yoga studio and gym memberships, regular massages, eating out several times a week — on a budget of around $2,000 a month, they often respond in disbelief, “That’s incredible!”

But from the glazed look in their eyes, we know they cannot begin to comprehend how that’s even possible when the monthly budget for an average lifestyle in the United States is over $6,000.

Let’s take a look at current prices here in Cuenca (which, by the way, is considered the most expensive place to live in Ecuador) to help you better understand what the often-used term “low cost of living” really means.

Real estate

One of the most important decisions prospective expats have to make is whether to buy or rent a residence in their new home country. While home ownership is a pillar of the American dream, we always recommend renting when you first arrive abroad.

That beautiful condo may have an attractive price, but each neighborhood has unique characteristics. Once you have a feel for the location that seems like the right fit, you are in a better position to commit to ownership. Or you may decide, like us, to simply continue renting.

Here is a sample of some current listings for sale and rent in Cuenca as of this writing. Compare them to the average home price in the U.S. of over $420,000 and median rental rate of almost $2,000 a month — the same as our entire budget.

For sale:

• Furnished 1,300 square foot 2-bedroom corner penthouse with abundant light directly on Cuenca’s tram route. All appliances and quality window treatments included. $120,000.

• Furnished 2,600 square foot 4-bedroom condo with separate office and TV room. A separate storage unit and four parking spaces are included. $275,000.

What about property taxes? The median tax paid in the United States is almost $3,000 a year. Friends of ours built a high-end, 4,300-square-foot home on 15 acres in a pastoral setting outside of Cuenca. Annual property taxes were a whopping $52.

They have since moved back into the city and own a 2,800-square-foot condo with a huge landscaped terrace that is valued at $400,000. Unsurprisingly, property taxes are higher in urban areas. They pay $645 per year.

For rent:

• Furnished 2-bedroom downtown apartment with beautiful views from the terrace of Cuenca’s magnificent cathedral. Includes all utilities. $480.

• Semi-furnished 4-bedroom house with beamed ceilings and a terrace overlooking one of Cuenca’s four rivers. Totally secure, $850.

Food

We’re always shocked at grocery stores in the U.S. when the cashier tells us the total bill. We leave with only a few bags after spending over $100. In Cuenca, if we spend that much we can’t carry everything.

Grocery costs in Ecuador depend on where you shop and what you buy. Fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish are dirt cheap at the mercados around town. But some shoppers question the quality, freshness, and sanitation of such open markets, and don’t like having to go elsewhere for products like detergent, dairy, and packaged goods.

You’ll pay more for the convenience of one-stop shopping in supermarkets, and a lot more if your cart is filled with imported items. Whatever your preferences, you are sure to experience reverse sticker shock when you see how much you get for so little money. 

To illustrate, here are some prices taken straight from our recent shopping bills:

2 large pieces of osso buco $4.17

1 bouquet of alstroemerias $1.18

5 navel oranges 99 cents

1 head of broccoli 80 cents

1 bunch of fresh parsley 47 cents

We have an abundance of restaurants in our neighborhood and eat out several times a week. In the case of our favorite nearby lunch spot, it’s cheaper than cooking. 

The meal includes a glass of fresh-squeezed juice, a bowl of soup, two choices for the main plate, and a small dessert for $3.50. Prices for dinner entrees in nice restaurants are in the teens, and fine dining for two with wine will average $60 including tax and tip.

Senior benefits

Residents of Ecuador aged 65 and over are kindly referred to as tercera edad, meaning “third age.” While it’s fun that we have special designated lines at banks and grocery stores, what is even better is the money we save with senior discounts. 

Our high-speed, fiber-optic internet costs $25 per month. Cell phone service is only $8. Sales tax (IVA) is 15%, but we get a full refund for most purchases up to $108 per month.

For frequent travelers, the most lucrative perk is on both one-way or round-trip (with the same airline) flights originating in Ecuador. A 50% discount off the base fare can total hundreds of dollars in savings for a single trip.

The great news is that many locations around the globe offer similar savings. Like us, other expats are enjoying comfortable, stress-free retirements throughout Latin America, Europe and the Far East on budgets paid for with their Social Security benefits.

If you know your retirement savings are inadequate or fear you will outlive your money, moving abroad is an option worth considering.

Edd and Cynthia Staton are experts on expat life in retirement. They have appeared on network television and are regularly featured in the media. They have written three books about their adventures and created a program to educate others on retiring abroad.

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