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House Hunters International Ecuador: All 14 Episodes

Love it or hate it – House Hunters International is a powerhouse affecting thousands of future expats.
In this post, I’ll share some reflections about our HHI experience a few years ago. And I publish a full list of all 14 House Hunter International episodes filmed here in Ecuador.

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Our House Hunters International Experience

It’s been almost three years since our Ecuador episode of House Hunters International aired for the first time.

Since then, we’ve heard from hundreds of expats who told us that they have seen our episode and that it influenced their decision.

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Drew helping with the boom mic.

Either to make the move or not – and where they eventually relocated to. It seems that many expats felt that if our family could successfully move to South America then they could too.

Because of some discrepancies between the episode and our actual story, we wrote a behind the scenes post. The errors ranged from funny to kind of important (like where we were from and the name of our new province in Ecuador).

Because we had an established readership (who knew our actual story) we felt compelled to clarify these details.
After it published, our piece contributed to a number of posts calling the show’s process a “scandal”. Even after three years, we still received daily visitors from the Hooked on Houses exposé. 🙂

Of course, the majority of people that all television, by nature, has a level of staged elements. Most reality television isn’t as candid it appears. House Hunters International calls their shows “reenactments.” The major facts are true, but the timeline is almost always skewed.

It would be impossible to actually view just three properties and make a buying decision – especially given the hundreds of episodes they’ve filmed. They simply use a recipe that makes good television.

I found that our episode is available on Amazon Instant Video:

I was hoping to share links to watch the other episodes, but our episode is the only one available.

A follow-up episode? We were contacted a while ago and asked to do a follow-up episode. While we enjoyed the initial filming and it was a great experience for Drew, we decided against it. It just wasn’t something we wanted to do again.

House Hunters International Ecuador: All 14 Episodes

House Hunters International Ecuador has covered Esmeraldas, Puerto Cayo (3), Quito (3), Cuenca (2), Manta, Salinas (2), and Cotacachi.

  1. Ecua-Do or Ecua-Don’t in Esmeraldas, Ecuador Sarah and Selby have dedicated their lives to helping others, often through non-profit and volunteer work. They have a lot in common, i…
  2. Living la Vida Local in Puerto Cayo, Ecuador Steve and Dana have grown tired of their small town in Arkansas and decide to take off on an adventure into the unknown in Puerto Cayo,…
  3. Trading City Life for a Beach Paradise In Puerto Cayo, Ecuador Sean Kelly and his wife Dahiana Cedeno are ready for a complete lifestyle make-over, from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles to a sma…
  4. Migrating to Quito, Ecuador As children, Kelly and Nate were both raised abroad. They both attended an international school in Ecuador and later on went to college…
  5. A family finds a peaceful life in Cuenca, Ecuador. Bryan and Dena Haines had a successful advertising business in Toronto, Canada. But the grueling pace and stress of their working lives… Watch our episode: A Relaxed Life in Cuenca
  6. Surf’s Up in Manta, Ecuador Garrett Parker lived his whole life in insular Alaska. It wasn’t until college – and his father moving away to Ecuador – that he began…
  7. Condo vs. House in Tropical Salinas, Ecuador Most dream of retiring early, but Will and Janis wouldn’t have it any other way! But the reality of kicking back in Will’s native Ecu…
  8. Chicago Realtors Search for a Vacation Home in Salinas, Ecuador Chicago realtors and empty nesters Hector and Kim, love living within walking distance of Lake Michigan. But, they would like to take a…
  9. Couple Searches for Ecuador Getaway Texan businesswoman Barbara has been working to convince her husband Dean, an oil worker, to buy a vacation home in the remote village …
  10. Juan and Diane Fulfill Their Dream of Buying A Second Home In His Birthplace Of Cuenca Ecuador Ever since Juan Moreno immigrated from Cuenca, Ecuador to the United States, he’s dreamed of eventually owning a home there. He and his …
  11. Dysfunctional Home Over three decades ago, Irene and Marcos moved from Ecuador to start a new life in their suburban home. Thirty-five years later, the co…
  12. You’ve Got The Quito My Heart After Laurel fell in love with Hugo while doing volunteer work in Quito, Ecuador, she decided to move from San Diego and live with him …
  13. Beach Front House Hunt in Puerto Cayo A family of four searches for a home on the beach in Puerto Cayo, Ecuador.
  14. Leaving Illinois for Ecuador Space and price matter most in this young family’s home search in Ecuador.

Looking for life on the beach? Check out our guide to Ecuador beaches.

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Were you featured on one of these episodes? We would love to hear from you! Please comment below – we would love to discuss an interview of your experience and where you are now.

Your Turn

What area are you looking at? Do you enjoy these episodes? Has HHI influenced your decisions? Please share it all in the comments below!

Lynn

Thursday 30th of December 2021

Hello! Just came across this post and wanted to let you know that episodes of House Hunters International have also been filmed in Crucita, San Jacinto, San Clemente, San Vicente, and Bahia:

Season 87 Ep 3 "Crucita the Beautiful" Season 121 Ep 12 "Facing Fears in San Clemente" Season 131 Ep 8 "Trading RV Life for a House in Ecuador" Season 139 Ep 9 "A Beach House in Ecuador" Season 159 Ep 9 "Unreal Expectations in Ecuador" Season 159 Ep 10 "Bed and Breakfast in San Clemente"

Thanks!

Bryan Haines

Thursday 30th of December 2021

Thanks for the addition Lynn. It's been a while since we looked for additional episodes in Ecuador.

G. P.

Thursday 8th of July 2021

Love seco de pollo, gallina y chivo. One of my favorite dishes

Soraya Wilks

Saturday 5th of October 2019

Hi! I am very intrested in watching this but I can't find a stream for free or to pay for: Living la Vida Local in Puerto Cayo, Ecuador Steve and Dana have grown tired of their small town in Arkansas and decide to take off on an adventure into the unknown in Puerto Cayo,… Do you have a link to share? :) Thank you!

Paul C

Friday 16th of August 2019

You also missed our episode: Oceanside in Manta, Season 115, Episode 7. I think it first aired Nov 20, 2017 and has aired several times since then. Best, Paul

Martha g Luke

Friday 10th of July 2015

Hi! I am moving to cuenca equador in 2.5 yrs when my son is finishd with college. I am grateful to the expat comunity that posts their information and insite on Equador. I just found this and I am looking forward to your blog. Thanks again Martha