Mark and I have talked about buying something in Cuenca, but so far it’s just “talk." It’s not that Cuenca lacks anything in the real estate department; it’s just that we can’t justify a purchase when rent is so cheap. But that hasn’t stopped us from looking!
Every day Mocha and I head down the river trail to “La Paz” where Mocha can play on the grass while I park myself under a tree and do my version of yoga.
On our way down the road, we pass by the same row of houses and have watched three new townhomes pop up. They look very American with their two-car garages, stream-lined kitchens, granite countertops, recessed lighting and comfy lay-out: three bedrooms and 2-1/2 baths.
The guards were kind enough to let me peek in the houses while they worked. I guess I looked pretty harmless sporting my jogging outfit and clutching a Shih-Tzu puppy in my arms!
This row of townhomes is exactly 250 feet from the river and the bedrooms have a view of the Cajas. It all looked ideal until I paced out the steps to the river and heard a rooster crowing. It’s not unusual to see a gorgeous chunk of property with a stately piece of architecture accented by a few cows, a couple of pigs, and two roosters. It would be okay if the rooster had his days and nights in the proper order, but unfortunately this rooster was competing with another rooster for a personal best in the crowing department!
The other hang-up with this place is no morning sun. We depend on the morning light to heat up our condo so it stays comfy all day and night. Probably the most overlooked aspect when renting or buying is the availability of light (morning sun) coming into your place to warm up the bricks and cement. There is about a 10-15 degree temperature difference in homes that are warmed by the sun versus those that are not. Our neighbors have gorgeous sunsets, but no morning sun and it’s much colder in their place and they’re right next door!
So here’s my list:
*Morning sun (heating system).
*Free of pesky animal noises (roosters who don’t have their days and nights straight).
*Guard or security gate (preferably both!).
*View of the river, Cajas (or both).
I’m not sure if we’ll ever buy in Cuenca, but it’s sure nice to look. As long as rent is $200 a month with a view of the river and the Cajas, I think we’ll stay parked for a while.
Until next time…hasta luego,
