Birthday #74 and a 125 Vacancy

ISSUE #795: Jan. 19-25, 2020

2020-01-26

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: Unit #125 / $875 mo. / Available immediately

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 #125: $875 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 #125
FOR RENT
$ 875 mo.
Available immediately

Total Area (Sq Ft): 662
Total area (Sq M): 60
Bedrooms: 1
Bathrooms: 1
Floor(s): 2nd Floor
Type: Semi-Detached
Furnished: Yes

This 662 sf, (62M2)+ 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.

Our Lives

What Happened This Week

Weather: Normal... windy, dry, beautiful...

Stories

Comment: Irrigation and Internet have been my two biggest headaches. It appears that I might actually get these resolved. Wow!!!!! What a relief if it happens... I feel confident that Security Cameras will also be resolved... not that I am a fan of them.

Irrigation Systems: We are now about 2 months into the dry season. Our garden has never looked this good at this time with as little whipping as I have done so far. We still have some problem areas which I am addressing...

Internet: 9 weeks without problems... I am loving this...

Security Cameras: The Promised return to fix the remaining 4 cameras didn't happen on Tuesday / and a subsequent promised date on Thursday didn't happen either... he is a flake. I will move on.

Shareholder Registration: The actual registration has started. It will perhaps be completed this next week.

Doneste Administration: Notice of meeting and the accompanying documents went out. This includes a "Sate of Affairs" recapping the last year; identifying / providing background for some current problem issues and asking for guidance / and finally, identifying a draft (incomplete) agenda and asking for additional items -also calling for two "volunteers" for vacant board positions. Now I wait for whatever discussion follows. Unfortunately, I will be managing this as there is no one else... not what I want to do.

Foreclosure: This happened as per the schedule. I "bought" the property for my mortgage. I have to wait for 2-4 mo. until a judge assigns me title. In the meantime, I am making arrangements to sell the property... An off-chance discussion has lead me to a buyer... we are agreed... it is a win-win deal for all... if it happens. We'll see.

INS Suit: Gave POA to the lawyers to file a financial claim against INS, I asked for a status report... it was as I have described previously. I asked for a time line... maybe will be settled this year but no assurances. mmmm... I was hoping... 5 years and counting... my civil suit to enforce the arbitration panels decision will continue as ill INS's appeal to the SALA 1 to annul the whole issue... it could all be thrown out by the SALA... they really don't have to have any valid grounds... they may decide that since it is public money and since it is lot of public money, they really don't want to allow the payment... it could be as simple as this... and I suspect there would be no appeal of this.

Investment Business: Still bumps in the road... some movement... we'll see...

BAC: Have to verify info... waiting on 2nd account... we'll see.

Birthday: Yep, I was 74 on Friday... took Lita and friends to a nice restaurant specializing in aged beef... two salmons and a monster steak split did the trick... had wanted to do this for a number of years, finally did it.

New Rental -#125: The owner of this unit realized he is not using it enough to justify it sitting vacant. He asked me to market it and manage it. This is not the direction I want to go in... would like to get completely out of the business... but took it on. It is a very nice unit... check out the pics.

News Items of the Week

COMMENTS

1. Scam... Wow... that was expensive ice cream

(No other articles seems particularly interesting...)

1. The Costa Rica Vacation Scam: $5000 Ice Cream

Costa Rica recently was reclassified from a Level 1 country (Take normal security precautions), to a Level 2 country (Take greater security precautions), for the year 2020.

Other Level 2 countries include Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico. This reclassification came as a huge surprise to Costa Rican government officials, who boast of a reduction in crimes – especially violent crimes involving tourists – for the year 2019. These security levels are decided by the United States State Department.

Now we hear of a much more sophisticated way to scam tourists in Costa Rica: Money Lost in Translation.

A Canadian dentist was on vacation this last December, with his wife and daughter. The three decided to cool down after a day in the intense Tico sun with some ice cream, while visiting Tamarindo. Aaaaaaahh, just the cool sweet treat they craved! The dentist, Dr. David Kindrat, paid for the desserts with his Scotiabank credit card. Their bill came to 4,050c (roughly $9 Canadian), which seemed reasonable in a tourist town. He used his credit card. He provided is PIN to authorize the transaction.

Much to Kindrat’s dismay, when he received his bank summary of charges made while in Costa Rica, he had in fact been charged with $4,050USD, or $5,285 Canadian, the price of a night at the Peninsula Hong Kong Suite! A night in the Peninsula includes use of the helipad and a suite for one’s security staff. This hotel was made famous in the James Bond film, “The Man with the Golden Gun”. It is a far cry from ice cream for three in Tamarindo. Dr. Kindrat immediately contacted his bank, and was told his case was “under investigation”. He had allegedly authorized the transaction by using his PIN number. The sale was considered totally legal, even though Dr. Kindrat authorized the purchase in colones, not dollars.

Kindrat worries that he may never get a refund, as it has already been 30 days since his return to Canada.

Other travelers to Costa Rica have reported similar Lost in Translation situations, but none quite as severe as that of Dr. Kindrat. None of the warnings on the American or Canadian Embassy websites even mention this threat. But in fact, this scam has happened several times, not just in Costa Rica, but in other countries as well. The Embassy websites do encourage tourists to travel with small sums of cash, and use that instead of credit cards while traveling. That plan seems totally preferable now that tourists see what can go wrong, even in the nicest areas and resorts.

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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