WIN the lifestyle

19/12/2017

Ecuador is still one of the best places to retire. There are so many reasons why! :-)

Stretch your nest egg in these 10 lovely countries.

07/09/2017

Hi guys! It has been nearly a year since we started on this crazy journey. That means our website and email address will no longer be useable after September 16th as they're not being renewed. Please feel free to take one last look at the website before it disappears. www.winthelifestyle.com. Thanks for being part of the journey and I hope you are well, wherever you are in this world! Cheers Rebecca 😊

16/08/2017

Hi guys,

Hope you're all well!

It's been a while since I last wrote...the disappointment of not being able to make WIN the lifestyle happen is still a little raw, but getting easier day by day.

Our lucky winners have received their winnings and are grateful for their prizes. I'm happy some people were able to benefit from this whole experience.

We are still looking for the lucky new owner of la casa verde. There has been a lot of interest, as there should be, as it's an amazing opportunity for someone. Nothing concrete yet, so la casa verde is still up for grabs.

As you all know, the building, land and business is valued at a little over US$800k. We understand that not all people who would love to run la casa verde and have the incredible lifestyle it offers, could necessarily afford to pay this. Of course, we'd like to get the best price possible...we'd also prefer to pass on la casa verde to someone who will cherish it as much as we have.

So, make us an offer. Let us know your thoughts. All reasonable offers will be considered and replied to. You just never know until you ask...

Check out the new website too www.lacasaverde.com.ec

Enjoy!

Cheers
Rebecca

14/06/2017

Just cruising on a dug out (tree trunk) canoe and you can come across this...

01/06/2017

Hi everyone,

One day after the big Draw, we've been in touch with our 3 lucky winners and they're still excited about their winnings. Congratulations again to the 3 of you!

Also, thanks again to ALL of you for being part of this! We've received many wonderful messages over the last few months (especially in the past 24 hours) and it's all your positive comments that have kept us going.

Now, there's a wonderful opportunity for ALL ticket holders... 😀

None of the 3 winners are in a position to purchase la casa verde - eco guest house, which means one of YOU can! As I mentioned before, we're giving priority to all our ticket holders before the general public.

Our earnings from the raffle have come in at $18.5k which we'll take off the market price of $818k (as shown in a post a few days ago). Given this, the asking price is $799.5k.

For everyone interested, please send us an email to: [email protected]. In your email, please also send us just a few sentences as to why you'd love to be the proud new owner of la casa verde and live the incredible lifestyle associated with it. We've already had a lot of interest, and as we don't want to have people bidding against each other (that's not the spirit of WIN the lifestyle), we need to sort out who we think would be best as the new owners. Just a few sentences and we'll ask you any more questions, if we need.

Also, if you have any questions for us, please feel free to ask in your email.

Happy beginning of Summer/Winter, wherever you are in the world!

Chao for now
Rebecca, Doug, John and Lexie

31/05/2017

Congratulations to our 3 winners of the main Prize Draw - Peter, Ben and Veronica!

We fell short of our 35,000 ticket minimum so the main prize is a nice lump sum of cash instead. 2nd and 3rd prize was $10k and $5k respectively. All winners were excited to receive our call (except for Veronica, who didn't answer, but we're on to it!).

Thanks again to you ALL for believing in it all and daring to try for something different. Although it didn't turn out the way we planned (and hoped), we've met many new friends and interesting people along the way. Yes, we've received our fair share of criticism, skepticism and naysayers along the way. It's those of you who were truly excited to be part of this potentially incredible opportunity, who kept writing positive comments and stories, and inspiring US along the way, that have kept us going! Thank YOU!

As I finished designing the 1st image to officially announce the winners, this quote from Pablo Picasso showed up...

"I begin with an idea, then it becomes something else."

We had the idea and it is certainly turning into something else. We're not sure exactly 'what' yet, but we'll be sure to let you know.

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, our circumstances haven't changed. We're still returning to Australia to be closer to family. la casa verde - eco guest house will be passed on to someone else by way of purchase instead. We're giving the winners priority, if they're in a position and want, to purchase. All other ticket holders will be given the next priority. Please email us with your expression of interest and we'll keep you up to date with what's going on.

Muchas gracias and thanks again for being part of the journey with us and we're truly sorry we couldn't make someone's dream come true for $29. Perhaps the dream will come true in some other form, if Pablo Picasso was 'speaking' to me correctly 😊

31/05/2017

There are less than 4 hours to get your ticket!!

Here's our original video about the competition. It makes a great closing post for the competition as it's still apt....we're looking forward to announcing and meeting the winners soon!

GOOD LUCK!!!! :-)

30/05/2017

The winners of our LAST TICKET GIVEAWAY are...

Amanda Weibel, Ben Perry, Carla Goyes Faieta, Gina Prosser, Gloria Garcia, Karen Britting, Lindsey Miller, Rebecca Bowater, Shawn McCracken and Trä Hitt.

Congratulations to you all! Please PM me with your postal address, email address and ph number so we can get your ticket to you ASAP!

Less than 24 hours until sales close...

WIN the lifestyle Baños, Tungurahua, Ecuador

30/05/2017

Doug on the roof making sure everything is up to scratch for the new owner. Whoever you are, lucky new owner, you're guaranteed to get a quality building!

We also got the official market valuation through for the building/land = $516k. This was conducted by a highly regarded and certified valuer used by the banks in Ecuador. The business = $302k (this is an approximation based on our profit and sales figures - I've blocked out the actual figures due to privacy, at this stage).

$818k market value in total!

I estimated $800k so wasn't far off (the 35,000 ticket minimum brought us to $800k after expenses and taxes on the e-book sales), so happy to show the 35,000 minimum was completely justified after all! 😀

Hope this puts your mind at ease that just because it's in Ecuador, doesn't mean it's worth $10k...as some people suggested early on... 🤣

30/05/2017

Tag anyone you know who'd love a pet monkey...

This little one was right at home on top of this little girl's head. The things you see on the local buses, huh!? :-)

29/05/2017

Some of the artisan craftsmanship in Ecuador is stunning. Check out this article below for a little about it all...
https://www.elcomercio.com/tendencias/artesanias-ecuador-venta-exterior-intercultural.html.

Translated to English...

A rigorous quality control process and the use of 'noble' products makes the Shuar Company craftsmanship unique. In their garments is combined the innovative design with tradition . Gabriela Báez and Matías Troya started the project a year ago. During this time they have developed an investigation that has taken them by almost all the corners of Ecuador , learning about millenarian techniques that were being extinguished. Craftsmen from various Ecuadorian communities work with straw, wool, alpaca, cotton, cabuya and leather with dedication. In the making of a hat , for example, it can take between five and eight months. "It's a long job where the most important thing is quality," Troy says. In textiles , on the other hand, Báez says that some techniques have been lost, such as ikat for making macanas. "Zuleta embroidery is no longer easily found. We want to recover these techniques and make them known on the international market , "he says. Shigras, ponchos, woven blouses, hats, shawls with ancestral designs and other products are the result of many hands working. "The leather comes from Cotacachi, the toquilla of Montecristi, the Alpaca of Chimborazo", comment the founders . Part of the work they do is to make known to the communities and to revalue the customs and the knowledge of the artisans . "That it is not just a souvenir or a souvenir, that is something for your use and of excellent quality," says Báez to this medium. They also created a community project to give back to the communities that work with them. In addition to aligning themselves with the concept of fair trade, they seek that each artisan can meet their needs and find ways to improve their quality of life. To this end, they conduct trainings and workshops on various topics. In the coming months the crafts of these communities will reach hotels in Galapagos. Subsequently, a first shipment of products to the United States will begin, where they seek shelter in the luxury market.

Este contenido ha sido publicado originalmente por Diario EL COMERCIO en la siguiente dirección:
https://www.elcomercio.com/tendencias/artesanias-ecuador-venta-exterior-intercultural.html. Si está pensando en hacer uso del mismo, por favor, cite la fuente y haga un enlace hacia la nota original de donde usted ha tomado este contenido. ElComercio.com

Un proceso riguroso de control de calidad y el uso de productos ‘nobles’ hace de las artesanías de Shuar Company algo único. En sus prendas se junta el diseño innovador con la tradición.