Playa Carrillo...

ISSUE #767: July 1-6, 2019

2019-07-07

Brian Timmons, Newsletter Author
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
Developer / Property manager
Residencias Los Jardines

Web: https://www.residenciaslosjardines.com
Emails: info@residenciaslosjardines.com
ResidenciasPropertyManagement@gmail.com

Featured
rentals & sales

Paradisus Condos / Rohrmoser
FOR SALE / RENT
Visit our website

Paradisus Condos - click to visit

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
Semi furnished unit: For sale: $235,000
Fully furnished unit: For sale: $245,000
Floor 12 -west view

Market activity
sales & rentals

Sales: Los Jardines: Units #114, #116 and #124

Rentals:

Paradisus: Nothing available

Los Jardines: Units #106C, #106D, #113 and #116

Residencias Los Jardines
property management, rentals & re-sales

FOR SALE
Unit #114: $ 199,000 / See Unit
Unit #116: $ 195,000 $ 189,995 / See Unit
Unit #124: $ 125,000 / See Unit

FOR RENT
Unit #106C: $ 950 mo. / Available immediately / See Unit
Unit #106D: $ 1050 mo. / Available immediately / See Unit
Unit #113: $ 1,200 mo. / Available immediately / See Unit
Unit #116: $ 1,250 $1,195 mo. / Available immediately / See Unit

For sale

UNIT #114
FOR SALE
$ 199,000

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1290
Total area (Sq M): 120
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
Type: Semi-Attached
Furnished: Yes

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
FOR SALE
$ 195,000 $ 189,995

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.

UNIT #124
FOR SALE
$135,000 $ 125,000

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, + 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 #106C
FOR RENT
$ 950 mo.
Available immediately

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 #106D
FOR RENT
$ 1050 mo.
Available immediately

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1227 + parking
Total area (Sq M): 113 + parking
Bedrooms: 1 + den (bedroom possible)
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 2nd. floor
Type: 4-plex
Furnished: Yes

This 2nd story, 1,227 sf (113 m2 + one parking space) is a georgous home with one of the best views at Los Jardines. The very large front covered terrace faces east and is suitable for entertaining; the off-bedroom covered terrace faces west for sun sets. This very tastefully furnished and fully equipped home offers a lifestyle envied by many.

UNIT #113
FOR RENT
$ 1,200 mo.
Available immediately

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
$ 1,195 mo.
Available immediately

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

Rainy Season... in our area, we have had little rain this past week... in fact, we are back to watering.

What Happened This Week

Vacancies: Two rental... lots more vacancies.

Playa Carrillo: Finally got back there... by far our favorite beach. Trouble is, that it is 4 hours away in Guanacaste. It is a picture perfect beach, with palm trees for shade, wide tan sandy beach, easy access, and normally few people. This time we went with friends and found a great Airbnb which made for a perfect get away. We have been going to this area for 15 years; not much has changed which is fine... There is one new hotel and a favorite -- Guanamar -- is closed along with a couple other hotels. The Leyenda is still operating and seemed be busy. Their rates were too high for our budget so we got a better deal with an Airbnb which we will probably use again when we return...it was less expensive for a small group and worked out much better.

After having packed all the things we needed into my Volvo, the 4 of us headed out... Just out side the gate at Los Jardines, we heard an ominous sound from the engine... couldn't see anything but it was definitely not running right. We switched cars... we were REALLY fortunate this happened where it did... anywhere else would have ruined the weekend. The trip back, even coming on a Sunday, was fast... they had reversed the lanes on the 27 so traffic moved well.

The beach: Really nice to go but also very, very nice to return to the central valley. None of us could take the heat and the humidity and it wasn't the hottest I have experienced ...and the AC worked as well as the fans and vaulted ceiling of our Airbnb... it is just hot and humid... that is the beach weather...

News Items of the Week

COMMENTS

1. Jet Blue: Direct from NYC... great connection / great airline

2. Public Employment: The first signs of the end of this initiative... unfortunately. But it is consistent with what is happening as a result of the public protests about everything... from virtually every government based / protected group... and the result is the resignation or termination of one government minister after another... the pattern is repeating itself... three strikes and the government caves...

3. Minister of Finance: Probably the next position to be fired.

4. Eurobonds: Trying to borrow their way into the future while shoring up public finances... We'll see what happens. So far this year, the exchange rate has been fairly steady with a slight increase in colon strength.

5. VAT fine delay: As expected... there is so much chaos, what else could they really do.

1.JetBlue to Add A Flight Connecting New York and Costa Rica Starting November

Starting November, JetBlue will offer a new route to connecting New York, USA to San José, Costa Rica , the announcement was made by the Costa Rican Tourism Board and Aeris, company in charge of the administration of the Juan Santamaría Airport.

The direct flight #1793 will leave from John F. Kennedy Aiport in New York on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 6:25 p.m. and will arrive in San José at 10:50 p.m.; flight #1794 will leave the Juan Santamaría Aiport at 11:59 p.m. landing in New York at 6:09 a.m.

“The A320 plane has capacity for 150 passengers, with this, we will be adding 23,400 new seats from our main market, the United States”, commented María Amelia Revelo, Minister of Tourism. “We offered to strengthen the aerial connectivity of the country and each new announcement we make to the country is, in itself, accountability of the work carried out by the Costa Rican Tourism Board in alliance with the private sector to achieve it”, continued Revelo.

From San Jose, Jet Blue currently offers a daily flight to Forth Lauderdale and Orlando. In addition, JetBlue also offers season flights to Liberia through their Mint service.

A total 604,850 US travelers flew to Costa Rica between January and May 2019, a 6% increase in comparison to the same time frame the prior year. A US traveler can spend in average US$171.60 dollars a day and stays an average 10.1 nights.

2. President: “Government has not waived Public Employment Plan”

Despite the fact that the draft Public Employment Law has taken a back seat in recent weeks in Congress and that unions demand its withdrawal from the legislative current, Carlos Alvarado announced on Thursday that his administration will not renounce the approval of this plan.

Alvarado said that the project processed under file 21.336 that seeks to bring order to all wage schemes in the country still counts on the support of his administration, but admitted that now those who interfere with its procedure are in the Legislative Assembly.

Alvarado did not guarantee that the plan will be withdrawn, as demanded by the unions, rather he was inclined to promote a negotiation, as in the case of plans to regulate strikes in essential services.

It has to be discussed, the government has not given up on this project and we understand that it should be managed among the cluster of projects in the Assembly, which are not few. Its time will come, but there are many things before,” said Alvarado.

3. Minister of the Presidency: “Government supports the Minister of Finance”

President Carlos Alvarado supports Finance Minister Rocío Aguilar. She plays a vital role in the care of public funds and public goods.”

These were the forceful words by the Minister of the Presidency, Rodolfo Piza, in regarss to the permanence of the Finance Minister after the health sector strike on Thursday morning.

More than a thousand officials were present in downtown San José in order to request the resignation of Rocío Aguilar.

According to the head of the Presidency, the role of the Finance Minister is essential to achieve “lower interest rates, more employment and economic growth.”

Additionally, authorities of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) went to the courts in order to declare a strike on Thursday.

crhoy.com

4. Moody’s analyst: Eurobonds are not the definitive solution

National legislators approved in the first reading Eurobonds for $1.5 billion; however, Moody’s believes this will not be the definitive solution to the financial problem in Cosa Rica.

It is good that the government seeks other sources of financing, but they are not the total solution to the problem of public finances in Costa Rica, the issue will bring more debt and would not have any weight in the risk rating that the country currently has; the challenge will be the way in which the deficit and interest payments are managed for other credits,” said Gabriel Torres, an analyst from Moody’s.

Torres, on the other hand, said that the positive side of issuing Eurobonds is that it will allow to lower the pressure on local interest rates, which would make access to credit cheaper. In addition, the exchange rate would tend to fall further, due to the new dollars that would enter the national economy.

crhoy.com

5. Congress approves moratorium of three months on VAT-related fines

On Tuesday, the Legislative Assembly approved a bill to prevent the Ministry of Finance from applying sanctions for three months for the collection of the Value Added Tax (VAT), in force from the previous Monday.

The initiative -promoted by Pablo Heriberto Abarca, from the Christian Social Unity Party (PUSC)- seeks to freeze the collection of fines due to the misinformation that still exists between some sectors and the need for a better adaptation to the implementation in companies.

The moratorium would not apply to large taxpayers and would allow the Ministry of Finance to fulfill its task of providing adequate advice, support and training.

The initiative had 40 votes in favor and none against.

FOR RENTAL OR SALES INFORMATION
ON ANY OF THE ABOVE, CONTACT:

Brian C. Timmons
Property Manager RLJ and Newsletter Author

Costa Rica:
Cell: (+506) 8-455-59-35
Land line: (+506) 2282-4142 Ext. 101

Canada:
VOIP: (+416) 461-2203

Web: https://www.residenciaslosjardines.com
Emails: info@residenciaslosjardines.com
ResidenciasPropertyManagement@gmail.com

 
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