Still Under House Arrest

ISSUE #824: August 9-15, 2020

2020-08-16

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. / #126 $650 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 #126: $650 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 #126
FOR RENT
$650 mo.
Available immediately

Total Area (Sq Ft): 530
Total area (Sq M): 50
Bedrooms: 1
Bathrooms: 1
Floor(s): 1st Floor
Type: Detached
Furnished: Yes

A small one bedroom with outside covered terrace with top of the line finishes (granite, stainless steel appliances, fine crafted wood cabinetry, +, +, +), with lots of well thought out storage...

Our Lives

What Happened This Week

Weather: It appears the rains have returned to normal... Now we can stop the irrigations systems...

Stories

1. Still Under "House Arrest": The plan continues with some last minute, inonsequencial changes. Driving is limited re destinations and only to days per week--the days are dependent on the license plate number.

2. Noisy Pump Motors: As the larger items get dealt with, the smaller ones move up the priority list. So it was with two, old pool pumps which had become increasingly noisy. First I bought one, it was whisper quiet; I bought a second one and put each on it's dedicated timer. This had been an issue for two years... we had played at fixing the issue but never really dealt with it as is should have been.

3. Tenant Moves: One tenant had given notice months ago that he was being transferred to Buffalo... he got caught in the travel restrictions so has done his work via ZOOM or some similar computer application. His company finally got him out of here and into CR -5 days notice... so he has now left... Unit 126 is now Vacant.

This is the one that burns my ASS: An owner and a tenant made a private deal. I had maintained, marketed, repaired, and helped out the owner for 6 months, often being out of pocket and had not charged him a dime... His asking price and his tenant conditions were always out of line with the market. I continually urged him to adjust the price... he was always out of wack... the tenant next door is needy... many times I have gone beyond and in the most recent effort, I arranged for his unused parking space to e rented with him benefitting -both of these people have benefited from my services and neither has had to pay... The owner cut his asking price by $100 (my management charge) and the tenant is jumping to his unit. I do not like owners "stealing" tenants from other owners... neither of these people appreciated the service they received... now they are beginning to realize the operational difficulties they face... the owner has pleaded with me... the tenant is beginnig to understand but really, he has not a clue... they are both dead to me... I have dropped clients for years when their values and mine differed... this is the most recent case. In 1993 I made a promise to myself to only work with those people I respect and like. For the most part, I have been able to keep that promise.

4. Rancho Re-structuring: Another one of those projects which rose up the priority list... The teak columns on one of the large pool ranchos had rotted to the point that the structure was beginning to tilt... We are fixing that... This project will be finished at the end of next week.

Comment: I really think these two projects are the last of the deferred mtnc issues which have accumulated over the past years. There remains only the security camera system which has never worked correctly. I have not yet made any progress on this... promises of help but nothing more... but this will not detract from the building re-hab work. Compleltion of that is not likely by December... the hoped for end date... but may move into March.

5. Scotiabank Information Demand: It now seems they want all financial statements up to June... (the initial demand was for fiscal year end and tax filing)... it iseems they changed the bar (not unusual) this is ridiculous... I have reached my end and will be moving. to BAC where I have set up parallel accounts in anticipation of this.

Comment: Over a rum and tonic, I reviewed the chronic projects / problems I have solved over the past 18 mo... (I added three to last week's list)

  1. Found a new, competent accountant;
  2. resolved the slippery walkway tiles;
  3. painted the faux rock, retiled the apron around the main pool and fixed numerious associated issues;
  4. fixed the internet such that it is reliable and fast;
  5. installed an irrigation system which left the garden in the best condition at the end of the dry season;
  6. hired and trained a new gardener and sorted out responsibilities;
  7. advanced the building rehab project and focus attention on what needed to be done;
  8. found, trained and then lost a replacement for me -darn;
  9. returned the garden to almost what it should be;
  10. pool pump replacement and timer modifications;
  11. rain water diversion;
  12. rancho restructuring,
  13. and now, there is one more (final) project -fixing the security camera system such that it works.

This latter (#13) is not my favorite project because I do not believe it will ever solve anything but others think it important... regardless, I am working on it now... It will be fixed and then... NO MORE chronic issues...

News Items of the Week

Comments:

1. Tourists: A few European flights have started to arrive. I cannot believe the volumn will amount to anythig given the additional cost and hassel... AND the country or origin of by far the largest number of visitors... the USA -is sadly, but understandably missing.

2. Police: Yep, they too have suspended normal operations in Escazu.

1. Costa Rica expands list of authorized countries from which it welcomes tourists

Costa Rica has expanded the list of countries from which it allows international visitors, authorities announced Thursday.

The expanded list includes 44 countries and continues to exclude the United States. (Latvia, however, is named twice.) The new list is as follows:
  • 1. Australia
  • 2. Canada
  • 3. Swiss Confederation
  • 4. Vatican State
  • 5. Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
  • 6. Ireland
  • 7. Japan
  • 8. New Zealand
  • 9. Principality of Liechtenstein
  • 10. Principality of Monaco
  • 11. Kingdom Belgium
  • 12. Kingdom of Denmark
  • 13. Kingdom of Spain
  • 14. Kingdom of the Netherlands
  • 15. Kingdom of Norway
  • 16. Kingdom of Sweden
  • 17. Kingdom of Thailand
  • 18. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • 19. Czech Republic
  • 20. Cypriot Republic
  • 21. Republic of Austria
  • 22. Republic of Bulgaria
  • 23. Republic of Korea
  • 24. Republic of Croatia
  • 25. Republic of Slovenia
  • 26. Republic of Estonia
  • 27. Republic of Finland
  • 28. Republic of Hungary
  • 29. Republic of Iceland
  • 30. Republic of Latvia
  • 31. Republic of Latvia
  • 32. Republic of Lithuania
  • 33. Republic of Malta
  • 34. Republic of Poland
  • 35. Republic of San Marino
  • 36. Republic of Singapore
  • 37. Slovak Republic
  • 38. Federal Republic of Germany
  • 39. French Republic
  • 40. Hellenic Republic (Greece)
  • 41. Italian Republic
  • 42. Republic of Uruguay
  • 43. People’s Republic of China
  • 44. Portuguese Republic
  • 45. Romania

The new countries on the authorized list are: Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, Korea, Japan, Singapore, China and Thailand. This list will be reevaluated every two weeks.

Tourists must have remained in one of these authorized countries for at least 14 days before a flight — commercial or charter — to Costa Rica. The land and sea borders remain closed.

2. U.S. Embassy alert for Escazú

The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica on Wednesday issued the following alert for Escazú, a city southwest of San José that is popular among U.S. immigrants. The alert reads as follows:

Embassy contacts have confirmed the Policia Municipalidad Escazu (Escazu Municipal Police or PME, which is the largest police force in Escazu) has temporarily suspended public services after staff tested positive for COVID-19. PME officials have reported that all PME staff are observing mandatory health and sanitary measures in the wake of these tests results. PME currently plans to resume providing public services on August 19, 2020. During this period, PME will not be staffing police stations, conducting public patrols, or answering calls placed to local stations.

Residents of Escazu needing emergency police assistance are advised to call 911. The Ministry of Security and Fuerza Publica will be responding to emergency situations in Escazu during this time.

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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