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

Brian Timmons

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
ResidenciasPropertyManagement@gmail.com

Construction Log
Updates about Hacienda El Dorado

Rio Oro: still revising the formulas -and spent virtually all the week "in training" so not much progress on this... I'm still in training at Los Jardines but am beginning to see an end to that so I can return to this job. I've had two people show expressions of interest.

Residencias Los Jardines
Property Management, Rentals, Re-Sales

Office Manager - "In Training": I didn't have to call on her this week but my job cycle is not complete until today or tomorrow. I found the invoicing system to lack all the information it should... this makes it more time consuming that need be; I'll work on that this next month.

Maids: we're trying a new one -hopefully she'll work out.

Property Management, Rentals, Re-Sales

Market Activity: Sales: five lookers but mostly very casual however, one may be interested in 106B. We'll see. One guy made an appointment to view and failed to show. Rentals: several looking but all at the low end and no commitments. One guy promised to take 126, failed to show at each of two committed times -why bother and waste time and effort.

Pending sale of 112: closing didn't happen this week either... the purchaser's lawyer has a way of justifying his fees by making the process more complicated than it need be. I was afraid of this but the purchaser calls the shots. In the end, his ownership will be the same as everyone else's... he just will have paid a lot more for the privilege.

New Residents: We had friends of the new Russian owners move in -a mother-daughter team. Communications is difficult -we're all on a steep learning curve.

FOR SALE / RENT:

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HOUSES FOR SALE / RENT

UNIT #106B
FOR SALE $169,000

See a complete description of this unit

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1270
Total area (Sq M): 115
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): Ground
Type: Apartment
Furnished: Yes

This is a fully furnished 2-bedroom unit situated in a 2-story building, which has two nits 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 erraces. Floor. The solid masonry demising wall (common wall) as well as the 5" oncrete slab prevent sound transference.

UNIT #115
FOR SALE $205,000
FOR RENT $1,600 mo.
July 1

See a complete description of this unit

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.

UNIT #121
FOR SALE $265,000
FOR RENT $1,650 mo.
Immediate

See a complete description of this unit

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 #125
FOR SALE $150,000

See a complete description of this unit

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, + parking for one car and 33sf locker is a one bedroom home on the 2nd floor overlooking the large pool. It is ideal for a single person or couple—or investment property.

UNIT #126
FOR RENT $700 mo.
Immediate

Pied-a terre... Small, fully furnished, detached, one bedroom home with full kitchen and large covered terrace, complete with phone, Internet, CableTV. Perfect for the budget minded person or couple or commuters staying in San José/Santa Ana area on a regular basis... Internet ($40), CableTV ($30), and phone and electricity are ready for use. asomhugo@yahoo.com or 8-305-39-65 (Pictures to follow).

Our Lives

WEATHER: not much rain but some overcast days. We seem to be into our "mini-summer" where the rains take a break for a week or so before coming back stronger than before.

Unit 126: It's clean and shows well but I'm still missing a piece of furniture. Suppose to be ready today but it was also suppose to be ready a week ago. No, it wasn't ready and not likely to be for several days. Fortunately, I don't need it as I've changed things around a bit but still... We'll see how fast he wants the remainder of his money.

Nature's Fledglings: The "fledglings" in this story are of two types. Actually, I find that a "fledgling" is a young bird capable of flight. These guys weren't yet that advanced. Their body was feathered minus the major feathers on their wings and tail permitting flight. The other "fledglings" are Lita and I. We lack knowledge, experience, skill, and tools in caring for birds. The story:

Monday was a holiday -the annexation of Guanacaste to what is now CR 187 years ago. The party is still going on and Nicaragua is still upset about it... so nothing is new in that domain. For years I've seen the mating-birthing -and then either "disaster" or success cycle of birds. From my hammock / terrace I have an eye level view of three palm trees (Christmas Palms) or Vichy Palms (whatever you want to call them). A certain type of bird likes to build their nest in the crook where the leaf attaches to the stalk. It's perfect in many ways. However, the problem comes when, as they often do, select the lowest palm branch -this is the next leaf to fall off and when it does, there goes the next. It's always a race to get the birds hatched and out of the next before the leaf fails. In my four years observing this, its about a 60% success rate... On Sunday afternoon mom and dad were really busy feeding. On Monday afternoon while sipping a margarita, I noticed that the branch had failed, the nest was about to tumble to the ground, mom and dad were no where to be seen, and one of the young was trying to climb back in the nest. I watched for 15 min. and then saw him weaken and slide down the leaf to land softly on the grass below. I grab him and brought him to Lita; I saw another bird on top of the nest -he flutters down to the ground; I again take him to Lita. I pull the nest down thinking I could put the nest (a familiar surrounding) in one of the cages. Along with the nest, out plops another little guy -only he's the obvious runt of the litter because he's smaller and virtually no feathers. I figure he's not likely to survive but the others might.

We don't know what to do to help these little guys... what to feed them, how to feed them, we keep them warm... research the Internet... learn a few things. Within a day, the weakest one dies... that is not unexpected. Within 3 days, one of the larger guys dies... that hurt and Lita became depressed. As of now, the other guy is alive but I don't give him very good odds on seeing next week -and that event will be another bummer.

I contacted a knowledgeable birdman here in CR and asked for advice. He basically confirmed what we have been doing and added a few other possible options. What we are lacking now, is skill at feeding him and for Lita, it is even more difficult.

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