A Little Freedom

ISSUE #820: July12-18, 2020

2020-07-19

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: #106C $900 mo. / #121 $1,300 mo. / #125 $825 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 #121: $1,300 mo. / Available immediately / See Unit
Unit #125: $875 $825 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 #121
FOR RENT
$1,300 mo.
Available immediately

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1432
Total area (Sq M): 131
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2.5
Floor(s): 2 Story
Type: Detached
Furnished: Yes

This is a detached, two story, two bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom house. It is nicely furnished as the prictues indicate. Ground floor consists of den/TV room, dining room, living room, kitchen, and 1/2 bathroom. Second floor: master bedroom with full bathroom including a jacuzzi, 2nd bedroom with ensuite bathroom, terrace.

UNIT #125
FOR RENT
$ 875 $825 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: This week seems to have brought the "mini-summer" -a normal period varrying in time and duration but the characteristic is that virtually no rain falls for several weeks (+/-). We will have to irrigate during this time.

Stories

1. Pool Work: We continue to finish off minor things...

2. Slippery walkway tile: The order seems hung up because of a discrptency of 25 roles vs. 19 roles so the info does match the shipment... wow!!!

3. Foreclosure: The additional paperwork was filed. We wait... now since Jan. 21.

4. Lock Down: Rules are returning to what they were. Only two days a week that cars cannot drive based on license plate... one during the week and either Sat. or Sunday... yes, masks are required in all public indoor spaces. Many businesses are being allowed to open fully or partially.

5. A New Deal: The closing of this deal was delayed because the banks were closed. It is scheduled to close this week. We'll see. Still working on the contract.

6. Scotiabank: A follow up, double check determined that the bank had not received the info. from the lawyer and yes, there was one more request (always the case) ...I got that corrected... where was the breakdown????? no idea... but hopefully, it is rectified now. Hopefully, I have the balance of into requested...

7. Carib Harrassment: My friend is seeing light at the end of the tunnel. We both find it amazing that 4 topographers (surveyors) come up with different points of reference. Each saying they are the "final" authority... Incredible... now, he is going to turn the tables... I await the fun...

8. Los Jardines: We had only one minor issue re. infrastructure... In addition, we were able to order in materials we needed to keep us going. We are, however, running low on some items... and need businesses to open.

Not being able to dive anywhere made for a VERY quite week... no planes, few cars, little mortor cycle noise, no outings other than what I could walk to... saved a lot of money, hammock life shortned, no socializing, great time for quiet...

News Items of the Week

Comments:

Virtually all the articles are about Covid... and the management thereof. The government is broke and wondering how to pay for it's obligations. It has started to mention the real nitty gritty issues that are going to have to be addressed... the largest being excessive pensions... and extra wages and benefits... this is where the real money suckers are... yes, travel, meal subsidies (for people now relegated to their homes and still being paid these), promotions (no salary increases so there are promotions), these are all the way the bureaucrates fake compliance... and the organization as a whole never reaches it's goal...

Covid-19 delays 2020 coffee harvest as prices weaken

A severe labour shortage due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions in South America is hampering the 2020 coffee bean harvest in the region, with coffee prices already under pressure due to weak demand.

The shortage of migrant workers to harvest coffee beans in South America due to travel restrictions aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic, could result in countries such as Costa Rica, not being able to complete their harvests.

Local farmers have warned that if the COVID-19-induced foreign labour shortage was not resolved soon, coffee beans could go unharvested, Reuters reported.

Workers from Panama and Nicaragua, who typically accounted for about two-thirds of Costa Rica’s coffee harvesting workforce, were facing serious challenges entering the country.

According to Reuters, coffee prices rallied in March before declining nearly 10% in April.

Adding to farmers’ woes, lockdown restrictions in countries around the world introduced to stem the spread of the pandemic had weakened global coffee demand, driving prices down.

Specialty coffee trader, Caravela Coffee, said in a statement that it recently conducted a telephonic survey with hundreds of associated growers in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.

Most of them said they expected difficulties in hiring workers, adding that they could see losses of up to 10% in the production of export-quality arabica coffee beans.

In Brazil and Colombia, local governments had exempted some migrant workers from restrictions on movement in order to avoid damaging food production, including coffee, or port operations.

In a statement, Colombia’s coffee federation said that temporary workers were still needed for much of the harvest there. Moving and housing some 150 000 workers in sanitary conditions would be difficult for growers, as would ensuring that beans were being processed and shipped on time, according to the statement.

In April, coffee exports from Colombia was 32% down on the corresponding period the previous year, due to COVID-19 trade restrictions.

In addition, figures released by Brazilian agribusiness consultancy, SAFRAS, indicated that by 7 July, harvesting for the 2020/2021 season in Brazil had reached 56% of total production, estimated at 68,1 million 60kg bags.

This was well below the volumes harvested by the same time last year, when it reached 68% of production, and slightly below the five-year average of 58% for the period.

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

 
Previous reports

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Contáctenos