Progress Report

Feb. 27-Mar. 5, 2005 // CONSTRUCTION LOG #21

Construction

Synopsis: The main priority this week was advancing Unit 108.

Unit 108: Some 20+ people helped advance this house. Most of the exterior boarding work is done with the base stucco layer applied. Interior boarding is done on the ground floor and taping will be finished by Sunday. The kitchen contract has been let and the designs for the various other cabinets -two entertainment walls as well as bedroom closets with full organizers-are in the final stages of design and the contract should be let today.

Roadway and Parking: curbs advanced and various clean up work related to the rainwater management system were completed.

Laundry Room: the last remaining laundry room was sited and the base slab will be poured Monday.

Construction Permit: Developments this past week suggest that the impasse should be broken this week.

Unit 106: We now have a design I'm considering: a 4-plex consisting of two ground floor units and two upper units. Each unit has a flexible design-either two bedrooms and two on-suite bathrooms or one bedroom with an extended living area or den/office. Each unit has two (front and back) terraces. The interior space is about 850 sf and including the terraces the total area is around 1,150 sf. The lower units should sell for around $70-$75K and the upper for $85-$90,000. Furnished monthly rental should be around $800-$900. I have a computer rendering and floor plan on my computer if anyone would like to see them.

New Construction: we continue to advance this slowly-filling in columns, wiring the structural rebar together to form a completely integrated structural element. completing all the rain water drainage connections, etc.

Miscellaneous

A major trimming was given to the largest fichus benjamina tree on the property. It hurts to see such a magnificent tree become a victim of it's own success but now we will be able to control the canopy better (as well as the roots) such that it doesn't crowd out other desirable trees. It looks awful now but in 6 mo. its current state will be unrecognizable.

Construction Trade Show: on this weekend. I'm going. I went several years ago and it's a good education-new products and sources of supply.

Gardener and the Iguana He found one on the property; first we've seen. Perhaps 2' long including the tail. Lita didn't believe me when I speculated it ended up on his dinner table. She asked him the next day how he cooked it and he told her in great detail

New Property: One of my neighbors approached me. He's committed on another deal and wants to sell his property to raise cash. It's a nice price of land (26,000 SM) and the price can probably be negotiated to the right level. I would only want half of it which is still a whack of $$$$$.

Our lives

Visitors: If all the people come who say they are going to, the last half of March is going to be wild. Why so many visitors want to come in such a short time period I don't know. Some have plane reservations; some have hopes of reservations. We'll see.

The Beach: Visitors of ours returned from nearly two weeks at the beach. They were very, very glad to be back-they really suffered from the heat. Keith returned after three days at Samara with the same report. No matter how many times and ways that I tell visitors from cold climates about the heat at the beach, no one takes is seriously until they experience it themselves. Some are locked in to non-refundable accommodations so suffer out their holidays.

Weather: The past two weeks have been quite still and warm here (28-33º C/80-90º F )-hot as H. at the beaches (35-40º C / 90º + F and no evening relief). At least people are now using the pools.

Fiesta: Last Sunday I was looking forward to a relaxing day in the hammock. After having identified the best one, and before I could get in it, Lita announced that she had organized a party... I never made the hammock but I did learn that another couple (research scientists from the Univ. of N (S?) Dakota liked Manhattans. We each had our own favorite recipe. Obviously we had to have a drink off to determine which recipe was better. I'm not sure we every concluded that but the Crown Royal was virtually gone by the time we slithered home.

The three house renovations we had completed had been standing empty since their completion even though they were leased. The occupant's in each case were away -one in Argentina, on in the States, and one in Quebec. The Argentinean woman arrived several days ago and the two others each arrived last night.

The power is out again. This is Santa Ana and Costa Rica. It's normal. The extra Saturday work was thwarted.

Brian, Lita, Vicka, Hugo

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