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

An Unexpected Trip & A Broken Promise...

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: the one company most advanced with their analysis confirmed info. which we had told them to be the case. Nothing has happened with this company due to the holidays.

 

Residencias Los Jardines
Property Management, Rentals, Re-Sales

Market Activity

Sales: no one looking...

Rentals: no one looking.

WORK PROGRAMS: Paving is completed --probably with some "shrinkage" from various different sources since it was done on a holiday and we got a non-company invoice but that's someone else's problem... our little job is done.

Parking lines are being repainted.

We bought a badly needed pressure washer and are working our way through all surfaces in the development.

A Broken Promise: As I write, we have a bit of a problem. A tenant who committed to leaving 6 weeks ago, has decided unilaterally to extend for 5 days until his house is finished. I've leased the unit effect April 15... and it may be that he has to move... it's a chain of musical chairs... and we're going to have to see who the last person standing is... it's a mess... we have security deposits to throw around based on breach of agreement but that doesn't really compensate fully for the hassle factor... While I'm not on site, I wouldn't really be able to do anything more than the people who are working on it on my behalf.

A couple who committed to lease 106C and who paid a deposit and delayed their occupancy by two weeks as per agreement, reneged at the last minute for unexplained reasons. He'll loose his deposit but that doesn't compensate for the broken promise.

Lately it seems it's very difficult to believe what people say...

 

FOR SALE

Unit 103:	$169,000	Reduced from $172,500	See Unit
Unit 125:	$140,000		See unit

FOR RENT

Unit 106C:	$1,300 mo.	Immediatly	See Unit
Unit 109:	$1,500 mo.	Available May 1	See Unit
Unit 113:	$1,500 mo.	Available May 1	See Unit
Unit 116:	$1,450 mo.	Immediatly	See Unit

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HOUSES FOR SALE

UNIT #103
FOR SALE $169,000
Reduced from $172,500

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1000
Total area (Sq M): 93
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
Type: Detached
Furnished: Yes

1000 sf., single story, detached, two bedroom, two bathroom, with a nice covered terrace overlooking a nicely landscaped tropical backyard. Breakfast counter, dinning room table for 4, parking for one car. Vaulted ceilings in master bedroom and kitchen/dining area.

 

UNIT #125
FOR SALE $140,000

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, + 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.

 

HOUSES FOR RENT

UNIT #106C
FOR RENT $1,300 mo.
Available Immediatly

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1250
Total Area (Sq M): 120
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
Type: 4-plex
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 #109
FOR RENT $1,500 mo.
Available May 1

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 $1,500 mo.
Available May 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 #116
FOR RENT $1,450 mo.
Available Immediatly

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 and a separate, secure storage locker. It is and end unit and therefore attached on only one side by a 6 inch cement demising (common) wall, which prevents sound transfer.

 

 

Our Lives

WEATHER: Despite the calendar and the weatherman's assessment, the past week has seemed like the beginning of the rainy season --sunny, clear mornings with clouding around noon and a light shower mid-late afternoon followed by clearing.

While Toronto is enjoying an early Spring, it's still a lot different than CR... I'll take CR weather any day and that's one of the main reasons I love it.

Toronto: We saw a window of opportunity to go to Toronto so Lita could re-unite with her family and we could update some documents... this is a more relaxed trip that 4 years ago when we spent only 4 nights (one longer than we planned due to an new, unknown holiday) -- we'll visit with friends and family we haven't seen, eat at some restaurants we fondly remember, organize some renovations to our house and look at the changes to the city. While I'll put it all together later... I can say that Canada is a much better organized and structured country than CR (just about any country is) and it is possible to get things accomplished with far less hassle than in CR. We got three government documents renewed in one day... yes we had the supporting documents that were required (even in CR this doesn't mean there won't be some additional requirements, originals, certified, issued within some limited time period, etc)... that efficiency, however, comes with a price, there is less freedom and flexibility in a structured environment... e.g. no J-walking, no illegal parking without large fines, higher taxes and cost of living.

United Airlines in Huston was fantastic at moving Lita as a disabled person around --three wheel chairs and three electric carts and an inter-terminal train later-- we actually made our connection with only 70 min. --one of our bags didn't make it (I anticipated this so kept the essentials in my carry-on). In Toronto, I checked with lost luggage and they knew exactly where the bag was, when it would arrive and it was delivered to our door the next morning as they promised. In Toronto, United was a totally different story re. special needs people... disorganized in an airport which had no people in it. However, public transit was seamless and took us right near our lodging... fast, inexpensive, and efficient... and the local pub still has great beer and o.k. food...

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