My Birthday Present -Has Legs!...

ISSUE #746: Jan. 27 - Feb. 2, 2019

2019-02-05

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

FOR RENT
Unit 12-2 available immediately - $ 1,400 mo.

Market activity
sales & rentals

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

Rentals:

Paradisus: Unit 12-2 available immediately - $ 1,400 mo.

Los Jardines: Units #112 and #116

Residencias Los Jardines
property management, rentals & re-sales

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

FOR RENT
Unit #112: $ 1,150 mo. / Available immediately / See Unit
Unit #116: $ 1,250 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

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 #112
FOR RENT
$ 1,150 mo.
Available immediately

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

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.

UNIT #116
FOR RENT
$ 1,250 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

Weather: Winds are increasing as per normal... continued dry without hint of rain... mostly sunny skies ...mostly 23C / 77F and cool (for us) nights.

What Happened This Week:

Condo Administration: The package is mostly done / just needs some fine tuning before being sent to shareholders. I expect a lively debate because money is involved. Some will understand; some won't. We'll see.

My Birthday Present -Has Legs!: Life returned to normal until Saturday morning when we had a repeat. I had never felt we had gotten to the root of the problem. So this time, about the only explanation left was the one which I had been suggesting... yes we opened up a "bio-digester tank" which had not been pumped for years... it was virtually full of solids. This is an example of the legacy issues we keep experiencing. I do not know the extent to which we can remove all the solids... we may have lost some capacity by not doing proper maintenance on this but cleaning as best we can should allow the system to function normally.

Portugal / Spain: Some plans and dates are getting established... our planning sessions are not very rigorous as the wine flows... but we are making progress... Others going are less advanced and not catching up yet.

Investment Reviews: Reviewed a loan opportunity. Again I was amazed at the financial illiteracy in the country. A very nice couple, in a very well maintained house (spotless, well organized), wife, two daughters (each teachers), single, with small children), wanted $115,000 to pay off their current mortgage. We spent 6 hours with them trying to sort out their history: it boiled down to -- they had $70K loan at 19% for two years, paid it off incurring a $15K penalty and legals ($5K), took out a $98K loan 4 months ago at $18%, and now want a $115K at 12%. We assessed their ability to pay -the story was not straightforward and they lied to us but we did get to the bottom of it and it was better than we had feared... regardless... we passed because they went from $70K to $115K in 4 months spending about $35K in fees and penalties. Wow!!!! (One of the articles I ran across this week is a recognition by government of the need for financial education in the country. While at PriceSmart, the couple in front of me went through 3 CC -all of which were denied- asked his wife for her's, she did not have room, so the result was a combination of cash and CC.

Vacancies: Rented 124... and am negotiating on 116... (there is a story behind this but I do not think I will write it -regardless of the result. I expect this to be settled next week.

New Year's Resolution: To stay out of trouble... short and sweet... difficult to do in CR... We'll see... and to remember a younger friend's observation: it is easier to stay away from trouble than to get out of it...

News Items of the Week

COMMENTS

1. Financial Illiteracy: I see it all the time... now someone in the government says they want to do something about it. Good Luck!!

2. Temperature: Included for my Northern readers!! ha, ha, ha!!

3. Paying the Dead... once on the gravy train, always on it... even in death... Wow!!

1. Costa Rican debts increased 101% in five years

Costa Ricans live in debt. Figures provided by the government on Wednesday show that, in the last five years, the financial obligations of the Costa Ricans have increased by 101%, reaching approximately â‚¡1.2 billion.

As a result, this Wednesday the Executive Power announced a plan to mitigate the situation that distresses thousands of Costa Rican families through a national strategy of financial education.

The plan, which will be developed jointly with the private sector, is led by the office of Vice President Epsy Campbell, as part of her duties after being forced to leave the Foreign Ministry. The plan was declared as public interest by President Carlos Alvarado.

It proposes to train on the importance of saving, the management of personal finances and the family budget. Also, educate about the correct use of financial tools such as credit cards, loans and purchases in commercial houses, among others.

The first actions will be aimed at the most indebted populations: women, young people, public officials and micro and small entrepreneurs.

In the last five years, the circulation of credit cards increased by 75%, for a total of 2.6 million plastic cards, according to figures from the Ministry of Economy.

2. Temperatures in the Central Valley of Costa Rica Could Reach 86 Degrees Fahrenheit This Week

The Costa Rican Meteorological Institute (IMN) expects high temperatures in the Central Valley and Guanacaste.

The weather conditions for this Monday, January 28 and the rest of the week will be similar to those experienced Sunday, with temperatures that could reach 86°F in different areas of the Central Valley.

As the week progresses the wind will be stronger in particular during the evening hours, however, the conditions still will remain warm.

The highest temperature this Sunday, January 27 were registered in the North Pacific of the country where the temperature reached between 95°F and 98°F during certain hours of the day; while in the Central Valley the highest temperature registered was of 89.6°F.

The conditions are normal for the month of the year we are in, the highest temperatures are usually reached in the months of March and April.

Take necessary precautions to avoid sunburn or dehydration; it only takes 20 minutes of sun exposure for the skin to suffer damages and even burns. Avoid exposure to the sun during peak hours, but if you are going to be exposed make sure to apply sun block every couple of hours and protect your eyes with adequate sun glasses, hydration is also important.

3. 876 Deceased People Paid Pensions

Although the State is responsible for recording the deaths and ages of people, the same State was not aware of these data when it comes to paying luxury pensions.

For that reason, even if it seems illogical, the government paid thousands of millions more colones to deceased retirees or young heirs who had already exceeded the age limit to receive their parents' pensions.

In five years, from 2014 to 2018, the Executive paid ¢ 3.140 million more because it did not have a system that allowed it to know, in real time, which pensioners died and which heirs reached the maximum age to receive a transfer pension.

The data from 2014 to 2017 are taken from the General Comptroller's Office of the Republic, while the information from 2018 was provided by the National Pensions Directorate (DNP) of the Ministry of Labor, administrator of the regimes charged to the National Budget.

Only the previous year, this last instance canceled ¢ 610 million to 876 dead people and other people.

To that amount of money is added an accumulated amount of ¢ 2,530 million in "sums paid for more" by the DNP until 2017 according to a report from the Comptroller's Office in that year's report.

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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