"...A Cultural Change..."

ISSUE #682: Oct. 22-28, 2017

2017-10-30

Brian Timmons, Newsletter Author
Brian Timmons

Dear friends,

When I started Residencias Los Jardines, I started writing a weekly newsletter -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 re-sales and rental availability. Some readers may be interested in this information.

Brian Timmons
Developer / Property manager
Residencias Los Jardines

Web: https://www.residenciaslosjardines.com
Emails: info@residenciaslosjardines.com
ResidenciasPropertyManagement@gmail.com

Featured
rentals & sales

Paradisus Condos / Rohrmoser
FOR SALE / RENT
Visit our website

Paradisus Condos - click to visit

Each of the units consists of two bedrooms / two bathrooms, and a large living/dining/kitchen area. The floor plan of each of these units has eliminated the optional "den / office" divider. The result is a larger area offering more flexible furniture arrangements while still maintaining the option of including an office area. At 105m2 plus two parking spots each and storage locker, they offer a great opportunity for someone seeking views, security, central location, and first class, all round living...

PRICE REDUCTION
Semi furnished unit: For sale: $235,000
Fully furnished unit: For sale: $245,000
Floor 12 -west view

Market activity
sales & rentals

Sales: Los Jardines: Units #106A, #114 and #124

Rentals:

Paradisus: Nothing available

Los Jardines: Nothing available

Residencias Los Jardines
property management, rentals & re-sales

FOR SALE
Unit #106A: $ 165,000 / See Unit
Unit #114: $ 199,000 / See Unit
Unit #124: $ 135,000 / See Unit

For sale

UNIT #106A
FOR SALE
$ 165,000

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 #114
FOR SALE
$ 199,000

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 #124
FOR SALE
$ 135,000

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: The dry season... is not here yet...

Residencias Los Jardines: Deferred maintenance continues to be done and we continue to move in the right direction.

The new administration replaced 73 burned out light bulbs... wow!!!!!! Why these were allowed to burn out and were not be replaced????? The answer is "cultural differences". And the person who was responsible for their maintenance, now wants "more lighting". Wow...

Cultural Differences: We just returned from a quick trip to Toronto. WestJet does a great, great job... wow!!!!!! almost a pleasure to fly... Retraced some steps from June... I had to see a few friends... it may well be my last time to say "goodbye" -some are older than me, some in various states of health... and hopefully, I'll be seeing all again,but if not...

Technology works there... transportation works... setting appointments works... food was mediocre except for home cooking and restaurant prices are expensive... beer was great (getting better in CR with micro-brewers around), the prices there are ridiculous... a 2lb chicken $12 Cdn / a 6 lb chicken here $5 US... Everything there is pay, pay, pay, pay... and in CR, I actually got my driver's license with picture on it in 15 min... in Toronto it will be 6 weeks... Saw a tremendous amount of infrastructure construction underway... Torontonians are complaining bitterly about traffic... CR / Central Valley has it's problems... both are bad for sure... It was great to meet up with family and some friends... we didn't have time for everyone... but we are still glad to be back... no more out of country trips for a while... I like it here... warts and all...

News Items of the Week

Comments

1. "Cementgate" continues to be the biggest scandal in this administration's time... and it seems the rot goes right to the top... and the American Chamber of Commerce is getting in on the call.

2 / 3. Bus Drivers: are unhappy about not the defacto rate setting that occurred... Typical CR... don't deal with the issue until it becomes a crisis...

AmCham calls for exhaustive investigation in the cement case
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) reaffirmed its support for investigations carried out by authorities to those linked to the cementazo scandal and any other irregular credit issues.

"We urge the 3 powers of the Republic to make the best effort and urgently take a ruthless attitude to eradicate and fight corruption, actions that undermine the rule of law," the group said in a statement. “However, we believe that the culprits should be identified and punished once the due process has been exhausted.

"As active members of the business sector, this situation leaves serious doubts about the transparency, diligence and adherence to basic rules that guarantee a healthy administration." the Chamber added.

"This is a serious concern provoking a direct affectation to the institutionality and the confidence that we require to be kept intact in the business environment, in a country that must maintain a transparent and top-notch legal order" added Dennis Whitelaw, president of AmCham.

According to the chamber, the central problem of the cases investigated lies in influence peddling and corruption at the highest levels, and it calls for strengthening the institutions. Candidates for the presidency have been asked to have an iron fist against corruption.

Bus drivers on strike spread chaos in the Metropolitan Area
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

On Thursday, about 300 buses occupied route 27, from the National Gymnasium to the offices of the Aresep, causing slow transit and never-ending traffic jams.

Later, a meeting between the protesters and authorities took place.

The meeting between the representatives of the bus guild and Roberto Jiménez, General Regulator, lasted 3 hours, but they still did not reach an agreement.

Silvia Bolaños, executive director of the organization, said that they decided to end the peaceful demonstration, as the Public Services Regulatory Authority (Aresep) promised to give a response next Tuesday.

"The organization calls for the immediate elimination of the new price methodology, considered to be full of errors and very bad for the sector."

In addition, Bolaños was emphatic that Thursday’s meeting did not even result in a preliminary agreement, but there was the willingness on both sides to continue the discussion and reach an accord.

This is a longstanding affair.

It all began when, at a session on October 10, the regulator's Board of Directors announced a 6 month suspension one of the methods of calculating passengers, known as implicit demand.

This measure indicated that in the absence of technical studies, bus prices were to be calculated as if the units traveled filled to maximum capacity.

After that announcement, bus companies threatened to take measures if the Aresep did not eliminate immediately all the new methodology for calculating the bus fares.

Strong legislative opposition against demands of bus companies
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Congressmen from the Legislative Block for the Intervention and Modernization of Public Transport call on ARESEP not to yield to the pressures of the bus chambers that want to eliminate the current fare methodology by threatening to stop service. The congressmen state that such a stoppage in service would bring hardship to the citizenry.

There are currently around 574 routes throughout the country and since the new fare's methodology was approved in March 2016, only 8 fare adjustments have been made, resulting in reductions of around 20 percent of fares collected.

It is well known that all tariff calculation methodology is susceptible to improvement, but the current fare's methodology is fairer than the previous one with respect what was paid by users, the legislative block said in a press release.

The block sent a document to ARESEP, as well as to the office of the President of the Republic, requesting that destabilization campaigns not be permitted and asking the government to act to the fullest extent of the law in the event of an illegal bus strike.

The document also refers to public transport companies. "We demand that bus companies keep legal frameworks and do not intend to trample bus users, otherwise, we will resort to all existing legal and political mechanisms to respect the right of people to a transport with fair rates and quality, "said Congresswoman Patricia Mora Castellanos of Frente Amplio Party.

"We also call on people who use public transport so that they do not allow them to be denied the right to a quality service and with fair rates. It is necessary that the same people who use the buses keep overseeing the provision of the service, " said legislator Marcela Guerrero Campos of Citizens Action Party.

The Legislative Block for the Intervention and Modernization of Public Transport closed the document stating that although establishing the fares is the responsibility of ARESEP, it is evident that these crises are caused by inefficient direction by the Council of Public Transportation, which has not ordered the provision of bus service.

Legislators also called for the Council to be closed and asked that a new way to be found to order public transportation.

FOR RENTAL OR SALES INFORMATION
ON ANY OF THE ABOVE, CONTACT:

Brian C. Timmons
Property Manager RLJ and Newsletter Author

Costa Rica:
Cell: (+506) 8305-3965
Land line: (+506) 2282-4142 Ext. 101

Canada:
VOIP: (+416) 461-2203

Web: https://www.residenciaslosjardines.com
Emails: info@residenciaslosjardines.com
ResidenciasPropertyManagement@gmail.com

 
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