INVU Update, Sales, Granada!!

ISSUE #291: Feb. 22-28, 2010

2010-02-28

INVU Update, Sales, Granada!!

» NOTES

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.

In an effort to make the format more interesting and visually appealing and to field inquiries re. El Dorado, the news letter is now being distributed by Jan Kozak, Marketing Manager, Hacienda El Dorado. I will remain the author.


Brian C. Timmons, Author
Residencias Los Jardines/Hacienda El Dorado - Developer
E-mail:
brian@eldoradocostarica.com

YOU CAN ALSO VIEW THE COMPLETE VERSION ONLINE AT:

https://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/Newsletter/index.php

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

INVU:  We were rejected at AyA because we lacked two drawings which are available from government registries.  This can be dealt with in a matter of a day.  We were told, that when these two drawings are submitted, we will be approved rapidly. 

Well News:  We have received word that our application to use the well which we were allowed to drill, will be approved "provisionally" this next week.  Why "provisionally"?  This one is simple:  Because we have not registered a condominium and the use of the well becomes the legal ownership right of the condominium, we cannot be granted the use of the well unconditionally.  This we understand.  The next stage in our program is to begin working on the condomium documentation itself.  When this has been done and the documents approved, we then return to AyA and show them the documents and they are supp

Marketing:  Our client is still working with the architect to modify one of our floor plans to their needs.

Website:  I haven't started making the changes.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Sales Activity: We sold Unit 111 this week.  The sale of 109 is progressing.  We still have Unit 106A at $155,000 for sale.

Rental Vacancies:  We have a number of vacancies coming up:  

      Unit 106C March 22  $1.150 (LEASE PENDING)
      Unit 109:  April 1 (7 mo. lease),  $1,650
      Unit 115   March 15   $1,650
      Unit 121   March 23   $1,850

Units for Sale/Lease:

Residencia Los Jardines Site Plan

Unit #109 --For Rent $1,650 - FURNISHED - Available April 1, 2010 (7 month lease only)

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. It may also be used for storage.









Read More




Unit #106A -- For Sale $155,000 - FURNISHED (Leased at $1,000 pr month until January 2011)

Total Area (Sq Ft):1250
Total area (Sq M):120
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2.5
Floor(s):Ground Floor
Type:Apartment
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 106 A 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.











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Unit #106C -- For Rent $1,150 - FURNISHED (Available March 22, 2010 - LEASE PENDING)

Total Area (Sq Ft):1250
Total area (Sq M):120
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2.5
Floor(s):Second Floor
Type:Apartment
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 106 A 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.









Read More

Unit #115 - Available for Rent $1,650 (March 15, 2010)

Total Area (Sq Ft):1345
Total area (Sq M):124
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2
Floor(s):1 Story
Type:Attached
Furnished:Yes
 
This 1,345 sf single floor home includes a 200 sf private terrace plus parking for one car. It is attached on two sides by a 6” solid concrete block wall which prevents sound transfer. This is an extremely well decorated home with lots of natural wood built ins.







Read More

Unit 121 - For Rent $1,850 (Available March 23, 2010)

Total Area (Sq Ft):1423
Total area (Sq M):131
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.







Read More
 

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

February 27, 2010
Tsunami Watch In Costa Rica After Chile Quake
The US government on Saturday extended a tsunami watch to Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Antarctica following the earthquake that hit an area in the Pacific Ocean near the coast of Chile.
Read

February 27, 2010
Ley De Tránsito Will Go In Effect On Monday As Was Approved In December 2008
The new Ley de Tránsito goes into effect on Monday, as it was written and approved by legislators back in December 2008. Although the introduction of the full legislation was pushed back to September 23, 2009 and then March 1, 2010, to allow for discussion on amendments, legislators could come to full agreement what those amendments should be.
Read

February 27, 2010
Referendum To Decide Same-Sex-Marriage In Costa Rica
Ten Costa Ricans have turned in more than 130,000 signatures of registered voters requesting a popular referendum on a bill introduced in the Legislative Assembly to legalize same-sex marriage.
Read

February 27, 2010
From The Strange And Uh? Department, ICE Guarantees 90% 3G Cellular Coverage On The New San José - Caldera Highway
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) says it guarantees 3G cellular service for at least 90% of the entire San José - Caldera highway, upgrading its coverage of the area following complaints by a number of users.
Read

February 27, 2010
Costa Rica's left-right void
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — The streets were filled with colors: bold stripes of red and yellow, green and white, red and blue, or just plain red, each representing one of the plethora of Costa Rica's political parties.
Read

February 25, 2010
President-Elect Chinchilla Says Her Cabinet Will Have Her Own Personal Stamp On It
President-elect, Laura Chinchilla, says she has begun the task of selecting her cabinet members, a task she says she is taking seriously, though nothing like losing sleep over it.
Read

February 24, 2010
New Immigration Law Goes Into Effect March 1
March 1 is an important date for foreigners living and working in Costa Rica, as the new Ley de Migración y Extranjería takes effect.
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather:  Several warm and wonderful days with mostly sunny skies; several days of cool, overcast weather with one day of light, ground soaking rain.

Residency:  The lawyer attended at Immigration where he was told that due to a substantial backlog, they did not expect to assign our cases to someone for about three weeks.  We wait.  Meanwhile, the government has back away from it's intended implementation of new rules which were to begin March 1, until some time in December. They really have a difficult time managing here.
 
Granada:  We saw more poverty this time than in previous years.  More young children wanting to shine shoes, sell gum, anything including panhandlers. I was engaged by a middle aged man in the Alhambra Hotel.  He claims to be a civil engineer, to have worked for some government  department but was dismissed because he was not a Sandanista.  To me, he said he was apolitical.  We saw few North Americans; most of the tourists were European.

Property Management:  I have been beaten up (and Lourdes), pillared, bad mouthed and intimidated more in the past two weeks than at anytime I can remember.  Tenants who don't want to abide by contract language; who give 1 week notice instead of 30 days and terminate their lease in month 5 of a 12 mo. lease that the owner has paid a commission on for 12 mo; by tenants who would rather stiff the owner for the security deposit by not paying the last month's rent; and skipping and then get up set when I change the lock;   by tenants who cause damage to common property and then claim they didn't and bring a goon squad with them and threaten you with all types of terribles, etc.  An then there is always the critics corner who gather callouses on their bums while pointing out their version of inadequacies.  The person with the empty glass is always the most avid and boisterous.  And then I hear reports like:  why don't you send out a financial statement.....wait a minute.  I send it monthly to  the designated Doneste officer and annually to all Doneste shareholders as part of the documentation for the annual shareholder's meeting.  Or....owners who think that the property manager is "double dipping" at their expense.....wait a minute you should check the facts  and  when you actually learn that what you thought was the case is NOT the case, then what??????  Don't admit you are wrong, just lash out stronger!!!!!   ...... and none of these people know or care that I spent 12 hrs on Saturday looking after their interests and ......... and who of these care??????  at least the dinner Lita and I had was great even if it was  1 1/2 hr late  only to be interrupted by the purposeful loud bang  of the pedestrian door by a disgruntled  owner. 
The lyrics of the song " take this job and shove it....." come  to mind but this is more than a job for me, it is my dream an my passion  for not only myself but for all 21 owners  What can I say....  tomorrow is another day, the sun will rise and life will gone on.......and then, you have a conversation with "normal" people and it restores your faith and gives you a positive attitude to begin tomorrow.  There are very few people who willingly go into this role; I know more who are happy refugees from it.... my suggestion to parents is to advise your children otherwise.....  

Brian, Lita, Hugo, irreverent Vicka, the pigeon toed parrot, and the newbies — Chico and Chica.

Brian C. Timmons, Newsletter Author
Residencias Los Jardines/Hacienda El Dorado - Developer
Cell: (506) 8305-3965

E-mail: brian@eldoradocostarica.com


For inquiries about availability of residences at Hacienda El Dorado or Residencias Los Jardines, contact:

Jan Kozak, Marketing Manager
Hacienda El Dorado
Rio Oro, Santa Ana
Costa Rica

Web: www.eldoradocostarica.com
E-mail: info@eldoradocostarica.com
MSN: jan.kozak.jr@hotmail.com
Skype: jan.kozak.jr

Tel (US) (+1) 647-477-5825
Cell: (+506) 8345-8018

Tel (US) (+1) 647-477-5825
Cell: (+506) 8345-8018


 
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