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

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.

Brian Timmons
DEVELOPER / PROPERTY MANAGER
Residencias Los Jardines / https://www.residenciaslosjardines.com info@residenciaslosjardines.com
ResidenciasPropertyManagement@gmail.com

 

Featured house this week

UNIT #102:
FOR RENT: $1,650 mo. Available Immediately

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1922
Total area (Sq M): 177
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2 1/2
Floor(s): Ground
Type: Apartment
Furnished: Yes

Full details of Unit

 

Residencias Los Jardines
Property Management, Rentals, Re-Sales

TV Reception: This seems to have been solved. CableTica was on site yesterday and now the reception is perfect... What the problem was I don't know but it was evidently caused by their side of the connection.

Market Activity

Sales: one client

Rentals: the one long term client mentioned last time, failed to appear... but one return client check in last week and two more will be arriving next week and possibly a third the following week...

 

FOR SALE

Unit #114: $235,000 / See Unit

FOR RENT

Unit #102: $1,650 mo. / Available Immediately / See Unit

Unit #106C: $1,250 mo. / Available May 17 / See Unit

Unit #110: $1,500 mo. / Available Immediately / See Unit

Unit #123: $1,650 mo. / Available Immediately / See Unit

 

HOUSE FOR SALE

UNIT #114
FOR SALE $235,000

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1290
Total area (Sq M): 120
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): Single Floor
Type: Attached
Furnished: Yes

This 1,290 sf. (plus covered parking for one car and two lockers 67 sf.) single story, semi detached house, with garden terrace, two bedrooms is a beautiful executive style home. This home consists of two large bedrooms one with six piece en-suite bathroom with additional access to separate full shower. Each bedroom has large closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and bathroom ceilings provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system. There are four TVs (one in each bedroom, one in the living room and one in breakfast / dinning room.) This is a beautiful well appointed home.

 

HOUSES FOR RENT

UNIT #102
FOR RENT $1,650 mo.
Available Immediately

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1922
Total area (Sq M): 177
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2 1/2
Floor(s): Ground
Type: Apartment
Furnished: Yes

This two bedroom, 1922 sf (177 m2) FURNISHED and well appointed home with AC, bright office, and covered parking is a single story home surrounding by manicured gardens in Residencias Los Jardines. It was completed 5 years ago and has been lovingly cared for since. It is situated on the ground floor of a two storey, horizontal duplex. This home has two split system air conditioning units for quiet, efficient cooling. It is in PRISTINE condition.

 

UNIT #106C
FOR RENT $1,250 mo.
Available May 17

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 #110
FOR RENT $1,500 mo.
Available Immediately

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1290
Total area (Sq M): 120
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
Type: 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. This is an exceptionally well decorated and appointed home by owners who really care.

 

UNIT #123
FOR RENT $1,650 mo.
Available April Immediately

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1516
Total area (Sq M): 140
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.

 

 

Our Lives

WEATHER: several rains... we needed it. The rainy season is slow to kick in this year.

All in a Week's Living in CR:

After Life... Social ...: I've never been to so many social luncheons and events in one week... a great Sunday afternoon play given by The Little Theater Group followed by dinner, four luncheon events... social and special interest... dinner and now another dinner... with burgers and beer scheduled for friends on Tuesday. I know I can keep busy this way but don't think I'll make a habit of it... it's .o.k. for a transition period. This coming week, we are headed to the beach with friends.

Below are a number of articles I ran across this week which I thought useful to understand what's happening in CR:

 

 

News Items of the Week

Economy grew in first quarter but remains difficult

According to the Central Bank, the economy of Costa Rica saw marginal growth for the first quarter while unemployment increased and interest rates fell. Experts expect inflation in the coming months to return to the target range between 4 and 6 percent.

From: https://costaricareport.com/

 

Experts fear havoc due to breif but very intense rainfall

Experts predict that the country will face a more intense than normal rainy season. Combined rainfall during the months of April, May and June is expected to be 20 percent higher than the historical average.

From: https://www.costaricareport.com/

 

Country still struggles with making business easier
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rica gets six low scores of the 10 used to compute the World Bank Doing Business index.

The 2013 Index evaluates 185 economies on 10 specific business activities. Costa Rica ranks the lowest at 169th place for protecting investors. The country also is in 128th place on starting a business, dealing with construction permits, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvencies.

The country scores highest, 45th position worldwide, in a firm being able to obtain electricity.

The country's composite ranking is up 12 positions to 110th place, according to the report. Costa Rican officials have expressed pleasure at the upward trend of the rankings, particularly since several online systems have been put in place to do business activities.

The 2013 index ranking does not fully reflect these new systems because some are only in the metro area.

In addition to the overall index figures, the World Bank produced a 113-page online document that discusses in detail the ease or challenges of doing business in Costa Rica. There also are regional comparisons. For example, México is ranked 36th on the ease of obtaining a construction permit. Honduras is ranked 65th. Costa Rica is ranked 128, well below the regional average of Latin America and the Caribbean of 80.

For those who are considering undertaking construction in Costa Rica or any other country that is covered in the report, there are step-by-step procedures and estimated costs for a typical project. In Costa Rica, the World Bank estimates that to build an $885,000 warehouse in San José will cost $15,800 in fees not counting insurance.

Approvals will take 160 days for the project, a considerable decrease from the 228 days estimated in 2006 by the same index.

The score for protecting investors actually fell two places in the 2013 index, This category measures the rights of minor investors, usually those with less than 10 percent of the ownership of a firm. Or as the index summary says: The strength of minority shareholder protections against directors‘ use of corporate assets for personal gain — or self-dealing. The indicators distinguish three dimensions of investor protections: transparency of related-party transactions, liability for self-dealing and shareholders‘ ability to sue officers and directors for misconduct.

As far as the index category for enforcing contracts, the summary said that Costa Rica has improved contract enforcement with new modes of service delivery, and auction procedures were simplified by authorizing the publication of a single auction notice. The index outlines some 40 steps in a legal procedure to enforce a contract and collect money.

Doing Business 2013 Index*
Index categories	2013 rank	2012 rank	Net change
Starting a Business	128	125	-3
Dealing with Construction Permits	128	139	+11
Getting Electricity	45	43	-2
Registering Property	46	45	-1
Getting Credit	83	97	+14
Protecting Investors	169	167	-2
Paying Taxes	125	135	+10
Trading Across Borders	51	62	+11
Enforcing Contracts	128	127	-1
Resolving Insolvency	128	127	-1
Average	110	122	+12
*Source: Doing Business Index.

The estimated times is 852 days in a typical case, down just 25 days from 2006, according to the index. That puts the country in 128th place in the index, just below the 115 average for regional economies.

Costa Rica was in 125th place worldwide for the ease of paying taxes. On average, firms make 23 tax payments a year, spend 226 hours a year filing, preparing and paying taxes and pay total taxes amounting to 55.0 percent of profit, said the summary.

The report did note that some of the obligatory payments are now being done via the internet. The time required is down from 402 hours per year in 2006. The index did not address the issue that many firms duck their tax obligations.

The index notes that the estimated time for starting a business and obtaining all the permits and completing all the paperwork in Costa Rica would be about 60 days. The average for First World countries is 12 days with considerable less cost because Costa Rica requires work by lawyers to complete the job.

By comparison some U.S. states will register a corporation in a couple of minutes via the Internet and with the payment by a credit card.

From: https://www.amcostarica.com/

 

 

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