Personal Plots / Ecovillage

The area is located about 10 minutes walk from the Community Centre. To buy in is $15,500 plus closing costs for a 0.45 hectare lot with 1% share of ownership of the total 76-hectare parcel of land. This includes a budget for lot marking, a good private road, electricity and internet installation, a waterline along the road, construction of a community hub/tool-shed, and other property expenses for the first 5 years. You will get your name on the title, a map with your lot, and you will also have to pay for minor occasional property maintenance expenses such as yearly municipal property taxes (about $25 for the whole property), and marking the property boundaries every few years. There is an owners’ contract to prevent future problems.

As of August 2022, the road is mostly built and a house is being built on lot 5 and another is inhabited on lot 6. There is electricity and internet.

Map of the lots and the general area

At your personal plot you can build your own house and start your own homestead while still connecting with the community of Terra Frutis, and benefiting from our experience growing fruit trees. You can even have us manage agricultural workers for you or get your house built. For a small fee you can have access to the Terra Frutis facilities (community center with hot tub, large kitchen, freezer, washing machine, clothes dryer). If you wish to stay in our accommodation while your house is being built you can either rent or do a work exchange with us.

The availability of facilities and their price is at our discretion. Facilities will not be available during festivals. The ability to rent facilities is also at our discretion.

The elevation of the lots ranges between 860 and 900 meters. They have a good climate to grow many fruits such as sapotes, guava, cacao, mangosteen, jackfruit, marang, bananas, ackee, citrus, peanut butter fruit, jaboticaba, papaya, soursop, rollinia, sapodilla, avocado, abiu, apai (Grias ecuadorica, local fatty fruit), iñaco (Gustavia macarenensis, local fatty fruit, tastes like smokey nacho cheese).

View information and pictures of each lot in the ecovillage below

Closing in progress – Lot 1: 0.45 hectares (1.1 acres) – photos

Mostly flat land. It is bordered by 2 streams on the north east and south east. The road provides access along the southern border. There are mature cacao trees, bananas. There is a creek going through the south side of the lot.

Closing in progress – Lot 2: 0.45 hectares (1.1 acres) – photos

Mostly flat land. There is stream access along the northern side and a creek to the south. The road provides access along the southern border. It is close to the future central building (which will have electricity and internet access).

Closing in progress – Lot 3: 0.5 hectares (1.2 acres) – photos

Mostly flat land. The north is bordered by stream, and it is mostly steep towards the stream. There is road access along the southern border of the lot. It is very close to the marsh, home to toquilla palm (the leaves are used for making thatch roofs), and to the central building. There are peach palm (edible fatty and starchy palm fruit that has to be cooked).

Sold – Lot 4: 0.55 hectares (1.4 acres) – photos

This lot has a 0.4 hectare area which is mostly flat, and then a steep part towards the stream to the north. There is road access along the southern border of the lot. It is very close to the marsh, home to toquilla palm.

Sold – Lot 5: 0.65 hectares (1.6 acres) – photos

This lot has areas of sloped and flat (0.4 hectares or 1.2 acre) land. Steep at the north towards the stream. There is road access to the south.

Sold – Lot 6: 0.45 hectares (1.1 acres) – photos

Mostly flat land. There is easy stream access to the south, and the road provides access to the south. There are peach palm, citrus, mature cacao trees and young mangosteen trees. It is close to the the central building.

Sold – Lot 7: 0.45 hectares (1.1 acres) – photos

Mostly flat with some hillside. This lot is bordered by the stream on the south east side, and the road along the north west side. It has cacao trees and citrus. It is close to the marsh, home to toquilla palm.

Closing in progress – Lot 8: 0.45 hectares (1.1 acres) – photos

This lot is bordered by the stream on the south side, and the road along the north west side. There is peach palm, guava. Part of the land is grass, so very easy to cut back and build on. The land is rolling flat terrain? Really nice access to the stream.

Closing in progress – Lot 9: 0.5 hectares (1.2 acres) – photos

This lot is bordered by the stream to the south, and has road access along the north border. There is some bamboo. Really nice access to the stream, a guava tree and an apai tree.

Lot 10: 0.5 hectares (1.2 acres) – photos

Mostly hillside, some flat. The stream passes the lot at the south corner, and the road stops at the eastern corner. There is a nice secluded flat area suitable to put a house. Grassy area at the top of the hill. Secluded areas.

Lot 11: 0.45 hectares (1.1 acres) – photos

Mostly hillside with small flat section. The east bordered by the toquilla palm marsh and central building. One mature iñaco tree. The road goes along the southeast and northeast boundaries. There is a trail (to the local summit) along the southwest border.
Best to be bought with lot 10 then we offer the area between the two lots.

Want to get involved?

Fill in this questionnaire if you are interested. We will review your answers to see if we think you will be a good fit for TFPP, and get back to you shortly about the next steps (which include getting a power of attorney).

Electricity and Internet

Included in the budget is the installation of electricity and internet to the communal hub. Installation of electricity and internet at individual lots if desired is the responsibility of the lot owners.

A solar panel installation would cost $2-5000 for a 2-5 kW system. Grid installation could cost $2-4000 for a 50 A service depending on how many people want to do it and the distance from the hub. In the case of grid installation, those owners interested could purchase a transformer together to be installed at the central hub to distribute electricity to their lots. Or, each owner could have their own transformer on their personal plot.

Internet installation to individual lots would cost $2-500 (depending on the distance of the lot from the central hub). Internet plans are $20-30 per month.

Closing Costs

The closing costs were as follows, the new ones, not yet know, should be cheaper:

  • $800 per person if two people each purchase one lot around the same time
  • $700 per lot if one person purchases 2 lots at the same time
  • $550 per lot if one person purchases 3 or more lots at the same time
  • $1200 if one person purchases one lot (without combining the closing with other lots – this would be the best option if you want to purchase a lot right away without waiting until we find additional buyers to combine a closing.)

This covers all government fees, sales taxes, registration, as well as the agent’s fee for carrying out the sale. There are two things it does not cover:

  • Your signing, sending, or possible translation of the power of attorney document, as these costs can vary depending on your situation.
  • Any money transfer fees you may incur in sending the closing costs or property purchase funds. Note that the buyer will be responsible for any possible intermediary bank fees or foreign exchange fees.

Last updated on July 4, 2023