Las Olas Ecuador development

dfcordero wrote:

The last line states that construction will take 15 years.

That timeline is for the entire master-planned Las Olas project, which in stages will include up to half a dozen resort hotels...and six neighborhoods, as well.

Yup, still no infrastructure.....this is such a joke...

Maybe investors are purchasing for their children and grandchildren. 

Hey, now there's a theory 

It took 10 years to build the Panama Canal, why would anyone think Las Olas could be done any sooner?  The total project may take 15 years, but when will the actual building start?  Is it going to be financed by greens fees?

Just talked to some folks in Bahia. Word is that work has come to a halt because while excavating they hit ash. This is just hearsay.

dfcordero wrote:

Just talked to some folks in Bahia. Word is that work has come to a halt because while excavating they hit ash. This is just hearsay.

So now we need confirmation of said rumor.

lol

mugtech wrote:

It took 10 years to build the Panama Canal, why would anyone think Las Olas could be done any sooner?  The total project may take 15 years, but when will the actual building start?  Is it going to be financed by greens fees?

They did have solid investors and decent engineers

mugtech wrote:

dfcordero wrote:

Just talked to some folks in Bahia. Word is that work has come to a halt because while excavating they hit ash. This is just hearsay.

So now we need confirmation of said rumor.

They've been excavating for about two years per the news letter they used to publish and a few  early photos. Visitors to the site have also confirmed that. They have some kind of a private newsletter for those who are still hopeful and have plunked down their money.

This is just speculation but I think the private news letter  was a way of preventing the naysayers (such as those on the EC Forum) from dashing their hopes or trying to get their money back

The golf course is the most developed per someone who bought in and was one of the most recent posters and visitors. to the site

Can't imagine they've planted much grass with all of their water issues.

Ash? Have any soil samples been tested? Are there photos? Kind of an interesting find in coastal soil...Does not bode well for a building site of this magnitude.

As the world turns at Las Olas

Almost like clockwork. The last post before today was almost 3 months ago. So bizarre. Have one or two weeks of speculation on Las Olas, and then nothing for 3 or 4 months, and then a few weeks of speculation, followed by nothing for a few months. Wonder how many years this thread will go on for?

j600rr wrote:

Wonder how many years this thread will go on for?

As long as other people's money is coming in to "The Project"?

I don't understand the point about the ash, why it would halt anything.  Normally ash is a good thing, it helps stabilize un-stable soils:

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/recycling/fach07.cfm

You can also search for 'ash in soil construction' or the like.

We are here in Bahia arrived this morning and just visited the project  for the third time this year and we are impressed with the progress they've done.  As of today they are rght on target And starting construction of the first three homes on Vista del Mar. 
We visited the project back in April and came along with a personal friend who is a Local builder and has developed over 45 large residential projects in the country and we were happy to Get a second opinion from an outside expert ."this development is one of its kind and impressed with the timing and efficiency in moving all the dirt and get to where they are today"
Today we visited the project again this time we brought an expert with master degree in Environmental Sciences from Columbia university in New York and a second masters in international community development from Flacso University in Ecuador and got two thumbs up  "it is very carefully thought out project and they have tried to minimize the environmental impact, and incorporate mechanism like waste water treatment facilities and permeable pavements. She was impressed with the project.
For those who are curious to learn about the project I suggest get in touch with the founders Kim and David directly through their website we have found them to be very eager to answer all our questions, needless to say they've been great hostess in every visit we made to Bahia.

Glad to hear the rumor mill is alive and well will unsubstantiated garbage. They have not stopped working. In fact if you go to the property you will see at least 15 pieces of heavy equipment operating all day long.

If you had bought at Las Olas you would see regular updates and pictures. I am sure once they want to, they will inform the masses of their schedule.

The soil had been tested all over the site which was required for both construction planning and to obtain their environmental licence.

As for water, they have no water issues. Just another crazy rumor. If you take the time to investigate they have detailed water studies.  I would recommend anyone interested to call at the sales office in Bahia or email them at [email protected]

Sounds great...........the construction of homes has been delayed multiple times over the last two or three years so it's good to hear they are right on target and starting this phase of the project.

Also encouraging to know they have done water studies....the desalination and 90 meter well seemed impractical and inadequate for such a large project.

Are the Equestrian Center and marina still on the drawing board? They have a new email address so I suppose it would be easier to get questions answered

Truly an amazing project for an American developer, an architect and Kim and David's unflappable vision. Getting an expert second opinion and the enthusiastic response from someone with an academic background in environmental science and international community development

berenicehutton wrote:

As of today they are right on target and starting construction of the first three homes on Vista del Mar.

Good job getting those experts to the site for their commentary.

What did you see at the construction site of the three Vista del Mar homes?  Something above ground level, we hope.

Quito Expats

berenicehutton wrote:

Today we visited the project again this time we brought an expert with master degree in Environmental Sciences from Columbia university in New York and a second masters in international community development from Flacso University in Ecuador and got two thumbs up  "it is very carefully thought out project and they have tried to minimize the environmental impact, and incorporate mechanism like waste water treatment facilities and permeable pavements. She was impressed with the project.

I had never heard of it but evidently there is a school of higher education named FLACSO.  www.flacso.edu.ec

Its main campus is at La Pradera and Almagro in Quito.

cccmedia in Quito

j600rr wrote:

. Wonder how many years this thread will go on for?

There are actually three threads both extremely long that go back a number of years. They  began when the Las Olas Development website first appeared and immediately began attracting investors from all over North America. It was very comprehensive with beautiful architectural renderings and plans. I'm sure it has changed, as the project  at some point added new features in addition to the golf course...a marina and an equestrian center.They must  be able to answer the phone, return calls and respond to email now that the project is a going concern. And were able to produce videos that borrowed the lyrics from "All you need is Love" and an impassioned pleas to just come and see it for yourself

Think the thread will go on for many, many more years as this massive undertaking has been plagued with delays and problems that were not conceived of by Kim, David or Randy. The cost over runs must be beyond belief given the two or three years of scheduling delays. But of course they are always happy to welcome new investors and be gracious hosts to anyone enamored of the project with the patience of  Job.

Essentially the owners, and Randy, who was in charge of the construction had no experience with building or developing property in the third world. I don't know if Randy is still involved. It was a tremendous oversight on his part to get involved in trying to develop a massive housing complex, cum golf course in an isolated, however beautiful, location that is completely off the grid. Most North Americans have never lived off the grid but still nurse the fantasy of being able to retire in a tropical paradise with all the amenities.

There was absolutely zero infrastructure when the property was purchased....no electricity, no source of potable water, no mechanism to deal with sewage or waste water., no roads.

Over the years these problems have been addressed in an ad hoc fashion. A ninety meter well has been dug. A golf course has been laid out which  in the initial plan was  to be for the exclusive use of the multitudes who were going to own homes and live there. As yet they have no place to live. if they ever plant grass maybe they can get some paying customers from the Bahia expat business community

And now  berenicehutton  is the latest in a very long line of potential and  actual investors that have already bought in. She has  assured  us that housing construction is right on schedule. A schedule that has been delayed consistently since 2013., With an expert second opinion of a  personal friend and "local builder" who reports (alleges) that he has developed over "forty- five large residential projects" in the country. Bet they're not all on remote stretches of the coast .. Well in this one visit he has been able to assure her how impressed he is with the timing and efficiency of how much dirt they have moved.. They have been moving dirt since the first two pieces of equipment arrived two years ago on a slow boat from China. Yulrun says there is lot more earth moving equipment now so I'm sure their timing and efficient dirt moving IS very impressive. Now that they have the full complement of dirt moving equipment suspect they'll be efficiently moving dirt around for quite some time. It will impress potential investors and inspire complete faith in the whole project

As far as the third and most recent expert opinion I have my doubts about her ability to provide any reasonable or rationale  evaluation. Someone with a masters degree in Environmental Science from an Ivy League School in NYC who can give the project a two thumbs up for being a "a very carefully thought out " project that will minimize environmental impact on her first and only visit has very questionable judgment IMO in spite of her pedigree. Don't know why berenicehutton considered her an expert  and accepted the two thumbs up as gospel

It HAS been very well thought because Kim and David have been thinking about it for years and making it up as  they go along. With  the help of an architect, a sales office and a lot of very curious bystanders on the Ecuador Forum with intelligent  questions they couldn't answer. They did have the well dug so that was a great first step. Electricity...sure that's been worked out because the hydroelectric dam that was talked about hasn't been built or paid for.

Carving up a hillside on a beautiful, pristine piece of the Ecuador coast to "develop" something is an environmental crime with a greed  factor. In all these years it isn't even close to getting off the ground and likely never will be. Yet they continue to accept new investors. Just another undeveloped development that litter the Pacific coast with For Sale signs throughout Latin America.

Don't know when she got her master's in international community development from Flasco .This project has looked great on paper for years and investment apparently continues to pour in. It makes your head spin that the naïve can be so fooled by slick marketing and buy real estate that isn't a reality.

So far the whole thing it's still on the drawing board. Don't know if he's still around but the architect did love to draw and I'm sure his handiwork still graces the sales office. Hope this experience will be of value for her next international development.

Well it's great to hear that water studies have been done and soil samples  sent. Would love to see them but if they're kosher with the Correa Eco Dept  no need to take them out of the file cabinet

Well we never did find out how many gallons a minute that 90 meter  well is good for. Am sure Kim and David got right on the problem of finding other sources of potable water  for this immense complex. Since the newsletter is now private we just can't keep up with the all the progress. berenicehutton  has seen since Jan. We get very intermittent information here on the Forum. After all we're just a bunch of naysayers with no skin in the game I've never met Kim and David but I'm sure they'd be able to answer all of my questions . I am a skeptic, who at this point in my life could not be talked into anything that wasn't real. Nor would I put money on it. I would not gamble on something that is just beyond belief

Am very curious how the potable water issue was resolved. We did bandy about the idea of a desalination  plant. The only one we could find after a thorough online search was quite small and would be able to service a relatively small pleasure craft. Plans are being discussed for desalination to aid drought stricken So Cal.. They are still on the drawing board until  the Army Corps of Engineers can figure  out what to do with the thousands of tons of salt waste. Well there's always rainwater and water tankers for when the barrels run dry. There must be a way to keep the bugs and other contaminants out of them.

I did live off the grid for ten years....first and most important thing is shelter which seems to be third on the Las Olas list after a golf course.....second most important thing is potable water. They did finally drill the well  so I imagine they will be able to provide water to each and every home.

After the dirt moving is finished I think laying water pipes and waste water drainage pipes is the next step of the process for first set of homes before they're built. The sewage treatment plant was probably the best way to go. Once they realized there was no water source and dug the well am sure  tackling  the sewage issue  was next on the list

Anyway, there are lingering questions. Hope those who chose to, were able to get their money back .We never hear from the people who couldn't and if any other remedy was possible

O of O

suefrankdahl wrote:

...they are always happy to welcome new investors...

me too, in fact right now I have a bridge...better get in on the ground floor before prices go up...

yulrun wrote:

Glad to hear the rumor mill is alive and well (with) unsubstantiated garbage. They have not stopped working. In fact if you go to the property you will see at least 15 pieces of heavy equipment operating all day long.

If you had bought at Las Olas you would see regular updates and pictures. I am sure once they want to, they will inform the masses of their schedule.

What seems to be "unsubstantiated" is any above-ground progress at Las Olas.

Non-investors apparently have passed the point where the fact that bulldozers have "not stopped working" to move dirt around... is credible as some kind of achievement.

Nor is anyone impressed with the concept that "once they want to," the developers "will inform the masses."

The O of O is prudent to be skeptical of the new claim that the project is somehow on schedule.

If you've got any newer videos to upload from Mauritius or wherever, investors, we'd be interested to see any above-ground progress that has occurred besides moving the dirt or digging a well.

cccmedia in Quito

When I'm back in the area, I'll dive by the project and give you all an update. I still see a very similar writing style and pattern amongst all the "people" that provide positive testimonials for this project. I can't prove anything, but my instincts tell me someone is taking a lot of time and making a lot of effort to create very convincing happy customers to promote this project. Look back over all the folks giving positive testimonials, and you'll see that they all have a similar style of writing. It's uncanny. On the other hand, if these are fake customers, a lot of time and energy was put into building their online identities. It's weird, but if hundreds of millions are at stake, I suppose it's not terribly surprising.

I suppose, at this point, the question is have they built anything yet, or are they still just pushing dirt around?

OsageArcher wrote:

suefrankdahl wrote:

...they are always happy to welcome new investors...

me too, in fact right now I have a bridge...better get in on the ground floor before prices go up...

the Brooklyn Bridge or the bridge to nowhere in Ketchikan? Give you a dollar down and a dollar a week for the rest of my life and then ownership will revert back to you

jessekimmerling wrote:

. Look back over all the folks giving positive testimonials, and you'll see that they all have a similar style of writing. It's uncanny. On the other hand, if these are fake customers, a lot of time and energy was put into building their online identities. It's weird, but if hundreds of millions are at stake, I suppose it's not terribly surprising.

I suppose, at this point, the question is have they built anything yet, or are they still just pushing dirt around?

Now Jesse let's not start conspiracy theories. ......You did expose Luna's little lottery scam on the Esmeraldas  property. It really was "advertising" and should have been moved to the classified section and for whatever reason the entire thread is gone

I was mistaken about Luna being the shill for Las Olas. It was the same avatar photo with the name Misha. So you might be on to something about these fabricated online characters.

He did try to convince us all about the adequacy of the compact desalinator, used by yachts, to supplement the 90 meter well. Maybe if they opted not to go with the desalinator plant. They could dig a bunch more wells when they stop moving dirt around.. Wonder where they're dumping it all or maybe leaving it in big piles to impress other developers with how much dirt they have moved or just bagging it up to sell as potting soil?

If the AC of Engineers hasn't figured out how to deal with salt waste Kim and David must have an edge on them. Maybe they HAVE hired an engineer. The architect really did seem out to lunch.. With these three houses going up right on schedule would imagine the sewage treatment plant is still a figment of Kim and David's imagination

  I suppose if the new owners bought the places up on Vista del Mar for the view a  5 gallon bucket would be fine until water pipes and sewer pipes are laid and the sewage treatment plant is up and running. Part of my Alaska learning curve. So much easier to clean than a toilet Salt water...bleach...simple, With my elementary espagnol  think these three houses going up on Vista del Mar would be quite a hike down to the beach but you just do what you do what you gotta do for this stunning view.

And if they have to haul water from the well...you just do what you gotta do. Used to be able to pack two five gallon jugs in my day...heavy, but my upper arms  not flabby yet. Keep them in shape packing groceries.. Or just run a hose from the well.


The whole thing is absurd. Even for a developer who can hopefully read blueprints this will take a stroke of genius. Once the cliff is carved out to specs he is basically looking down  at a huge terraced embankment.or looking up at it from sea level. Mind boggling. A Project  Manager's nightmare. Do they even have a project manager? Can't do construction on this scale without one. Think they can get those maestros to listen.?...no problema

Thinks it's about time Kim and David throw in the towel and cut their losses. Maybe Trump would see the merits of the project and  put his brand on the whole thing.... Las Trumpass... and make the EC government pay to make the golf course the full 18 holes. if they wanted the investment. Kim and David could go skipping off to Brazil. And the unfortunate investors who have very little recourse with the EC judiciary. might be able to find a rental in Bahia or if they've soured on living in EC just fly home and forget the whole thing.

Anyway the place is eco friendly  and "very carefully thought out" and we have that from an Ivy League expert environmental science graduate who gave it two thumbs up. Maybe if she had gotten her PhD  and written a few books instead of  getting her second master's at FLASCO the logistical impossibility of the project would have occurred to her. Think Columbia must have a school of Engineering, Environmental science.?...in a city whose garbage has provided  landfill in Jamaica Bay to increase the acreage of Brooklyn, Hate to tell you that a lot of it used to get barged out dumped into the Atlantic Ocean past the Continental  Shelf. Yuk.

We've been following the 'progress' of Las Olas since April 2012. Does anyone know when home construction is due to begin?

dfcordero wrote:

We've been following the 'progress' of Las Olas since April 2012. Does anyone know when home construction is due to begin?

Last year.

Anyone who is interested in learning about the project can visit Las Olas Ecuador official website www.lasolasecuador.com click on Updates and you can read the latest updates  written by Pascal Laflamme the Marketing Mananger for Las Olas.  He is doing a great job keeping us informed on the progress.

dfcordero wrote:

We've been following the 'progress' of Las Olas since April 2012. Does anyone know when home construction is due to begin?

After they build a 500 yard retainer wall.

This is from the Q&A on the website (not sure of the date). It will be interesting to see how many homes are move in ready by June 1, 2016.
WHEN WILL THE FIRST HOMES BE READY?
​We expect to commence construction on our first homes within the next three months.  As soon as the grading of the terraces are completed, we will install the services for Vista al Mar and the Las Playas communities.  Initial homes will take four months to construct.

dfcordero wrote:

This is from the Q&A on the website (not sure of the date). It will be interesting to see how many homes are move in ready by June 1, 2016.
WHEN WILL THE FIRST HOMES BE READY?
​We expect to commence construction on our first homes within the next three months.  As soon as the grading of the terraces are completed, we will install the services for Vista al Mar and the Las Playas communities.  Initial homes will take four months to construct.

Dated 9/30/15, one would expect some houses to be finished by 5/1/16.  Stay tuned.

mugtech wrote:

dfcordero wrote:

This is from the Q&A on the website (not sure of the date). It will be interesting to see how many homes are move in ready by June 1, 2016.
WHEN WILL THE FIRST HOMES BE READY?
​We expect to commence construction on our first homes within the next three months.  As soon as the grading of the terraces are completed, we will install the services for Vista al Mar and the Las Playas communities.  Initial homes will take four months to construct.

Dated 9/30/15, one would expect some houses to be finished by 5/1/16.  Stay tuned.

This is the post I made from the thread for the record.

"Not looking for any type of controversial, or negative thread, as don't want this closed. Since Las Olas will probably remain a hot topic for quite some time. Only want to document the start of construction time frame so that people will have a reference point should the need arise.

As of November 19, 2014 and I quote directly from the Las Olas website.
"Home construction commencing in six months."
http://lasolasecuador.com/master-plan/

Anyone is free to check and confirm this if they desire. For those investors, and advocates for this project, please feel free to chime in, and confirm that this is correct."

Let it be noted that the particular link has been changed since my original post, but if anyone wants to do a search, just type in "for the record" and that thread should pop up.

dfcordero wrote:

This is from the Q&A on the website (not sure of the date). It will be interesting to see how many homes are move in ready by June 1, 2016.
WHEN WILL THE FIRST HOMES BE READY?
​We expect to commence construction on our first homes within the next three months.  As soon as the grading of the terraces are completed, we will install the services for Vista al Mar and the Las Playas communities.  Initial homes will take four months to construct.

just found out about this project, look very interesting, we will have a look at it when we go down to Ecuador in the fall

the first house is being build and if it take 4 months, it will be done by june

cheers

Dan

I would not bet on that. Just use Google or twitter and some hashtags and you will find really interesting information from inside.

Hi - hoping this thread is still active.  Have been researching this development vs. others in South America, Central America.  It looks good enough for us to put down a deposit and go see it.  I have a doctorate in civil engineering and know construction and development so I'll be looking at a lot of the things that have been brought up in the discussion previously.  I'm mostly familiar with very large structures - much larger than residential development, but I think that what I've learned will scale well to this project.  And what I don't know, I know where to find out...  Recent posts from the site look good, but, of course, the success of the project really hinges on there being sufficient investors (residents) to complete the plans so that the master development can occur.  I'm familiar with the construction materials they use and approach - it's modular construction and well-suited to seismic zones (depending on the degree of seismicity of course) but after a cursory review of the seismic activity and planning profiles for Ecuador (which are easy to find for civil engineers), I'll at least know what questions to ask of the construction materials.  That they are pouring footings for homes that are rebar-reinforced is good - it's probably more than sufficient given the  number of footings that I've been told they are pouring for each residence.  What I'll be interested to see when I go down is what type and how much rebar they use in the concrete pours for each residence; and what type of aggregate they are using in their cement mixes (certain types of aggregates react with the cements products producing alkali-silica reactions - an expansive formation that doesn't show up for many years - something I'm pretty familiar with).  So, I'll talk with them and see what they're doing and hopefully satisfy myself that the approach and any mitigations needed are being applied.  I've lived in other countries before in connection with engineering projects but I'm not going to Ecuador to work - maybe teach if it interests me, as I enjoy that some.  But I'll mostly be there to enjoy some time near a golf course and a beach.  So, that's a bit about me, and hope to join in the discussion thread - if you're all still active.

Seems like you are left behind on information.
Have you Google it? What customers and neighbors are saying, etc.
I mean, if I were to invest any money, I would Google it and verify what they say.

"It looks good enough for us to put down a deposit and go see it. "

In that order?  Make sure they don't [i]**** (sell you a pig in a poke), and (look before you leap!)

Of course there are many posts with Spanish phrases on this English-speaking forum.

MariaPiaBlog wrote:

I would not bet on that.

I would be willing to bet on it - only if I could use someone else's money.

@highplainsdrifter

When are you going to visit the project ?

We will have a look at it in the fall and decide what we do next. We already have a lot in another project.

Keep us inform of your finding.

TX

Dan

You can do all the concrete slump tests and rebar inspections you want and miss the risks entirely.  Although always a concern with a project of this nature, the principal risks are not, in my opinion, the quality of construction or the materials or even the design.  The far larger risks are financial.  Home owner deposits alone are a small fraction of the cash needed to advance the project to the point units can be sold.  I'm sure they'll share audited financial statements (with full notes on significant matters affecting the financial information, such as lending and financing).

MariaPiaBlog wrote:

I would not bet on that. Just use Google or twitter and some hashtags and you will find really interesting information from inside.

Hi Maria,

Could you please give us more details about your findings on Google or Twitter? (why not posting links?)  I think it would be much beneficial for all participants to have access to the same information, don't you think?