Progress Report

July 24-29, 2006 // CONSTRUCTION LOG #94

Contact phone numbers

Internet Phone:
New York: 315-279-6711
Toronto: 416-907-5758 // 416-461-2203

Costa Rica:
Cell: 506-305-3965
Land: 506-282-4142 Ext. 101

NOTE: the New York and Toronto numbers are "local calls" for people in the area codes; calls from outside the area code will be billed at the normal rate from the caller's area code to either the "315" or the "416" area code.

Pictures: house 101 / 102 and 124

The Story: more chaos, a move and an offer.

CONSTRUCTION

Weather: sunny usually in the mornings with almost daily rain

Units 101 / 102: Unit 101 (our unit) Two finish coats of paint and the beginnings of the floor tile as well as the completion of the windows. The cana brava on the terrace is mostly installed, kitchen and doors are mostly installed. Windows are in. The exterior of the building has one coat of stucco on it. Virtually all decisions have been made. Lots of closet and cabinet installation to occur next week. We were able to rework the color scheme with minor consequences. I'm hoping it will come out fine and that Lita will like it. Two rooms have been reserved for her to decorate as she wants.

Unit 102: The ceilings have been boarded and most have the 2nd. coat of taping applied.. The primer coat of paint is going on.

Lockers and Houses: 124 is now finished and so is the staircase. It all came together very nicely.

Lockers: doors and shelves are being made and installed for those who want shelving. Next week will see the end of construction and a bit of minor the landscaping.

Unit 120: I have finished the furnishing of this unit and the owner offered it for our three week interim use.

Electrical System Upgrade: The meter bases are now re-installed; protection from the elements is being built-where we had them located they were well protected and accessible to ICE-in my opinion this is more a case of a small minded person wearing boots -- nothing has really changed. Hopefully next week we'll get the meters and we can start connecting the power and then we'll see the end of this BS!!

Unit 113: The unit we had been living in/leasing is now vacant and is being reconditioned for the new owner. It will be repainted and cabinets will be touched up.

Parking: We are having the "as built" drawings completed to coincide with the actual parking. We will then proceed to allocate the parking spaces. We were able to create 39 parking spaces leaving us will 11 visitor spaces. Marketing: pretty slow

Internet: seems to have been working.

Next Project

We've made an offer. The owner, who's been trying to sell for 4 years, made a counter offer. We're looking at an interesting property across the street with all view lots with an asking price $5 M less. We haven't said "no" to the "counter offer guy" but we haven't responded to him either. Some people are either really foolish or think we are naïve.

We walked the neighboring land and found it to have incredible view lots but a substantial area of the land does not lend itself to building because it is too steep. Perhaps the lower 1/3 of the land is buildable with great view lots but the cost of development of the rest is right up there with nose bleed territory.

In going through this exercise, we reaffirmed that we are builders of communities and not lot developers our house builders. We still believe there is value in "community" and the type of community which appeals to us is still missing in CR. We continue to feel that we have a niche market which we wish to focus on.

OUR LIVES

We moved on Wednesday and it's been chaotic before and after. Fortunately, one of our purchasers offered us the use of his unit and one which I had just completed furnishing. We're "camping" here for three weeks until our house is done and living on the charity of others with restaurants as back up. I've given instructions that all staff who can contribute to the completion of our unit, work on it, and if overtime is required, then do it. We are tired of moving and moving and moving... We have a reasonable chance of getting 85% of the things done such that we can move in. We have to be out of here on the 17 and we have a guest arriving on the 16th. so the 15th. is the target date for substantial completion.

Hugo has decided he likes to show his independence so leaves in the middle of the night not to return until the next evening. I ordered an electric "cat door" which is suppose to open as he approaches it. It will be installed in our house and hopefully, we can keep the stray cats out who always seem to find his food box.

Thursday I found myself not having a 1,000 urgent things to do. I started working on a long overdue list of things which on Friday included renewing my two year expired CR drivers license. When I got it the first time, the whole process took the better part of a day. This time it took only ONE HOUR. A funny story: I took the warehouseman who speaks a little English to help me maneuver through the various lines. I really didn't need him but... After breezing through the first of three lines (go between 10 and 11 am because there seems to be fewer people) we were waiting for my turn to have my picture taken. The man in charge of the waiting group saw that my assistant didn't have any paperwork. When we explained why he was there, the official took one of the three pieces of paper I was holding and gave one to my assistant-my assistant could now stay in the quay because he "qualified".

My recovery continues but I can't site any significant changes this past week.

Brian, Lita, Hugo and irreverent Vicka, the pigeon toed parrot.

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