Another Week, More Adventures

ISSUE #812: May 17-23, 2020

2020-05-24

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
12-2 at Paradisus $1,400 mo.
this one has white living room furniture

Market activity
sales & rentals

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

Rentals:

Paradisus: 12-2 at Paradisus $1,400 mo. (white living room furniture)

Los Jardines:
Available immediately: Units #106C $900 mo./ #112 $1,150 mo./ #125 $875 mo.

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 $ 115,000 / See Unit

FOR RENT
Unit #106C: $900 mo. / Available immediately / See Unit
Unit #112: $1,150 mo. / Available immediately / See Unit
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
$125,000 $ 115,000

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
$ 900 mo.
Available immediately

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1250
Total area (Sq M): 120
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1 Floor
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 #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 Story
Type: 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 two sides by a 6 inch cement demising (common) wall, which prevents sound transfer.

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: Enough rain to keep all happy... garden is looking great.

Stories

We had a production glitch last week... don't know what happened but eventually you got to see a pineapple packing plant and the Rio Celeste...

Hospital Metropolitano: this is a private, for profit hospital used by many who do not want the state CAJA system or the more expensive CIMA or Biblica options. They also have a “wellness” program which, if you are a member for a modest fee, you get discounts —20-30% usually on misc. procedures... I had hernia surgery there several years ago and was impressed. About 18 mo. ago, they opened a branch at the end of our street...about 200 meters. Over that time period, I have had occasion to use their services. During these couple visits, I met the ER doc and have followed on with him... he has an office in the building. I needed some medication... I texted him Tues. night, he wrote the prescription and sent it to me 15 min. later. I also wanted an appointment —he gave me the option of Thursday or Monday... I took Thursday, 11 am. He was right on time. I explained that I felt I had been loosing weight too fast, without trying, and for no apparent reason.... I felt 100% but...but wanted to investigate to find out if there was something we weren’t looking at... he looked at a battery of blood/stool/urine tests I had had done recently and confirmed there was nothing there to indicate issues. He ordered three more blood tests, a chest Xray and an abdominal ultrasound... From the appointment on Thursday, I went directly to Xray, had that done within 15 min. and got the results next morning. Ultrasound is scheduled for Monday morning. If all come back normal, then he will tell me to eat more... o.k. The purpose of this short / complete history, is the efficiency -secondly, the appointment cost C45,000 or $80 and the Xray/blood samples/ultrasound—C85,000 ($152).

A Wrong Turn: Lita and I checked out a loan opportunity on Monday. We drove to Cartago, met the broker and the would be borrower... followed them to the middle of nowhere in the upper Orossi Valley and then were told to park the car and get into this monster truck —Ford F350 with running boards, mega lights, flame decals... you get the picture. Lita needed a ladder to get to the running board... From nowhere, we then went further... saw the house, nice, but definitely not security I wanted. But in talking with the guy, something might result which would be more interesting... o.k. –that is only part of the story... we returned to the car, and they agreed to return a different way to see a hot springs hotel which I didn’t know about. Right away, there was a bridge and of course a stream... He truck would not go over the bridge and my car would not ford the stream... We split up ...to meet on the other side... well, I didn’t understand the meeting place, and continued on the road... which got smaller, narrower, and then even narrower... I stopped when I could no longer go ahead... No cell phone service... As I was returning, the monster truck appeared... they had been following us, honking, etc... we had not heard them... Volvo’s are well insulated I guess... had to back out slippery, slimy jungle road fit only for a tough old cow... How stupid can city slickers be... well, I proved it... awful stupid. We did find the road the turn to which we had missed just over the bridge... all is well, that ends well...

Opening Up: On Saturday morning, we went walking as usual. What I noticed most was the number of people jogging, walking, cycling. Aspects of life is returning to normal. We went to a restaurant one afternoon because I didn’t want to cook... a few people there... lots of space ...but we still have friends who wish not to associate with us because we do not remain in house... o.k. that is their comfort level.

Confiscated license plates: Two weeks ago, a friend forgot that his car could not drive on Saturday. He got stopped by the traffic police and his plates confiscated. In addition to a big fine ($$$ ??) I don’t know for sure, he will not get his plates returned until July 3. Incredible.

Shareholder Agreement Revisions: The translation is done and is out for proofing. I should be in a position to send this out and declare an end to this project on Monday. Wow...

Aging: Last night I received a call from the electrician / friend who designed and installed the trunk line electrical system at Los Jardines. He and his partner went on to buy multiple units and eventually sold them. Both have visited here many times since. However, that is not the story. The story is about a mutual friend, a lawyer we both used and relied upon in Toronto and the guy who was designated to probate my will / estate. Recently I had begun to wonder who would die first... Last night, I got the answer. I will have to look for someone else.

MISC. The proverbial continues to happen: Friday night, 8:30. A call... the daughter of an owner who was occupying the unit reported a flash flame from the gas boiler / hot water heater. We investigate. WE cannot determine the cause, the analysis doesn't add up, we shut off the gas and commit to problem solving it in the morning... Saturday morning, 9am. we are returning from our walk, gate will not open, power is off and the staff have not opened the gate... later, various power blips / outages... 11 am / there is no water... what has happened... this time the breaker just jot tired and said, I quite... re-set it, and will replace Monday... and as of writing, it is only 3 pm... so who know what is yet to happen.

News Items of the Week

Comments:

1. Columbus / Culture out / abolition of army in: o.k but let's be clear... Christopher Columbus has become unpopular here as in many other parts of the Americas as his real nature has been exposed. Culture day didn't fly very well because, well, because there isn't anything to really sink your teeth into... Abolition of the army... yes, but the real reason for the abolition was a lot more complex that wanting to use the money for education and healthcare. The real reasons involved, which way were the guns going to point and would anyone ever show up if needed...

2. Roche... great... but lots of government propaganda in that message.

December 1 Now a Holiday in Costa Rica

1. President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, signed the Law that now declares December 1st as a National Holiday in commemoration of the Abolition of the Army in the country.

This modifies Article 148 of the Labor Code, making December 1st an unpaid legal holiday, replacing October 12th (Columbus Day or Cultures’ Day).

October 12 would only remain as an unpaid holiday for the central county of Limon, “since this county has a tradition of celebrating this day in a special way”. Alvarado, considers that this new holiday sends a message of peace and dialogue for conflict resolution to the rest of the nations.

It was back on December 1, 1948 when Jose Figueres Ferrer, then president of the “Founding Governing Board of the Second Republic” made the announcement in front of a group of leaders gathered in the Bellavista Quarters; however, it was the Defense Minister Edgar Cardona who proposed the idea of spending more in education and health instead of weapons and an army, according to former Interior minister Alvaro Ramos.

On October 31, 1949, the National Constituent Assembly incorporated the abolition of the army into Article 12 of the Political Constitution.

By a decree of December 24, 1986, December 1st was declared “Day of the Abolition of the Army”.

Roche Will Double its Operations in Costa Rica

The Swiss-based Pharmaceutical company Roche –a leader in personalized healthcare and the world’s largest biotech company– announced today that it will double the size of its Roche Services & Solutions operations for the Americas, located in San José, Costa Rica. The company will hire 370 new employees throughout 2020 and will have over 700 employees by the end of this year.

Roche established its first operation in Costa Rica more than 45 years ago. In 2017, the company launched its Services & Solutions Operation (Roche Services & Solutions) for the Americas in Escazú Village, providing Information Technology (IT) services and, a year later, expanded its portfolio to the areas of Procurement and Finance. Today, the company reaffirms its confidence and commitment with the country by adding Human Resources services to its portfolio, a project that will grow and consolidate over the next three years.

The People Support Solutions (PSS) area will be added to the current operation to provide Human Resources solutions to Roche employees in the Americas.

The President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, highlighted that this great investment will have a significant impact on the country’s economy. “We are highly pleased with the increase of Roche’s operations in the country, as this means more job sources and activation of the economy. It is also an acknowledgment of the Costa Rican capabilities and human talent”, the president said.

“With the sustained growth in Finance, Procurement and Informatics, and the addition of Human Resources to our service catalog, we foresee ending the year with more than 700 collaborators. The new positions will help us continue providing world-class support for customers throughout the Americas in a variety of languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. We have found exceptional talent in Costa Rica and these new positions will strengthen our ability to continue fulfilling our commitment to the organization”, said Héctor Feliú, General Manager of Roche Services & Solutions for the Americas.

Roche offers an attractive benefits package that includes life and medical insurance plans, a scholarship program, extended maternity and paternity leaves, and a dental benefit, among others. The company also provides a flexible benefits package and a “Asociación Solidarista".

For this expansion, talent acquisition will continue throughout 2020. Open positions are available in all areas that currently provide support at Roche Services & Solutions in San José: Finance, Procurement, IT, and Human Resources.

Some of the current positions that require bilingual and trilingual staff (Spanish, English, Portuguese, and/or French) are:

French T&E Compliance Analyst, SAP FICO Business Support Analyst, Accounts Payable Analyst (Portuguese), Trilingual ASK HR Team Lead, Trilingual Ask HR Specialist LATAM, Network Specialist, Data Management Senior, and Secure Access (IAM & Security) Expert.

Those who wish to apply can do so directly at https://www.roche.com/careers
Roche invites all interested applicants to visit the site often, as new job opportunities will be added throughout the year (search for opportunities in Costa Rica).

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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