High Winds -Headwinds, BS and Parrot Problems!...
ISSUE #751: March 3-9, 2019
2019-03-11
 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 |
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Featured
rentals & sales Paradisus Condos / Rohrmoser 
Each of the units consists of two bedrooms / two bathrooms, and a large living/dining/kitchen area. The floor plan of each of these units has eliminated the optional "den / office" divider. The result is a larger area offering more flexible furniture arrangements while still maintaining the option of including an office area. At 105m2 plus two parking spots each and storage locker, they offer a great opportunity for someone seeking views, security, central location, and first class, all round living... PRICE REDUCTION FOR RENT |
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Market activity
sales & rentals Sales: Los Jardines: Units #114, #116 and #124 Rentals: Paradisus: Unit 12-2 available immediately - $ 1,400 mo. Los Jardines: Unit #112 |
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Residencias Los Jardines
property management, rentals & re-sales FOR SALE FOR RENT  For sale
UNIT #114 Total Area (Sq Ft): 1290 This 2 bedroom/2bathroom,1,290 sf single floor end unit home includes a 150 sf front terrace plus parking for one car. This house is fully air conditioned and has recently been professionally decorated by international decorator Alcides Graffe and has undergone a complete renovation—new modern furniture, finishings, window coverings, and art work by Carlos Gambino. It is arguably the nicest furnished unit at Residencias Los Jardines and only steps from the pool UNIT #116 Total Area (Sq Ft): 1290 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. UNIT #124 Total Area (Sq Ft): 662 This 662 sf, + covered parking for one car, is a one bedroom home on the 2nd floor overlooking the large pool. It is ideal for a single person or couple. For rent
UNIT #112 Total Area (Sq Ft): 1290 This 1,290 sf single floor home includes a 300 sf front terrace plus parking for one car. It is attached on two sides by a 6 inch cement demising (common) wall, which prevents sound transfer. |
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Our Lives
High Winds: We've had very strong winds for this past week... it has caused roof damage, garden damage and one of the trees was leaning more than we felt it should be so we took it down. Internet: We have been studying our options to improve the reliability and performance of our Internet service. Options included replacing everything with cost of $5,000 + and replacing failing parts with an allowance of $1,500. Shareholder's opted for the latter. We did that work this past week. And, as is always my experience, and despite the promises to the contrary, there are always problems. Well, we had them but now think we have resolved most. We have one more thing to do to the upgraded equipment; this will be done on Tuesday. During the entire process, we came across some realizations... we are supporting two commercial operations on a system which is designed for normal residential use and another incident which should not have been happening. We also found that unauthorized renovations damaged our lines and Doneste was blamed for poor service... and in the process some nasty and unnecessary exchanges happened. We still have issues with the provider who seems not to be able to deliver reliable bandwidth. We are still looking at switching but have conflicting info if switching is possible and if it will solve this issue. And long stalled camera installations seem to be moving forward. Parrot Problems: Over the past two weeks, the handiwork of the little parrot came to light... Power went out to my AppleTV. We look into this... pull out some stuff in front of the cabling, and POOF! sparks flying everywhere... the insulation on white extension cord was virtually stripped with many wires broken. I had suspected this was the case but never saw the little bugger... o.k. we change wiring, and plug the access. Everything is now working. Next week, I am at the computer, I hear POOF again, Lita screaming, I run to bedroom and see a dazed parrot wobbling... The little bugger has done it again! I check the other side of the compartment, and there, virtually every bloody wire had been stripped of insulation of cut... yes, he almost fried himself... why he didn't, I don't know...!! Irrigation and Gardening: Continues to be challenging. The main gardener has not shown up for the past several days... sending others in his place. I had invested time in training him how to repair the irrigation hoses and what do do and not do... Without him, all that time, training, is lost. We had a "come to Jesus" conversation. The objective here is to convert / re-hab the systems we have or make new systems such that we can water at night via batter programmed water devices. The dedicated watering person is only marginal... he misses, and doesn't think... meanwhile, we continue to loose plants. Electrical Meter Registration: A tenant at Paradisus contacted me after receiving a notice under his door (I was subsequently contacted by others). The contact basically said that if you did not transfer the account to your name, power would be cut off in three days... o.k. but after 5 years and the account having always been paid on time, and not having received any notice that the builder had now made the changes from "construction" to "residential" status, this seemed a bit abrupt... understandable but abrupt... I gather what I expect to be the documents required and head to the CNFL offices... as I suspected and is virtually ALWAYS the case, no I did not have all the required documents... I am sent off to the BCR bank for a "persona juridica"... a document you need here to buy TP (not really but you get the idea). This document from the central government registry, says what your position is re. the company. In this case, I own the company but am not the legal representative... I get it, return, nope, I need a letter from my lawyer authorizing this change... on third questioning if there is anything else, oh, yes, a photo copy of the lawyers ID... off I go... he is away (this is Friday afternoon) so perhaps on Monday I can try again. The BS never ends in this country. New Tenant: He arrives and I get him installed. No problem. Since we both know there is a story behind this happening, he has one piece of info which doesn't make much sense to him, I have the missing link which puts it all together... We go for a beer and the story comes out after 3 or 4... After hearing it he shakes his head... wow!!!!! and we both wonder "why?" but there are mysteries in life and relationships which cannot be answered... they just are... Market Activity: Not much... I continue to not have time to market even my own property. I continue to be dependent on active agents. Re. agents: One agent I have known for 10+ years, seems to have moved his focus to Jaco... just nothing happening for him in the Central Valley. A Good News Story: When I get stressed out, I get frazzled... I am now... and have been for some time... I went to the feria (farmer's market) as usual this Sunday morning... bought strawberries, mangoes, papaya and pineapple. Upon returning home, I realized I did not have my wallet... PANIC... I rushed back, mentally retracing my purchases, and where I last remember having it... I knew this was a lost cause but I had to try... first stall didn't know what I was talking about, second stall didn't either... I was thinking and looking for the stall of my next purchase... and I seek the the shop keeper waving a wallet wrapped in a clear plastic bag... don't know if it was my hands in prayer or the tears in my eyes... but he simply said that I had left it amongst the mangoes... I left ever so relieve... I checked the contents... yep, everything was there... I returned to offer him a reward... he would not take it... I offered twice and the second time his wife chimed in, no way... and wished me a good day...!!! There are good people in CR... perhaps few and far between but there are good people and often times where you least expect... |
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News Items of the Week
COMMENTS Last week I wrote: "Hopefully with the admin stuff behind me and the final client moving in on Monday, and invoicing out of the way, maybe I will have some time to myself." Nope, didn't happen... All I remember is that inflation is "officially" non-existent, government agencies continue to confiscate tons and tons of cocaine, and the exchange rate is more or less stable. Good news: Scotiabank has not harassed me for several months. One notable event, the significance of which is not yet known: on Friday, a large publicly traded CR company involved in large RE projects, has filed for protection from creditors due to a "liquidity" crunch. I had never heard of the company but we are talking $200 - $250 million which is no slouch for CR... There will be ripple effects from this for sure... One of the companies that defaulted for $26 mil, I do recognize -Rock Construction. This company was noted for large scale, low cost residential developments. Is this the beginning of the fall???? |
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FOR RENTAL OR SALES INFORMATION Brian C. Timmons Costa Rica: Canada: Web: https://www.residenciaslosjardines.com |
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