2 New Units for Sale; Rain; and...

ISSUE #322: Sep 27 - Oct 2, 2010

2010-10-02

2 New Units for Sale; Rain; and...

» NOTES

When I started Residencias Los Jardines, I started writing a weekly news letter —determined to tell all the good, bad, and the ugly. I knew some readers would be interested in the construction process. I expected others might be interested in the lifestyle of two people who had decided to live outside the box. For others, the adventures of Lita, the parrot and the cat took on an entertainment saga all its own.

Residencias Los Jardines is finished. We periodically have resales and rental availability. Some readers may be interested in this information.

More and more, the content will be dominated by events of our new project, "El Dorado" for short. While the future is always uncertain, I again aim to tell it like it happens —the good, the bad, and the ugly, and that is what follows.

In an effort to make the format more interesting and visually appealing and to field inquiries re. El Dorado, the news letter is now being distributed by Jan Kozak, Marketing Manager, Hacienda El Dorado. I will remain the author.


Brian C. Timmons, Author
Residencias Los Jardines/Hacienda El Dorado - Developer
E-mail:
brian@eldoradocostarica.com

YOU CAN ALSO VIEW THE COMPLETE VERSION ONLINE AT:

https://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/Newsletter/index.php

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Rio Oro:  Again this week we've had a chance to see the effects of heavy rain. No reason to change our plans. We had a person from South west Florida checking us out this week. Yes, even though prices are substantially lower there, the inventory of foreclosures is being absorbed, prices are rising and people are able to anticipate the end of the blood bath. A lot of world purchasing power has been diverted to Florida and other Am. sun belt disaster areas; CR has felt the effects. However, he's looking ahead a year or so and scouting.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Market Comment: For unknown reasons--but welcomed--rental interest and purchaser interest increased this past week. We leased 113, had several other people interested in leasing, one person interested in a 2 story house and one person from Florida looking to market properties in CR. We have one family from Norway moving in Saturday evening possibly followed in a few months by a couple looking to move to CR and if they don't take it, we have another client waiting in line.

Two owners have asked me to market their places: 124 and 102. See description and terms below.

Owner-Manager:  The "tenant from hell" issue ended (the good news). The bad news is that it ended badly. Lots of lessons learned by a number of people including me.

 
FOR SALE:
 
Unit 106A: $155,000
Unit 106B: $169,000
Unit 102: $265,000

See Descriptions and photos below.

Rental Vacancies:

Unit
106C       Nov 1            $1,250 pr month


 
Residencia Los Jardines Site Plan

Unit #106A -- For Sale $155,000 - FURNISHED (Leased at $1,000 pr month until January 2011)

Total Area (Sq Ft):1250
Total area (Sq M):120
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2.5
Floor(s):Ground Floor
Type:Apartment
Furnished:Yes 

This is a fully furnished 2-bedroom unit situated in a 2-story building, which has two units on the ground floor and two units on the 2nd. floor. Each unit is the same size (1,250sf) divided into 800 sf of interior space and 450 sf of covered front and back terraces. UnitS 106 A and B are on the ground floor; Units 106 C and D are on the 2nd. Floor. The solid masonry demising wall (common wall) as well as the 5” concrete slab prevent sound transference.











Read More


Unit #106B --For Sale $169,000 - FURNISHED

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1250
Total area (Sq M): 120
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): Ground Floor
Type: Apartment
Furnished: Yes 

This is a fully furnished 2-bedroom unit situated in a 2-story building, which has two units on the ground floor and two units on the 2nd. floor. Each unit is the same size (1,250sf) divided into 800 sf of interior space and 450 sf of covered front and back terraces. Units 106 A and B are on the ground floor; Units 106 C and D are on the 2nd. Floor. The solid masonry demising wall (common wall) as well as the 5" concrete slab prevent sound transference.



Read More

Unit #102 - For Sale $265,000 - UNFURNISHED

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1922
Total area (Sq M): 117
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): Ground Floor
Type: Apartment
Furnished: Yes 

This two bedroom, 1922 sf (177m2) + parking and bodega, single story home located in Residencias Los Jardines was completed 5 years ago and has been lived in by a single lady who has lovingly cared for and cleaned it twice a week. It is situated on the ground floor of a two storey, horizontal duplex. It is in PRISTINE condition. The vendor is the original owner.

Read More

Unit #124 -- For Rent $155,000 - FURNISHED

Total Area (Sq Ft): 662
Total area (Sq M): 61
Bedrooms: 1
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 2ND Floor
Type: Apartment
Furnished: Yes 

This 662 sf, + covered parking for one car, is a one bedroom home on the 2nd floor overlooking the large pool. It is ideal for a single person or couple.

Read More

 

Unit #106C -- For Rent $1,250- FURNISHED (Available November 1, 2010)

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1250
Total area (Sq M): 120
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): Ground Floor
Type: Apartment
Furnished: Yes 

This is a fully furnished 2-bedroom unit situated in a 2-story building, which has two units on the ground floor and two units on the 2nd. floor. Each unit is the same size (1,250sf) divided into 800 sf of interior space and 450 sf of covered front and back terraces. Units 106A and B are on the ground floor; Units 106 C and D are on the 2nd. Floor. The solid masonry demising wall (common wall) as well as the 5” concrete slab prevent sound transference.

Read More

 

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

October 02, 2010

Taxi Fares Going Up, Gasoline Prices Dropping
The Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (ARESEP) - regulator of public prices and services in Costa Rica - said on Friday that changes in taxi fares and gasoline prices are expected to be approved next week.
Read

October 02, 2010
Rain And More Rain Forecast For This Weekend
The Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) - national weather service - is calling for lots of rain this weekend, even though the heavy predicted for Friday did not occur.
Read

October 02, 2010
Direct Flights Between London And Liberia Begin In November
Beginning November 2, Thomson Airlines will be offering direct flights between Liberia, Costa Rica and London, England.
Read

September 30, 2010
Costa Rica Crippled By Its Roads
Up to 60 Major Roads in Costa Rica Affected By The Two Days of Constant Rain
Read

September 30, 2010
Costa Rica's Rocket Company Offers Stock Purchase
The Ad Astra Rocket Company with its headquarters in Houston, Texas and branch in Liberia, Guanacaste, announced on Wednesday that it will be become a limited public corporation, being listed in the Costa Rica stock exchange, offering stock to investors with a minimum of us$25.000.
Read

September 30, 2010
US$50 Million For Costa Rica Penthouse
Imagine owning a penthouse with a view
Read

September 28, 2010
Tourist Overstay Fine Not Yet Being Applied, December Is The Deadline
Leaving Costa Rica for foreigners who have overstayed their "tourist" visa period could be costly and be barred from returning to Costa Rica for a period of up to three times they overstay. Although that is the law, immigration officials have yet to enforce it, which could be anytime between now and December 13.
Read

September 28, 2010
Tolls At Escazú ¢10 Lower on Friday
Drivers are benefiting from the drop in the dollar exchange by paying lower tolls on the San José - Caldera. This Friday the tolls at Escazú will drop another ¢10 colones, the second consecutive drop since the dollar exchange fell close to the floor of the exchange band.
Read

September 27, 2010
Broadband Connections In Costa Rica Continue To Grow
Cisco reports a growth in Costa Rica of 15.5% in fixed broadband connections during the second half of 2009, of the results of the Cisco® Broadband Barometer,. The growth in broadband connections was lower than it was during the first half of 2009, when connections grew more than 20 percent.
Read

September 27, 2010
Scotiabank Employees Leave Door Unlocked At Branch
It was the end of the work day at the Scotiabank branch in San Pedro de Montes de Oca on Saturday at 1pm and everyone went home. But who locked the front door?
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: This week has taken the cake and may well take the prize for being the most destructive week to CR infrastructure. We've had 5 1/2 days of virtually continuous rain. This has caused roadways, bridges, electricity, potable water, etc. to  collapse around the country and for the country to become isolated from each other. From the Central Valley, it has, all rainy season been problematic traveling in ANY direction;  this week, traveling  couldn't happen--virtually every road way was closed for various reason. Here in Santa Ana I look to the south and see a 2kl. long brown swath of destruction caused by  an avalanche above Salitral (a suburb of Santa Ana). The valley of a canyon gave way beginning at the top of the mountain and plunged down on houses and people below. The ground just became mud and gave way. Bridges and roads have washed out due to poor drainage, poorly designed approaches, poor maintenance, etc. Landslides all over due to poor engineering and construction. I can't think of a worse rainy season in my 10 years here and I don't hear anyone saying it has been worse in other years. By someones calculation, the Central Valley normally receives 25L per 1 M2 in September; this year it is reported to be 4 time that amount or 100 L  per M2.  Two years ago was the wettest year in 60; I think this year will break that record; last year it was the driest in 60 years--go figure!!!!! 

Our pumps and other drainage systems have worked as planned as have our septic systems but we still have October, usually the wettest month in the Central Valley yet to go and the rainy season is predicted to extent into December.....  We at RLJ aren't out of the woods yet nor is CR.   
 
Busy Week: This has been a particularly busy week:  I've had to deal with a number of issues resulting from the tenant-landlord issue, a new rental (113 and getting that person settled), cleaning and re-conditioning 112 for the new tenant moving in Saturday evening, prospective rentals / purchasers, fiscal year end, end of the month billing issues, taking on two new listings for sale from existing owners, tenant-owner dispute resolution including contract changes, car mechanical problems, and residency application documentation upgrades----and then there was the rain.....  I don't think I made it awake past 9pm. any night, and some nights were earlier.

Maids and Cleaning:
Even after 5 years, it still takes constant attention and close supervision. Maids simply don't understand that bed sheets should match, that matching pillow cases should be installed, the bed covers should be placed on the beds, that the right sized sheet should be put on the bed, that the plastic should be taken off the new pillows before putting the pillow case on, that lamps should have bulbs that work and be plugged in, that towels need to be put out and in good shape or replaced, that TP should be on the roller, that lights all be operating, coat hangers in place, pictures straight, etc, etc. That if the shower doesn't work right, or something else doesn't work right, let me know so it can be fixed.  It's a constant fight. 

Residency Application: We we were assembling documents for our application, CR implemented a new requirement, ie. that the applicant show proof of registration with their government. No one, including the respective governments embassies,  really know what constituted "proof" but conventional wisdom of the time was to register on line with each government, print, and submitted that with one's application. We did. Lately I've been reading that that documentation may not be good enough. For US residents, CR wants a certified document now provided ($50) by the US embassy--and this has to be officially translated into Spanish. The Canadian embassy is still telling us that on-line registration is acceptable and doesn't have to be translated.  I'm having it translated into Spanish. I expect to have all these upgraded documents in hand when we go on Tuesday for our "resolution" with Immigration. If they ask for these documents, I'll have them ready for submission. Who knows, they may have changed their minds like they did with the OIJ police clearance documents..

Brian, Lita, Hugo, irreverent Vicka, the pigeon toed parrot, and the newbies — Chico and Chica.

Brian C. Timmons, Newsletter Author
Residencias Los Jardines/Hacienda El Dorado - Developer
Cell: (506) 8305-3965

E-mail: brian@eldoradocostarica.com


For inquiries about availability of residences at Hacienda El Dorado or Residencias Los Jardines, contact:

Jan Kozak, Marketing Manager
Hacienda El Dorado
Rio Oro, Santa Ana
Costa Rica

Web: www.eldoradocostarica.com
E-mail: info@eldoradocostarica.com
MSN: jan.kozak.jr@hotmail.com
Skype: jan.kozak.jr

Tel (US) (+1) 647-477-5825
Cell: (+506) (+506) 8707-9930 /
8345-8018
 
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