Homes for sale and homes for rent in Santa Ana, San José, Costa Rica | Newsletters

Dear friends,

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.

Brian Timmons
DEVELOPER:
Residencias Los Jardines / https://www.residenciaslosjardines.com
Hacienda El Dorado / https://www.eldoradocostarica.com
E-mail: brian@eldoradocostarica.com / info@residenciaslosjardines.com

 

Construction Log
Updates about Hacienda El Dorado

Rio Oro:  We now have the final document. I'm taking those numbers and doing some further analysis.

 

Residencias Los Jardines
Property Management, Rentals, Re-Sales

Drains: the second absorption hole is nearing completion. Having said that, we believe we know what caused it to fail but don't understand why. We're missing something in our information. There's probably another week to finish off and remove the toxic soil and cover up exploratory holes. And then we move to what I hope is the last problem in this issue.

Internet Woes--FIXED: Many, many man hours and many upset and many frustrated clients later, the problem seems to now be fixed. It took until late Thursday afternoon to get the system back working and a follow up call on Friday to double check and to finish off with several residents. What happened? This is the simple story--AMNET, the service provider, assigns an electronic address to their modem; this is where their signal is sent--and that is what we pay for. It's a unique number; for some reason, when we used the signal, the number changed and we stopped receiving the signal. Why???? was never determined; Jorge Camacho, a patient and knowledgeable guy who had worked on the system for the previous week and who has many satisfied clients at Los Jardines, simply ran out of ideas as to what the problem was. He brought in his professor on Thursday morning and three of them started checking. By accident, they saw the modem ID number automatically change. In retrospect, when our technician thought he was getting help from AMNET, he probably didn't. Then they spent the next 4 hours trying to figure out why and when they couldn't, they simply figured out a way to by-pass AMNET's modem. In the end, it was not our equipment and was not caused by anything we did or didn't do. Maybe that equipment which we replaced was not even the problem but replace it we did--it was aging in electronic terms--but the man hours and the frustration and the head scratching was frustrating.

While the technical issue was frustrating, the interpersonal issues were in some cases, over the top. The frustration was understandable but in many cases, the projection onto those trying to resolve the issue was unnecessary and really said more about the person's real character than I wanted to know. I could go on in my own rant about this but will leave my thoughts unsaid.......

Pressure Washing: we have a gas pressure washer for several more days which we'll use to clean areas--sidewalks, curbs, pool deck, etc. Residents want it done but don't want to listen to the noise. It's a no win situation.

Release of One Gardener: We let the contract expire for one of our temporary employees. He had been brought in to relieve our regular guy to do maintenance. That plan only worked partially as many unexpected maintenance items showed required his attention. While he was here the garden looked much better and he did an excellent job keeping things watered and raked. If we had the money, I'd really like to see him continue--but we don't so end of dreaming.

Market Activity: The sale of Unit 102 closed and the owner of Units 125 and 107 have withdrawn them from the market; a deal he was working on fell through and he's happy keeping the units.

We had only one person this week interested in leasing; no one for purchase. We hear from other agents that the market has slowed down again.

Owners Arrive: Two owners arrived to use their homes for Spring Break / Easter holidays --in both cases we were able to make their own houses available. Actually, it's pretty nice, arrive to your own home ,pick up your spending money which has accumulated from your rental, see friends, enjoy CR and Los Jardines facilities, and return, sometimes with money in your pockets.

Treasurer Resigns: A call has gone out for volunteers --two positions open-- Treasurer and the Fiscal --deadline for declaration of interest is 6pm. Saturday. The meeting date has been called for April 30 assuming it won't be canceled for lack of interest.

FOR SALE:

Unit 106A:	$155,000		See unit
Unit 115:	$205,000		See unit

FOR RENT:

Unit 108:	$1,650 mo.	Immediate -April & May	See unit
Unit 109:	$1,600 mo.	April 13-Nov. 30 (flexible)	See unit
Unit 113:	$1,550 mo.	April 1	See unit
Unit 114:	$1,750 mo.	June 1 (flexible) up to a year.	See unit
Unit 121:	$1,650 mo.	Immediate	See unit
Unit 124:	$1,000 mo	May 1	See unit

 

HOUSES FOR SALE

UNIT #106A:
For Sale $155,000

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1250
Total area (Sq M): 120
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
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.

 

UNIT #115:
For Sale $205,000 

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1345
Total area (Sq M): 124
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1 Story
Type: Attached
Furnished: Yes

This 1,345 sf single floor home includes a 200 sf private terrace plus parking for one car. It is attached on two sides by a 6" solid concrete block wall which prevents sound transfer. This is an extremely well decorated home with lots of natural wood built ins.

 

HOUSES FOR RENT

UNIT #108
FOR RENT $1,650 mo.
Immediate - April & May

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1716
Total area (Sq M): 158
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2.5
Floor(s): 2 Story
Type: Detached
Furnished: Yes

This 1,716 sf. (plus parking space for one car) two storey, detached house, with two terraces, two bedrooms (one on each floor) and an upstairs master suite is a beautiful home.

This home consists of two VERY large bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms (one on each floor) and a powder room each with closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and ground floor bedroom ceilings as well as the master bedroom on the 2nd floor provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system.

 

UNIT #109
FOR RENT $1,600 mo.
April 13-Nov. 30 (flexible)

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1506
Total area (Sq M): 140
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1 Story
Type: Detached
Furnished: Yes

This single story home (1506 sf. + parking for one car) is detached, has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, home office, living room wall / entertainment center along with a built in office and a semi-private terrace. In addition, it has a vaulted ceiling in the “great” room and two skylights. The covered entrance way is suitable for two chairs located next to a covered garden area. Once through the impressive front door, you enter the “great room” which houses the kitchen, dining room, office and living room. Upon entering, there is a built in wooden hutch surfaced with granite—it matches all the built-in furniture in the great room. There is a clothes washer and dryer off the 2nd bedroom. The owners have added many personal touches and have done a supurb job in decodrating the home.

 

UNIT #113
FOR RENT $1,550 mo.
April 1

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1290
Total Area (Sq M): 120
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
Type: Semi-Attached
Furnished: Yes

This 1,290 sf single floor home includes a 300 sf front terrace plus parking for one car. It is attached on one side by a 6 inch cement demising (common) wall, which prevents sound transfer. The three other sides allow light, ventilation and garden views.

 

UNIT #114
FOR RENT $1,750 mo.
June 1 (flexible) up to a year

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1290
Total area (Sq M): 120
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
Type: Semi-Attached
Furnished: Yes

This 2 bedroom/2bathroom, 1,290 sf single floor end unit home includes a 150 sf front terrace plus parking for one car. This house is fully air conditioned and has recently been professionally decorated by international decorator Alcides Graffe and has undergone a complete renovation —new modern furniture, finishings, window coverings, and art work by Carlos Gambino. It is arguably the nicest furnished unit at Residencias Los Jardines and only steps from the pool.

 

UNIT #121
FOR RENT $1,650 mo.
Immediate

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1423
Total area (Sq M): 131
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2.5
Floor(s): 2 Story
Type: Detached
Furnished: Yes

This two story, detached 1,423 sf home + parking for one car has two bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms and a 2nd. floor covered terrace.

The open railed wrought iron cement stair case leads to the 2nd. level where the master bedroom with en-suite master bathroom as well as 2nd. bedroom and en-suite bathroom are located. Also accessed from the 2nd. floor hallway is the covered terrace.

This is a very nicely furnished home with a good floor plan for those wanting two floors.

 

UNIT #124
FOR RENT $1,000 mo.
May 1

Total Area (Sq Ft): 662
Total area (Sq M): 61
Bedrooms: 1
Bathrooms: 1
Floor(s): 2nd Floor
Type: Semi-Detached
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.

 

 

 

Our Lives

WEATHER: Beautiful sunny skies, warm, slight breeze.

This has been a bitch of a week; I'm going to cocoon this weekend and try to think nice thoughts about those who beat me up over the Internet. If I can't achieve that higher moral ground, I'll develop some devilish plan which incorporates horrendous methods of retribution. The solace is in the planning and imagining the pain and suffering the plan, were it to be execute, would extract on my victims. I'll finish off with a margarita in the hammock.

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