The Phonix Returns
ISSUE #982: March 3, April 13, 2024
2024-04-13
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://residenciaslosjardines.com
Emails: info@residenciaslosjardines.com
ResidenciasPropertyManagement@gmail.com
sales & rentals
Sales: Los Jardines: a 3 mo. availability of unit #105
Rentals:
Los Jardines: Nothing available
Paradisus: Nothing available
property management, rentals & re-sales
FOR RENT
Unit #105: $ 1,350 mo. / 3 mo. beginning March 15 / Two bedroom, one bathroom, detached, single level, furnished / See Unit
What Happened This Past Two Weeks
Weather: We are transitioning into the rainy season... the rains usually begin several weeks before the "official" season's date. We haven't yet started the rains...mists, clouds, and rumbles but it is a prelude to what will happen soon... perhaps this coming week... which is fine.we are dry and while our gardeners do a great job, they do not do what nature does... so the plants will be much happier soon...
Stories
Why the Absence of the normal weekly newsletter? The answer is two part:
1. Nothing of significance to write about... all the possible stories are repeats... and really, there have been few incidents of note... this is a wonderful and unusual... Banks continue to be their irritable selves, infrastruture continues to fail periodically and has to be repaired, cars break down, the legal system continues to creak along, the colon continues to appreciate against the dollar, the cost of living continues to rise, prices for regular gasoline is now $5.14 gal. --details change but the stories are the same... We did have one unusual "incident" which others found more significant than I did... one of our renters was murdered... yep... it was targeted and while it ended badly for the tenant, it did not threaten anyone else... his body was found the day after by one of our owners who had been looking in on him, we phoned the police, they were here in 5 min. after that they took over while we stood on the sidelines... end of story... The following background is factural and some speculative... gringo got involved with the wrong girl who was a druggie... he had run away from her previously, subsequently gave her his address here, she had come several times and roughed him up / extorted him (now speculative) she returned with some friends, guess he refused to pay, they beat him up and shot him when they got the safe combination. (Factural) All he had to do to avoid this was to move... but as an chronic alcoholic, he seems to have been incapable of figuring this out. Of course our newbie owners freaked out but the more seasoned and thoughtful residents, while a little on edge, were / are able to put things into perspective...
2. Over the past few months, I have actually become "retired"... a long time goal but I had never achieved it... I have been able to think about what I want to do and when I want to do it or even "if" I want to do it... For so very long, my life has been largely determined by what I had to do, how, by when, and who / what do I need to do this. This does not mean there are no longer demands on my time but they are manageable and are more or less routine. I continue to work my way out of issues but continue to work my way through them... last year I was able to resolve 7 issues... this year I have another 5 or so (some are legacy items from last year --some are new)... the Toronto house is now sold but we are waiting until a June 12 event to implement the final chapter on that...it will happen and we are using this time to prepare... the foreclosure on the Barrio Escalante property was finally held last Thursday, there is a 3 day appeal period but by Wednesday of next week, we should be on our way to gaining possession of this property --the process will take a month-- then we can move forwrad to sell it... that will involve a lot of issues but all will work towards a desired conclusion, Paradisus mgt and budget issues seem to be straightened out, Los Jardines management / accounting / infrastructure / are all working fine albeit the budget is likely to be revised mid year or next year because the colon remains very low C495 : $1... no health issues (that I am aware of)... now if the parrots were to fly away and my wife were to learn how to make drinks for me, life would be almost perfect...
Misc: The CR government seems popular, I do not know how the regular people can afford to live, but there seems to be a lot of new cars, people in restaurants, banks, no protests, normal scandals, real estate prices are very high, rents seem stable to increasing... several of us do have significant concerns about the longer term effects of the exchange rate, since we can do nothing about it, our task is to figure out how to minimize the effect of it down the road; I have reach clarity in my own mind re. what will unfold in the US and the broad likely effects on my life... my vision... right or wrong --I am now comfortable with my vision of the future... it is a horrible vision but not one I am able to affect so I will focus on how to adapt and CR is a good location... The healthcare system here seems to be an alternative to the broken system in Ontario... once they come here they will be spoiled rotten for sure... Governments still make stupid requirements... I have to travel 6,000 mi. to Canada for a 15 min. show and tell all of which could be done via Internet, or altertnative technology or means... but no... burn the gas / pay the price, say yes, bow, and then extend the finger... some things in life, do not change.
Previous reports
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