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About Us

Creating value through socially responsible development

ECI Development is a real estate development company working in Central and Latin America for over 26 years, creating people-centered, vibrant communities. We create value through socially responsible development of properties.

Extending the vision to Latin America

ECI Development has created a range of investment properties for retirees, real estate investors, Digital Nomads, and second homeowners in Latin America.

With the uncertainty of the world economy, ECI has positioned itself to serve the middle-class consumer seeking to lower their cost of living without reducing their quality of life.

By maintaining North American building and development standards, life south of the border can provide the lifestyle North Americans desire for far less than it normally costs in the US or Canada, as the cost of living is approximately half. This is ECI’s market advantage.
Headquartered in Belize, with administrative offices in Nicaragua, and properties across Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, ECI’s mission is to be the leading real estate development, hospitality, and investment company throughout Latin America, known for creating people-centric communities and vibrant vacation resorts.

Our Leadership Team

Michael K. Cobb

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Rahul Vir

Board of Directors

Valeria Espinoza Aguilar

VP of Operations

Javier Camarillo Ramírez

Vice President of Finance

Alyssa Esquivel

Investor Relationship Manager

Joel Nagel

Co-Founder

A pioneering vision

At the height of a successful career in the computer industry, Mike Cobb left to pursue more pioneering opportunities in the emerging real estate markets of Central America. He and his business partner formed Exotic Caye International (ECI).

Mr. Cobb accurately predicted the growing need for high quality, residential product for North American Baby Boomer retirees in the region. Using a model based on the Del Webb Sun City active senior communities in the U.S., ECI Development focuses on serving consumers in multiple countries and geographies in the region.

ECI Development has grown and evolved alongside its consumer base over the years: from standard homes and communities to more minimalist, eco-friendly tiny homes to fit the Digital Nomad lifestyle that continues to surge, particularly with the increase in “work-from-home” numbers. As a leading pioneer on this side of the Americas, Mr. Cobb continues to lead his team, focusing on creating intentional communities, extraordinary experiences, and generational wealth that elevate the lives of the company’s stakeholders.

Creating value through responsible development

Grand Baymen Gardens - Belize

ECI understands the impact that its developments can have on the communities and has committed significant resources and service to enhance the lives of those in the surrounding area through Corporate Social Responsibility projects. This, coupled with our commitment to create real community for our owners, is the core value system that drives ECI’s success.

Many mainstream consumers largely take for granted the basic comforts of reliable electricity, stable water pressure, high-speed bandwidth for internet, access to top notch medical care, and quality construction. In Latin America, many developers fail to provide even these basic services, and developments are often little more than a collection of lots with limited infrastructure and few or no homes or accommodation in place.

ECI is different, however, because it delivers the infrastructure needed for the lifestyle that North Americans have come to expect. We invest up-front to provide amenities like golf, tennis and health facilities. Contractual requirements to build a home within a short period after you purchase your lot ensure that community happens quickly.

ECI delivers a high level of amenities and infrastructure, provides real product choice, and is setting new standards for the region.

One geography doesn’t fit all

ECI understands that one geography won’t fit all clients’ expectations when seeking a lifestyle or investment home in Latin America.

Some prefer a coastal boating community, others dry, grape-growing climates, some like mountains and eternal spring, some the beach, some like to golf, others enjoy tennis.


ECI provides real choice where it matters, in location selection. This is accomplished by developing properties in the various geographies of the region. Clients will be able to choose from a home along the Pacific or Caribbean coasts, in the cool tropical mountains, or in the arid, high deserts of South America.

Building real community

ECI is creating standards and building real community in Latin America.

Perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle, however, is community. Implementation of ECI’s master planning and design philosophies fosters real community, which is what people are looking for in this sort of development.

Discover our lifestyle communities in paradise