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

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING & WEBSITE

Website: Changes are being made but we are not yet to where we want to be. We have some additional functions which we are waiting for as well as some additional changes.

Marketing: "4 Sale by Owner/Developer" seems to be the main lead generator. To this we can now add "Inmobilia" which has also garnered lots of response.

» SALES

Sales: One sale this week and 3 reservations pending the finished designs for the Maya Tower.

» BANKING ARRANGEMENTS

Banking Arrangements:  We were approached by some mortgage brokers this week. We held initial discussions with them but I'm not sure, and neither are they, that there is a role for them.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: We're still waiting for the revised Maya Tower design. I did review his initial revised proposal and found it workable. We went on to modify the designs and then to make a number of variations by adding a bedroom to one plan / subtracting from an adjacent unit, and combining units. When I have them finalized, I'll be able to price them.  As of now, it appears we will have a price range from the low $90K to $175K with the possibility of combining two units on the upper floor  on each corner to make two fantastic penthouse units. There is also the possibility of making two special units having semi private gardens.

Surveyor: Buildings 11 A and B and the black water treatment plant are being  located. We've had problems determining which exterior measurements to use—

Fence:  It continues.

Well: The drill rig is working and he's down to about 42m. He hit water just below 30m as he had predicted. We have contracted for 50m so he should finish the drilling early this coming week. Presumably, the casing will then be installed.

Bridge: We will search for other suppliers but that will be after Christmas—nothing is getting done now.

Retaining Walls: Trenching for the footings have been dug and workers are beginning to put in the base for the "gaviones" which will form the retaining walls.

Land Fill / Earth Moving: The bulldozer returned and has spread and compacted additional landfill. We have moved the topsoil to a location where we will warehouse it until needed in a few years

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale : Nothing available at the moment

For Lease: Unit 109 is leased

Shareholders Meeting: Only one response from non-attending shareholders.

Texas Hold'em: Continues even though there are competing demands for time during the Holiday season.

» OUR LIVES

Weather:  No rain, warm, mostly sunny, not very breezy, and wonderful.

Work:  My slower pace didn't last long. Paul returned to Canada for three weeks and Esther is off to Cuba for 10 days. I filled in the gap……The demands of day to day property management along with marketing make for a full day.

Lita:  This story should have been in last week's log but…….

The Parrot is in the Dog House!!!!  Lita has wanted a Christmas tree at Los Jardines for years. She has lobbied, cajoled, pleaded, etc. but it didn't happen. This year she dispensed with all that and just did it!! She went off, sometimes on her own with her driver and sometimes with the maid or another time with our neighbor lady and bought exterior decorations. She made bows, from various materials and got a variety of lights. She directed the gardener and our neighbor friend to place all on a very large ficus tree. When finished and after a bit of futzing, announced that she was more or less satisfied with what she had accomplished. Despite her blindness, her determination overcomes! However, this is not the end of the story:

This is the same ficus tree that the parrot calls "home" during the day. He wanders through the branches to various little portals he has carved out where he sits, watches, chortles, and otherwise is a loud mouth. He proceeded to take great delight in eating the Christmas lights. When he didn't bite through the wires, he took the lights, one by one, and crushed them. When Lita returned from buying more lights to complete the tree, only half the original lights were left.  The ground underneath the tree was covered in "glass" confetti. (The thought occurred to me to plug the lights in and jolt the little bugger but I didn't.) When she realized what the parrot had done, she nearly strangled him. I've not seen her so mad for a long time (and then it was me she was mad at). The parrot was "grounded" / caged for several days, verbally abused, and ignored except for food and water. (I secretly enjoyed this – the mean little bugger is getting his just rewards.) Anyway, all seems to be forgiven now except that……

She has taken to putting him in a different ficus tree.  He continually gets out of the tree and roams around.  She has to go on the hunt for him. When he's up to no good, which is most of the time, he doesn't respond to her calls.  Here's Lita, blind as she is, looking for a green parrot in green trees and bushes and the little bugger hiding all the time. She's taken to looking for the cats who know where he is to help her find the parrot.

Another Parrot Story:  The neighbors put a "flying fish" decor on the outside of their house. The parrot didn't like it. Flew down to attack it (actually knocked it off the wall) and proceeded to attack it. Soon the three cats which keep a constant eye on the parrot started to stalk. At this time, the owners of the house scared off the cats and somehow rescued the parrot. 

A Pleasant Surprise:  We both experienced a pleasant but nonetheless shocking experience last weekend. A very dear friend of mine and then of Lita as well, showed up on our doorstep without notice after a three year absence.  He and I had parted under strained relations—Lita and I had always hoped this would happen but predicted it never would. He's been welcomed back into our home, our hearts, and our life and we are the richer and happier for it. Enough said!

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