ISSUE #317: August 23-28, 2010 | 0000-00-00

RENTAL VACANCIES

RENTAL VACANCIES

» 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:

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

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

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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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.









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Unit 121 - For Rent $1,650 (Available September 1, 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.

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Unit #113 -- For Rent $1,450- FURNISHED (Available September 1, 2010)

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

 

This 1,290 sf single floor home includes a 300 sf front terrace plus parking forone car. It is attached on two sides by a 6 inch cement demising (common) wall, which prevents sound transfer.

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» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

» OUR LIVES

ISSUE #159: Oct. 22-29, 2007 | 2007-10-29

Website Rollout Marketing Sales and Well Permit!

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 availabilty. 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.
 

Website

The website was not launched on Monday as predicted but on Wednesday. We wanted to fix a few little things before releasing it.  It is still not finished and we have subsequently noted a few errors. If you haven't seen it and are interested go to:

www.ElDoradoCostaRica.com

The site is not yet fully operational with the development and programming of several additional features and functions still pending.  Those are being worked on now and are expected to be up and running November 12.

Note: Throughout this process, Maria, our person in Argentina, tasked with the responsibility of putting  all this information together and making the links and clickers, etc, all work, has been nothing short of FANTASTIC.  She has worked late most nights for the past three weeks and into the early morning hours. She has remained cool, calm, and collected (at least from our end not sure what her husband (Gaston) received), She has translated all the English to Spanish, she has made all the little changes Jan and I asked. She continues to exceed my expectations and works beyond what I could reasonably expect. Our meeting 5 years ago was truly fortunate.

Marketing & Sales

Our printed materials were finished and delivered on Friday.

We now have a bout 15 units verbally reserved and contracts are beginning to be received and funds are being wire transferred. Many of these are through one realtor— Rudy Matthews of Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties with the assistance of Chris Howard's tours (the author of 15 editions of the #1 perennial BESTSELLER "New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica." ), who has been marketing El Dorado for the past 8 mo. and has put people on our newsletter. They have followed our progress and now that we are ready to show and tell, they are stepping up and making commitments.

Banking Arrangements

We meet with the bank as planned. We are awaiting their proposal. We outlined what we were looking for and introduced a concept that is not used here but is commonly used in North American. If we can come to agreement on it, it should be a major marketing  draw. 

Legal

Construction Application: My information is that all contributors will have their end of things ready for November 1.

Construction Log

Architect: The structural engineer and architect met,  compared and aligned their respective analysis.  Each is moving forward. I expect to meet with the architect on Tuesday to  advance, if not to finish, the floor plans for the Maya Tower. Once I had a chance to review all the floor plans, I realized we had a couple gaps in our current offerings and have asked the architect to develop two more floor plans—a three bedroom ground floor Cortez and to re-configure the current one bedroom ground floor

Balboa Split unit into either a two bedroom or a one bedroom w/ den.  In both cases, we have the space, we just have to use it differently.

Structural Engineer: He's now getting quotes and design specifications from a pre-cast structural beam company for the bridge.

Well Application: We have the permit in hand and will be finalizing the drilling contract.

Quebrada: We've  restarted the land filling and final grading.  Weather permitting, this should be completed this coming week.

Fence: We continue to work away at this.

Surveyor: After many delays due to weather, etc., this work is now done. We have a couple decisions to make but generally, all looks pretty good.

Residencias Los Jardines

For Sale: nothing available at the moment

For Lease: nothing available

Laundry Machines: The information I had last week was incorrect. Whirpool brand is still being sold and serviced here. What has changed is the level of service for commercial units which ours are. We have to physically take our machines across town to where they are repaired and then pick them up. All three of ours area now repaired and two have been returned to service.

Property Tax Reassessment: On Monday the City of Santa Ana property tax people arrived to do their 5 year property reassessment. They were driving a new City van. Santa Ana is beginning to reap benefits from all the new tax base.

Shareholders Meeting: This will be December 15. I'll be completing the documentation and readying the information necessary. What needs to be sent in advance will be. 

Our Lives

The weather has improved this past week.  We've actually seen some sunshine and rain has been relatively infrequent.  The ground is beginning to dry out.  The "winds of change" have been felt this past week.

This continued to be a busy and gratifying week. The website was launched with few errors and omissions and hasn't encountered any technical problems that we're aware of.  Sometimes you grind and grind away at something and are not able to see any progress.  If you're lucky, those components later come together.

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

ISSUE #160 Oct. 29 - Nov 3, 2007 | 2007-11-04

Sales, Sales, Sales!

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 availabilty. 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.

Website

We haven't made any changes to the website and the areas where we are awaiting the programming, we expect to have these sections operational by Nov. 12. 

Marketing & Sales

We now have all our printed material with the exception of one brochure in Spanish. Our billboard ads are in production and will begin being mounted in a week or so. Magazine ads will begin to appear in a week or so.

Over the past two weeks, we have taken 21 verbal reservations of which several have been formalized already -- reservation deposits were made and contracts signed. All verbal reservations that do not get formalized by November 15, 2007 will expire. We continue to show and field inquiries and are anticipating more when the ads come out. We have offered a $10,000 credit towards the purchase of appliance or builder's upgrades but have now withdrawn that offer and should those people who are registered with us as having reserved a unit not complete the $10,000 deposit by Nov. 15, that offer will also expire.

Note: We have been helped by one of our purchasers who is a very successful developer / marketer in Oregon. Jan and I have had numerous conversations and he has offered several suggestions, which we have adopted. His observations and insights have been very interesting, appreciated, and useful. 

Banking Arrangements

We received an initial response from Scotiabank. They are having difficulty dealing with something which is 18 mo. out.  We have suggested to them how this can be dealt with. They will have to get their heads a round it.  We will be working with them to what we expect will be a mutually acceptable solution.

Paul has been working on simplifying our method of payment. Up to now, we have paid our employees in cash which meant we have to go to the bank, withdraw the funds, count out to each employee the exact amount, make up paper work, put it in an envelop, deliver it to the job site, have role call, get a sign for receipt of funds.  Now that on-line banking is available we will establish a payroll account with Banco National., do an on-line inter-bank transfer, and the employees, who will each have a debit card from Banco National, will be able to debit their account and get their funds.  (This is suppose to be the way it works—we'll see.)  If it does, it is much simpler and much safer. 

Legal

Site Plan Construction Application: The last minute changes have delayed this but until then, it's my understanding that all parties were ready.

Construction Log

Architect: We have made some last minute changes to the site plan after having reviewed the surveyed lots.  The changes are minor. One of the more significant changes—for the better—is the repositioning of building 11B, which affects the parking and pool locations. We're still working on that. The new location provides a much more improved view and puts the parking in an area where the view is not as good.

I've received and approved two additional floor plans: A 3-bedroom option for the Cortez ground floor and a 2-bedroom option for the Triana and Balboa Split ground floor units.  (Previously, we only had one 1-bedroom floor plan option available.)

Structural Engineer: He and the architect have compared notes and when the architect finishes the changes to the site plan, he and I will work on finishing the Maya Tower floor plans.

He is getting quotes on the bridge and is also getting quotes on putting in the retaining wall along the river and behind lots 18-14 and other locations.

Well Application: We're finalizing the contract and arranging for a start date.

Quebrada: It's been too wet to advance much on this.

Fence: We continue to work away at this.

Surveyor: The surveyor has now finished what he can. We've not asked him to do lots 14-20 as there is still too much earth moving work to be done; stakes would all be destroyed.

Residencias Los Jardines

For Sale: Nothing available at the moment.

For Lease: Unit 109 is available Dec. 1, -- $1,600 mo.

One level, detached two bedroom, 2 bathroom with terrace.  Lots and lots of beautiful built-in wooden cabinetry—wall-to-wall floor to ceiling display and entertainment center, office with granite topped desk, dining room severing / storage cabinet,  etc.  The "U" shaped kitchen has granite counters.  The great room (living room/office/dining/kitchen has a vaulted ceiling with direct and indirect lighting. Fully furnished – leather and granite—two queen sized beds, TV, wall decorations, full kitchen ready for cooking and entertaining.

Property Tax Reassessment: We should hear the results around mid December.

Shareholders Meeting: This will be December 15.  I'll be completing the documentation and readying the information necessary.  What needs to be sent in advance will be.  

Our Lives

We continued to experience a fair amount of rain. Almost every day for several hours and sometimes again at night.

Friday night we planned dinner for 6.  It grew to 10 when Rudy (RE agent) had two hungry clients who wanted to eat and to sign a contract.  They were almost neighbors from Vancouver Island of people who were amongst the original three guests.  Rudy had car trouble before he got to us and one of his clients  (our purchaser) and dinner guest, had to push his car to a repair place in order to get back to dinner.  There is always the unexpected to expect in CR.

Lita has been busy distributing brochures to whomever and is hopeful of making a sale. It will be nice for her if it happens. She wants to be involved rather than on the sidelines. 

I continue to fall behind on a number of things as all my time is focused on marketing.

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

ISSUE #161 Nov. 5-11, 2007 | 2007-11-11

Contracts & Deposits

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 availabilty. 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.
 

Website

We found a couple little errors and have fixed them. The programming for the search engine and the optional upgrades is proceeding.  We're still hoping for a launch of these figures by Nov. 12.  I haven't seen it yet.

To see which units/houses have been sold or reserved and which units/houses are still available, click here. 

Marketing & Sales

Our first ad came out in a glossy real estate magazine -- Costa Rica Real Estate & Tourism Guide. The ad was printed incorrectly -- the site plan on the ad was all distorted and messed up. We are very disappointed they did not catch this error prior to printing as this edition is to be distributed to a market we wanted to reach.  While we will get compensation, it will not replace the missed opportunity.

Our signs on four billboards along the freeway between Santa Ana and San Jose will be put up this week.  We've reserved the space for a year in each case.

We now have 21 reservations and are working to get the deposits in and contracts signed. Our deadline is Nov. 15. We have a waiting list of interested buyers who will be given the opportunity to pay the reservation deposit after Nov. 15 should any of the verbal commitments fall through. According to the information we are receiving, this is highly unlikely to happen.

Banking Arrangements

We are still talking to Scotiabank but we have also opened up a conversation with Banco Nacional.  We have heard from several sources that they are actively searching for our type of business. While I do not have any comparative data, it seems to me that we are having difficulty getting through to Scotiabank. It appears to be a tougher grind than it should. They certainly do not seem to want to give up anything easily. I tried opening a conversation with HSBC but they aren't knocking down my door so I am not pushing it. We will see what happens with Banco Nacional. 

Paul has been working with changing the method of payroll payment. Right now, it involves a lot of paperwork but in the longer run, it should be more efficient and much safer.

Legal

Site Plan Construction Application: The last minute changes have delayed this but until then, it is my understanding that all parties were ready. We now have to set a new date for this.

Construction Log

Architect: We have redesigned the entrance way to allow more space for the building and associated parking for lot 1. This area now works well. We also repositioned buildings and parking on lot 11. We had one building overlooking a not-very-nice near view. The current location of the building and the associated parking lot, is a much better solution. He and I are meeting at 7 a.m. on Monday to begin work on refining the floor plans for the Mayan Tower.

Surveyor:  He has plotted the entrance and the locations of building 1 and 11A&B. I haven't reviewed it yet as I'm in Nicaragua now.

Residencias Los Jardines

For Sale: Nothing available at the moment.

For Lease: Unit 109 is available Dec. 1, -- $1,600 mo.

One level, detached two bedroom, 2 bathroom with terrace. Lots and lots of beautiful built-in  wood cabinetry—wall-to-wall floor to ceiling display and entertainment center, office with granite topped desk, dining room severing / storage cabinet,   etc.  The "U" shaped kitchen has granite counters.  The great room (living room / office/dining/kitchen has a vaulted ceiling with direct and indirect lighting. Fully furnished – leather and granite—two queen sized beds, TV, wall decorations, full kitchen ready for cooking and entertaining.

Property Tax Reassessment:   We should hear  the results around mid December.

Shareholders Meeting: This will be December 15, 2007. I'll be completing the documentation and readying the information necessary. What needs to be sent in advance will be—if I get it done and that is what I spent most of my time on in Granada.

Our Lives

We continued to experience a fair amount of rain. Almost every day for several hours and sometimes again at night.

Lita has been busy distributing brochures to whomever and is hopeful of making a sale. It will be nice for her if it happens. She wants to be involved rather than on the sidelines.

On Wednesday, we left for Granada, Nicaragua, and returned on Saturday. This time, we went with friends. Granada is the same interesting town, full of life, culture, and character. I saw a number of small construction / renovations projects underway. Some people have a positive assessment of the future. There were few tourists in town. Our hotel had only 4-5 rooms occupied out of 28. Now that we have stayed there so many times over the past several years, it's like old home coming.

I continue to fall behind on a number of things as all my time is focused on marketing. I spent much of my time in Granada on the computer trying to get caught up. This work has to do with preparation of documentation for the turnover meeting Dec. 15, 2007. Information has to be distributed in advance.

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

ISSUE #162 Nov 13-17, 2007 | 2007-11-17

19 Sales, US$4 Million

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 availabilty. 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.

Website

The new features are lagging due to complex programming. Our web developers are working on the most complex of the three first. When they get this finalized, the rest should come along fast. They have the format, we now have to work with them to get the content accurate.  Jan's internet was down for a couple days but he has now given them detailed feedback regarding required changes.

Marketing & Sales

The 21 reservations we took some two weeks ago have translated into 19 sales with deposits representing over $4 million in sales. None of these sales were to friends or relatives and with the exception of three, all were clients of Rudy Mathews who has believed in this project from the beginning and has kept clients interested in it and has worked tirelessly to clarify issues with us and bring all the component parts together. He has been fabulous to work with both for his clients and for us as Developers. 

We had a full page ad and article appear in a daily financial newspaper in Costa Rica called "La Republica" and our four billboards along the highway from San Jose to Santa Ana are now up. In both cases, we have received inquiries from Ticos and in all cases, they appeared to be interested in our larger houses. We will begin working with these leads. 

This week, we will place some ads on which we have been working.

Jan, the marketing manager, continues to keep it all organized and recorded,--as he should--and to respond timely with information to clients and to get all the documents together. In addition, he fields inquiries and works on new ads.

Banking Arrangements

Banco Nacional seems to be beating the socks of Scotiabank. They are responsive and have sent out a very knowledgeable person to review our development. He has studied our website intensively and seems to understand what we are looking for and how to achieve it. We are asking for clarification or definition of several issues. They are very aggressive in looking for our type of business and clientele. the bank has financed a large development at the bottom of our street and is looking for more. Hopefully, by next week, we will have this issue in place and be happy.

Paul has been working with changing the method of payroll payment. This is nearly in place.

Legal

Site Plan Construction Application: The last minute site changes are slowing this down.

Construction Log

Architect: I was supposed to have the floor plans for the Maya Tower yesterday but have not yet received them. We will also be sub-dividing the upper floor of the Cortez-Split as a new option. The current design is a little over 3,200 sf of interior/terrace space. By splitting that into two units, each will be around 1,500 sf.

Surveyor: The surveyor work said we could not accommodate a proposed roadway from the parking lot along the east side of lot 11. This is a disappointment as the area in front of the buildings would have been much nicer.  We will have to return to a modified Site Plan 40 and we will now be at Plan 42.

Fence: We have continued working on this by doing some of the finishing work on what has been built. Now it is beginning to take the form of a fence. 

Land Clearing: Mainly in for form of brush removal to facilitate the surveyor and help clients see the location and view which will be available from their lot.  This is now mostly finished.

Well:  We are on the drillers work schedule. According to our information, he should begin at El Dorado in about a week.

Bridge: A company specializing in construction of pre-cast concrete bridges has reviewed our location and will be sending us drawings and a quote this week.

Retaining Walls:  We have tentatively decided to go with "galvinones". These are retaining walls consisting of rock stacked inside a  heavy galvanized wire structure. These are used extensively here and are very effective.  They allow water to permeate and look more natural. They can be landscaped as well.  We expect to subcontract this out and are awaiting a quote.

Land Fill / Earth Moving:  Nothing has happened on this front. Now that the land is drying out, the bulldozer will return and finish this off.

Residencias Los Jardines

For Sale :  Nothing available at the moment

For Lease: Unit 109 is available Dec. 1, -- $1,600 mo.

One level, detached two bedroom, 2 bathroom with terrace. Lots and lots of beautiful built-in wood cabinetry —wall-to-wall floor to ceiling display and entertainment center, office with granite topped desk, dining room severing / storage cabinet,  etc.  The "U" shaped kitchen has granite counters. The great room (living room /office/dining/kitchen has a vaulted ceiling with direct and indirect lighting. Fully furnished —leather and granite— two queen sized beds, TV, wall decorations, full kitchen ready for cooking and entertaining.

Shareholders Meeting: This will be December 15.  I've spent over 100 hrs. preparing this information and have it to the stage for review by the lawyer after which I will distribute it to the shareholders. This has not been a fun job and I know it will be a thankless task. This is a job I tried to get rid of last year but didn't.

Texas Hold'em is Back: It died for a while until a new organizer evolved.

Our Lives

Weather: The rains have finally backed off and the ground is drying up. We have had numerous days of partly cloudy weather with no rain. The trade winds are blowing in the dry season.

Lita: She continues distributing brochures to whomever and is hopeful of making a sale. It will be nice for her if it happens. She wants to be involved rather than on the sidelines.

Granada: The return trip from Granada was helped out by a picnic pack from Rosti Pollo and a few cans of cold beer which we refreshed at the border.  This along with a couple of movies helped  ease the 9 hr. ride. 

Work: I have never wanted to become bound to a desk but that is what has happened over the past several months.  I would like to think I can begin seeing the light at the end of the tunnel but it is still pretty dim right now. I did get some work done in Granada and more this week.  Sales activity will slow now that Rudy's people have mostly been tidied up. My work has been hindered at times by a slow internet and especially slow Gmail. I think they were having troubles. 

This "all work, no play" should change Sunday where we will attend a brunch hosted by former residents of Los Jardines whom we haven't seen for some time and a turkey dinner hosted by a Los Jardines resident. We're looking forward to the association and conversations. 


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

Issue #163: Nov 19-24, 2007 | 2007-11-25

Contracts, Deposits & Banking

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 availabilty. 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.

Marketing & Website

Marketing: We have agreed on a comprehensive advertising campaign and are in the process of implementing it. It will consist of lots of  local exposure for the next 6 months and some international exposure as well. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Friday saw the appearance of our full page ad in "4 Sale by Owner/Developer"—a widely distributed "free" magazine. It generated a lot of calls. We will have a continuing presence in the magazine.

Website: Our people are still bogged down on the programming. What we had hoped to be up and running by now, isn't.

Sales

We sold one unit this week and another will buy once we have a design for him. There are several other good leads. One of the sales was to an owner/investor at Los Jardines and his brother; who have, over the last 18 months, become friends. I found it amazing to be having a drink at the end of the day, reviewing the events and carrying on an instant message conversation with another potential purchaser who was in Singapore. We bantered back and forth good naturedly and put things in motion for the purchase of another unit. Technology is so wonderful and  I'm a living testimony that you don't have to be a genius to make it work for you.

Banking Arrangements

We're still talking with Banco Nacional and Scotiabank —no breakthroughs. We've started a conversation with BAC San Jose bank— the major shareholder (49%) is GE Capital.

Paul has been working with changing the method of payroll payment. This is nearly in place.

Legal

Site Plan Construction Application:  Again we have hopes of getting this in by Friday of next week.

Construction Log

Architect: I received three floor plans for the Maya Tower. While they need some more work, enough information is now available that Paul and I could begin costing it. Based on our current information, we would have to sell each unit for more than we feel our market will pay. We are getting cost comparisons to see if our costing represents straight thinking. If it does, we will have to redesign the building into smaller units and eliminate one elevator. We have got to get the costs down.

Surveyor:  Minor tweeking and refinements are being done..

Fence:  The block and concrete work continues. The welders have designed the iron work and Paul added a little decoration.  We're now beginning to think about what color to stucco it.

Well: We are assured that the well driller will be on-site to inspect the drill site by Wed. and will spot his equipment by the end of next week.

Bridge: No more information at this point in time.

Retaining Walls: we have one quote for about $84 cu. M for "galviones";  we're waiting on two more quotes. The initial contract will be for about $85,000.

Land Fill / Earth Moving:  Land is still drying; the back hoes have been working to accelerate the drying process.

Residencias Los Jardines

For Sale:  Nothing available at the moment

For Lease:

Unit 109 is available Dec. 1, -- $1,600 mo.

One level, detached two bedroom, 2 bathroom with terrace. Lots and lots of beautiful built-in wood cabinetry—wall-to-wall floor to ceiling display and entertainment center, office with granite topped desk, dining room severing / storage cabinet,  etc.  The "U" shaped kitchen has granite counters. The great room (living room /office/dining/kitchen has a vaulted ceiling with direct and indirect lighting. Fully furnished –leather and granite— wo queen sized beds, TV, wall decorations, full kitchen ready for cooking and entertaining.

Unit 123:  December

1,620 sf, 2 story, 2 1/2 bathrooms, LR, den, dining room, master bath has a Jacuzzi. Fully furnished in a tropical motif with two TVs, phone, high speed internet, Cable TV and satellite TV possible. $2,000 mo.

Shareholders Meeting: The  information I've prepared has been distributed.  Some information is yet to be received and/or translated and is expected to be delivered next week. I've asked people to volunteer to be members of the board of directors—so far I've not received any applications.

Texas Hold'em is back: It died for awhile until a new organizer evolved. This is likely to again become a regular weekly event. A person reading this log asked to be included as he likes to play.

Thanksgiving: Several groups celebrated US Thanksgiving this past week. The pool is always a popular spot this time of year.

Our Lives

Weather:  The rains have finally backed off and the ground is drying up. We've had numerous days of partly cloudy weather with no rain. The trade winds are blowing in the dry season.

Exchange Rate: About a year ago, CR moved to a semi-fixed exchange rate monetary system. With the dollar's decline, it had maintained the rate around 517/$1;  On Thursday, the national bank changed it to around 497 per $1 US—a 4% change for the worse if you are holding US dollars.

Asian Food Store: Specializing in Chinese, Indian and Japanese food products. This week we finally made it to a store in downtown San Jose, which specializes in Asian products. I've known about it for some time but had never made it there. We found many products we had been longing for and some we had had people bring with them when they came—Thai long grain Jasmine scented rice, egg roll wrappers, papadams and chutneys, and a canned fish product Lita likes.

Highway to the Pacific Coast:  An article again announced that work was to begin on this long awaited fabled highway. The first stage is to be an improvement to the highway between San Jose and the beginning of the highway—a 2.8 mile stretch of divided road is to be added.  This is a minor part of the overall project. The second and larger section is to be the completion of the road between it's beginning, less that 5 min. from Los Jardines and not much more for El Dorado) and Orotina. Again the article said that driving time would be cut by 1 hr. 

Work:  It has been much more tolerable this week. My bum has yet to feel the hammock but I expect it soon will.

Lita: Lita has continued to distribute brochures but no results. She organized a birthday party for Jan, our marketing manager. She gave him three wishes since at 27, we all knew what his first two wishes would be.

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

Issue #164: Nov 26 - Dec 1, 2007 | 2007-11-26

Troubles in the Website Business…

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING & WEBSITE

Marketing: Our local advertising is generating about 3 leads a day. Inquiries from Ticos are for larger homes—3 and 4 bedroom units—as we expected. So far, we seem to be just outside their price range—too many amenities and too much land given over to parkland raises our costs. Perhaps we'll connect with some of our smaller unit designs.

Website: The changes are still bogged down. Our rock solid support for the past 5 years is getting a bit shaky. We have a long back log of corrections and new information but it's not getting done. We're still hopeful………

One new thing on the web is a new Power Point Presentation that Jan put together. It is shorter than before and summarizes the website. Jan found he was able to work with a person in El Salvador who did not have access to Internet but had the PPP on his computer.

We're trying to get the four new designs for the Cortez Split, Upper Floor on line.

» SALES

Sales: There were two rescissions—each from people who had committed to two units. In one case, the intended sale of a house in the U.S. fell apart; in the other case we don't  know. We had two more sales so we stayed even. 

» BANKING ARRANGEMENTS

Banking Arrangements: We met with BAC San Jose—the GE Capital based bank. They arrived an hour and 15 min. late. They don't provide construction financing—if we are giving an opportunity to a bank to increase their business, we expect a total package. We introduced a new to CR idea to them but don't think it will take because they are not oriented to thinking outside the box. They said they would get back to us but I won't hold my breath.

» LEGAL

Site Plan Construction Application: We are going to wait until we have the results—flow rate and quality-- from the well. This information will speed the review process along. We should have that info. in about 2 weeks.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: The redesign which is in progress, will eliminate one elevator, and increase the amount of saleable space. In the original design, we had to build a lot of space but were not planning on incorporating that into living area. We are also reducing the size of the units. The number of units we end up with will be determined by the number of parking spaces we can create.  To do this, we will twist the building's footprint to better align to the lot line and create more space in front which will be incorporated into parking.

The architect did come up with 4 optional designs for the 3,200 sf space of the Cortez Upper, Split unit.  We now have, 4, two bedroom options in each selling at $225,000.

Surveyor: He's working on locating buildings 11 A and B and the black water treatment plant.

Fence: The iron work design is a product of the creative abilities of our workmen. Who needs an artist or designer when all that is necessary is to turn your workmen loose and let them come up with something. It's simple, it's all made on site by them, and we like it.

Well: We spotted the well location and leveled the area for the drilling rig. The rig will be set up over the next couple days and begin drilling around Wednesday of next week. They are estimating a week to drill 50 meters and install a 6" casing

Bridge: No more information at this point in time.

Retaining Walls: We received two more quotes—one was about $4,000 less than the most expensive.  There are some potential problems with it;  we have to assure ourselves that the savings are worth the possible problems.

Land Fill / Earth Moving: The dirt is dry enough to move but we can't get the bull dozer back.  We'll have to make some other arrangements.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale :  Nothing available at the moment

For Lease:

Unit 109 is available Dec. 1, -- $1,600 mo.

One level, detached two bedroom, 2 bathroom with terrace. Lots and lots of beautiful built-in wood cabinetry—wall-to-wall floor to ceiling display and entertainment center, office with granite topped desk, dining room severing / storage cabinet,  etc.  The "U" shaped kitchen has granite counters. The great room (living room /office/dining/kitchen has a vaulted ceiling with direct and indirect lighting. Fully furnished – leather and granite—two queen sized beds, TV, wall decorations, full kitchen ready for cooking and entertaining.

Unit 123:  December

1,620 sf, 2 story, 2 1/2 bathrooms, LR, den, dining room, master bath has a Jacuzzi. Fully furnished in a tropical motif with two TVs, phone, high speed internet, Cable TV and satellite TV possible. $2,000 mo.

Shareholders Meeting: All the information has now been distributed.  The only thing remaining is the ballot and the proxy form which will be distributed next week.

Texas Hold'em: Back for friendly games on Wednesday nights. This game saw a never-before winner which means even beginners can win in this group of non-professional players.  We tried to get the winner to spot our fish-n-chips dinner on Friday but he claimed to have spent his winnings earlier in the day.

» OUR LIVES

Weather: The rains have finally backed off and the ground is drying up.  We've had numerous days of partly cloudy weather with no rain.  The trade winds are blowing in the dry season.

Work: Continues to be much more tolerable this week—I've actually had time to smell the roses.

Health: Lita got hold of some bad food and suffered for a couple days this week.  We each had blood work done.  Here it is possible go to any number of clinics and select the test you want—pay a modest fee, and 4 – 6 hrs later, get your results.  They help you interpret the results or take that info. to a doctor for an interpretation.  Fortunately, nothing jumped out at us that we can't manage.

Grocery Shopping: Once nice things about grocery shopping here is the freebies – especially on the weekends.  At Auto Mercado and at PriceMart, importers have tasting stations around the isles.  Attractive girls are there to entice shoppers to sample the products.  These products are freely distributed and the girls don't really care how many tastes you have.  Each station often has various products—3-5 different types of liquor, wine, beer, cheese,  sausages, turkey, cranberry sauce, processed meats, etc, etc.  One can have a whole lunch and be drunk by the time you get to the check out counter. At Auto Mercado, there could on any Saturday or Sunday be 30 stations—that's a lot of booze!!! This is a great way to shop—and you even get to test out unfamiliar products!!!  A special promotion on Saturday was e-mail me by AutoMercado—a free 1 lt. bottle of Baileys —your choice—Saturday only…….just show up---I'm going early!!!!

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

ISSUE #165: Dec. 3 - 8, 2007 | 2007-12-09

Troubles in the Website Business… Not Over Yet

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING & WEBSITE

Website: Some changes have been made and some are pending but since there was quite a back log and not all the changes made seem to be correct the first time, it's taking time.

Marketing: "4 Sale by Owner/Developer" seems to be the main lead generator.

» SALES

Sales: No solid sales this week. We are in conversation with about 30 Ticos and a number of other potential clients.

» BANKING ARRANGEMENTS

Banking Arrangements:  As I predicted, we have not yet—if ever—heard back from BAC San Jose. The two calls made to HSBC have not been returned. All of this was expected.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: We're still waiting for the revised Maya Tower design.

Surveyor: Buildings 11 A and B and the black water treatment plant are being located as I write. Hopefully, all will workout fine.

Fence: The block work for the retaining portion of the fence is taking time and the height between road grade and current grade on our side is substantial. The difference will be adjusted on our side by adding fill in the low sections but the wall has to be built as the grade currently is. As a structural retaining wall, it has to be strong enough to withstand the constant pressure of different grades. Consequently, more re-bar—both horizontal and vertical is used, the blocks themselves are wider, thicker walls, and stronger. All cavities are filled with concrete and each cavity as well as each row has re-bar. The "mortar" used between blocks is different that in N. Am. where lime is used. Here, the sand has to be sifted and the smaller grains are then mixed into cement and that is the "mortar". It seems to work.

Well: The drill rig is working and he's down about 25m. He is now working his way through a granular layer below which he expects to hit water. The method of "drilling" is really just pounding one's way through the earth—repetitious blows with a heavy, semi blunt object, extracting the slurry with a long tub with a foot valve, and repeating the process time after time.

Bridge:. The design and price we got was for a truck capable bridge. We want one much lighter—cars and light service vehicles only. We're supposed to have that redesign later Friday.

Retaining Walls: We've now chalked this out and have let the contract. Materials will begin to arrive this next week and the contractor will focus on it from Dec. 15 until finished.

Landfill / Earth Moving: We're moving some with back hoe and dump truck.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale :  Nothing available at the moment

For Lease:

Unit 109 is available Dec. 1, -- $1,600 mo.

One level, detached two bedroom, 2 bathroom with terrace. Lots and lots of beautiful built-in wood cabinetry—wall-to-wall floor to ceiling display and entertainment center, office with granite topped desk, dining room severing / storage cabinet,  etc.  The "U" shaped kitchen has granite counters. The great room (living room /office/dining/kitchen has a vaulted ceiling with direct and indirect lighting. Fully furnished – leather and granite—two queen sized beds, TV, wall decorations, full kitchen ready for cooking and entertaining.

Unit 123:  December

1,620 sf, 2 story, 2 1/2 bathrooms, LR, den, dining room, master bath has a Jacuzzi. Fully furnished in a tropical motif with two TVs, phone, high speed internet, Cable TV and satellite TV possible. $2,000 mo.

Shareholders Meeting: All the information has now been distributed. The meeting will be on the 15th. of December. Not many are expected to attend but hopefully, their voices will be heard through their votes.

Texas Hold'em: Continues.

Golf: Player of the Year was awarded to one of our owner/investors. He plays regularly on the Valle de Sol course and for $225 per month continues to love it.

» OUR LIVES

Note: Every once in a while I'm awed by a juxtaposition in technology and setting, eg. a farm worker (campesino) riding a horse talking on a cell phone. On Friday, while taking pictures, I saw another such situation: a campesino riding his horse and a new Ferrari pass him on the roadway. Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough to get a picture of it. On the east road, there are two Hummers—yellow and green—which regularly ply that side. The socioeconomic fiber of the area is changing dramatically. On Sunday, a Porsche Carrera swished by our property.

Weather: No rain, warm, mostly sunny, not very breezy, and wonderful.

Work: I'm enjoying the slower pace.

Car: My car has been out of commission most of the week—some sensor doesn't work which prevents it from starting. Friday saw it running again but it has several other problems which will be fixed on Monday.

Dining: We've been having some really good dinners lately—three of us rotating – tenderloin steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, curry with jasmine scented rice, shrimp pasta with egg noodles and a wonderful sauce, pork schnitzel and coleslaw, etc. all washed down pleasantly with copious amounts of $3 lt. boxed Chilean wine.

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

ISSUE #166: Dec 9-15, 2007 | 2007-12-16

The Parrot Is in the Dog House!!!!!! and "A Very Pleasant S

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING & WEBSITE

Website: Changes are being made but we are not yet to where we want to be. We have some additional functions which we are waiting for as well as some additional changes.

Marketing: "4 Sale by Owner/Developer" seems to be the main lead generator. To this we can now add "Inmobilia" which has also garnered lots of response.

» SALES

Sales: One sale this week and 3 reservations pending the finished designs for the Maya Tower.

» BANKING ARRANGEMENTS

Banking Arrangements:  We were approached by some mortgage brokers this week. We held initial discussions with them but I'm not sure, and neither are they, that there is a role for them.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: We're still waiting for the revised Maya Tower design. I did review his initial revised proposal and found it workable. We went on to modify the designs and then to make a number of variations by adding a bedroom to one plan / subtracting from an adjacent unit, and combining units. When I have them finalized, I'll be able to price them.  As of now, it appears we will have a price range from the low $90K to $175K with the possibility of combining two units on the upper floor  on each corner to make two fantastic penthouse units. There is also the possibility of making two special units having semi private gardens.

Surveyor: Buildings 11 A and B and the black water treatment plant are being  located. We've had problems determining which exterior measurements to use—

Fence:  It continues.

Well: The drill rig is working and he's down to about 42m. He hit water just below 30m as he had predicted. We have contracted for 50m so he should finish the drilling early this coming week. Presumably, the casing will then be installed.

Bridge: We will search for other suppliers but that will be after Christmas—nothing is getting done now.

Retaining Walls: Trenching for the footings have been dug and workers are beginning to put in the base for the "gaviones" which will form the retaining walls.

Land Fill / Earth Moving: The bulldozer returned and has spread and compacted additional landfill. We have moved the topsoil to a location where we will warehouse it until needed in a few years

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale : Nothing available at the moment

For Lease: Unit 109 is leased

Shareholders Meeting: Only one response from non-attending shareholders.

Texas Hold'em: Continues even though there are competing demands for time during the Holiday season.

» OUR LIVES

Weather:  No rain, warm, mostly sunny, not very breezy, and wonderful.

Work:  My slower pace didn't last long. Paul returned to Canada for three weeks and Esther is off to Cuba for 10 days. I filled in the gap……The demands of day to day property management along with marketing make for a full day.

Lita:  This story should have been in last week's log but…….

The Parrot is in the Dog House!!!!  Lita has wanted a Christmas tree at Los Jardines for years. She has lobbied, cajoled, pleaded, etc. but it didn't happen. This year she dispensed with all that and just did it!! She went off, sometimes on her own with her driver and sometimes with the maid or another time with our neighbor lady and bought exterior decorations. She made bows, from various materials and got a variety of lights. She directed the gardener and our neighbor friend to place all on a very large ficus tree. When finished and after a bit of futzing, announced that she was more or less satisfied with what she had accomplished. Despite her blindness, her determination overcomes! However, this is not the end of the story:

This is the same ficus tree that the parrot calls "home" during the day. He wanders through the branches to various little portals he has carved out where he sits, watches, chortles, and otherwise is a loud mouth. He proceeded to take great delight in eating the Christmas lights. When he didn't bite through the wires, he took the lights, one by one, and crushed them. When Lita returned from buying more lights to complete the tree, only half the original lights were left.  The ground underneath the tree was covered in "glass" confetti. (The thought occurred to me to plug the lights in and jolt the little bugger but I didn't.) When she realized what the parrot had done, she nearly strangled him. I've not seen her so mad for a long time (and then it was me she was mad at). The parrot was "grounded" / caged for several days, verbally abused, and ignored except for food and water. (I secretly enjoyed this – the mean little bugger is getting his just rewards.) Anyway, all seems to be forgiven now except that……

She has taken to putting him in a different ficus tree.  He continually gets out of the tree and roams around.  She has to go on the hunt for him. When he's up to no good, which is most of the time, he doesn't respond to her calls.  Here's Lita, blind as she is, looking for a green parrot in green trees and bushes and the little bugger hiding all the time. She's taken to looking for the cats who know where he is to help her find the parrot.

Another Parrot Story:  The neighbors put a "flying fish" decor on the outside of their house. The parrot didn't like it. Flew down to attack it (actually knocked it off the wall) and proceeded to attack it. Soon the three cats which keep a constant eye on the parrot started to stalk. At this time, the owners of the house scared off the cats and somehow rescued the parrot. 

A Pleasant Surprise:  We both experienced a pleasant but nonetheless shocking experience last weekend. A very dear friend of mine and then of Lita as well, showed up on our doorstep without notice after a three year absence.  He and I had parted under strained relations—Lita and I had always hoped this would happen but predicted it never would. He's been welcomed back into our home, our hearts, and our life and we are the richer and happier for it. Enough said!

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

ISSUE #167: DEC 17-22, 2007 | 2007-12-23

"A Horrible Week", "A Very Pleasant Surprise" and "A Seasona

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Website: The changes and updates are still way behind.

» CHRISTMAS PARTY

We held a Christmas party for the workers—same as last year—they buy a dressed pig, cut it up, render the fat, deep fry the meat to make "chicharrones"— coleslaw, tortillas, a couple beers each, some music, a soccer ball and a party is on!!!!! It's always a lot of fun; the workers have such a great time and they are just wonderful to be with.  Again I'll say it as I have every year, that I've never met a crew—and the crew always differs from year to year— of  people I really like to be with. This time we had a RE agent and some clients who experienced the event as well.  They returned to tell me they really enjoyed themselves.

Most of our crew is Nicaraguan. This is the time of year they return to their families. We, along with other construction sites, are substantially wound down until around January 7. Not much happens anywhere and that will be the case with us.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: We have all the designs for the Maya Tower but some require some changes. We have as yet to receive the rendering which would make that end of the package complete.

We had difficulty laying out buildings 11A and 11B. Why? Because we had two sets of measurements and the one given the surveyor was substantially larger than what should have been used. Icon scaling has to be consistent with floor plan scaling. This is basic but I remember a case in the NATO development of a military tank—some N. Am. contractors developed in imperial measurements; European developers built in metric. When the transmission was to be connected to the drive—it didn't fit. Measurements are important!

Surveyor:  We have the buildings 11A and 11B located now that we have the correct measurements.

Fence:  It continues

Well: We reached bedrock at 45 meters and stopped. We'll be drilling a 2nd well.  While it will be twice the price, it does give us better reliability of a critical element—water. If one well fails or if it has to be taken out of service for maintenance, we have a back up.

Bridge:  It's holiday season;  no movement on this.

Retaining Walls: These are under construction and will continue to be over the holiday season with a separate holiday crew.

Land Fill / Earth Moving: We continue to carve out surplus soil from the future site of Maya Tower.  We have to take the base down another 1.4 meters.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale:  Nothing available at the moment but January should see two units on the market.

Shareholders Meeting: The shareholders meeting went as scheduled. The agenda was accomplished with a few follow up items.

Texas Hold'em: Continues even though there are competing demands for time during the Holiday season.

» OUR LIVES

Weather:  No rain, warm, mostly sunny, not very breezy, and wonderful.
 
Work: "A Horrible Week";  I didn't  enjoy this week—I felt like the meat in the sandwich being devoured by a pack of hungry, wild dogs.

My previous training taught me to investigate first, find out what happened and why, and then, if there is malfeasance involved or if a consequence to a screw up is warranted, to deal with it. My experience has also  taught me that hasty lynchings are wrong headed.

Experience has also taught me that different individuals/groups can simply have different perspectives which cannot be reconciled. Either they learn to live with those disagreements and move on or one or both move to another level in a different forum.

In the past, I've described myself as a cross between a Canadian and American –a "cultural mutt"  since I lived in each country about the same length of time. Perhaps it's because I was born American and it's said that the formative years are indelible to behavior in later life that I've not been able to always compromise—the Canadian trait. The culturalized/socialized /pasteurized Canadian part of me  learned to "compromise";  the raw, unadulterated "American" in me is prepared to do battle. The Canadian would probably compromise when differing positions become intractable; the American in me would prepare for battle. It's a constant tug of war which I solve with a sleeping pill.

As a "mutt" I'm a prisoner of my heritage and conditioning—right or wrong.

Note:  I do not use the "American" or "Canadian" labels to apply to anyone other than me by way of explaining  my decisions / behavior.

Lita:  The parrot story: I received a lot of positive feedback on this hilarious story. I didn't embellish it—just recorded it for others to appreciate. The parrot behaved herself this week; she's been caged most of the time—and this is what one does with the Hannibal Lecters of the world!!!!  (Lita loves her, what can I say?)  I find it amazing that she manages to get all the sunflower seed shells on the terrace floor and none in her cage……she knows I sweep them up!!!!!  We glare at each other and she tries to bite me through the cage—I speculate that some day she will bit her way through the cage and the fight to the death will be on!!!! (I can't wait!!!)

Lita has been busy with Christmas. She's gone off shopping for presents (I wonder if she got any for me?) and has been busy wrapping them. She's fashioned her own wrapping and has done a tremendous job. Her accomplishments are even more incredible when one realizes she's blind. Perhaps this is why no one (including me)  cuts her any slack for her disability. She's amazing!!!!!

Another Pleasant Surprise:  I received a phone call from a very dear friend from my previous life who I hadn't heard from for about 14 years. He's an incredible tradesman, and a wonderful human being. He works hard, does incredible work, and hasn't made any money for so long he can't remember when the last time was.  He's burnt out, discouraged and, like I was, is beginning to look around for an alternative, for a new beginning, for ????  We'll see if my unbridled enthusiasm motivates him to visit us and check out CR.

Note: In my year end reflections, two prominent events for "thankfulness" are foremost on my list--the pleasant surprises—renewed contact—with two previous people who I had defined as "life long and valued friends"—one from a three year absence and one from a 14 year hiatus.  It will be these two events—independent of one another and coming within 3 weeks of one another—that I will value and give thanks for, tipple each with a nice sip of 23 yr. old rum and a nice cigar.

Seasonal Note:  Despite my horrible week and my "mutt" cultural conditioning, I continue to seek  and wish to all, health,  peace, happiness, satisfaction,  fulfillment, smooth sailing and a passion for tomorrow.  Anything less than this is a disappointment and a lost opportunity.

Our holiday plans include the opportunity—and promise—of much delicious food, drink and frivolity and the association with friends while thinking of other friends and family members scattered around the world.

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

ISSUE #168: Dec 24-29, 2007 | 2007-12-29

A Week of Not Much Progress and a Slow News Week

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Website: Our website support said they would have all changes made between holidays;  we're waiting and hoping this will be the case.

Sales: We have been receiving potential buyers this week from all walks of life starting with young couples from the United States and Costa Rica to investors/part-time residents all the way to potential buyers looking for a home to in which to retire. We are aware that we are not selling used vehicles and that people need some time to digest information, compare the wide range of options available on the market before making a final decision.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: We still don't have a complete package

Surveyor:  He's done his work—for now

Fence:  No progress;  the crew has returned home to their families in Nicaragua

Well:  It's capped and sitting there. The rig has been moved closer to the guard house for night time security. We'll start drilling the 2nd. well around Jan. 2.

Bridge:  It's holiday season; no movement on this..

Retaining Walls:  We were stopped by a different government branch which says the information we were given was / is incorrect. We'll sort it out in the new year. This is typical—it's hard to know who and what  to  believe here since there seem to be conflicting, vague, ambiguous or selectively applied rules, overlapping jurisdictions, and perhaps petty jealousies and big egos involved. Who knows…... Given this backdrop and the Tico culture, which wants to avoid confrontation (in N. Am. this would be written as "problem solving") sometimes we have to force the issue.

Land Fill / Earth Moving: We continue to carve out surplus soil from the future site of Maya Tower. This is being moved to an area where we have extended the culvert for the quebrada. The remaining cement culverts have been placed and are being covered. We have a two registers to build and a retaining wall and that will complete this work.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale:  Nothing available at the moment but January should see two units on the market.

Poster Boy!!! Yes, RLJ has our own "poster boy" on the calendar of one of the Santa Ana gyms. He's offered to sign his picture—for a beer…..Our 104 resident was front and center when the camera found him.

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Lots of overcast, cool, some drizzle—very unusual—but at least we don't have to shovel it!!!!!
 
Work: Nothing going on so with the Christmas cigars and new shirts, the hammock and I have gotten re-acquainted. Perfect for the year end reflections which I always do.  Re-uniting with life long friends is certainly near the top of my "unexpected" memories.

Parrot:  She's behaved herself—she was caged except when Lita played with her.

Seasonal Socials:  This whole series of eat fests started with an elaborate appetizer party, a Christmas Eve  roast pork and trimmings. On Christmas Day we enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner. Lita and I have organized a pool side casual  pot luck get-together –make your own Dagwood sandwiches, chili con carne, home made nachos, chicken wings, several salads and a variety of deserts--on Sunday Dec. 30 for residents of Los Jardines and their guests.   We are also on for  a roast lamb and beer can chicken on New Years Eve followed by another person's ham and  scalloped potatoes on New Year's day..  My wine cellar is being seriously depleted.

Friends Arrive:  We have friends from Quebec and Ontario arriving Saturday night for a week. They were last here 3 years ago and we lived in a very different home and the development was under construction. This time will be a significant change for them.

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

ISSUE #169: Dec 31, 2007 - Jan 5, 2008 | 2008-01-06

Fast Week and Friends

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Website: Changes and updates have been made. We are still waiting for the search engine, the optional upgrades section, and a couple other things. We have added some related articles, which we consider could be of interest to you. And then there will be all the Maya Tower info. to get on there as well.

Costa Rica Developers Prepare for More Demanding Client in 2008
Costa Rica Travel News - Jan 3, 2008
http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/material/COSTARICAPAGES.pdf

Complejo residencial combinará lujo y naturaleza
La Republica - Jueves 20 de diciembre
http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/LaRepublica.php?l=s

To view the actual copy of this article, see the attached JPEG file titled Complejo Residencial Combinara Lujo y Naturaleza.

La crisis inmobiliaria en EEUU beneficia a Latinoamerica
Wall Street Journal Americas - 31 de diciembre 2007
http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/material/LA_CRISIS_INMOBILIARIA_EN_EEUU.pdf

To view our translation of the last article, see the attached Word file titled US Real Estate Crisis Benefits Latin America.

Marketing: We received several leads each day between Christmas and New Years. In the last several days, the number of inquiries has dramatically increased. Leads don't mean sales but without them, there will be no sales.

Note: I don't like criticizing another person's product but for the sake of educating purchasers I've decided to list what I saw at a new development in our area. The list is obviously based on my personal preferences. Perhaps not all purchasers want what I want. Since many of the items which left me shaking my head were relatively minor cost wise and since the price per area is higher than El Dorado, I just have to wonder "why? I believe there will be a substantial number of disappointed purchasers at this development. It is not a product with which I want my name associated. Here is what I saw that was missing:

1. There is NO vent for the dryer! There is an overhead extractor fan in the laundry closet but all the humidity, heat and lint from the dryer will be expelled into the closet and then extracted (?) by the fan?????  This is going to be a disaster!!!!
2. Shower doors that can swing only one way since they hit the toilet—not the end of the world but not a great design.
3. Minimal, really minimal lighting throughout—one overhead 40-60 watt bulb per room;
4. Minimal kitchens of poor design and inexpensive cabinetry with virtually no lighting and doors which will be problematic when appliances are installed.
5. No screens on the few opening windows.
6. Really poor bathroom lighting—both vanities and general/shower area.
7. Very minimal balconies not large enough for two chairs and a table AND very low (32") guard rails,
8. Minimal landscaping with no irrigation system;
9. Cheap commercial type clothes closets w/ no overhead storage;
10. Very awkward space for furniture layouts and traffic flows in the living rooms--I don't see how a furniture arrangement can work for watching TV, sitting, and still get to the terrace;
11. Flat wall paint  which will mark badly vs. "eggshell" which has a harder finish and is washable;
12. Two car parking is tandem—were purchasers told this—I'm told "no";  they seem to have lots of parking but not much for visitors;
13. Ugly terminations for rough-in AC--just two bare pipes sticking out of the wall about 6'-6" off the floor and no way to hide them,
14. Garbage chute doors which are very small and will limit the size of the collection bag and no protection below the door—this area is likely to dirty fast.
15. No cross ventilation and no venting from upper vaulted ceilings (penthouse) and a killer staircase (very steep and very narrow) to access the "loft" which has a very low—uncomfortably low—ceiling and produces a 7' ceiling in the kitchen area below.
16. Appliance connections—electrical and water are likely to interfere with placement of appliances—the appliances aren't likely to be able to be push back to the wall because of plugs and hoses.
17. I have difficulty figuring out where a computer desk or lap top might fit.
18. While I don't remember all the designs, I don't remember seeing a guest powder room in any.
19. No built-in furniture nor option for any.

I don't believe the same assessment will apply to  "El Dorado".

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: Re. the Maya Tower: At writing, I'm awaiting the final drawings and the final rendering. We're nearly there—finally! It took a 90 min. face-to-face working session with the architect to move the previous month's conversation to a satisfactory conclusion. This has been a struggle; I hope the end product is worth it. Now we can begin pricing these and I guess Paul and I have to sit down with a bottle of scotch and figure this out.

Well: We've started the 2nd. well. In 10 –14 days, we should know the results.

Bridge:  It's holiday season; no movement on this.

Retaining Walls: We await the meeting with MINAE—the government institution that seems  to have authority over this issue.

Land Fill / Earth Moving: This is now nearing completion.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale: Nothing available at the moment but January should see two units on the market.

For Lease: Nothing available.  We continue to receive calls for rentals.

Poster Boy!!!   Last week I wrote: "Yes, RLJ has our own "poster boy" on the calendar of one of the Santa Ana gyms. He's offered to sign his picture—for a beer…..Our 104 resident was front and center when the camera found him."

Note: I was stopped by the owner of 104 and in his French / Spanish / and English, I didn't understand the conversation. He showed me the paragraph and since he was the owner of 104, wanted to know what he was the "poster boy" of…….  I had to laugh at the error, his confusion, and his good nature……  The actual poster boy is of 105……(my error) but a good laugh from 104…..  He went on to tell me he thought  he was better looking than 105….we all laughed.

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Lots of  WIND—it arrived Christmas Eve and has been with us ever since—signs and temporary walls have blown down. Now we have mostly sunny skies all the time. These trade winds arrived several weeks late this year but when they arrived, they arrived with a vengeance!

Work: Not much—just monitoring my slow e-mails as the world takes a break.

Parrot: She now spends the days roaming the tree being jostled about by the gusts of wind—good for her!

Seasonal Socials: We survived the feasts and had wonderful company and delicious food.

Friends Arrived: Friends of 40 years arrived and we had a nice visit—they are now off to the beach. I'm sure they will return with stories.

More Friends to Come: Saturday, another set of friends who I haven't seen in about 14 years will arrive. I met him through a mutual friend and we subsequently became friends. He's a fabulous tradesman and a really wonderful person. A number of years ago, he married a great lady. They have never been to CR and have no idea what to expect. While I expect they will want to be in holiday mode, I also expect he will be particularly interested in how things (read that as "building") are done here. My goal is to raise questions with him/her about the differences and what for us is a "better" future. Ultimately, they will make their own decision but at least I hopefully will have raised some questions that they can think about. I have to accept that what was right for Lita and I may not be right for all, although I continue to fail to understand why.

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

ISSUE #170: Jan 7-12, 2008 | 2008-01-12

Marketing & Well#2

Marketing & Well#2

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Website: Bugs have been dealt with and new information added. It still isn't completely up to date but has moved closer to that goal.

Marketing & Sales:  This week has seen an explosion of interest and the beginnings of a number of conversations which we expect to yield a number of sales. A considerable number of this past week's interest has been for larger 3 and 4 bedroom homes. We had a realtor from Canada here on Monday; we have a mutual friend who referred her to me. She reviewed Los Jardines, the Santa Ana area, and El Dorado. She has three people plus herself interested and she's only been back to Canada for three days. We have a number of interested Ticos and several American clients interested—one of whom is interested in purchasing multiple units. We had an Indian couple who visited us for the second time today and appears to be seriously interested in purchasing a 3 bedroom single family home. IF all the conversations result in sales and IF everyone wants different units, we could be 50% sold very soon. Jan is managing these conversations—as he should—and trying to keep things organized. I BELIEVE THIS WILL TO BE AN INTERESTING WEEK.

E-brochure: On our website at www.eldoradocostarica.com/e-flip/index.html you can see a newly created feature—you can use the cursor to turn the pages.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: Maya Tower:  On Tuesday, we assembled and reviewed the total set of designs.  Two were sent back for further work the results of which we now have.  We priced the entire set and Jan sent them to various people who had been waiting and is having them uploaded on the website.  This now completes the designs we have been working on. We have several lots yet waiting for designs but I expect we will take a breather and see what happens with what we do have.

We expect to have the floor plans, prices and rendering of the building posted on the website this week.  The building looks great.

Well: The drilling went much faster than the first—less rock.  The preliminary flow test was done on Friday and we now have ample water to meet criteria which is highly unlikely to ever occur—all 80  houses occupied with 5 people each.  At Los Jardines this assumption would mean 145 people; at our busiest times, we have never had more than 35-40.

Retaining Walls:  This has been a source of consternation and frustration. Paul will have a firm discussion with the architect on this and a number of other issues—we're frustrated.

Land Fill / Earth Moving: This is now nearing completion.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale:  Nothing available at the moment but January should see two units on the market.

For Lease:

FEBRUARY 1:  Unit 115 – 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1450 sf, one level. LOTS and LOTS of cabinets for storage and display.  Fully furnished with 50" flat screen TV and home theater system. $1,450 mo.

MARCH 1:  Unit 121 – 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom (one with Jacuzzi), living room, dining room, den and kitchen on first floor,  view terrace, 2 levels,  1,620 sf, fully furnished.  $1,550 mo.

» OUR LIVES

Weather: The strong winds of last week blew themselves out and this week has seen gentle to no breezes.  Partly sunny and beautiful all the time.  Absolutely perfect!

Work: Steady stream of interested people and finishing the details of the Maya tower.

Parrot:  On Wednesday, Lita and I took our guests to Puriscal—about 45 min. west of Santa Ana.  Our destination was the cigar factory there as well as to walk the town for their show and tell.  Lita they try chicharrones and beer.  We bought a substantial inventory of cigars and have begun to enjoy them.

Parrot and the Cat: Upon our return, Lita got the parrot from the tree and went off to the bedroom to play with it and watch TV. I looked in on her and found her sound asleep on her back, the parrot cuddled in her hands laying on ITS back with its head on Lita's neck and the CAT laying beside both on his back also sound asleep. It reminded me of that biblical passage about the lion laying down with the sheep…….  I think there was some violent movie playing on the TV.

Friends: After spending 4 nights with us, Quebec friends spent an equal amount of time in Jaco.  They visted with us for 4 days then to Jaco for another four.  Another set of friends followed much the same pattern. The each developed different assessments of Jaco and area but overall they loved CR.

The Past Fast Forwards to the Present: When my friends of 14 year absence arrived in CR, they found they knew three people living here—I was the common denominator but I had forgotten.—Diff had worked on my boat years ago and met Terry, a friend now living here.  Diff had also met my partner Paul—they had both worked on a loft conversion I did in Toronto in '93 / '94. AND lastly, Diff and Leo  (Quebec) were both ushers at our wedding—Lita pulled out the pictures and we had a good review of the event. Moral? One never knows when associations are going to reconnect.

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

ISSUE #171: Jan 13-19, 2008 | 2008-01-19

El Dorado: 4 Sales and More on the Way

El Dorado: 4 Sales and More on the Way

Los Jardines: Rental Vacancies

MARKETING & SALES

Web site:  Bugs have been dealt with  and new information  added.  It still isn’t completely up to date but has moved closer to that goal.  We are awaiting the uploading of the Maya Tower information.

Marketing: It was an “interesting week” in that we sold 4 units.  Had all the people with whom we had discussions underway wanted different units, we would have sold a number of other homes as well.  However, several people wanted the same units so those who were 2nd. in line, now have to look for other alternatives.  We still have a number of significant conversations underway.  We have given one person until the end of this weekend to make a commitment on a Maya Tower penthouse unit;  we have several people standing in line for it.

We continue to direct our message to the Tico market and have lots of calls.  More often than not, however, when appointments are made, they are either cancelled or “no shows”.  It’s frustrating since we come from a culture which respects and values time.  We will continue a while longer but at some point we might reallocate our budget and efforts.

CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: We are now assembling all the pieces of the puzzle including the known water supply along with design information on the black water  treatment plant and the bridge across the stream.

I’ve asked the architect to come up with two solutions to lot 23—a horizontal duplex and a single family.  I expect it to be a two story, “L” shaped house with terraces on the west and east side.  I’m not expecting anything soon but I’ve asked him to work on it.

Land Fill / Earth Moving: This is now nearing completion. 

RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale: 

Nothing available at the moment. I had expected that two units would come on the market in January but no word on them yet.

For Lease: 

FEBRUARY 3: Unit 106A;  1,250 sf, ground floor unit, two bathrooms,  1-2 bedrooms.  Furnished.  $1,050 mo.

MARCH 1:  Unit 121 – 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom (one with Jacuzzi),  living room, dining room, den and kitchen on first floor,  view terrace, 2 levels,  1,620 sf, fully furnished. $1,550 mo.

IMMEDIATE: Unit 116—1,350 sf, fully furnished, ground floor, 2 bedrooms, two bathrooms. $1,350 mo.

OUR  LIVES

Weather:  Perfect!!!!!!

Work and Activities:  Steady marketing activities….  Friends leave with good memories and my sister arrives. 

Earthquake: On Friday afternoon,  an earthquake measuring  4.7 R occurred; it  lasted a few seconds.

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

ISSUE #172: Jan 20-26, 2008 | 2008-01-26

Six Sales and More on the Way

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Website: This is still behind. We have given a deadline of Sunday to have a number of things accomplished or we will be moving to a different company. This has been a frustrating experience—rock solid performance for 5 years suddenly dwindled to not much. I like to work with proven suppliers but at some point in time, and I'm reaching my outer limit, I'll have to move on.

Marketing: More Ponce Villas have been added: We had shown Triana Villas (scaled back versions of the detached Balboa houses) on lots 2 and 7. We weren't getting a lot of interest in them for reasons I don't understand. We continued having requests for Ponce units but had few to offer. I looked to see if a Ponce would fit on those lots—it did—so we switched the product offering on lots 2 and 7 to Ponce's. With the current changes and allowing for some units to be either single of duplexed, we are looking at around 100 units , i.e., self-contained homes,  total.

Note: I'd like to claim this was always planned as a fall back position and that I am a genius. The truth is, that it's not the case—it is just one of the fortuitous situations that sometimes happens. The Ponce was about 6" narrower than the Triana, which had 4 parking spots, and was not as deep as the Triana. The fact that I had located the Triana's on end lots was again fortuitous since I didn't know how much land I would really need to build them.  This  end location allowed me to create additional parking for lot 7;  parking for lot 2 was already adequate.  So, with the switch of the icon, we now have 12 Ponce units vs. 8 Triana's.

Sales: We will probably sell six (6) units this week—one Cortez Split unit (ground floor—modified), two Balboas, two Ponces, and the remaining  penthouse unit in the Maya Tower. (Probably because several contracts aren't yet signed with $$ in the bank. We fully expect that will happen but the future is not yet written, so…….  This brings us to around 36 sold unit.

We had a nice write up on the major newspaper, La Nacion.  It may generate more Tico responses.  We still haven't penetrated this market.  We are finding that Ticos want a house sooner than we can deliver, or  they want more space for the money—they are not as interested in the 60% parkland/3 swimming pools, tennis courts, etc., or in the higher end finishes we are providing as standard.  We may re-target our marketing effort until such time as we are building and can deliver the product within their time frame.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: We have a design for lot 23. It is a horizontal duplex—3 bedrooms on the upper level and two bedrooms on the lower level. It sits on a premium lot with great views of the east mountains and Central valley as well as overlooking the stream. The house has a commanding presence on the east side of the river. (SEE FLOOR PLANS AND RENDERINGS ATTACHED).

LOT 23 - GROUND LEVEL
1,910 sq ft / 176 sq m
2 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms
$270,000

LOT 23 - UPPER LEVEL
2,649 sq ft / 244 sq m
3 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms
$365,000

Wall: We now have the west  perimeter wall under construction in front of lots 3,4, and 5.  It's about 50% finished.  We started raising the land on lots 4 and 5.  This will be an ongoing exercise as we get surplus dirt.  We poured the footings for the retaining wall required for the recreation area across from lot 23.  This retaining wall will be similar to that along the west road.

Landfill / Earth Moving: Both the large backhoe and the bulldozer have completed their work and have left the site. Only one small backhoe remains.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale:

Nothing available at the moment. I had expected that two units would come on the market in January but they didn't. We continue to await word.

For Lease:

FEBRUARY 3: Unit 106A:  Leased

MARCH 1: Unit 121 – 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom (one with Jacuzzi),  living room, dining room, den and kitchen on first floor,  view terrace, 2 levels, 1,620 sf, fully furnished.  $1,550 mo.

Immediate: Unit 116—we had two opportunities to rent this unit but the timing would have required the owner to move sooner than he wanted.

» OUR LIVES

Weather: STRONG winds; lots of dust from the construction next door.

My Birthday: My sister took Lita and I along with friends to a wonderful restaurant –Bacchus—in Santa Ana. We always have consistently good food, attentive service, and a nice ambiance. It's a top notch restaurant.

Family and work dominated the week. We will  return to Canada next month to re-new several documents. This is not a trip of joy but one of necessity. Lita may remain longer than I to visit family and friends. 

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

ISSUE 173: Jan 27 - Feb 2, 2008 | 2008-02-01

Price Increases and Pricing Policy Changes

Price Increases and Pricing Policy Changes

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

IMPORTANT NOTICE: PRICE INCREASES AND PRICING POLICY CHANGES

Effective immediately an across the board price increase of 5% on all units currently marked as available on our website is to take place: http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/Houses_Costa_Rica/index.php

For those prospective buyers that have reserved a unit verbally, they have until Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 5 p.m. to wire their reservation deposits in order to keep the original price.

This is not an ad hoc price increase. Recently, the dollar devalued 4% against the Costa Rican colon and construction costs continue to rise. Hacienda El Dorado prices will from now on be tied to the National Construction Price Index.

Website: We're in the process of moving on to a different company. Some changes are showing up but features are still under development. It's unfortunate and disruptive. I'm not sure why the breakdown ocurred and days of problem solving may or may not yield an answer so we'll just start anew. We are now moving our website from a server in Argentina to Costa Rica. The Optional Upgrades section should be ready (if all goes well) by February 17, 2008.

Marketing: We still haven't cracked the Tico market. We're giving up for now and reallocating are marketing budget elsewhere. 

Sales: We have sold both of the units in building 23, a Cortez Split Ground Floor unit in building 3 and 12, the last Triana Ground Floor Unit on lot 10 and an Upper Level Unit in Ponce Villa in building 2. We have several other discussions underway for Ground Floor Units in Balboa Split Villas in buildings 13 and 18 and hopefully, we should also sell a Balboa Villa Single Family home on lot 14. We also have an ongoing discussion with a prospective purchaser from Spain for a large Cortez Villa Single Family home of 485 square meters (5,220 square feet) on lot 6.  See the attached updated site plan for reference.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: We made a few changes to the site plan. We're now on version 47. What changed. As well as getting the icons the right size and shape, eliminated a lot that we felt would be rather small given the setbacks necessary and when we realized that we need a place for necessary site mechanicals, eg. a pumping station, in that area as well as more parking for the office area, we simply allocated a different use to that area. Fortunately we had not designated a house so didn't have to deal with anything there.

Wall: We continue plodding along on this. We have to get one electrical pole moved and ICE should move another pole which now is prominently standing in the middle of the street and very vulnerable.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale: Nothing available at the moment. I had expected that two units would come on the market in January but they didn't. We continue to await word.

For Lease: Nothing available now.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

February 01, 2008
The Lowest Unemployment
LaNacion.com. The most recent report from the International Labor Organization (ILO) points out that Costa Rica has the lowest rate of unemployment in Latin America and the Caribbean.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=38

February 01, 2008
Donors Leave Costa Rica
LaNacion.com. The generous Scandinavian countries, the Agency for International Development, the World Bank, and cooperation from Canada, as well as the Taiwanese, have left Costa Rica with their stories as the leading donors to this Central American nation.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=39

February 01, 2008
Best Tourism Destination
The United States tourist sector chose Costa Rica as the number one tourist destination in Latin America in 2007.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=40

February 01, 2008
Tourism Campaign
The Costa Rican Board of Tourism (ICT in Spanish) will launch an aggressive advertising and marketing campaign, in fears of the impact on tourism of recession in the United States.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=41

February 01, 2008
Engineering Firm
U.S. firm Emerson Process Systems & Solutions is to open in Costa Rica its first center of engineering and design in Latin America.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=42

February 01, 2008
Costa Rica Central Bank Cuts Overnight Rate to 3.25%
By Carlos Barletta Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Costa Rica's central bank cuts its benchmark lending rate and predicted economic growth will slow this year.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=43

February 01, 2008
Costa Rica Files for Arbitration in WTO Gambling Dispute
Action Could Upend U.S. - E.U. Agreement Billions in Issue WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The international Internet gambling dispute, potentially valued at billions of dollars, continues. Costa Rica and Antigua separately filed for World Trade Organization (WTO) arbitration on January 28, seeking compensation from the United States as a result of the U.S. withdrawal of its commitment on cross-border gambling services. The new arbitration requests could potentially derail the settlement for compensation agreed to late last year by the U.S. and the E.U.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=44  

January 30, 2008

Costa Rica's unemployment rate dips to 4.8%

By Alex Leff Tico Times Staff | aleff@ticotimes.net Costa Rica has broken a long-held jobless rate streak that hovered around 6%, dropping to 4.8% last year, a United Nations agency reported.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=35

January 30, 2008
Allergan to shut Irish plant, shift to Costa Rica
Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:43am EST DUBLIN, Jan 30 (Reuters) - U.S. medical device maker Allergan (AGN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will close its breast implant factory in the east of Ireland and shift production to Costa Rica, resulting in the loss of 360 jobs.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=36

January 30, 2008
San Jose's La Sabana Park to Get Makeover, Costa Rica
Posted by Thomas (Costa Rica News) With several hew high rise condominium blocks' being built around the edge of La Sabana Park and with a few more in the pipelines to be built, an emphasis has now been put on rejuvenating one of San Jose's most tranquil of places.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=37

January 29, 2008
Costa Rica to Ask for US Trade Delay
By MARIANELA JIMENEZ – 36 minutes ago SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — President Oscar Arias said Tuesday he will ask the U.S. to delay implementation of a free-trade agreement to give the country time to pass several necessary local laws.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=33

January 29, 2008
Costa Rica's Exports Up
By Paul Smith (Costa Rica News) The final figures are in for Costa Rica's 2007 exports after officials spent the most of this month tallying up the totals for the final month of December to find that the amount of exports had increased by 14%.

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/art.php?nNewsCod=34

» OUR LIVES

Weather: The strong winds have blown themselves out as the cold front passed. We've had normal breezes and sunny days.

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

ISSUE #174: Feb. 4-9, 2008 | 2008-02-09

9 More Sales at El Dorado

9 More Sales at El Dorado

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Marketing: We will attend a trade show this week—The Americas Real Estate Expo-- at the Ramada Herradura Hotel. This will be our first experience;  we'll see how it goes.  A review of most of the exhibitors indicate they are marketing beach properties; we're likely to be the only exhibitor for the Central Valley. We are told that lots of visitors will be coming from other parts of Central and South America as well as the US. We have a simple but very elegant booth; others have very elaborate displays. We'll see what happens.

Website: We have a new company but not much has been done yet on the outstanding features.

Sales: We are working on completing nine (9) sales this week.  Not all the money is in nor all the contracts signed both ways, but we expect to complete all we are currently working on.  This brings us to a total sales of 41.  We are expecting the final count of  doors to be around 110 of which Paul and I will probably hold on to 15 units.  That being the case we are effectively 43% sold out.

Note: People ask me if our sales are on target. Since I have no target/time scenario—I  don't know how one does this if they have little control over the event--.  We have decided on a marketing campaign which seems to be working. We don't have any reliable benchmark to compare our progress to. We continue to have a number of multiple sales and all from N. Americans. We still haven't been able to break into the Tico market—this is a personal disappointment.

Meeting with the Mayor of Santa Ana: We met with the mayor of Santa Ana and presented our project to him.  While he seemed pleased with all of it, he was particularly interested in our protection of the stream and how we were planning on cleaning it up.  When we described our plan, he was very pleased and commented that he was interested in working to clean up the headwaters as well. The second area of major interest to him was our social responsibility program. We explained that the $10,000 per year we expect will be designated for health, education, and safety/security issues in the immediate community. We said we would work with his office and local community representatives to identify where and how we can make a difference.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect:

Entrance: I've asked the architect to work on a specific design and rendering for the entrance.  We won't be building it until some time later but we need to know the design so we can know the measurements so we can terminate the fence and make space for the various connections (electrical and telecommunications) and functions that this area will have to accommodate.

Building 19: I've also given him my vision of what we could build in this area and asked to produce a preliminary design. This is an unusual area in that my vision has parking on the roof of what will be a two story cascading down building…
 
Wall: (Same as last week) We continue plodding along on this.  We have to get one electrical pole moved and ICE should move another pole which now is prominently standing in the middle of the street and very vulnerable.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale: Nothing available at the moment. I had expected that two units would come on the market in January but they didn't.  We continue to await word.

For Lease:

Unit 113—UNFURNISHED (kitchen appliances are included) 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom, 1,300 sf,  open concept kitchen/LR/DR with wall unit.  Granite kitchen counters and bathroom vanities; vaulted ceilings, ceramic tile floors,   outside covered terrace, etc. CLEAN –$1,000 mo.

Dust: The developers to our east have been creating havoc for us—first they tore up the street and it became a dust bowl and then they started moving top soil for their development.  We're down wind from them so for the past 6 weeks we've suffered—and still are.  They did, however, cover the street with the first layer of asphalt—that helps but..

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

February 09, 2008
War of the Supermarkets includes Costa Rican Chains
(Costa Rica News) Yesterday 16 regional supermarket chains, two of them Costa Rican, signed an agreement in El Salvador to unite forces and be more competitive against the retail giant Wal-Mart. The regional organization will be called Super Markets of Ce
Read

February 09, 2008
First Chinese Film Festival in Costa Rica This Weekend
(Costa Rica News) The first ever Chinese Film Festival, which will take place this weekend from Feb. 8 to Feb. 10, will feature three full-length Chinese films, each with three separate viewing times. All will be shown at the Cinépolis Terramall movie the
Read

February 06, 2008
U.S. ex-pats in Costa Rica make history in first global primary
U.S. ex-pats trickled into a hotel room on Parque Morazán yesterday to vote in a historic global primary to help decide the Democratic Party's 2008 nominee for U.S. president.
Read

February 06, 2008
Costa Rica establishes diplomatic relations with Palestinian 'state'
Costa Rica took a bold step into the tumultuous Mideast politics yesterday, announcing it recognizes Palestinian statehood and announces a bilateral accord with the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to "strengthen" the governments' diplomatic relatio
Read

February 06, 2008
International Texting from Costa Rica
The Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE), the state run monopoly for the telecommunications market, have now announced contracts with bigger mobile networks outside of Costa Rica that will mean that text messages can be sent to and from those countr
Read

February 05, 2008
Colombia, Costa Rica 'top ten' for environment
Colombia and Costa Rica are among the top ten nations in a ranking of excellence in environmental performance.
Read

February 05, 2008
Costa Rica’s Sex Tax eliminated
Posted by Paul Smith (CostaRicaNews) The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) has eliminated the 3% tax that they had been charging motels on top of the 16.39% hotels tax.
Read

February 05, 2008
IHG Opens the First Crowne Plaza(R) in Costa Rica
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) (LSE:IHG) (NYSE:IHG) (ADRs), one of the world’s largest hotel groups by number of rooms, today announced the opening of the Crowne Plaza® Corobici San Jose Costa Rica.
Read

February 04, 2008
Costa Rica joins in worldwide call for FARC's farewell to arms
Colombians are set to march today in San José as part of a worldwide protest, "One Million Voices Against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)," which is meant to call for the leftist rebel army to lay down its weapons and release its hosta
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Normal breezes and sunny skies.  It's wonderful.

I've been crippled up with a bad back for the past two weeks. Too  many long hours hunched over a computer is probably the culprit.

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

ISSUE 175: Feb 10-16, 2008 | 2008-02-16

Americas Real Estate Expo

Americas Real Estate Expo

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Marketing: America's Real Estate Expo ran Sunday / Monday / Tuesday. I didn't know what to expect and what I was told, was, in reality a bit exaggerated. We got perhaps a dozen leads which we are following up on now. We need one sale from those leads to justify the expense. The event was co-organized by the  Costa Rica Real Estate Brokers Board and the Costa Rican Global Association of Realtors. In that sense, Hacienda El Dorado has  put itself on the map as a viable development in the Central Valley. We were the only residential development represented at the event from the Central Valley. All the other exhibitors were based at the beach.

Note:  We were supposed to participate in another expo to be held at the Holiday Inn in San Jose. This doesn't seem to be happening and the organizer, from Florida, has disappeared. We may have been scammed!  We checking up on info. we have but………. Also, several publications we committed to are "delayed". We're skeptical…… Obviously, I am less than happy with these;  I'll have to be more skeptical and discerning in the future….

Prices: We instituted a 5% increase to compensate for the 4% devaluation.  In the announcement  of our price increase posted here, we said that in the future prices would be adjusted according to the published construction price index.  When we investigated how to operationalize this, we ran into problems.  We've had to back away and in one case eat humble pie.  While we do anticipate further price increases to compensate for higher than expected inflation as well as further completion of sales, we will simply increase the price effective immediately. I say "immediately", because this last time we "grandfathered" people who had reserved and we ate the 4% devaluation.  We don't see ourselves being able to do that in the future.
 
Website: All the information we have uploaded is now mostly accurate—I'm told. We have some additional info. which will be created by another company.

Sales: We completed 8 of the 9 sales mentioned last week. One didn't result in a sale because the purchaser  was advised by his boss that he wouldn't be in CR when we delivered the  house—he was likely to be transferred.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Architect: Entrance: I have a draft but haven't done anything with it yet.

Building 19: I have a draft;  we laid it out; it doesn't fit but we did find that the PONCE will so we will plan to build 4 units with parking on the roof for building site 19.
 
Wall: (same as last week)  It moves slowly along—we have 31 people on the payroll. We're beginning to form and pour the columns along the west side. The west side should be substantially completed including sidewalk in a month. The structural wall across from area 23 and 21 should also be finished by then.

Office: A plan to build an office for current and future needs. We have the floor plan and rendering. We've authorized the creation of building drawings which we can submit for a construction permit. We will be making provision for a back up generator in this area and electrical sub panels.

Daycare Center: We have not sold to "families".  This provision seems more detrimental than desirable. Therefore, we are eliminating this feature and rethinking the use of this allocated space. We will probably put houses there—it's a good location for that use.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale:  Nothing available at the moment

For Lease:

Unit 113—UNFURNISHED (kitchen appliances are included)
2 bedroom / 2 bathroom, 1,300 sf,  open concept kitchen/LR/DR with wall unit.  Granite kitchen counters and bathroom vanities; vaulted ceilings, ceramic tile floors,   outside covered terrace, etc.   CLEAN –$1,000 mo.

Dust: Again it's been really bad as substantial winds just blow it our way……

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

February 16, 2008
Top World Banana Productivity
(La Nacion) Costa Rica produced an average 2,593 boxes of bananas per hectare in 2007, thus retaining its world leadership in banana productivity.
Read

February 16, 2008
Telecommunications Sector Opening Up
(La Nacion) The opening of the telecommunications market –which hitherto has been state-controlled– is but one debate away, since the Legislative Assembly approved it in a first of two votes.
Read

February 16, 2008
India Seeks Alliances in Costa Rica
(La Nacion) The world’s information and communications leader, India, boasts of such a high demand of computer programs and technical support services that it is seeking alliances with Costa Rican firms in order to properly handle that demand.
Read

February 16, 2008
$200 Million in Software Exports
(La Nacion) A survey by the Costa Rican Technology Chamber (CAMTIC) of the 500 technology firms in Costa Rica found that they are exporting $200 million worth of software a year.
Read

February 16, 2008
A New U.S. Ambassador
(La Nacion) A banker from the Northeast was nominated by President George W. Bush as the next U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica. Peter E. Cianchette.
Read

February 16, 2008
Flights to Bogota
(La Nacion) The Colombian airline Avianca will start operating four weekly non-stop flights between Costa Rica and Bogota starting this February 29.
Read

February 16, 2008
Multinationals Set Eyes on Costa Rica Telecom Industry
(Costa Rica News) Despite the fact that the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly just approved the bill that sets the stage to open up the telecommunications industry earlier this week, a few multinationals have had their eyes set on the market for several ye
Read

February 15, 2008
U.S. Low-Cost Carrier to Fly Costa Rican Skies
(The Tico Times/EFE) ATA Airlines will begin a direct Miami-San José route next month, the low-cost U.S. carrier said.
Read

February 15, 2008
Costa Rican Business Owners Stay Optimistic
(Tico Times) Business owners are overwhelmingly positive about the economy here, according to the latest quarterly survey released by the Union of Private-Sector Chambers and Associations (UCCAEP).
Read

February 15, 2008
Nicaraguan-Costa Rican Binational Commission to Meet
(Prensa Latina) The Binational Commission between Nicaragua and Costa Rica will meet in mid March in the Nicaraguan city of Granada, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather:  Windy nights; lots of dust from next door.--sunny.

Parrot: The parrot found herself in a bit of a fix the other evening when Lita retrieved her from the tree.  As she was getting into her cage she turned around a wanted to come out again to play with Lita.  The door dropped down on her scrawny neck and Lita didn't see what the problem was.  Fortunately I was there so rescued her.  After which she picked up a soda cracker in her claw and held it flat faced to her neck. I'm not sure what relief the cracker was suppose to give but I thought it humorous.

Computers: At Paul's urging, I bought a newer, higher powered computer.  I haven't yet moved onto it because I've been dreading the BS that goes with it.  I've spent many hours going through all my files changing the "/" I used in many cases to title the file.   The hard disc onto which we will first transfer the info. doesn't read that character.  I wonder how much more stupid changes I'm going to have to do before I get to the front door of the new computer.  While this type of "upgrade" is usually billed as "seamless" or "a cakewalk" or some equally enticing term, I've never, ever found it that way.

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

ISSUE #176: Feb 18-23, 2008 | 2008-02-24

Toronto and Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Toronto and Ripley's Believe It or Not!

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Marketing: Jan has been very busy with leads from the Americas RE Expo and other leads generated by ads and by purchasers arriving to view what they have purchased. Jan is investigating going to a similar RE expo in Atlanta, Georgia.

Sales: We have two more sales, one from the RE expo so guess it was cost effective for us. The second sale (Maya Tower - Building B Penthouse) is by a client who had purchased a single family home at El Dorado a couple of months ago. We have several other good conversations ongoing which might also result in sales.

Second Investment RE Expo in CR: It's beginning to look more and more like we were scammed. Jan has alerted the US Embassy, Canal 7 (the largest commercial TV channel in CR), La Nacion and The Tico Times to our information and situation. It is my understanding that some investigative journalism is currently underway.
 
Website: We are awaiting the addition of another sections to our website—the optional upgrades.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Building 19: We now have a rendering  from the architect which is fairly accurate of the setting in which the building will be located.  It's unusual because it cascades DOWN the hill surrounded by parkland and faces the stream. (See rendering attached.)
 
Wall: (Same as last week)  The columns make it appear that we have made faster progress but in reality, it is the same progress that 20 people can make.  (We have 31 people on the payroll but some are working on different sections of walls.)

Office: The working drawings for construction application are nearing completion.

Daycare Center: This is now "out" as is the "multi-use building" and we are planning two houses— 2 Balboa's  and/or a Balboa and a Cortez.—in that location.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale:  Nothing available at the moment

For Lease:

Unit 113—UNFURNISHED (kitchen appliances are included)
2 bedroom / 2 bathroom, 1,300 sf,  open concept kitchen/LR/DR with wall unit.  Granite kitchen counters and bathroom vanities; vaulted ceilings, ceramic tile floors,   outside covered terrace, etc.   CLEAN –$1,000 mo.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

February 22, 2008
$600-Million Investment
(La Nacion) Minister of Tourism Carlos Benavides announced that the Costa Rican Board of Tourism (ICT in Spanish) is handling applications for tourist developments, which overall mean a $600-million investment in the sector this year. If the ICT declares
Read

February 22, 2008
Arrival of Tourists Up
(La Nacion) The number of tourists in January increased 13.7 percent as compared to the same month last year, according to early data from the ICT and the Costa Rican Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR).
Read

February 22, 2008
Trade with the European Union
(La Nacion) The Central American nations aim at emplacing special protective mechanisms for key productive sectors in the Association Agreement with the European Union.
Read

February 22, 2008
Procter & Gamble Center
(La Nacion) From a facility in Costa Rica, 250 people have the responsibility to advise Procter & Gamble branches throughout the continent for any deals they launch on finance, information, and distribution, so that they will be as efficient and dollar-ea
Read

February 22, 2008
Central Bank Buys Fewer Dollars
(La Nacion) The Central Bank of Costa Rica has lowered the purchase of dollars so far this year.
Read

February 22, 2008
Record Number of Text Messages
(La Nacion) On Valentine, Costa Rican cell-phone messages topped over a record 83.7 million, more than 30 million above the corresponding number for last New Year’s Eve.
Read

February 20, 2008
Costa Rica on Castro
The news yesterday that Fidel Castro is stepping down as Head of State of Cuba has been a front-page story around the world. However, some governments, such as Costa Rica's, downplayed the significance of his departure.
Read

February 18, 2008
Delta begins nonstop flights from New York-JFK to San Jose and Liberia, Costa Rica
NEW YORK, Feb 18, 2008 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) Today announced the beginning of nonstop flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and San Jose and Liberia, Costa Rica, starting today and tomorrow, respectively.
Read

February 18, 2008
Voting 101 at U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica
(The Tico Times) As the U.S. presidential race heats up back home, many expats here are wondering how they can make their vote count in the Nov. 4 election. Next week some U.S. citizens abroad in Costa Rica will be better informed.
Read

February 18, 2008
Costa Rica’s Attorney General Weighs in on CAFTA Deadlines
(The Tico Times) Costa Rica can enter a free-trade agreement with the United States now, then spend up to three months passing laws that put the country in compliance with the treaty, the Government Attorney's Office said Friday.
Read

February 18, 2008
Costa Rica Tourism Continues to Increase
(Costa Rica News) At the turn of the year the Costa Rican tourism board were worried that this year might be a slower growth year for tourists visiting Costa Rica with regards to the delicate conditions of the United States economy, however new figures in
Read

February 18, 2008
Doubletree Adds Hotels in Costa Rica
(DallasNews.com) Doubletree Hotels & Resorts rang in the new year with new properties in Costa Rica – the first full-service Hilton family hotels in the country. Both properties have undergone extensive renovations.
Read

February 18, 2008
Delta flies nonstop JFK to Costa Rica's San José, Liberia airports
(The Tico Times) Delta Air Lines announced the launch of nonstop flights between New York's JFK International Airport, and San José and Liberia international airports, in central and northwest Costa Rica, respectively. The flights are scheduled to begin t
Read

February 18, 2008
Tourism in Costa Rica remains strong despite U.S. economic downturn
(The Tico Times) Tourism growth continued to be strong in January, despite fears that an economic slowdown in the United States might put a damper on this year.
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: A forced return to Toronto in the middle of winter can only be attributed to bad planning on our part. While the weather wasn't as bad (for Toronto) as it had been and could have been, it was still a VERY RUDE experience and a reminder (not that I needed it) that Canadian winters are not for me.

Ripley's Believe it or Not!: Now here's a story which defies ALL logic and common sense. To me it is the epitome of stupidity and absurdity. If it were to have happen in CR, people might say to the effect, …..what do you expect in a third world Latin country... But this story happened in Ontario, CANADA…… Lita, who is well past the "legally blind" threshold had her driver's license RENEWED. The DMV employee saw that I had to put her hand and pen in the right place so she could sign 4 times in front of him. All he wanted was "$75.00!!!!! He didn't care that she could not see a bloody thing. In CR one has to take a medical exam which includes an eye sight test. Regardless of how perfunctory these "exams" are, they are required;  In Canada, such exams are NOT required. Lita couldn't wipe the smile off her face for having proven me wrong (I said there was no bloody way she would get it renewed) and the guy had to take a 2nd. picture—you see, you are not allowed to smile for mug shots either for driver's licenses or for passports.  This is Canada…… no one smiles here!

Canada: We found this trip very stressful. It was not one we wanted to make but had to in order to renew some documents. Traveling and living in a different environment is difficult for Lita. Walking on un-even ice covered surfaces, climbing snow banks, up and down steps, escalators, etc. while bundled up in mountains of clothes shivering is just not a lot of fun. Several documents we got renewed without a problem. The most important ones, however, caused us several days of angst and stress until we were able to find the right supporting  documents—all of which the bloody government has but which we had to again present "originals". In retrospect, there isn't a lot of difference between the governments of CR and Canada. While one expects that Canada has a more efficient and larger data base of information than CR, it doesn't use it. We were originally scheduled for three working days; we didn't know that one of those days had become a legal provincial holiday. We had to extend our stay by one additional day. We told very few friends we were coming and had to be very specific as to when we would be available for a beer. We saw most of those people and had a great reunion with them. We also saw Lita's family one night. Families are great if you don't have to get involved in the dramas— which we don't. Lita's nephew was his usual fantastic self who drove us around and made our objectives much easier to accomplish. We gave him a car which we no longer needed.

We stayed in a building downtown which I built 22 years ago and managed for 18. It is a very elegant apartment hotel. I have now stayed there twice and I didn't own it either time. The current owner who bought it from me is a wonderful guy and we have come to like and respect one another—we looked after his daughter in CR and he looks after our nephew who is the caretaker of the building. I still love the building and each time I've stayed there, it's been a special treat.

Toronto is an expensive city: Parking for 20 min. was $4;  parking minimum in another garage was $6 after which it jumped to $12. Gas is $1.10 L. I chose to ignore the price of my favorite beer but 7 half  chicken wings were $7.89 + taxes. Everyone I saw was dressed in black, grey, or brown and had no form—just bundles of clothing moving but not talking. I was continuously cold even inside most buildings.

Parrot: Lita got home late the night before we were to fly to Toronto. He evidently got tired of waiting and went for a flight. Several of us looked for him but he wouldn't respond.  We left her for "lost" and I had a drink to celebrate.  Lita returned and became horrified at the situation. She trudged off with bamboo pole in hand and with the neighbor lady—I was interested in finishing my "celebration". Well, the parrot responded to her calls and was soon retrieved.  I then finished my rum having changed the purpose of the drink……

Computers: I'm still looking for "/"s in my file names……

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

ISSUE #177: Feb 25 - Mar 1, 2008 | 2008-03-01

The Setback Drama Ends

The Setback Drama Ends

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Marketing: We are still evaluating going to a similar RE expo in Atlanta, Georgia.

Sales: We are still working on the two from last week; No new sales this week.

Website: We are awaiting the addition of another section to our website—the optional upgrades.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

River Setback: Several weeks ago we realized there was a significant difference in the setback required from the stream.  The architect had used a 10 m setback; the drawings he should have used for reference clearly stated 15m.  When we became aware of this, we were less than happy.  Paul started working with another person in whom we have  more confidence.  After several tries, the official setback has now been established at 10 m.  There are some areas yet where we need more discussions with the officials.  The architect had gambled with our money and our credibility.  We're not in the gambling business; this should have been settled months ago.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Sale:

Nothing available at the moment

For Lease:

Unit 113—UNFURNISHED (kitchen appliances are included) – Leased

Unit 120—Furnished: 1,300 sf (127 m2), single level, 2 bedroom each with Queen beds, 2 bathrooms, beautifully furnished with wall unit, 42" flat screen TV + two standard TVs, DW, clothes washer/dryer, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans, etc. $1,350 mo.

Unit 109—Furnished: 1,500 sf (140m2), single floor, beautifully furnished with leather furniture and granite tables, wall unit, built in office area, large open concept LR.DR,Office,Ktch,, two bedrooms each with queen beds,  two bathrooms, terrace storage room,  detached--$1,600 mo.

Unit 107—Furnished: 1,716 sf (158 m2), two story, 2 1/2 bathrooms, separate built-in office area, private terrace, ground floor bedroom with 2 matrimonial beds and ensuite washroom, 2nd. floor master suite with east and west terrace, master bath with corner Jacuzzi, shower, bidet, large kitchen. $1,600 mo.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

February 29, 2008
More Funds for the Environment
(La Nacion) The National System of Conservation Areas increased its budget fro 2008 by 28 percent, in comparison to last year’s.
Read

February 29, 2008
Ties with Israel
(La Nacion) The Israeli Ambassador Ehud Eitam, tried to soothe the likely deterioration of the relations between his country and Costa Rica, resulting from the establishment of relations between the Central American nation and the Palestinian Authority.
Read

February 29, 2008
German Investment
(La Nacion) A delegation of German businessmen visited Costa Rica aiming at eventual investment here.
Read

February 29, 2008
$72.5 Million for Limon
(La Nacion) The World Bank pledged granting Costa Rica $72.5 million for the modernization of the Caribbean city port of Limon.
Read

February 29, 2008
Plane Lost 65 Years Ago
(La Nacion) The debris of a Vultee BT-13 Valiant belonging to the Chilean Air Force and lost in 1943 were found in the Costa Rican Central Mountain Range.
Read

February 29, 2008
A Sea of Black T-shirts
(La Nacion) Saprissa Stadium in San Jose hosted a concert by Iron Maiden.
Read

February 29, 2008
Cell Phones in Costa Rica to Die
(Costa Rica News) From the start of this coming Sunday starting at 12.01am mobile phones in Costa Rica will be cut off from their service.
Read

February 28, 2008
Costa Rica Says Finances Set to Resist US Downturn
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Feb. 28 (Reuters) - Costa Rica expects to maintain healthy government finances despite a downturn in the economy of the United States, its main trading partner, Treasury Minister Guillermo Zuniga said on Thursday.
Read

February 27, 2008
Costa Rica Dry Season to be Cut Short by La Niña
(Costa Rica News) Costa Rican meteorologists expect the rainy season, or the Costa Rican winter, to come early this year to the Central Valley and the Pacfic due to certain climate conditions including La Niña phenomenon.
Read

February 27, 2008
Missing WWII Plane Found in Costa Rica
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Farmers in the mountains of Costa Rica found a Chilean air force plane that disappeared during World War II while flying from Texas to Chile.
Read

February 27, 2008
Implementation of CAFTA in Costa Rica delayed until Oct. 1
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (The Associated Press): Costa Rica has until Oct. 1 to implement the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the U.S., the president said Wednesday.
Read

February 25, 2008
Will a Recession in the US hurt Costa Rica?
(Costa Rica News) With house prices plummeting in the US and the Credit Crunch only crunching even more, should Costa Rica be taking precautionary plans to diversify its tourism advertising and trade to other countries world-wide?
Read

February 25, 2008
AJC Criticizes Costa Rica Recognition of Palestinian State
(American Jewish Committee) The American Jewish Committee is dismayed by the decision of Costa Rica to establish diplomatic relations with the “State of Palestine.”
Read

February 25, 2008
Costa Rica's Youth Struggle with Age-Old Problems
(The Tico Times) Young people in Costa Rica have trouble finishing school and finding jobs. Many distrust politicians, and gender lines still divide them.
Read

February 25, 2008
Costa Rican Electronics Retailer Buys Competitor
(The Tico Times) Costa Rica's largest electronics group has purchased one of its few remaining competitors.
Read

February 24, 2008
Costa Rica's Jade Museum to Get New Home
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the National Insurance Institute (INS) have announced plans to create a new home for the Jade Museum, a popular San José tourist attraction.
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Both Lita and I are suffering through colds probably from the rapid change in climates and being confined to airplanes and airports.

Samara / Carillo: Several days after returning from Canada, family arrived. They wanted to go to the beach. We went to our favorite beach area. While always beautiful, it's always hotter than I like. This area has lagged behind other beach areas in development as it is further from the Liberia airport and a good hike from San Jose. Having said that, I did notice a number of dump trucks and a number of new houses being built. A significant road is being pushed through to Punta Islita.

Emergency Care Like It Should Be: Saturday morning after our return, I was awakened at 6:30am by a loud knocking on my door. One of our residents had an obvious problem and asked me to take him to CIMA hospital—5 min. away. Off we went. Direct to EMERGENCY where I parked, the admitting girl pointed us to the proper door, the emergency nurses directed us to a gurney and while Joe was lying down she was getting the story and hooking him up to monitors.—total time from parking to gurney—30 seconds; I took his documents, admitted him—passport number, credit card, phone number—1 min. later, I returned to the gurney and a DOCTOR was in attendance. He was stabilized. I waited a bit; a specialist was called, I left. The problem: an uncontrollable nose bleed; initial diagnosis—he had taken too many Excedrin's (aspirin based) pills to control a headache the day before and perhaps a higher than normal blood pressure caused the problem.

In every emergency experience I had in Toronto, I waited in the admitting area for a long time, the admitting process took much longer, I was placed on a gurney in a hallway, and would wait for hours before being seen by a doctor.

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

Issue #178: March 3-8, 2008 | 2008-03-09

Los Jardines: Rental Vacancies

Los Jardines: Rental Vacancies

»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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Sales: We're still working on the two from last week and tidying up paperwork. No new sales this week. We are putting together a financing offer for CR citizens to try to tap that market.

We have a couple from the frozen lands of Ontario visiting their sight-un-seen purchase and are thrilled with it.  We've had them to dinner; they are really nice people.

Website: We fired the new company for non-performance and have now placed our work with a freelance developer.  We'll see what happens this time.  Therefore, we have not made the progress expected to fix info. and update some things.

Marketing: Jan, the Marketing Manager, has been working on updating marketing information. Currently he's off to the beach for some much deserved R&R. He'll return on Wednesday. He has his computer with him so he's still on the job (kind-of).

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Misc: Paul has started a campaign to get one of our neighbors to clean up his household. Lately he seems to have gone into the scrap metal business and uses the public roadway as well as his front yard as the warehouse. This will probably take a while but we have time. We know the Mayor wants some help with the Red Cross—Santa Ana……  Paul has also been bird dogging the various permits and permit qualifications. Progress is slow and uneven but we just keep chipping away at it.  Sometimes, it's a double scotch night!

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Office Equipment: Paul has focused on upgrading and replacing office equipment.  Dust and age wreck havoc on electronics.  He's been fighting his way through the hook-ups and the software installations.  It's nearly complete now.

For Sale:  Nothing available at the moment

For Lease:

Unit106 C:  Upper level with terrace views east and west.  1 / 2 bedrooms; 2 bathrooms.  Huge terrace facing east; large master bedroom with king size bed.  Fully furnished;  1,250 sf including the two covered terraces;  $950 mo.

Unit 107:  Furnished:  1,716 sf (158 m2), two story, 2 1/2 bathrooms, separate built-in office area, private terrace, ground floor bedroom with 2 matrimonial beds and ensuite washroom, 2nd. floor master suite with east and west terrace, master bath with corner Jacuzzi, shower, bidet, large kitchen.  $1,600 mo.

Unit 109: Furnished:  1,500 sf (140m2), single floor, beautifully furnished with leather furniture and granite tables, wall unit, built in office area, large open concept LR.DR, Off., Ktch,, two bedrooms each with queen beds,  two bathrooms, terrace storage room,  detached--$1,600 mo.

Unit 115: 1450 sf; 2 bedroom; 2 bathroom; private terrace; 50" flat screen TV; lots and lots of built-in cabinets; office desk.  VERY nicely furnished.  $1,450.

Unit 120: Furnished: 1,300 sf (127 m2), single level, 2 bedroom each with Queen beds, 2 bathrooms, beautifully furnished with wall unit, 42" flat screen TV + two standard TVs, DW, clothes washer/dryer, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans, etc.  $1,350 mo.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

March 07, 2008
Cost of Food and Fuels Up
(La Nacion) In the last 12 months, the cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased 21 percent.
Read

March 07, 2008
Earlier Rains
(La Nacion) The National Weather Bureau announced the transition from the dry season to the rainy one earlier this year, as a result of the influence of the phenomenon known as La Niña.
Read

March 07, 2008
Hundreds of Ticos Deported
(La Nacion) The United States has deported more than 200 Costa Ricans in recent months, because they simulated migratory moves between the two countries.
Read

March 07, 2008
Canadian Visa
(La Nacion) Bearers of a Canadian visa will be admitted to Costa Rica.
Read

March 07, 2008
At the Roman Forum
(La Nacion) Costa Rican sculptor Jorge Jimenez-Deredia continues an outstanding career in Europe.
Read

March 07, 2008
Costa Rica Guaro Gets a New Face and New Markets
Costa Rican guaro (the national liquor of Costa Rica) sold under the brand name Cacique will be distributed in record numbers this year thanks to a new pact between the liquor's producer, the National Liquor Factory (Fanal) and Centenario International, S
Read

March 05, 2008
Government Opposition Sinks New Casino Project in Costa Rica
Plans by Russia's largest casino operator Storm International to open a new hotel and casino in Costa Rica in 2008 have been all but abandoned following a concerted political campaign in the central American country against the investment.
Read

March 05, 2008
Costa Rica's Carbon Neutral Airline
(Smarter Travel) Leave it to tiny Costa Rica to up the eco-quotient ahead of the curve.
Read

March 05, 2008
The Path (El Camino)
(Variety) Two hapless Nicaraguan children set out on a journey to find their mother across the border in Costa Rica in "The Path," an impressively assembled feature debut for Chilean-Iraqi helmer Ishtar Yasin.
Read

March 05, 2008
Indigenous Groups Oppose Dam in Costa Rica
- ICE is planning a new hydroelectric plant in Costa Rica - The Arenal Dam is Costa Rica's biggest hydroelectric energy source
Read

March 05, 2008
Costa Rican Government Taking Action on Insurance Fraud
(Costa Rica News) The Costa Rican government look set to take on action on a host of high profile figures that work in Costa Rica, most notably former president Miguel Angel Rodriguez, in relation to allegedly accepting $2.1 million in payment from intern
Read

March 05, 2008
Costa Rica's 'Green' Season to Clock in Early
(The Tico Times) After spurts of rain in February, meteorologists forecast this month will likely remain "dry" as the temporada seca, or dry season, dictates.
Read

March 04, 2008
Costa Rica Urges Feuding Neighbors to Take a Deep Breath
(The Tico Times) Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno called for dialogue yesterday to cool tensions over a Colombian air strike in Ecuadorian territory that killed Raul Reyes, the No. 2 leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Still, sunny, quite warm

I've been doing catch up and nursing a cold which won't go away.

The kids have now returned to Toronto where they can shovel snow.  It was a good visit and all ended well.

We're looking to get back into a comfortable routine…

I'm still fighting my way through computer file name clean up so I can transfer the data to a new computer.  This one is tired and s—l—o—w.

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

ISSUE #179: March 10-15, 2008 | 2008-03-18

A Well of Rocks & A Total Ripoff

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Sales: One additional sale of a Ponce in building 19.

Realignment of duties and responsibilities: The meeting with the architect to do this was postponed until this coming Monday. We'll see what we can work out. He's great on some things and that is what we want him to focus on and leave other things which he isn't really interested in nor knowledgeable about or have the time for to others. This issue is workable and we hope to be able to resolve it and move forward.

A Well of Rocks: The first well, like the second, were capped when completed. In order to get water samples, we cut off the cap of the first well. We didn't reseal it. I had an uneasy feeling about this but felt the 6" diameter didn't represent a danger. Well it didn't to anyone falling in but it captured the imagination of the neighborhood kids who played inn that area and they proceeded to fill it with rocks. We now have a problem. We don't need the water now but we will have to remove the rocks. This is why the axiom in construction is that it something can screw up, it will.

TOTAL Ripoff: One of our Canadian purchasers filled up his rental car twice at the Total gas station in Santa Ana. The second time he paid substantially more than the first and it wasn't as empty. When he challenged the attendant, the attendant rapidly erased the meter reading. This practice at this station was reported twice in recent posting on an on-line bulletin board. Obviously, it is still happening.

Marketing: One of our purchasers has arranged for a feature article on us to appear in The Toronto Star. We have been feeding the freelance journalist info and photos. We'll see what happens.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Office Equipment: Paul has focused on upgrading and replacing office equipment. Dust and age wreck havoc on electronics. He's been fighting his way through the hook-ups and the software installations. It's nearly complete now.

For Sale: Nothing available at the moment

For Lease:

Unit106 C: Upper level with terrace views east and west. 1 / 2 bedrooms; 2 bathrooms. Huge terrace facing east; large master bedroom with king size bed. Fully furnished; 1,250 sf including the two covered terraces; $950 mo. April 1

Unit 107: Furnished: 1,716 sf (158 m2), two story, 2 1/2 bathrooms, separate built-in office area, private terrace, ground floor bedroom with 2 matrimonial beds and ensuite washroom, 2nd. floor master suite with east and west terrace, master bath with corner Jacuzzi, shower, bidet, large kitchen. $1,600 mo. April 1

Unit 109: Furnished: 1,500 sf (140m2), single floor, beautifully furnished with leather furniture and granite tables, wall unit, built in office area, large open concept LR.DR, Off., Ktch,, two bedrooms each with queen beds, two bathrooms, terrace storage room, detached--$1,600 mo. April 1

Unit 115: 1450 sf; 2 bedroom; 2 bathroom; private terrace; 42" and a 32" flat screen TVs; lots and lots of built-in cabinets; office desk, DW, W/D. VERY nicely furnished. $1,450. April 1

Unit 120: Furnished: 1,300 sf (127 m2), single level, 2 bedroom each with Queen beds, 2 bathrooms, beautifully furnished with wall unit, 42" flat screen TV + two standard TVs, DW, clothes washer/dryer, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans, etc. $1,350 mo. May 1

Unit 121: 1,620 sf, two level; 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom (one with Jacuzzi), living room, dining room, den and kitchen on first floor, view terrace from 2nd level, fully furnished. $1,550 mo.

Note: We have a number of units coming available all at the same time as "snowbirds" return. We haven't had many inquiries lately—perhaps a result of the US economy or gaming industry downturn in CR or ???????

Controversy: We've had two occasions this week which have resulted in disagreements. These situations always create stress and are never pleasant, however, they are to be expected when dealing with "people". We are now forced to make distinctions between tenants which will result in a double standard and not the way we have nor want to operate.

One of the results of living on site is that you are always deemed "available" at any time of the day or night and are therefore expected to be at the beck and call of whomever. Sometimes, it's necessary to simply say "no" to discretionary requests.

Texas Hold'em: Continues with a growing and enthusiastic crowd.

New Adventure: One of our new purchasers ventured out on their own in a rental car. They went to Jaco, Dominical and returned through San Isidro de General and on through San Jose. They got lost on their way to Jaco, and Manuel Antonio Park, went over one of the notoriously rough roads, between Quepos and Dominical, over the highest mountain pass in CR during afternoon fog, and got lost in San Jose at night on their way back. They did just about everything wrong and survived with stories to tell. This was a learning experience and what they do know now is that even when everything goes wrong, you can still survive and have a good time.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

March 14, 2008
ATA Flight to Costa Rica Canceled Before it Began
(Costa Rica Pages) The newest direct route between Miami and San Jose, Costa Rica was discontinued before it ever began.
Read

March 14, 2008
Steinberg Offers Costa Rican 4 Escudos
(World Coin News) Steinberg's, Inc. has released its Winter 2008 price list, "Gold Coins of the World."
Read

March 14, 2008
Minority of Costa Ricans Speak Fluent English
(Costa Rica Pages) Of all the countries of Central America, Costa Rica is on top in regard to call centers and industrial parks.
Read

March 14, 2008
Costa Rica Government Announces Better Security Plans
(Costa Rica News) Some have criticized the government here in Costa Rica for being to lax when it comes to petty thieving and minor offenses in the community, but now the government wants to crack down harder on these types of crime and more as they aim to pass a new bill through the Legislative Assembly.
Read

March 14, 2008
Effects of the U.S. Recession on Costa Rica Real Estate
(Costa Rica Pages) For those who have been in the country long enough, it is maybe a relief to see how the crazy pace of development and investment seems to have slowed down since the housing market in the United States collapsed.
Read

March 14, 2008
A Faster World on the Horizon for Costa Rica
(Costa Rica Pages) Costa Rica has always lagged behind the major technological heavyweight countries of the modern world such as the United States, Japan and the majority of Europe, but recently, it has taken major steps to minimize the gap and become a more technology savvy nation.
Read

March 14, 2008
Growth without Equality
(Latin America Press) Gap between rich and poor grows in the "Switzerland of Central America."
Read

March 14, 2008
Orchid Exposition in Costa Rica this Weekend
(Costa Rica Pages) Costa Rica is the reigning “Orchid Champion” of the world, with an amazing 1,600 species taking root within her borders.
Read

March 14, 2008
U.S. Drug Smuggler Caught As Swallowed Capsules Burst
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - An American in Costa Rica was caught smuggling nearly a pound of cocaine (0.4 kg) in his stomach after he went into convulsions on a plane bound for Miami, police said on Friday.
Read

March 14, 2008
Rare Leatherback Turtles Gain Protection in Costa Rica
(National Geographic News) As dawn breaks on Playa Grande, the light reveals shallow sand pits where leatherback sea turtles laid their eggs the night before.
Read

March 14, 2008
Costa Rica-Nicaragua Commission Takes on Ecotourism
(The Tico Times) GRANADA, Nicaragua -- Costa Rican and Nicaraguan tourism and environment officials sat down behind closed doors yesterday to lay the groundwork for opening up the border for ecotourists traveling between the countries and protecting binational ecological corridors.
Read

March 14, 2008
Costa Rica Gets Mixed Grades in U.S. Human Rights Report
(The Tico Times) Costa Rica got a host of high marks on a human rights report card published recently by the United States.
Read

March 14, 2008
Costa Rica: The Safest Country in Latin America
(La Nacion) According to the Index of Latin American Security, by FTI Consulting Ibero-America for Latin Business Chronicle, based in Miami, Florida, Costa Rica is the safest place for multi-national business and firms.
Read

March 14, 2008
Costa Rica: Second in Tourism
(La Nacion) Costa Rica is the second best tourist destination in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which evaluated 130 nations.
Read

March 14, 2008
Arias Criticizes the European Union
(La Nacion) The President of Costa Rica Dr. Oscar Arias criticized what he defined as the hypocrisy of the European Union, because it talks of free trade while subsidizing its farmers.
Read

March 14, 2008
Another Volcano Discovered in Costa Rica
(La Nacion) In the virgin tropical forest in the vicinity of San Carlos –northern Costa Rica– scientists found a dormant volcano.
Read

March 14, 2008
8-Digit Phones
(La Nacion) As of this March 20th, all telephones in Costa Rica will have eight digits.
Read

March 10, 2008
Costa Rica, United States Settle Online Gambling Dispute
(The Tico Times) Costa Rica and the United States have reached a settlement on a trade dispute caused after the U.S. enacted laws designed to target online gambling.
Read

» TESTIMONIALS

» OUR LIVES

Weather: A number of overcast days and a couple of showers which is perfect since we really need rain. The rainy season is predicted to arrive several weeks early, ie. mid April, but this weeks weather was not part of that prediction.

Act of Kindness: A Canadian couple related to me this story: They were coming from Atenas to Santa Ana and got lost in Alejuela. They caught the attention of a girl jogger and explained their situation. The girl said that finding their way to Santa Ana from where they were would be too difficult. She offered to take them but explained that she had no money for a return bus ride. That wouldn't be a problem, said the Canadians and off they went. The Tica went way out of her way to help these lost people. They will remember Costa Rica and Ticos for that singular experience.

Monday, Hipermas: The hated-by-some entity of Wal-Mart had a 40% discount on Butterball turkeys as well as golf shirts for $4.50. I took advantage of both sales and picked up a turkey for Paul as well. The Tico Times did a price comparison amongst two other chain stores on 20 items and Hipermas came out the lowest overall but not substantially lower.

Relieved: We have now replaced all our missing and/or expired documents. Replacing documents has been a 14 mo. ordeal. Lita, who was most affected, is now relieved. We will celebrate this along with her birthday and our 24 year anniversary on Sunday. Saturday she wants to go trout fishing so guess I'll be baiting the hook.

Semana Santa: Holy Week has begun. It is the biggest holiday in the country and for the next week, the country will be virtually shut down.Traffic Friday night was ridiculous. The beaches will be filled to capacity. Our construction site is shut down as our workers go to Nicaragua.

Time Out Tavern-Escazu: Friday nights seems to have become the party night for casual dinning out. They have great food at reasonable prices and in addition to their Friday night fish and chips, they have a number of special dinners which have to date, always been great. Our group is growing to around 10 and we keep going back so …

The electricity was out all day Friday for the 2nd. time in two months. ICE was upgrading the power to supply the two developments to our east.

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

ISSUE #180: March 17-22, 2008 | 2008-03-22

Semana Santa

Semana Santa

ISSUE #180

March 17-22, 2008

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Realignment of duties and responsibilities: There has been agreement on realigning responsibilities but we are still working on future architectural compensation. This will depend on what the "future" role is and that is yet to be determined.

Marketing: We are talking with a local person now living near us, who has an extensive background in developing target markets via computer based information and then contacting them. He has approached us with an interesting proposal. We're working our way through it.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Office Building: We now have the construction drawings nearly finished for this building. We will be applying for construction permits for it along with several other permits beginning next week.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Lease:

Unit106 C: Upper level with terrace views east and west. 1 / 2 bedrooms; 2 bathrooms. Huge terrace facing east; large master bedroom with king size bed. Fully furnished; 1,250 sf including the two covered terraces; $950 mo. April 1

Unit 107: Furnished: 1,716 sf (158 m2), two story, 2 1/2 bathrooms, separate built-in office area, private terrace, ground floor bedroom with 2 matrimonial beds and ensuite washroom, 2nd. floor master suite with east and west terrace, master bath with corner Jacuzzi, shower, bidet, large kitchen. $1,600 mo. April 1

Unit 109: Furnished: 1,500 sf (140m2), single floor, beautifully furnished with leather furniture and granite tables, wall unit, built in office area, large open concept LR.DR, Off., Ktch,, two bedrooms each with queen beds, two bathrooms, terrace storage room, detached--$1,600 mo. April 1

Unit 115: 1450 sf; 2 bedroom; 2 bathroom; private terrace; 42" and a 32" flat screen TVs; lots and lots of built-in cabinets; office desk, DW, W/D. VERY nicely furnished. $1,450. April 1

Unit 120: Furnished: 1,300 sf (127 m2), single level, 2 bedroom each with Queen beds, 2 bathrooms, beautifully furnished with wall unit, 42" flat screen TV + two standard TVs, DW, clothes washer/dryer, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans, etc. $1,350 mo. May 1

Unit 121: 1,620 sf, two level; 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom (one with Jacuzzi), living room, dining room, den and kitchen on first floor, view terrace from 2nd level, fully furnished. $1,550 mo.

Note: We have a number of units coming available all at the same time as "snowbirds" return. We haven't had many inquiries lately—perhaps a result of the US economy or gaming industry downturn in CR or ??????? We sent notices to about 150 RE agents this week—probably none of whom are working but the notices will be sitting on their computers when they return to work.

Texas Hold'em: Continues with a growing and enthusiastic crowd—the cheers and groans define the game. This week a Canadian girl skunked the old guys…..

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

March 22, 2008
Over-the-top tropics
A crown of streaming clouds flowed off the cone of Costa Rica's Arenal volcano. A sound like thunder shook the air.
Read

March 19, 2008
Costa Rica Phone Numbers Add 8th Digit Tomorrow
This year, Easter Week, or Semana Santa, is focusing on a rather non spiritual matter.
Read

March 18, 2008
Costa Rica couple says they didn't know safe contained FARC money
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Associated Press): A couple who agreed to store a safe in their home for a Colombian man in the late 1990s said Tuesday it belonged to senior rebel Rodrigo Granda, and that they also briefly hosted late guerrilla commander Raul Reyes in their home.
Read

March 17, 2008
Semana Santa Has Begun in Costa Rica
‘Semana Santa’, Costa Rica’s version of Spring Break when just about the entire country comes to a standstill, began this past Monday.
Read

March 17, 2008
President Arias Believes Costa Rica is Ready for a Female President
As President Arias helped celebrate International Women’s Day last week the Costa Rica president said that he would like to hand over his presidency to a female candidate when the next elections come around in 2010.
Read

March 17, 2008
Renewable Energy Powers Chirripó Internet Access
Visitors of the Crestones shelter in the Chirripó National Park can now chat online as Internet Access is reaching Costa Rica’s most inhospitable areas.
Read

March 17, 2008
Costa Rican politicians seek more info on guerrilla ties
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Associated Press) — Costa Rican lawmakers on Monday demanded the government provide more information on allegations that Colombian guerrillas have ties to local politicians and have stashed hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Central American country.
Read

March 16, 2008
Feds target 'sex tourists'
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. government is cracking down on Americans who allegedly travel abroad to engage in sex with children.
Read

» TESTIMONIALS

This new section seeks to feature some of the testimonials and references we have received from purchasers at Residencias Los Jardines and Hacienda El Dorado. We invite all purchasers both at Residencias Los Jardines and at Hacienda El Dorado to write to us to share their perspectives and opinions on why they decided to purchase and whether their expectations were met.

My wife, Pat, and I first visited Los Jardines in January of 2007 as part of a real-estate tour organized jointly by Christopher Howard and the Association of Residents of Costa Rica. That was the first time we met Brian Timmons and Rudy Matthews. Of all the beautiful homes and condos we saw over that two-day period, we were most impressed with Los Jardines. It was our good luck to be able to return to Costa Rica for two weeks in July of that same year and to be able to rent a unit in Los Jardines. Our stay there was simply wonderful. The unit itself was roomy, well-designed, at the high end of North American standards, nicely furnished and with beautiful, solid built-in cabinets in the living room, kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms. The grounds of the development are resort-like; very well maintained and simply lush with trees, plants and flowers. Pat and I swam in both of the pristine swimming pools and grilled on the built-in BBQ in one of the ranchos on the property. The on-site management and maintenance provided by Brian and his partner, Paul Leduc, make a huge, positive difference. Everything works very smoothly. Meeting and spending time with the other residents of Los Jardines was also one of the huge plus points. We very much enjoyed our leisurely times on our terrace, sharing a coffee, a drink or a cigar with a passing resident. Wednesday evenings were reserved for playing Texas Hold'em in the large rancho. 6-10 residents gather each Wednesday evening for a few hours of socializing and card-playing. It's only $20 per player so nobody gets hurt and even the "big winner" does not walk home rich; happy maybe, but not rich!! Most importantly, I heard not one complaint from any resident. Each resident expressed the conviction that buying at Los Jardines was a great decision and that the lifestyle they enjoyed was all they had hoped for and more. The support provided by Brian, Paul and Rudy is simply first class; you can't over estimate the value of trust when you are choosing a place to live. Pat and I simply fell in love with Los Jardines. We wanted very much to buy a unit there but we needed three bedrooms. When we received the open letter to prospective buyers in October, we were thrilled and seized the opportunity to become one of the very first to put in a reservation and wire our earnest money. We hope you will come visit us in building 11A, ground (middle) level, left side in April 2010, when we move in! In the meantime, feel free to email me at perezm@cod.edu or call me at 630-942-2316 between 7:00am and 3:30pm M-F, Central Time if you want to hear more about Los Jardines and buying at El Dorado. Note: I am not a paid consultant or employee of El Dorado, just an excited buyer glad to share the good news.

Michael Perez, Ph.D.

perezm@cod.edu

» OUR LIVES

Weather: A few more showers, calm followed by winds and sun….. we don't have to shovel sunshine and the plants love the showers.

Refrigerator Woes: I had no sooner purchased my turkey and put it in the freezer expecting to roast it at some suitable future occasion when the next day I realized the freezer wasn't freezing. We lost all our food and decided to feast at Lita's birthday on turkey. A repairman came the same day we discovered our situation and traced the problem to a $3 part which had failed. He had a spare part (not the correct model but one that worked) and will return with the correct replacement part after Semana Santa. They don't make frigs like they used to….

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

ISSUE #181: March 23-29, 2008 | 2008-03-23

A Magnificent Flowering Tree

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

We are assessing the extent to which we want to combat the negative news in the US economy. We hear that great opportunities exist to buy in the sunbelt areas of the US and expect that some of our potential clients might do that. Those who do not want to live in the US and / or those who know the advantages of living in CR will still be in the market. We have reaffirmed our strategy to attract the attention of those people when they are in CR. For the most part, we will work on positioning our website, continue with successful, local advertising, and work up some targeted marketing. We will sit out the blood bath going on in the US real estate market. Based on current sales, we should be able to build out Phase 1 and 2 with the current exception of the Maya Tower. In a year, the bloodbath in the US will likely be through it's worst, we expect to pick up a few buyers who want live in CR, and once we start construction, we fully expect a number of Tico purchasers will become interested.

Yellow Tree: Actually we have two near buildings 11 A & B. Fortunately, both are located where they can be saved. I've always wanted one of these now I have two—the smaller one needs to have several encroaching trees cut away such that it can reach it's full potential. I'm not sure of the local name but according to a book I have and IF I've correctly matched the tree to the description, it is described as: One of the most beautiful diciduous trees in the world. It grows to 75ft., with a spreading crown of masses of bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers, which last for about 2 months, beginning in March. The only difference between that description and our tree is that the flowers only lasted for a week.

In addition to these two gems, we have a medium pink flowering tree (it will have to be moved to a different location), a number of different yellow flowering trees (not as spectacular), and several trees with small violet flowers. We will add some other flowering trees to round out our garden.

Client Review: We have a client in from the US who's bought a number of units sight unseen. He correctly conceived the development and the views from the units he purchased. There are no surprises; he's made good choices.

Bank Financing: While not a priority for us or our clients at this point in time, I had a 2nd. Conversation with a representative from a large European bank. They are really interested in 4 and 5 Star branded projects of $150M. We're n ot in that bracket and I didn't expect to hear from him again. However, he sounded out our level of interest if he were to cobble together a group of developers that would be independent of each other but when combined, would meet the banks threshhold. Since the terms and condions he outlined were consistent with what we want, I indicated that we would be interested. It's nice to kow that there are some entrepreneurial bankers. We'll see.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Realignment of duties and responsibilities: The contract with the architect is still being finalized—we may make it work or maybe not. He will be paid for work done to date (renderings, floor plans, and associated work). The next payment date will be when permits for each house are issued. He will be responsible for preparing all drawings except electrical and structural drawings on buildings over two stories and for applying for permits. When the permits are issued, he will be paid a substantial portion. The final payment would occur when the building is water tight and grey work is completed—according to regulatory authorities, a competent (architect / engineer) needs see that the construction follows the drawings.

Gaviones: What are gaviones? They are retaining walls made of rock held in a galvanised wire baskets about 1m high by 1m wide by 3m long. We've applied for permits to build 40 m. When this is done, we will apply for another 40 me. And so on. Why the 40m. limit? Because it is a faster approval as the Municipalidad issues the permits.

Office Building: Final changes to the drawings are now completed. We will be applying to the City for a permit in approximately 2 weeks. We do not plan on building this right away but having the permit in-hand will allow us flexibility when we are ready to build it.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Dogs: For the past several months this has become an increasingly aggravating issue. Dog owners here somehow think they don't have to comply with the various regulations commonly observed in N. Am. The most frequent irritants are: allowing their dog to run loose with no supervision, uncontrolled barking, no cleaning up after pooping, allowing the dog into the pool area or into the pool itself. The rules are very clearly stated; this is not a case of ignorance, it's more cases of "I don't give a damn, I'm doing it anyway" attitude… Well non-dog owners do give a damn and there in lies the battlegrounds.

For Lease:

Unit106C: Probably Leased

Unit 107: Furnished: 1,716 sf (158 m2), two story, 2 1/2 bathrooms, separate built-in office area, private terrace, ground floor bedroom with 2 matrimonial beds and en-suite washroom, 2nd. floor master suite with east and west terrace, master bath with corner Jacuzzi, shower, bidet, large kitchen. $1,600 mo. April 1

Unit 109: Furnished: 1,500 sf (140m2), single floor, beautifully furnished with leather furniture and granite tables, wall unit, built in office area, large open concept LR.DR, Off., Ktch, two bedrooms each with queen beds, two bathrooms, terrace storage room, detached--$1,600 mo. April 1

Unit 115: 1450 sf; 2 bedroom; 2 bathroom; private terrace; 42" and a 32" flat screen TVs; lots and lots of built-in cabinets; office desk, DW, W/D. VERY nicely furnished. $1,450. April 1

Unit 120: Furnished: 1,300 sf (127 m2), single level, 2 bedroom each with Queen beds, 2 bathrooms, beautifully furnished with wall unit, 42" flat screen TV + two standard TVs, DW, clothes washer/dryer, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans, etc. $1,350 mo. May 1

Unit 121: 1,620 sf, two level; 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom (one with Jacuzzi), living room, dining room, den and kitchen on first floor, view terrace from 2nd level, fully furnished. $1,550 mo. April 15

Unit 123: Same as Unit 121 but furnished differently and a nicer view. This unit looks over the garden and small pool as well as it has a view of the southern mountains from the 2nd. Floor terrace. May 1

Note: We have a number of units coming available all at the same time as "snowbirds" return. We haven't had many inquiries lately—perhaps a result of the US economy or gaming industry downturn in CR or ??????? We sent notices again and will continue to do so on a weekly basis to about 150 RE agents this week.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

March 28, 2008
Record Popularity
Halfway his second term as President of Costa Rica, and in comparison to the preceding four administrations, doctor Oscar Arias enjoys record support from the people, since 50 percent rank his performance as “good” to “very good”, while only 14 percent say it is “bad”.
Read

March 28, 2008
Confidence Index Peaks
The confidence index –0.0 to 3.0 range– for the Government increased from 2.36 in August 2007 to 2.55 in March 2008, the highest point since January 2003.
Read

March 28, 2008
Public Debt Decreases
The public debt recorded a spectacular reduction over the last five years.
Read

March 28, 2008
The Road to China
Decoration plants and coffee lead the trade that Costa Rica activated upon establishing diplomatic ties with China and the opening of a Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER in Spanish) office in the world’s most populated nation.
Read

March 28, 2008
$2.1 Billion in Fuels
Costa Ricans are burning fuels at a $6-million daily rate, for an overall $2.1 billion at the end of the year, $600 million over the $1.5 billion forecast by the Costa Rican Oil Refinery (RECOPE in Spanish).
Read

March 28, 2008
1,600 Pounds of Cocaine
The police confiscated 740 kilos (1,600 pounds) of cocaine a in van driven by a Costa Rican, 28, identified only by the family name Valverde.
Read

March 27, 2008
Costa Rican Island Prison To Become Tourist Destination
(Costa Rica News) The island of San Lucas, 40 minutes away from the Port City of Puntarenas, in the Gulf of Nicoya, is soon to become a popular tourist destination.
Read

March 26, 2008
Costa Rican President: Dalai Lama Asks for Help Initiating Dialogue with China
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (The Associated Press): Costa Rican President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oscar Arias said Tuesday that the Dalai Lama has asked him to help start talks with China over unrest in Tibet.
Read

March 26, 2008
Costa Rican President's Popularity Reaches New High
(The Tico Times) President Oscar Arias is more popular now than at any other point during his term, according to the polling firm Unimer.
Read

March 26, 2008
Foreign Drug 'Mules' Busted in Costa Rica
(The Tico Times) The number of drug-trafficking “mules” being foiled at the country's airports has spiked in recent months. A mule is slang for a person who trafficks drugs on their person, often in their stomachs or rectums, as they cross borders.
Read

March 26, 2008
Dengue Fever Reduced in Costa Rica
San Jose, Mar 26 (Prensa Latina) Costa Rica showed a reduction on the index of dengue fever affected people Wednesday, according to the last record by the Costa Rica Public Health Ministry.
Read

March 25, 2008
‘U.S. Crisis Will Affect Growth, Exports, Tourism’
SAN JOSÉ(IPS) - The possibility of a recession in the United States is already causing repercussions in Costa Rica, where exports and the value of real estate in tourist areas are expected to contract, according to the president of the country’s Central Bank, Francisco de Paula.
Read

March 25, 2008
Guide to Property Investment in Costa Rica
(homemove.co.uk) Costa Rica is one of those areas dream holidays are made of, but also represents a very promising place for property investment due to its strong market.
Read

» TESTIMONIALS

This new section seeks to feature some of the testimonials and references we have received from purchasers at Residencias Los Jardines and Hacienda El Dorado. We invite all purchasers both at Residencias Los Jardines and at Hacienda El Dorado to write to us to share their perspectives and opinions on why they decided to purchase and whether their expectations were met.

After retiring in Florida from Germany, I decided to leave Florida for various reasons. My pick for a new residence was Costa Rica. First there was a budget, I had to stick to - by searching the Internet, I found RLJ. Compared with the other properties in the area and price range, it seemed to me the most beautiful and desirable (landscape, property layout and construction).

The key factor for me was the landscape, layout of the property, the construction, the size of the houses and the prize/value ratio. Further very important in my decision making process were Brian's weekly reports, which looked genuine and not polished (also mentioning mishaps and delays along the way).

Since my first physical visit my expectations were not only all met, but exceeded up to this day I think it is an exciting place to come home to.

I certainly would recommend other people to buy into Brian's new project - for me he has the perfect vision to meet my comfort level - everything tastefully and well appointed, without going over board, but still staying within a budget

Based on my experience in RLJ, I am sure Hacienda El Dorado will be another master piece. I am leaving for Guanacaste only for personal reasons - I will still keep my two properties in RLJ, as an excellent investment and with the thought to use it for myself at a later time.

Martin Caunits

mc33309@yahoo.com

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Heavy winds and dust storms from the construction next door have played havoc with our quality of life. There seems to be nothing we can do about getting the company to control the dust—no watering, no modification of earth moving techniques, etc. We'll have to suffer for another month or so until the rainy season begins.

Paul had a minor car accident about two weeks ago. He dented the door of a car which turned into his right-of-way. He's decided to fight the issue. So far, he's spent several days providing paper work and a preliminary hearing, several hundred dollars on a lawyer, and he's only beginning. I suggested the cheapest and easiest way to resolve this issue was to just pay to have the door fixed and move on. He's now beginning to wish he'd followed my suggestion.

ISSUE #182: March 31- April 5, 2008 | 2008-04-05

Quebrada Extension

Quebrada Extension

» 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 availabilty. 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Realignment of duties and responsibilities: The contract with the architect is now been agreed to and we will resume working towards a common goal.

Marketing: Jan has been updating and completing a current Photo Gallery of Santa Ana. He has yet to add current Los Jardines pictures but that will be next week's work. He will work with the web designer to organize these.

Sales: We continue to receive 3-5 calls on average each day and have made a number of presentations. We have no additional sales but have several on-going conversations.

Major Investor: After a stint at the beach where he has a condo, he continued with his due diligence. Once he got all the latest information and with one exception (which we expect to be able to address), he seems satisfied and has expressed an interest in acquiring certain additional units when we have more information on some issues. He asks good questions and listens, he presents his perspective well, he has studied the site plan and has walked and studied the physical site. He is as familiar with it as I am. He has made several suggestions, at least one of which seems to be a good idea. Through our discussions, I'm glad to be able to say that he's a person I like doing business with; this is always a bonus when it happens. He's made his money the old fashioned way—by working for it—and that is what I genuinely believe in—learning through business and life experiences.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Gaviones: The application for permits is in..

Office Building: The application for construction permit is in.

Quebrada Extension: We have started extending the underground culvert to enclose the quebrada which runs along a portion of our east lot line. This is a sewer as well as a quebrada. The neighbor houses seem happy that we are doing this. We will get rid of an eye sorer and reclaim land as well. We have another month before the rains become too strong. This will give us a base to build our fence and then to landscape the ugly neighbor houses from sight. Our plan is to eventually place a service road on this area and to keep it out of sight from the garden level units of 11 B.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

For Lease:

Unit106 C: Leased

Unit 107: Furnished: 1,716 sf (158 m2), two story, 2 1/2 bathrooms, separate built-in office area, private terrace, ground floor bedroom with 2 matrimonial beds and en-suite washroom, 2nd. floor master suite with east and west terrace, master bath with corner Jacuzzi, shower, bidet, large kitchen. $1,600 mo. April 7

Unit 109: Furnished: 1,500 sf (140m2), single floor, beautifully furnished with leather furniture and granite tables, wall unit, built in office area, large open concept LR.DR, Off., Ktch, two bedrooms each with queen beds, two bathrooms, terrace storage room, detached--$1,600 mo. April 1

Unit 115: 1450 sf; 2 bedroom; 2 bathroom; private terrace; 42" and a 32" flat screen TVs; lots and lots of built-in cabinets; office desk, DW, W/D. VERY nicely furnished. $1,450. April 1

Unit 120: Furnished: 1,300 sf (127 m2), single level, 2 bedroom each with Queen beds, 2 bathrooms, beautifully furnished with wall unit, 42" flat screen TV + two standard TVs, DW, clothes washer/dryer, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans, etc. $1,350 mo. May 1

Unit 121: Leased

Unit 123: Leased

Note: We have a number of units coming available all at the same time as "snowbirds" return. We leased two this week on the same day—both parties wanting the same unit and both parties have been to Los Jardines before. We continue to work on leasing the balance of units through this news letter and by sending weekly updates to 450 RE agents.

Well and Irrigation: This is the first full year of using an installed irrigation system and relying totally on our well. All have worked perfectly—except when the maintenance person forgets to turn the pump switch back on after having cleaned the in-line water filter.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

April 05, 2008
Costa Rica Bans Burger King Commercials For Violent Content
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (FOX News) — The Burger King is safe, at least in Costa Rica.
Read

April 05, 2008
Costa Rica’s Cost of Living is on the Rise
(Costa Rica Travel News) Though Costa Rica is not the incredibly inexpensive country that many wish and believe it to be, most retirees and area residents find it to be affordable: expats in Costa Rica can easily live with $10/month cell phones, rents below $500 monthly, affordable and fresh food from the Costa Rica ferias (farmers’ markets), and utilities that cost a fraction of what they did “back home.”
Read

April 04, 2008
Security Minister Resigns
(La Nacion) After a surprising agreement with President Oscar Arias, Public Security Minister Fernando Berrocal left his post vacant.
Read

April 04, 2008
US Passports
(La Nacion) An average four U.S. passports are stolen in Costa Rica every day, according to a report from the American Embassy in San José.
Read

April 04, 2008
Space Cargo
(La Nacion) Alliant Techsystems (ATK), world leader in the launching of cargo to space and in chemically fuelled rockets –whose systems are used in the launching of space shuttles–, entered an agreement with the local AdAstra Rocket, led by Costa Rican-born former NASA astronaut Franklin Chang, to carry the latter’s plasma engine to space.
Read

April 04, 2008
Forest Fires
(La Nacion) During the last two weeks, over 600 hectares (1,482 acres) of the Guanacaste National Park in the Costa Rican northwestern Pacific have fallen victim to four fires, allegedly started by poachers.
Read

April 04, 2008
More Turtles
(La Nacion) The Las Baulas Marine National Park in the Costa Rican northwestern Pacific saw a larger arrival of spawning turtles, from 58 in the preceding season to 78 in the most recent one.
Read

April 04, 2008
Food Costs Skyrocket
(La Nacion) The prices of food increased 22.7 percent during the last year.
Read

April 03, 2008
Costa Rica telecom market seen opening soon
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - Costa Rica, one of the few Latin America countries still with a state-run telephone sector, is expected soon to open to big foreign players as part of a trade deal with the United States.
Read

April 02, 2008
Costa Rica's Arias wary of inflation
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - Costa Rican inflation in 2008 will likely exceed the central bank's 9 percent target because of international food and energy prices, President Oscar Arias told Reuters on Wednesday.
Read

April 02, 2008
Costa Rica's March inflation slower, at 0.39%
(The Tico Times) Inflation eased during March, with consumer prices increasing 0.39%, down from last month's 1.11% price hikes.
Read

March 31, 2008
Four U.S. passports stolen a day in Costa Rica
(The Tico Times) Some 1,348 U.S. passports were stolen in Costa Rica during the 2006-2007 fiscal year – equal to almost four a day, the daily La Nación reported.
Read

March 31, 2008
Costa Rica’s Electric Bill Could Go Up 75%
(Costa Rica News) The ARESEP - Costa Rica’s Public Services Regulating Authority - is reviewing increases of up to 75% in electricity rates.
Read

March 31, 2008
Costa Rica’s Green Season Almost Here
(Costa Rica News) The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) has released reports that show that Costa Rica’s green season is just around the corner and that the country should be alert and aware of possible flash flooding that may come with the earlier than expected rains.
Read

March 30, 2008
Costa Rican minister steps down over FARC comments
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - Costa Rican Security Minister Fernando Berrocal will step down on Monday after accusing unnamed politicians of having close links to Colombian rebels, the government said.
Read

» TESTIMONIALS

This new section seeks to feature some of the testimonials and references we have received from purchasers at Residencias Los Jardines and Hacienda El Dorado. We invite all purchasers both at Residencias Los Jardines and at Hacienda El Dorado to write to us to share their perspectives and opinions with others on why they decided to purchase and whether their expectations were met. This could also be considered to be one of the first opportunities to get to know your future neighbors! Write to us at newsletter@eldoradocostarica.com.

I first became associated with Brian and Paul in March of 2006 when I stumbled upon their website for Los Jardines. This was to be our (my wife and I) third trip to Costa Rica and we were interested in exploring more of the area surrounding San Jose and looking for possible retirement property. Residencias Los Jardines was a very pleasant surprise found tucked away in Santa Ana and so convenient to San Jose.

Our stay with them for the two-week period allowed us an opportunity to get to know their style of property management and the high quality of their constructions very well. We were very impressed with both issues and that led has us to maintain contact with them in anticipation of the new project, Hacienda El Dorado. We were able to return to stay with them in October 2007 to walk the property for the new development.

The site that was selected for the new project is particularly appealing to me as it is a little further out of town and surrounded more by nature, while also maintaining close proximity to San Jose, the airport and medical facilities. They have taken great care to design the development to make the best use of the natural landscape and existing characteristics of the property. They put the preservation of natural resources high on their list of priorities and that is a definite plus, contributing not only to the project development but to the community as well.

With Brian and Paul bringing their years of experience, their ethical standards and welcoming personalities to Costa Rica, I feel very fortunate to have been in a position to get in line early with the new project.

I am currently on an expatriate assignment and my wife and I are living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A few more years of work and we will be more than ready to enjoy the life style that awaits us in Costa Rica.

Martin and Ledis Pease
mwpease@gmail.com

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Heavy winds and dust storms from the construction next door have played havoc with our quality of life. Paul has spoken with their chief engineer three times. Some minor effort has been made by them but …….the rainy season is soon to arrive. Friday saw a heavy downpour typical in the rainy season. There won't be any dust from next door for a few days and by then, we might well have another good rain.

Kiwanis Club: I was asked to speak at the San Jose chapter of the Kiwanis Club as a "Developer". To some, a "Developer" is the lowest life form that exists; to others, a useful evil but usually accepted into some mixed company. This group was very gracious. They listened and some shared similar experiences but on a smaller scale. I gave special praise to the construction workers I've had the pleasure to work with. The head of the chapter referred Lita, who attended with me, to a Filipina living at his guest house. The two will meet on Sunday at the favorite Filipino activity—birthday parties.

Anniversary: April 1 (I thought the date appropriate), 2001, I closed on the purchase of what became Residencias Los Jardines. It was the commitment which launched our current life and which has led to so much satisfaction and the opportunity to invent a new future for each of us. This date ranks right up there with the day I met my wife and the day we married.

Restaurants: Friday night continues to be "Time Out Tavern" night with it's great fish and chips and other good entrées…… It 's a fun, casual place with good food, moderate prices, and decent service.

ISSUE #183: April 7-12, 2008 | 2008-04-07

El Dorado: Landfill | Los Jardines: Rental Vacancies

El Dorado: Landfill | Los Jardines: Rental Vacancies

» 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.

»MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Realignment of duties and responsibilities: We are confirming that we have the info we specified. When that has been confirmed, we will pay as agreed.

Marketing: Jan continues to tweek the website and add little things—weather link, Google map on line with markers and pictures from his data base, testimonials, etc. We had a small article appear in the Toronto Star; it was disappointing in that it didn't include any of the pictures we were asked for and which we sent.

I was interviewed for a radio cast by an international marketing company out of Florida with whom we've placed print copy. It's going to take a lot of editing; I'm not very good at being interviewed. We don't expect much from this but we do expect to continue working with the company.

Human Interest Stories: I've asked Jan to add a feature to the news letter. I've asked him to photograph each employee and interview them. I've suggest different topics he might explore such that the resulting articles give the reader a picture of the lives of those people building the purchaser's dream and for readers to understand better the lives of the nameless/faceless many to are building CR and the futures of our purchasers. I've wanted to do this before but didn't have the language capability; Jan does. This feature should be included in next week's news letter or else I'll hold on to his paycheck.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Gaviones: The application for permits is in. We expected it issued Friday…we wait.

Office Building: The application for construction permit is in to one organization only to be moved to the 2nd. organization next week.

Quebrada Extension: We have continued with this work and have added about 80 ft. We have two more sections to add and that will take us to the end of our property that abuts the quebrada. What we are finding is that the neighbors are welcoming this. They see it as getting rid of a health issue as well as an opportunity to now extend their back yards when we cover over the culvert. Rather than fearing neighbor wrath, we are being welcomed with open arms as they urge us to do more and more. It's turning out to be a win-win situation and so far, all involved are happy. We have imported about 350-400 truck loads of dirt and need about that many more before we finish this effort. We are closed on Saturday it being a national holiday (Juan Santamaria Day) and will begin again on Tuesday.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Website Upgrade: Jan pointed out to me that the description under the "HOUSES" tab of the website was way out of date. I reviewed it and was shocked that I hadn't realized it. This has prompted me to do a complete re-write of each unit and to develop a picture database. The picture database will be completed over time; those units which are vacant now will receive priority. Both of these additions will be linked to the news letter sent to RE agents on a weekly or as needed basis. In addition, we have asked Jan and our website designer to upgrade the look of the letter going to agents.

For Lease:

Photos of Residencias Los Jardines and the Santa Ana area are now available for public viewing at http://picasaweb.google.com/gardenresidencesresort. We will be working this week to complete the inventory of pictures and descriptions for those specific units which are available for lease.

Unit 107: Furnished: 1,716 sf (158 m2), two story, 2 1/2 bathrooms, separate built-in office area, private terrace, ground floor bedroom with 2 matrimonial beds and en-suite washroom, 2nd. floor master suite with east and west terrace, master bath with corner Jacuzzi, shower, bidet, large kitchen. $1,600 mo. April 7

Unit 109: Furnished: 1,500 sf (140m2), single floor, beautifully furnished with leather furniture and granite tables, wall unit, built in office area, large open concept LR.DR, Off., Ktch, two bedrooms each with queen beds, two bathrooms, terrace storage room, detached--$1,600 mo. April 1

Unit 115: Leased

Unit 120: Furnished: 1,300 sf (127 m2), single level, 2 bedroom each with Queen beds, 2 bathrooms, beautifully furnished with wall unit, 42" flat screen TV + two standard TVs, DW, clothes washer/dryer, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans, etc. $1,350 mo. May 1

Texas Hold-em: Continues but it will take a pause as the principal organizer leaves the country on a golfing holiday.

Leasing and Property Management: Managing 29 furnished units takes a lot to time—especially when there is turnover. Units, to be maintained properly, have to be "re-conditioned" after someone moves out. This involves any number of "fix its" and replacements as well as cleaning, advertising / marketing, showing, contracting, paying RE agents, tenant orientation, etc. As property managers and leasing managers, we charge for this but we earn every dime. This is not a cake walk nor is it a "hands off" business. What we have essentially become is an all-suite or apartment-hotel for those wanting everything included and willing to stay for a period of time. I owned and managed a similar building in Toronto for 18 years. When I sold it, each unit was as good as the first day I finished it—and the person I trained to do that, is still doing it.

»EXPLORING SANTA ANA

While still in many ways maintaining its traditional feel of a typical Costa Rican town, along with its predominantly Costa Rican population, small stores, bars, restaurants offering local and international cuisine and Sunday fresh fruit and vegetable markets, Santa Ana has been recently experiencing real estate and commercial development unprecedented in the entire Central Valley. It has become the place of choice with upscale grocery stores, gourmet restaurants, banks, gas stations, medical and dental clinics, beauty salons, coffee houses, hotels, business centers, private schools, malls and small commercial centers springing up everywhere. Located on the outskirts of the capital city of San Jose, Santa Ana nowadays combines all the advantages of a metropolitan lifestyle with the comforts of country living.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

April 11, 2008
Offshore Banking in Costa Rica Sees Record Growth
(Costa Rica Pages) The presence of offshore banks in Costa Rica has grown exponentially in recent years.
Read

April 11, 2008
This Weekend: Rice, Beans and Everything Between
(The Tico Times) There's no shortage of things to do this weekend in the Central Valley, with arts festivals, national hero celebrations and outdoor food frenzies taking over the streets.
Read

April 10, 2008
Costa Rica: Prices Are Luring Canadians
(The Toronto Star) When Tara Parsons, the site manager at the Shipyards Development in Collingwood agreed to check out real estate opportunities in Costa Rica for two of her Ontario clients, she had no intention of buying a home there herself.
Read

April 10, 2008
Chinese Influence Grows in Costa Rica
(Costa Rica Pages) In current news, we hear of heated Free-Tibet protests in London and other major cities around the world, condemning China’s infringement on human rights. Once again, China is on everyone’s mind and a favorite topic of discussion. For better and for worse, China’s role in the world’s economy and society is prevalent, and its impact on a local level can also be felt.
Read

April 09, 2008
Costa Rica Most Technological Country in Central America
(Costa Rica Pages) According to a recent report by the Foro Económico Mundial (World Economic Forum), Costa Rica is the most technologically developed country in all of Central America.
Read

April 09, 2008
Salvadoran Prez Visits Costa Rica
(The Tico Times) President Oscar Arias and El Salvador's Antonio Saca signed an accord yesterday promising to cooperate on tourism, technology, trade and regional integration.
Read

April 07, 2008
Costa Rica Sees Unseasonable Downpours
(The Tico Times) Throughout much of central and Pacific Costa Rica, the weekend could be described in a word: wet.
Read

April 07, 2008
Historic Battle Saves Costa Rican Freedom
(World Coin News) Juan Sanatamaria Day is a holiday in Costa Rica. It occurs April 11. It is a date that could be celebrated by other Central American countries. Historically speaking, the countries of Central America do not have many joint celebrations. Even though they share a common history in some respects and are part of a small region where the idea of national borders has not always been well-enforced or widely respected, the nations are very different in certain ways.
Read

April 07, 2008
Costa Rica and Europe Increase Trade
(Costa Rica Pages) Costa Rican entrepreneurs and their Dutch counterparts met this past week at the hotel Ramada Plaza Herradura in San Antonio de Belén, Heredia Province.
Read

April 06, 2008
Costa Rica Jams World's Worth of Spectacles into Small Space
(Minneapolis Star Tribune) ARENAL NATIONAL PARK, Costa Rica -- A crown of streaming clouds flowed off the cone of Costa Rica's Arenal volcano.
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: It appears we are on the cusp of the rainy season; this is very early this season. Most of our days have been overcast all or part of the time; some days we've had afternoon rains. The winds have died to "dead calm" or "very gentle". AND we don't have to contend with dust.

GE Refrigerator Woes: For the 2nd. time in a month, my refrigerator of less than 2 years old, conked out. This time, I caught it before all the food spoiled. Of course it died on a Saturday so had to wait for Monday to make a call. Of course, it took three missed appointments until the previous person finally showed up only to say that the problem was different, that the motherboard computer had failed and that only an authorized dealer (Mabe in this case) could repair it. He phoned in the service request; Mabe service department guaranteed response time is 3 days. I'm on day 5 now and haven't seen nor heard a thing. Saturday afternoon they arrive, unannounced. Fix the problem from a month ago and diagnose the most recent problem. Yes, a fried computer board. They don't have a replacement but say they can re-solder this one—I just happen to have a soldering iron and solder…They are working on it as I write.

Restaurants: Friday night continues to be "Time Out Tavern" night with it's great fish and chips and other good entrées…… It 's a fun, casual place with good food, moderate prices, and decent service.

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

ISSUE #184: April 14-19, 2008 | 2008-04-19

El Dorado: Waiting | Los Jardines: Houses for Sale

» 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

We are focusing on updating and improving our website as well as our marketing materials. We continue to meet with new realtors to inform and educate them about Hacienda El Dorado. Although we tend to get more busy during the weekends throughout the week we continue to attend a number of potential buyers as well.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Gaviones: We wait.

Office Building: We wait.

Quebrada extension: We wait for additional culverts.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Website Upgrade: The house descriptions and the data base have been completed. An extensive picture data base has also be made of 107, 115, 121, 123, and 124. More will follow. That information is now being programmed so that it can be useful for marketing.

Photos of Residencias Los Jardines, the Santa Ana area and some of the houses are now available at http://picasaweb.google.com/gardenresidencesresort.

For Sale:

One of our investor has put his four homes up for sale—two are tenanted, two are vacant. All 4 are fully furnished. Two are one bedroom units and two are two bedroom, detached homes. He will be offering financing.

Unit 103: $170,000 / Tenanted ($1,100 mo.)

The 1,000 sf, (plus parking for one car and locker) single story, detached home has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has a backyard with banana and papaya trees and lots of tropical vegetation. For more information click here.

Unit 107: $ 275,000 / Vacant

This 1,716 sf. (plus parking for one car and locker) two storey, detached house, with three terraces, two bedrooms (one on each floor) and upstairs master suite is a beautiful home.

This home consists of two and one half bathrooms, two VERY large bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, each with extensive closets with built-ins for personal organization. For more information and pictures, click here.

Unit 124: $127,000 / Vacant

This 662 sf, plus covered parking for one car and locker, is a one bedroom home on the 2nd. floor overlooking the large pool. It is ideal for a single person or couple. For more information and pictures, click here.

Unit 125: $125,000 / Tenanted ($950 mo.)

This 662 sf, plus covered parking for one car and locker, is a one bedroom home on the 2nd. floor overlooking the large pool. It is ideal for a single person or couple. For more information and pictures, click here.

Financing: With a minimum of 25% down, the owners will take back a mortgage for the balance. No arranging fees, life insurance, title insurance, nor age restrictions; fixed interest rate, fully open.

For Lease:

Unit 109: Furnished: 1,500 sf (140m2), single floor, beautifully furnished with leather furniture and granite tables, wall unit, built in office area, large open concept LR.DR, Off., Kitch, two bedrooms each with queen beds, two bathrooms, terrace storage room, detached--$1,600 mo. April 1 (for more information, click here)

Unit 120: Furnished: 1,300 sf (127 m2), single level, 2 bedroom each with Queen beds, 2 bathrooms, beautifully furnished with wall unit, 42" flat screen TV + two standard TVs, DW, clothes washer/dryer, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans, etc. $1,350 mo. May 1 (for more information, click here)

Unit 121: 1,620 sf, two level; 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom (one with Jacuzzi), living room, dining room, den and kitchen on first floor, view terrace from 2nd level, fully furnished. $1,550 mo. (for more information, click here.)

A Sad Story: The last chapter in the life of one of our owners ended on Monday. She had a monkey on her back for a number of years and the demon wouldn't let go. After watching helplessly for two years spiral down the vortex of despair and desperation, her body finally gave out. Hopefully, she can now rest in peace.

»EXPLORING SANTA ANA

While still in many ways maintaining its traditional feel of a typical Costa Rican town, along with its predominantly Costa Rican population, small stores, bars, restaurants offering local and international cuisine and Sunday fresh fruit and vegetable markets, Santa Ana has been recently experiencing real estate and commercial development unprecedented in the entire Central Valley. It has become the place of choice with upscale grocery stores, gourmet restaurants, banks, gas stations, medical and dental clinics, beauty salons, coffee houses, hotels, business centers, private schools, malls and small commercial centers springing up everywhere. Located on the outskirts of the capital city of San Jose, Santa Ana nowadays combines all the advantages of a metropolitan lifestyle with the comforts of country living.

The CIMA Hospital (Center for International Medicine Advanced), conveniently located 10 minute drive east from Santa Ana, recently received special accreditation by the government of Costa Rica, making it the first in the country to have achieved this honor. This is an added honor when you consider the life expectancy of people in Costa Rica is longer than people in the USA. (77.3 years for Costa Rica, 76.2 years for the U.S. according to the United Nations common database.) CIMA Hospital is designed to meet exacting requirements for patient care and surgical procedures, and offers the best

Main wing of the Hospital
facilities, infrastructure, technology, and internationally trained personnel in Central America....all fully compatible with North American standards.

These high quality services are combined in a truly state-of-the-art facility, dedicated to guarantee your safety, security and comfort. CIMA Hospital is affiliated with the Baylor University Medical Center of Dallas, Texas, and is fully integrated as one of the Center's teaching hospitals.

The hospital is operated by the International Hospital Corporation, also headquartered in Dallas. Other CIMA medical facilities are located in: Mexico at Chihuahua, Hermosillo, Santa Engracia and Pueblo and also in Brazil at Curitiba, Florianopolis, and Volta Redondo.

One wing of the hospital is used entirely by doctors from all over the world who specialize in nearly all disciplines of medicine. Another building with an additional 150 offices is planned, and negotiations to build a comprehensive oncology center on the third floor are under way.

Consultant´s wing of Hospital

Main wing of the Hospital

CIMA Hospital is a place to save money and to receive the best of medical care. Regardless if the procedure is required or elective, CIMA has the doctors, nurses, and equipment to provide the best of care. There are 170 qualified physicians representing over 60 specialties, a complete imaging department including open MRI, CT, Xray, ultrasound, endoscopy, a full service laboratory, and a 24 hour pharmacy.

The United States veterans have an office in the lobby. CIMA Hospital in San Jose is the only hospital in Central America that is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs. There is a special international insurance claims department with a staff to assist Americans.

Foreigners represent more than 25% of the patients at CIMA Hospital and the percentage is growing. "Health tourism" represents about 15% of all visits to Costa Rica. Patients can now receive effective treatment in nearly any area of medicine in a manner that is more responsive than most American hospitals.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

April 18, 2008
Google Denies Plans for Costa Rica Office
(The Tico Times) Following a media frenzy over its alleged intent to open an office in Costa Rica, the Internet giant Google yesterday denied having such plans.
Read

April 18, 2008
Chinchilla is Arias’s Pick for 2010 Costa Rica Elections
(Costa Rica Pages) Costa Rica’s Vice-President and Minister of Justice, Laura Chinchilla, is being groomed to take Arias’s place in 2010, when his presidential term ends. Though his endorsement is not [yet] official, Arias’s numerous flattering comments, and Chinchilla’s presence at many public activities has the political circle abuzz about the possibility of her running to become Costa Rica’s first female president.
Read

April 18, 2008
Costa Rica Offers Tax Breaks for Energy-Efficient Cars
(Costa Rica Pages) The Costa Rican government plans to reduce the taxes paid by energy-efficient and low-emission cars. This tax break will cover hybrids, electrics, and those that are powered by biofuels such as ethanol. Automobiles in Costa Rica currently pay between 35% to 53% worth of consumption tax. The tax rate varies based on the car type, engine size and model.
Read

April 18, 2008
Costa Rica Lightly Optimistic
(La Nacion) According to the most recent UNIMER survey for the daily La Nación, 36 percent of the respondents believe that their family’s economy will improve in 2009, while 26 percent believe that it will worsen.
Read

April 18, 2008
Slower Growth
(La Nacion) The International Monetary Fund slightly reduced the estimate for the Costa Rican Gross Domestic Product in 2008 to 4.1 percent. In 2009, economy is expected to grow 4 percent.
Read

April 18, 2008
Casino Restrictions
(La Nacion) The Government ruled that casinos will operate only eight hours a day from now on and that players not be served free drinks.
Read

April 18, 2008
Bill Gates Here
(La Nacion) Microsoft cofounder and one of the world’s richest men, Bill Gates, 53, came with his family for vacation in Costa Rica.
Read

April 17, 2008
Google Clicks on Costa Rica for Regional Office
(The Tico Times) Google Inc. is to open an office in Costa Rica, according to a government press statement yesterday, making this country a springboard for the internet giant's big plans for Latin America.
Read

April 16, 2008
Brazil, Costa Rica and Jamaica Announce Miss Universe Representatives
VietNamNet Bridge – The three countries that have won high prizes at international beauty contests have just announced their representatives for Miss Universe 2008 to be held in Vietnam this July.
Read

April 15, 2008
Costa Rican and Regional Leaders Meet to Discuss Economics
(Costa Rica Pages) More than 500 business, academic and political leaders from 46 countries and 7 Latin American presidents are meeting today, April 15, and tomorrow, April 16, 2008, at an economic forum in Cancún, Mexico. The III World Economic Forum in Latin America (a regional version of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland) aims to establish strategies that will counteract the impact of the U.S. recession on regional economies and maintain regional growth. This year the forum is looking at the Chinese and European markets as potential allies for Latin America.
Read

April 14, 2008
Long-Lived Costa Ricans Offer Secrets to Reaching 100
(National Geographic) At the age of 101, Abuela Panchita is still a social butterfly. The centenarian, who lives on Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, has a solid support network of friends and family, which includes a son in his eighties who visits her every morning on his bicycle.
Read

April 14, 2008
Cleveland, Costa Rica Strike Import Deal
(The Houston Chronicle) CLEVELAND — The city and Costa Rica have struck a deal to use Cleveland's Lake Erie port as an entry point for coffee, tea, pineapples and other imports from the central American nation.
Read

April 14, 2008
Personal Journey: Learning about life revered in Costa Rica
(The Philadelphia Inquirer) When we agreed to join friends for a 12-day tour of Costa Rica, we knew so little about the country that we had to locate it on a map. The natural Wonders of Costa Rica sounded like a mellow adventure, especially since we were sharing it with others who were "60-plus."
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Wind and little rain. We're still on the cusp of the rainy season.

Christening: (Sunday) of our newest addition to Los Jardines as only the Irish can do it. A great event around the pool, lots of people, drinks, and drinks, and drinks, and food, and food.

I've been unusually busy moving people around, preparing units, repairing units, working with owners, preparing the upgrade information for better marketing, etc. not to mention working with the family of our departed owner.

Lita has been preoccupied with the death of her friend; she continued to maintain contact with her even through difficult times. Having been through this with my brother, I couldn't again get involved.

We found time to say good-bye to one of our residents who's off on a golfing junket for several months and others who will be leaving this next week for Canada now that the snow is mostly gone.

This was not a happy week. I took refuge in the hammock.

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

ISSUE #185: April 21-26, 2008 | 2008-04-29

Meet the Dreammakers

» 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.

»MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Meet the Dreammakers: For the next little while, we will be writing life stories of the workers, mostly from Nicaragua, who are building Hacienda El Dorado. By reading about these workers, you can get an appreciation of a construction worker's life. Hopefully, purchasers will have a better appreciation of the dream home.

Marketing / Sales: We probably have one additional sale and could have an additional 5 sales but there is a condition on the 5 sales which we are still evaluating. It's not a terrible condition but I'm not sure it's good for everyone in the long run.

Jan wrote a slight variation to one of our ads and has received a lot of response. We're not sure the number of phone calls will translate into sales, however, as most of the calls are from Ticos and we haven't been successful in this market—wrong design, wrong concept, wrong timing. In the past, 4 out of the 5 appointments made are usually cancelled or „no-shows". We'll see.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Gaviones: The permit has been issued.

Office Building: We wait.

Use of the Well Water: This is the biggest issue we face. The officials are reeling from water mismanagement and an number of fingers and other extremities are being burnt and chopped. CR has not done a good job in managing it's water resources or in providing a distribution system for it's existing needs let alone future needs. When the country's water distribution company, (AyA) trucks stop on the street leading to El Dorado, they are immediately surrounded by residents complaining about the quality and quantity of water. AyA knows they have a problem and have scheduled a new pipe line for two – three years from now. This schedule doesn't sit well with the residents but being non-militant Ticos, the AyA driver is allowed to pass without being torn apart. We investigated bringing AyA water from it's source to our land. To do so would involve buying a lot near the AyA's trunk line and building a pumping station. (AyA has the water but not the pumping capacity to lift it to our level.) Then we would have to run a 6" pipe 1.6 K to our property line and than a 4" line another 400 meters to the school. We would also have to connect all the existing people to the line. Then after some $300-$400,000 later we give it all to AyA and use whatever water is left. We didn't like the deal knowing that both AyA and the Municipalidad would be involved and we knew our life and whatever budget was established would be blown to ……

Therefore, we are focusing on getting permission to use the well water we have proven to be sufficient. We got the right to drill the well, now we have to apply for the right to use the water. This is a slow and very convoluted process now in CR. CR has seen the unbridled development in many areas much of which was / is unregulated and unpermitted. We have explored the use of various consultants and in interviewing them, we note a lot of inconsistent information and advice. We have our engineer working on it and so far the process is as clear as mud at midnight; we're not convinced that there is anyone who really knows what the process or timing is but many consultants are willing to take a hefty upfront fee with vague commitments. We keep plugging away at it but no light at the end of the tunnel so far.

Quebrada Extension: We added five additional sections and now are adding two more because the neighbor requested us to do so. Who says the neighborhood goes to hell when developers come in? We've eliminated an eyesorer and a health issue and created back yards where none existed before. We continue with the landfill.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Website Upgrade / Marketing:

The data base of people we have accumulated over the years who have expressed an interest in either Residencias Los Jardines and/or Hacienda El Dorado as well as RE agents with whom we have and continue to work, forms a good network from which to market house rentals or sales. We are now beginning to realize the value and polish our presentation and delivery. Photos of Residencias Los Jardines, the Santa Ana area and some of the houses (now including 109 and 120) are now available on line at http://picasaweb.google.com/gardenresidencesresort

The upgrade work is not yet fully functional but we expect it to be substantially functional next week. We will be upgrading the dated pictures on the website – some of which show houses under construction.

FOR SALE:

One of our investors put his four homes up for sale—two are tenanted, two are vacant. All 4 are fully furnished. Two are one bedroom units and two are two bedroom, detached homes. He is offering financing.

Unit 103: $170,000 / Tenanted ($1,100 mo.)

The 1,000 sf, (plus parking for one car and locker) single story, detached home has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has a backyard with banana and papaya trees and lots of tropical vegetation. For more information click here.

Unit 107: $ 275,000 / Vacant (Photos available on line. Click here.)

This 1,716 sf. (plus parking for one car and locker) two storey, detached house, with three terraces, two bedrooms (one on each floor) and upstairs master suite is a beautiful home.

This home consists of two and one half bathrooms, two VERY large bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, each with extensive closets with built-ins for personal organization. For more information, click here.

Unit 124: $127,000 / Vacant OFFER IN PROGRESS (Photos available on line. Click here.)

This 662 sf, plus covered parking for one car and locker, is a one bedroom home on the 2nd. floor overlooking the large pool. It is ideal for a single person or couple. For more information and pictures, click here.

Unit 125: $125,000 / Tenanted ($950 mo.) OFFER IN PROGRESS (see 124 photos)

This 662 sf, plus covered parking for one car and locker, is a one bedroom home on the 2nd. floor overlooking the large pool. It is ideal for a single person or couple. For more information, click here.

Financing: With a minimum of 25% down, the owners will take back a mortgage for the balance. No arranging fees, life insurance, title insurance, nor age restrictions; fixed interest rate for up to 5 year term, fully open with 30 days notice, no bonus or penalty.

Houses 108 and 120: While these units are tied up and have been for some time because of personal legal issues of the beneficial owner, I've had two contacts this week regarding them. We continue to manage them in the believe that the problems will be sorted out,

FOR LEASE:

Unit 109—Furnished: 1,500 sf (140m2), single floor, beautifully furnished with leather furniture and granite tables, wall unit, built in office area, large open concept LR.DR, Off., Ktch, two bedrooms each with queen beds, two bathrooms, terrace storage room, detached--$1,600 mo. April 1 (For more information, click here.) (To view photos, click here.)

Unit 120—Furnished: 1,300 sf (127 m2), single level, 2 bedroom each with Queen beds, 2 bathrooms, beautifully furnished with wall unit, 42" flat screen TV + two standard TVs, DW, clothes washer/dryer, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans, etc. $1,350 mo. May 1 (For more information, click here.) (To view photos, click here.)

A Sad Story: Epilogue A memorial service was held on Wednesday. Five people from Los Jardines and an additional two of Lita's friends attended. Lita organized refreshments following the service—how she doesn't it I don't know—a continuous wonder. The event was a somber occasion and has muted the mood at Los Jardines. Such events are always time for reflection on one's own life and relationships.

»EXPLORING SANTA ANA

» MEET THE DREAMMAKERS - FABIO

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

April 28, 2008
U.S. detention of top Costa Rica Prosecutor Ruffles Diplomatic Feathers
(The Tico Times) Costa Rica suspended legal cooperation with the United States and sent a protest note to the U.S. Embassy after Chief Prosecutor Francisco Dall'Anese was held at Miami International Airport on Wednesday in what U.S. authorities called a “routine security check.”
Read

April 28, 2008
Costa Rica Gets Its First Lutheran Bishop
Costa Rica's first Lutheran Bishop, Melvin Jiménez, was consecrated at a ceremony at the Lutheran Church of Costa Rica in San José yesterday morning.
Read

April 28, 2008
Costa Rican Gov't: No Rice Shortage Here
Amid soaring world prices on basic food, Costa Rica's government moved to allay fears that a food crisis could hurt families here, releasing information that suggests grains such as rice are plentiful.
Read

April 28, 2008
Costa Rica Property: The Medical Tourism Factor
Costa Rica has been named as one of the top destinations for health tourism, a growing industry of people travelling abroad to have cosmetic surgery that is too costly back home. Other countries in the top 5 were Malaysia, Panama, India and Brazil.
Read

April 27, 2008
The Wonders of Costa Rica
(Minneapolis Star Tribune) ARENAL NATIONAL PARK, Costa Rica—A crown of streaming clouds flowed off the cone of Costa Rica's Arenal volcano. A sound like thunder shook the air.
Read

April 26, 2008
Falling Dollar Will Likely Stop Its Tumble in Costa Rica
(Costa Rica Pages) It’s good news for some, disappointing news for others: Paula Gutiérrez, President of Costa Rica’s Central Bank, believes that the U.S. dollar will not continue to lose value against the Costa Rican colón.
Read

April 24, 2008
Contentious CAFTA - A Turning Point for Costa Rica?
(Council on Hemispheric Affairs) Five of the six countries, including Costa Rica, which signed the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the United States, have now ratified it. Oscar Arias, Costa Rica’s Nobel Laureate president, signed the agreement in November 2007, after the pro-CAFTA forces in his country won a hard fought election by a margin of approximately 3 percent.
Read

April 22, 2008
Dole Food Company, Inc. Announces Earth Day Agreement to Offset Carbon Emissions from Transport of Bananas and Pineapples in Costa Rica
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dole Food Company, Inc. announced today that its operating division in Costa Rica, Standard Fruit Company de Costa Rica S.A., will purchase carbon offsets from the Costa Rican Government’s program in amounts equal to the carbon dioxide emissions generated by the inland transport of Dole produced bananas and pineapples.
Read

April 21, 2008
If Only the Dollar Were Stronger
(The New York Times) THE dream of retiring to a Tuscan villa or a beachfront home in Costa Rica almost always hinges on how to pay for it, but rarely do graying expatriates plan well for another pocketbook issue: the value of the American dollar.
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Not much rain and not much wind. Fairly warm. It looks like the predictions of an early rainy season were a bit off.

I've been unusually busy showing the units listed for sale as well as those still available for lease. In addition, getting new lessee's up and running with their computers, VOIP phones, taxi's, etc., etc., etc. takes a lot of time.

I received a kind note from an unknown reader this past week. I usually don't know who reads and what information they are looking for but it's from feedback like I received that I know some people find some of the information useful.

Mail: While CR mail is not perfect, it is sometimes amazing. I've received mail with only my name, Residencias Los Jardines, and Pozos , CR on it. I also sent by regular mail to Ohio a large envelope of marketing info.; it arrived in 8 days. The cost of mailing is substantially less than in either the US or in Canada.

News Articles: Two articles appeared this week which should (in my opinion) be read by those interested in CR and retirement here are:

Contentious CAFTA—A Turning Point for Costa Rica

If Only The Dollar Were Stronger

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

ISSUE #186: Oct. 29-May 3, 2008 | 2008-05-03

Well Concession Update

» 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.

» MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Few actual presentations resulted from the many phone calls Jan received from his modified ad. We just haven't been successful at getting Ticos to the table. We continue to give about 5-8 presentations a week.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Gaviones: The city wants us to deposit $3,000 with them as a bond that we will not destroy the road. While this is not an unusual requirement, I wonder how they will know whether any deterioration in the road will have been caused by our trucks or normal usuage or normal deterioration due to poor maintenance. While I never expect to know the answer to this question, I'd like to ask it even though the answer is immaterial.

Office Building: We wait for the permit. This isn't important since we don't plan on building it right away.

Use of the Well Water: On Friday afternoon I received the following information:

As per what I was told the D1 will be ready in exactly two weeks.

As for the MINAE concession, we are looking at about 4-6 weeks, instead of an average of 6 months.

If this comes to pass, it is the best news I've heard in a long time. However, we must remember that this is CR and construction so while I am cautiously optimistic, I'm not yet dancing in the street.

Quebrada Extension: The two additional sections of culvert were not delivered as promised. Thursday was a holiday to the workers and many companies and the government effectively shut down a day before and usually the Friday for a longer holiday. That's what we think happened with our culverts.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Website Upgrade / Marketing: Photos of Residencias Los Jardines, the Santa Ana area and some of the houses are now available on line at http://picasaweb.google.com/gardenresidencesresort. The upgrade work is very near completion; it should be uploaded and fully operational this week. We will still be missing some info. But on houses which are neither available for sale or lease.

Unit #103 - For Sale/Leased
Total Area (Sq Ft): 1000
Total area (Sq M): 93
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
Type: Detached
Furnished: Yes

This 1,000 sq ft., (plus parking for one car) detached, single story fully furnished home, which features two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one is en-suite), living room, dining and kitchen area and a private backyard terrace. The vaulted, insulated ceilings in the living room and master bedroom offer fresh air and cool temperatures all the time.

Read More

Unit #109 - Available for Rent

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 laundry / storage room off the 2nd bedroom. It is suitable for a side by side washer / dryer set or it may be used for storage.

Read More

Unit #107 - For Sale
Total Area (Sq Ft):1716
Total area (Sq M):158
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2.5
Floor(s):2 Story
Type:Detached
Furnished:Yes

This 1,716 sf. (plus parking for one car) two story, detached house, with three terraces, two bedrooms (one on each floor) and upstairs master suite is a beautiful home. This home consists of two VERY large bedrooms (one on each floor) with en-suite bathrooms and a powder room, each with large closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and ground floor bedroom ceilings as well as the master bedroom on the 2nd floor, provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system. There are three TVs (one in each bedroom and one in the living room.) This is a beautiful home. There is a rough-in for a dishwasher in the kitchen area.

Read More

Unit #120 - Available for Rent
Total Area (Sq Ft):1312
Total area (Sq M):122
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2
Floor(s):1 Story
Type:Semi-Detached
Furnished:Yes

This 1,312 sf single floor home includes a 300 sf front terrace plus parking for one car. It is an end unit and therefore attached on only one side providing ample lighting and views. The 6 inch cement demising (common) wall prevents sound transfer. This is a very nicely furnished and accented home.

Read More

»EXPLORING SANTA ANA

BACCHUS

As a result of an extensive renovation process of the former House Quitirrisí "which dates from 1870 and today is recognized as National Architectural Heritage Site, the Restaurant Bacchus was born. Located in the heart of Santa Ana, Bacchus has been characterized as an innovative space, which combines the arts with the cuisine in a holistic manner.

Perfect location, excellent atmosphere, fine dining and a highly personalized service, are the main ingredients of success of this business and gastronomic proposition.

The menu, which is constantly renewed, has 50 carefully crafted dishes, including pastas, pizzas and desserts. True to the philosophy of quality and excellent service, wine cellar is inhabited by a variety of international references, which manifest themselves in a wide and exclusive wine list.

Note: Bacchus has been our restaurant of choice particularly for special occasions. This is thanks to a consistently high level of quality and professionalism of their service, excellent (and consistent) quality of food combined with reasonable prices. You might end up eating out elsewhere paying a lot more for a lot less.

Take a Peruvian chef trained in France and a Italian owner and you get Bacchus, a welcome addition to the local dining scene. The cuisine is a mix of French and Italian dishes such as duck breast in a port sauce, baked mushroom-and-polenta ragout, and a variety of pizzas. Modern art decorates the simple but elegant interior, and outdoor seating is available. An extensive wine list and reasonable prices make it a great pick for dinner. -- Fodor's

For reservations, call 2282-5441.

»MEET THE DREAMMAKERS

Although his name sounds Arabic, Emir is yet another long-standing loyal crew member from Nicaragua who has worked with Brian and Paul for over four years now. He has been living in Pozos de Santa Ana, Costa Rica for 8 years with his Costa Rican girlfriend Carolina.

He tries to keep in touch with his family in Nicaragua, his mother, three sisters and one brother. His eldest sister works as a public accountant, the other one is currently completing her university degree in civil engineering and the third is in her second year of university studying business administration. His brother is also in school studying to become a car mechanic.

In the little spare time he has, he loves being with his family. However, what really seemed to spark an interest in our conversation was when I asked him whether he considered himself a "saprissista" or "ligista" -- referring to the names of fans of two of the major football clubs in Costa Rica.

Upon finding out that Jan, who did the interview with him, was from the Czech Republic, a huge smile appeared on his fan saying this was the first time in his life he met a guy from the country of his favorite favorite football team. To prove his statement, he went on by listing the names of every single member of the Czech football team. He also said he considered Czech women beautiful from what he had seen in magazines and because one Italian goalkeeper has a Czech girlfriend.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

May 05, 2008
Chinese Vice Premier Due in Costa Rica
SAN JOSE (AFP) — Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu is scheduled to arrive in Costa Rica Tuesday for a three-day visit that includes a meeting with President Oscar Arias, who broke ties with Taiwan to recognize China last year, Arias' office said.
Read

May 03, 2008
President Arias More Popular in Costa Rica
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Comparing to last year, more people in Costa Rica are satisfied with the government of Óscar Arias, according to a poll by Demoscopia published in Al Día. 44 per cent of respondents think the president has done a good or very good job in leading the country, up 5.4 points since July 2007.
Read

May 01, 2008
Costa Rica to Stimulate Local Food Production
(The Tico Times) Acknowledging that Costa Rica's dependence on imports is partly to blame for rising prices here, Agricultural Minister Javier Flores said the government would substantially increase local production of rice, beans and white corn by offering credit, insurance and technical assistance to Tico farmers.
Read

April 30, 2008
Costa Rica Bill Proposes to Remove Energy Caps
(The Tico Times) Costa Rica's Legislative Assembly is sitting on a bill that would eliminate caps on electricity production by regional producers, a move President Oscar Arias' administration hopes will help the country's power supply keep pace with growing demand.
Read

April 30, 2008
New Costa Rica Police Force to Hit Inner-City Beat
(The Tico Times) San José is slated to see its own police force next week after Costa Rica's public security minister, Janina del Vecchio, announced the creation of the Metropolitan Police.
Read

April 30, 2008
Banco Elca Chief Alvarado Is Convicted of Fraud
(AM COSTA RICA) A three-judge judicial panel found the former chief of Banco Elca guilty on four counts and sentenced him to a total of 23 years in prison Wednesday.
Read

April 29, 2008
Mainer Confirmed As Ambassador to Costa Rica
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The U.S. Senate has confirmed President Bush's nomination of businessman Peter Cianchette of South Portland as ambassador to Costa Rica.
Read

April 28, 2008
U.S. detention of top Costa Rica Prosecutor Ruffles Diplomatic Feathers
(The Tico Times) Costa Rica suspended legal cooperation with the United States and sent a protest note to the U.S. Embassy after Chief Prosecutor Francisco Dall'Anese was held at Miami International Airport on Wednesday in what U.S. authorities called a “routine security check.”
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Not much rain and not much wind. Quite warm. The rainy season did not arrive this week either.

Lita is off to a women's retreat at Playa Flamingo with a friend and 150 other women. I hope she has a good time and meets others. I'm sure there will be a week's worth of stories on her return. Hugo and the parrots will do what they always do. I'll just try to figure out what's going on while laying in the hammock—undisturbed!

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

ISSUE #187: May 5-9, 2008 | 2008-05-09

Mac????????

» 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.

»MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

We continue to make presentations and some of the conversations we've been having are nearing closure. The web designer has completed several components and is working on what I expect to be the last component-the optional upgrades matrix. That is likely to be several weeks yet. We are also in discussion with another investor who has expressed interest in buying 3-5 units in phase 1.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Gaviones: We've started to chalk out the location and to prepare the wire cages. (See pictures)

Office Building: We continue to wait for the permit.

Site Plan: We have issued the latest site plan. We believe this maximizes the value of the lot and meets all the goverment requirements and that all the buildings fit on the land as they should and allows adequate space between the buildings for light and access. It's taken us 57 tries.

Click here to view high resolution site plan:

http://eldoradocostarica.com/newsLetter_img/siteplan56.jpg

West Fence: All columns and decorative steel sections are installed. We have to add some trim moldings and to parge the back side. The entry fence is nearing completion. The inner fence / retaining wall has reached it's 2nd. level and we are beginning to add the third and final section to it.

Use of the Well Water: We are still operating under the following time lines.

As per what I was told the D1 will be ready in exactly two weeks. (This would be the week of May 19)

As for the MINAE concession, we are looking at about 4-6 weeks, instead of an average of 6 months.

If this comes to pass, it is the best news I've heard in a long time. However, we must remember that this is CR and construction so while I am cautiously optimistic, I'm not yet dancing in the street.
Quebrada Extension: All sections are now installed and partially covered. We'll be adding additional dirt over time. (See pictures)

West Fence Nearly Completed

Screening Out an Entrepreneurial Neighbor

Where is the Quebrada? -- The Future Access Road to the Maintenance Area

Future Location of Gaviones

Cages for Gaviones

Screening Out Squatters

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Website Upgrade / Marketing: Photos of Residencias Los Jardines, the Santa Ana area and some of the houses are now available on line at http://picasaweb.google.com/gardenresidencesresort. The upgrade work is very near completion; it should be uploaded and fully operational this week. We will still be missing some info. But on houses which are neither available for sale or lease.

Units for Sale/Lease:

Unit #103 - For Sale/Leased

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1000
Total area (Sq M): 93
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
Type: Detached
Furnished: Yes

This 1,000 sq ft., (plus parking for one car) detached, single story fully furnished home, which features two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one is en-suite), living room, dining and kitchen area and a private backyard terrace. The vaulted, insulated ceilings in the living room and master bedroom offer fresh air and cool temperatures all the time.

Read More

Unit #109 - Available for Rent

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 laundry / storage room off the 2nd bedroom. It is suitable for a side by side washer / dryer set or it may be used for storage.

Read More

Unit #107 - For Sale

Total Area (Sq Ft):1716
Total area (Sq M):158
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2.5
Floor(s):2 Story
Type:Detached
Furnished:Yes

This 1,716 sf. (plus parking for one car) two story, detached house, with three terraces, two bedrooms (one on each floor) and upstairs master suite is a beautiful home. This home consists of two VERY large bedrooms (one on each floor) with en-suite bathrooms and a powder room, each with large closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and ground floor bedroom ceilings as well as the master bedroom on the 2nd floor, provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system. There are three TVs (one in each bedroom and one in the living room.) This is a beautiful home. There is a rough-in for a dishwasher in the kitchen area.

Read More

Unit #120 - Available for Rent

Total Area (Sq Ft):1312
Total area (Sq M):122
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2
Floor(s):1 Story
Type:Semi-Detached
Furnished:Yes

This 1,312 sf single floor home includes a 300 sf front terrace plus parking for one car. It is an end unit and therefore attached on only one side providing ample lighting and views. The 6 inch cement demising (common) wall prevents sound transfer. This is a very nicely furnished and accented home.

Read More

The Guard Dog: Mac, the guard dog, is becoming an issue. He's been given a job description which he can't reasonably be expected to fulfill. How can we expect him to distinguish between people coming and going all hours of the day and night (when he's allowed to free range to do his job). He can't distinguish between guests of residents let alone all the changing of residents. We will try to train him but Paul and I are reluctantly coming to the conclusion that he will have to be retired and given to a good home. Fortunately, we have one ready, waiting, and wanting him.

»EXPLORING SANTA ANA

FORUM II Business Park

The new Forum II is on 6.5 hectares of land less than a kilometer away from Forum I.

Construction is going ahead based on the needs of foreign companies doing business in Costa Rica and the success of Forum I.

Fifty-two companies are in Forum I, all in service fields. Some are already looking for more space.

The plan is to offer them the same services and prices along with facilities that an executive needs on the job. Call centers (companies dedicated to data processing and information technology) will also be in Forum II, scheduled to open in September.

There will be a total of 15 new buildings, each with four floors and two parking basements plus a 12-story tower. Some buildings will share a lobby and all surround a central plaza with a 7,200 square-meter green area, the heart of the complex.

Forum II will be more modern than Forum I. with concrete structures and glass walls accompanying high tech assets in fields of communication, security, controlled access and parking, among others.

The designers have also taken into consideration "quality of life" with plazas, fountains, and green areas that contribute to a favorable environment for people to work in.

The east and west facades will have a more artistic design with solid walls made of light-weight materials and thermally-treated glass to protect against the sun's rays. Clients can request specific interior design without extra cost and the common areas will be modern and high quality.

Forum II will offer office space starting at 180 square meters and will have an independent generator, a water treatment plant and telephone districts. ICE guarantees immediate delivery of telephone lines.

Each tower will have also automatic fire extinguishers and fiber optic network access to high-speed Internet.

The following companies are beneficiaries of the Free Trade Zone Regime within the Forum1 business center:

1. Western Union (Union del Oeste de Costa Rica, S.A.)
2. Procter & Gamble (Global Business Services of Costa Rica, Ltda. GBS)
3. Maersk Sealand SSC, S.A.
4. Chiquita (Centro Global de Procesamiento Chiquita SRL)
5. Hewlett Packard (Hewlett Packard Costa Rica, Ltda..)
6. IBM (IBM Business Transformation Center SRL)

(Source: WeLoveCostaRica.com)

»MEET THE DREAMMAKERS

Manuel aka Mani

A welder by profession, Manuel is 40 years old, lives with his girlfriend and two sons in La Carpio, a predominantly Nicaraguan township on the outskirts of San Jose.

Welding he learned back home in Nicaragua but the economic situation there and the absence of stable employment has forced him to take the bold decision to cross the border illegally and start a new life in Costa Rica. This was back in 1988 when all that was needed was to bribe a border guard with 6,000 colones in order to be able to get across without having your passport checked. With the media nowadays paying a lot more attention to illegal immigration and corruption, this is no longer possible today. As a welder, he now earns 1,100 colones per hour ($2.25 hr + benefits of $1.15 hr)

From the border, Manuel made his way to a small farm in Guanacaste, the Northwestern province of Costa Rica, where he stayed overnight. The next day he made his way to Limon where he was supposed to meet a friend of his from back home. He did not find his friend, but he did find a job with Chiquita, the banana producing company, which kept him there for some eight months during which he made new friendships that eventually helped him get back to practice his profession of welding on construction sites in San Jose.

His resume includes prior welding work experience in a furniture-making company, in companies specializing in
installing heavy structures such as metallic bridges as well as construction companies. Manuel saw the construction of Mall San Pedro, one of Costa Rica's largest shopping/commercial centers, he worked on the Central Bank's building, Plaza Mayor (another commercial center in Pavas close to the U.S. embassy).

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

May 08, 2008
China to Give Costa Rica 200 Patrol Cars, US$10 million
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica: A Costa Rican official says China has promised to donate 200 patrol cars and US$10 million (€6.4 million) to the Central American country.
Read

May 07, 2008
Chinese vice premier in Costa Rica to boost ties
SAN JOSE (AFP) — Costa Rica and China inked deals worth 50 million dollars Tuesday during a three-day visit here by Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu aimed at broadening relations with San Jose.
Read

May 05, 2008
Chinese Vice Premier Due in Costa Rica
SAN JOSE (AFP) — Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu is scheduled to arrive in Costa Rica Tuesday for a three-day visit that includes a meeting with President Oscar Arias, who broke ties with Taiwan to recognize China last year, Arias' office said.
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: This week seems to have been the turning point in the transition from dry to rainy season.

Lita's Retreat: I don't think she met or made any new or lasting friendships but she had an o.k. time. I heard stories for three days after her return and I'm sure there will be a few more yet to come.

Panama, "David": We're off Monday to return on Friday to David, a city in northern Panama where we've wanted to go for several years. We'll be traveling with friends. It's a long bus ride but ......a new experience.

Yakks: Lita wanted to go out to dinner and wanted to try a different restaurant. I suggest "Yakks" in Santa Ana--it was always very busy on our way to the "Time Out Tavern" in Escazu. It was a DISASTER!!! It will never see my backside again. The nachos were the worst I've ever had; Lita's fish was so overcooked it was pathetic. Our friend had an o.k. breaded fish fillet. One menu for three people; 1 set of cutlery for three and then they brought 4 sets..... I don't know why it is popular--perhaps people don't order food or perhaps their tastes or standards are "different" than ours......enough said....... no one will see me there again.

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

ISSUE #188: May 12-17, 2008 | 2008-05-17

Border Disaster and David, Pan.

» 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.

»MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Web design work is still on-going. I was wrong in my last log in saying that all work was essentially done except the optional upgrades section. I just approved several additional little things which are suppose to increase the visibility of the site and the ease of distributing the news letter. We are still engaged in several conversations which could lead to a number of additional sales--possibly 7. In some cases, the ball is in our court; in others it's not.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Office Building: We continue to wait for the permit. 

Click here to view high resolution site plan:

http://eldoradocostarica.com/newsLetter_img/siteplan56.jpg

Fence: West fence:  we are parging the now finished walls. South central fence: we've added an additional 5 layers of block and will pour the collar tie to finish it off next week. It will then be parged as well.  We've added about 80 more truck loads of fill in this area and in the now covered quebrada area.  

Use of the Well Water: The engineer tried to pick up the D1 on Friday but was told to return on Monday. This "game" will probably go on several more times. It's a stupid game but it seems to be the way it's done.

As per what I was told the D1 will be ready this coming week. (This would be the week of May 19)

As for the MINAE concession, we are looking at about 4-6 weeks, instead of an average of 6 months.

If this comes to pass, it is the best news I've heard in a long time. However, we must remember that this is CR and construction so while I am cautiously optimistic, I'm not yet dancing in the street.

Parging the Entrance and Bldg. 1 Perimeter Wall

Entrance and Bldg. 1 Perimeter Wall

Parging Inside of West Wall

South Central Wall and Additional Land Fill

South Central Wall from a Different Perspective

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Website Upgrade / Marketing: Photos of  Residencias Los Jardines, the Santa Ana area and some of the houses are now available on line at http://picasaweb.google.com/gardenresidencesresort. The upgrade work is very near completion; it should be uploaded and fully operational this week. We will still be missing some info. But on houses which are neither available for sale or lease. 

This letter is posted on several electronic bulletin boards dealing--Gallo Pinto and Costa Rica Living. Each bulletin boad has an owner, posting guidlines,  and postings are review prior to display. While these two websites are different in nature, they are common in that they do not want commercial postings.  Historically, we have had very few rental vacanies and virtually no re-sales.  Now we do.  This situation is addressed in the news letter and we have worked to make it more efficient and effective by adding updated descriptions and pictures an imbedded the letter with links to further information.  We also added additinal sections--links to CR news articles, pictures and a feature article about places in and around the Santa Ana area, and an article on a different worker and a different aspect of his life to let readers know what life is like for the constructruction worker here.  All of this was designed to make the weekly posting more interesting, more user friendly, and more visually appealing.  Recognizing that the posting did include an element of "commercialism" I asked the owners of each of the bulletin boards for their assessment.  Both bulletin boards have now approved the posting although CRL had some differing opinions but was approved on the basis that it did, in fact, add newsworthy information despite it's element of "commercialism".  Both sites use Yahoo Groups for their hosting.  GalloPinto displays the pictures and links;  for some reason, CRL doesn't.  So on CRL, the posting becomes a jumble and my goal has not yet been realized there.  We're still working on how to fix this. 

Realtor Alert System: The Notice to RE agents feature of our upgrade has been implemented.  Now, whenever we have a unit for sale or lease, a notice will go to 500 RE agents linking them to the information.

Sale of Units 124 / 125:  This is in progress but has been delayed because of the vendor's moving and traveling and lost documents.  Both are now scheduled to close on June 16 after all parties have had time to review the documents and to get their respective ducks in order for a smooth closing.  In the  interim, the lawyer and I will be working towards making this happen.

Units for Sale/Lease:

Unit #103 - For Sale/Leased

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1000
Total area (Sq M): 93
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
Type: Detached
Furnished: Yes 

This 1,000 sq ft., (plus parking for one car) detached, single story fully furnished home, which features two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one is en-suite), living room, dining and kitchen area and a private backyard terrace. The vaulted, insulated ceilings in the living room and master bedroom offer fresh air and cool temperatures all the time.

Read More 

Unit #109 - Available for Rent

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 laundry / storage room off the 2nd bedroom. It is suitable for a side by side washer / dryer set or it may be used for storage.

Read More

Unit #107 - For Sale

Total Area (Sq Ft):1716
Total area (Sq M):158
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2.5
Floor(s):2 Story
Type:Detached
Furnished:Yes 

This 1,716 sf. (plus parking for one car) two story, detached house, with three terraces, two bedrooms (one on each floor) and upstairs master suite is a beautiful home. This home consists of two VERY large bedrooms (one on each floor) with en-suite bathrooms and a powder room, each with large closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and ground floor bedroom ceilings as well as the master bedroom on the 2nd floor, provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system. There are three TVs (one in each bedroom and one in the living room.) This is a beautiful home. There is a rough-in for a dishwasher in the kitchen area.

Read More

Unit #120 - Available for Rent

Total Area (Sq Ft):1312
Total area (Sq M):122
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2
Floor(s):1 Story
Type:Semi-Detached
Furnished:Yes 

This 1,312 sf single floor home includes a 300 sf front terrace plus parking for one car. It is an end unit and therefore attached on only one side providing ample lighting and views. The 6 inch cement demising (common) wall prevents sound transfer. This is a very nicely furnished and accented home.

Read More 

The Guard Dog: We had an offer for further training. I don't think that has happened (I've been away this week) and I don't think it will make any difference.  If he does his job, he's bound to fail. What a cannundrum to be in.

»EXPLORING SANTA ANA

PARQUE VALLE DEL SOL

Golf in Costa Rica is relatively new and some years ago, a golfing vacation would have been quite limited. Going hand in hand with the real estate boom and economic development in general, Costa Rica now prides itself with a growing number of world class golf courses created by some of the best designers from around the world. Whether you prefer having the Pacific ocean, the northwestern pampas or the mountain ridges of the Central Valley as the backdrop for your game, Costa Rica offers a wide range of options from which to choose.

Golfers at Hacienda El Dorado have access to the Parque Valle del Sol golf course located in Santa Ana. It is the first and the only professional golf course in Costa Rica open to the public in the Central Valley. The 18-hole championship golf course was designed by Tracy May in 1994 to be challenging and fair under most conditions and downright tough when the strong winds come down from the surrounding mountains. Due to its diverse layout, golfers are required to use all of the clubs in their bag throughout the game. The monthly fee for unlimited play is $285.

»MEET THE DREAMMAKERS

Luis Alejandro a.k.a. ALEX

Costa Rican, 43 years old, married to a Costa Rican, has an 11 year old daughter. The three of them live in a small apartment in Santa Ana downtown. He knew his wife for two years before they became engaged and two years later, they married.

Alex is an "albanil" by profession – everything to do with concrete block, reinforced concrete, cement work and work on structural elements. He also works as the assistant to our foreman Silias Elizondo. His wife is the sister of Carlos, our car mechanic and he met Silias while playing football on a Sunday afternoon…

Prior to working with Paul and Brian, Alex worked with another North American developer for some 15 years, which is where he picked up all he knows about construction from his colleagues. He never went to a technical school nor has he pursued formal education in the field. Rather, he learned and acquired the knowledge and skills he has now as an apprentice. He does not have a car and does not know how to drive. He travels by public bus to the job site which takes about 30 min.   

His free time he spends with his family. He likes watching TV and listens to Christian music. He stays home on holidays and doesn't remember when he took his last vacation.

His daughter is a special needs student and together with nine other kids, she follows a program designed for pupils with learning disabilities, every day from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. In Costa Rica, such programs are implemented within the public school system.

Alex comes from what would be considered a small family in Costa Rica – he has two sisters and one brother. His wife however has ten siblings and a large extended family scattered throughout the Central Valley and in the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica. The extended family reunites several times throughout the year particularly at birthday celebrations and during the Christmas holiday season.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

May 17, 2008
Brit in Costa Rica
(X17online.com) Britney hits the beach in Costa Rica during her vacation with Mel Gibson!
  Read

May 16, 2008
Britney Spears, Mel Gibson Depart Together for Costa Rica Vacation
LOS ANGELES (FOX News) — Britney Spears and Mel Gibson, along with the pop princess's father Jamie, left together Tuesday morning for a mini-vacation in Costa Rica, "Entertainment Tonight" reported.
  Read

May 16, 2008
More Cost of Living Increases for Costa Rica
(Costa Rica Pages) Costa Rica's Water and Sewer Institute (AyA) has asked the Public Services Regulating Authority (Aresep) to approve a 19% increase in the price of water for its customers. In Costa Rica, that could mean an increase of $2 per month for the average family that consumes about 22 cubic meters of water, totaling about $13/month for water.
  Read

May 16, 2008
Costa Rica Congress Approves Telecoms Opening
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, May 15 (Reuters) - Costa Rica's Congress has approved the opening of the Central American country's telecommunications sector to private investment in cellular phones and Internet services.
  Read

May 16, 2008
Relief for the Poor
(La Nacion) Women who are heads of family and who are living in extreme poverty will benefit from a relief program which was announced by President Oscar Arias.
  Read

May 16, 2008
A Map for Tourists
(La Nacion) Through a satellite map of Costa Rica, tourists will be able to access the most accurate information of the places they visit, as well as the ways to reach them.
  Read

May 15, 2008
Costa Rica Banks Raise Interest Rates
(The Tico Times) In response to Costa Ricans' voracious appetite for credit in recent months, state banks hiked interest rates by an average 1 to 1.5 percent for loans in colones and 0.5 percent for those in dollars.
  Read

May 13, 2008
Costa Rica Plants More Trees to Become Carbon Neutral
SAN JOSE (AFP) — Costa Rica will plant seven million trees in 2008 to soak up as many greenhouse gas emissions as it produces, in a bid to become the world's first carbon neutral nation, a top official said Monday.
  Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: Hot and dry--somehow the "rainy" season hasn't really arrived.

Panama, "David":  This is the feature story this week. Going there has been on my "to do" list for several years.  It's now on my "done that" and has been added to my other list "never to willingly do again" list. The town is much larger than I expected and is spread over a large geographical area. Taxis or a car are required. Sidewalks exist in some areas but are discontinuous and while generally better than what exist in CR / San Jose area, are still a difficult walk. It's HOT; it's not on nor close to the beach. The town, in my opinion, does not have any particular charm or character -- (unlike Granada) -- it's just a town. 

Our hotel (Mirage) was $22 night with a good bed, AC, cable TV, and hot water.  The staff were curtious and efficient.  The hotel has no lobby, restaurant nor bar but does have a large, active casino. The large swimming pool is characterless as well; there is no greenery nor room for lounging and walking around the pool itself--just a poor design. 

After having a number of unintersting meals, we happened on the Fiesta Casino restaurant. The luncheon special included a large soda, an appetizer of soup or chicken wings, a LARGE entre--anyone of 6 different ones, and one of two desserts. Total cost? $3!!!!  AND the food was good--the meat patty in the burger must have been nearly a pound of beef (I'm not exagerating) with a decent bun and fries. The fettuchini alfredo and chicken plate must have been delicious as Lita ate the whole thing and scraped the plate. Evenings saw a different menu but equally value oriented. The only complaint was that the food was not always steaming hot but we all agreed it was decent and offered excellent value. The service was good. Lots of people eating there for lunch and dinners. The casino was always busy.

Taxis were plentiful and inexpensive. While they have no meters, they do have "zones" and within and between zones, there are supposedly standard fares; I believed we were always within one zone so the fare seems to be $1 for the first person and $.50 for everyone else. (This varied a bit but we never paid more than $4 for a ride.)

I don't remember seeing one traffic light despite the heavy traffic. Unlike CR, I didn't see one accident, no crazy driving, and virtually all the drivers were curteous in allowing pedestrians to cross roadways or allowing other cars to turn or merge into traffic.

Many of the supermarkets were open 24 hrs--why I don't know since there didn't seem to be any shift work to encourage that.

I didn't see any dump trucks which is the standard I use to measure the level of construction activity and a proxy measurement of the level of expectations for the future.  I did, however, see some small scale in-fill development--extensions to hotels, retail buildings--but no cranes nor heavy equipment.  

Prices:  People have always commented about how inexpensive Panama is. I found it difficult to make any assessment. Panama seems to be on the imperial system of measurements--pounds, gallons--so comparison to metric and using a different currency takes a lot of calculations. I did find one off-brand 50 inch LCD tv which was selling for $1,050;  I bought a 42" Samsung in CR about 6 mo. ago for $1,800.  That one I could figure out but it was an off brand--if that makes a difference. Other similar branded items didn't seem to offer as big a difference.  A roasted chicken to go was $6--about the same in CR. A beer was $1--that's cheaper than most places in CR.  Taxi's, seemed cheaper.  Gas was $4.25 - $4.50 gal for regular. I'm assuming that was a US gallon and not a Canadian gallon.  I don't know how many liters to a US gal. but it seems a bit cheaper.  The roads were probably better--David had mostly paved streets in decent repair and the main highway was in good repair but then again, so was the main road from the border to San Jose.....it was just two lanes vs. mostly 4 lane in Panama but in CR, the roadway is over very mountainous terrain so it may not be a fair comparison. Overall, we spent less than $250 for the two of us on food, accommodations, and transportation for the 5 days/4 night trip.

Boquete:  I wanted especially to see this area--about 45 min. drive into the foothills and valley. The four of us hired an AC mini van and driver-- $75 for around 4 hrs.  The area is a small, narrow valley reminiscent of an alpine setting.  I was surprised at how narrow the valley was and how small the area is--I had imagined both to be larger.  Lots of land speculation there, some new buildings. I really didn't see anything that knocked my socks off architecturally but it was an interesting tour. While not for me, I can see why some might be attracted there. Other than land speculation, the main industry is growing onions. It doesn't look like this is a very profitable occupation by the living conditions of the farmers. I noted that many of the women were still wearing traditional clothing. 

The Trip Itself:  We took Ticabus round trip. It left at 12 noon;  we arrived in David along the roadside around 9pm. Since we took our own food and picnicked along the way while watching 5 movies--4 in English; 1 in Spanish. I didn't know that Van Dame made so many... Returning was a bit different--we had difficulty determining when the bus  would arrive in David. Our information varied significantly--from 3:30am to 5:30am.  Since no one really wanted to be sitting along the Pan Am highway at that time, we guessed. We arrived at the covered bus stop around 3:45al  the buss arrived  45 min. later. The bus was freezing cold from too much AC -- we had anticipated this so had long sleeved shirts -- we survied and arrived in San Jose at 3pm. 

Crossing the Border: The main problem in the whole trip was crossisng the BORDER!!!!!! The border crossing experience is a DISASTER of which neither country should be proud. While there is a procedure, first timers doen't know what it is and it is definitely inefficient; buildings are not marked and while there are Tica bus people to help, it's still confusing. The area is not well lit, buildings not well marked, you seem to have to walk a block over the border  to government exit or entry buildings. Leaving CR--not a problem; Entering Panama, you have to buy a stamp ($1) sold on site on the Panama side, have your passport reviewed, walk to a different building, pay the $1, get a tourist visa and return to the original wicket to complete the process. Then of course, there's the customs people. Exiting Panama, all luggage is removed from the bus, sniffed by dogs, reloaded on the bus; exit visas are taken at one wicket; another wicket stamps your exit. Entering CR is a whole other story, complicated by the fact that CR Immigration opens at 6am. We arrived at 5am and waited in line until one immigration officer showed up to process the 100 or so people who had arrived. Then, of course, customs which you now wait for again. Total elapsed time, abut 2 hrs., all of which could have been done in 15 min.  

Animals:  They were glad to see us. The parrot and the little pericos are unabashed about berrating us  so Lita and and I got an ear full but they soon calmed down. Hugo did his usual--you-left-me-so-you're-going-to-have-to-work-for my-attention routine.... He lasted about 5 min. then he was on my lap enjoying the attention. Animals are great......!

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

ISSUE #189: May 19-24, 2008 | 2008-05-24

Poco y Poco; Employee Orientation

» 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.

»MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Webdesign: Work is still on-going. We now have a new search feature. Anyone wanting information on specific topics can enter key words and our search engine will identify web pages with the content sought for.

Sales: We made one additional sale this week to a Nicaraguan couple intending on moving their place of business to Costa Rica. We have asked the architect to make several design modifications to buildings 14 and 18 and to two units in the Maya Tower. We are awaiting his results before the conversations on those units can advance. We have three other conversations on-going which might also result in sales.

Fill: We continue to add fill primarily to the social area in Phase 2 and to where buildings 13 and 14. The plan is to level these off at the highest level. We expect to build a retaining wall to demark this level from that of a parking level.  The net effect will be that cars will not be visible. Next week, additional fill will be added to roadway which will provide access to the blackwater treament plan and mtnc. area. Fill costs from $10-$14 per load.  

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Office Building: We continue to wait for the permit.

Click here to view high resolution site plan:

http://eldoradocostarica.com/newsLetter_img/siteplan56.jpg

Fence: The parging of block walls continues. Another week and the west side should be finished.

Use of the Well Water: Getting the D1 didn't happen this week but we are assured it should happen by the middle of next week. We'll see. That puts us a bit behind the time line listed below. I'm not surprised by this and will be satisfied if it happens this week.

As per what I was told the D1 will be ready this coming week. (This would be the week of May 19)

As for the MINAE concession, we are looking at about 4-6 weeks, instead of an average of 6 months.

If this comes to pass, it is the best news I've heard in a long time. However, we must remember that this is CR and construction so while I am cautiously optimistic, I'm not yet dancing in the street.

Employee Orientation:  It occurred to me when interviewing last week's worker, that neither he nor the others had any idea of what the overall plan was....i.e. they didn't know what the vision was, what they were participating in.  For them, moving dirt from here to there, placing another block on a wall was the extent of their understanding of what they were participating in. This week we held a one hour orientation and information session for all employees. We went over the site plan with them, the common / social areas, we walked the land and showed them what building would be in each location. There was opportunity for humor and a few jokes which everyone seemed to enjoy.  Will it make a significant difference in their lives?  Probably not since each block still has to be placed and each bag of concrete mixed but in the overall scheme of things, it was the right thing to do.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Website Upgrade / Marketing: Photos of  Residencias Los Jardines, the Santa Ana area and some of the houses are now available on line at http://picasaweb.google.com/gardenresidencesresort. 

Bulletin Board Postings: The posting on the GalloPinto  bulletin board goes smoothly. The posting on Costa Rica Living will be modified:  the format is not supported so it comes out as a jumbled mess and the owner feels it is now too large and not really consistent with the intent of the exchange. For those people following it, I'll post a  modified note and link people to the full update. 

Sale of Units 124 / 125:  Paperwork is progressing;  a closing date for each has now been set.

Units for Sale/Lease:

Unit 114 - For Sale

Total Area (Sq Ft):1290

Total area (Sq M):120

Bedrooms:2

Bathrooms:2

Floor(s):Single Floor

Type: Attached

Furnished:Yes 

This 1,290 sf. (plus covered parking for one car and two lockers 67 sf.) single story, semi detached house, with garden terrace, two bedrooms is a beautiful executive style home. This home consists of two large bedrooms one with six piece en-suite bathroom with additional access to separate full shower. Each bedroom has large closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and bathroom ceilings provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system. There are four TVs (one in each bedroom, one in the living room and one in breakfast / dinning room.) This is a beautiful well appointed home.

Read More

Unit 124 - For Rent

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.

Unit #103 - For Sale/Leased

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1000

Total area (Sq M): 93

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2

Floor(s): 1

Type: Detached

Furnished: Yes

This 1,000 sq ft., (plus parking for one car) detached, single story fully furnished home, which features two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one is en-suite), living room, dining and kitchen area and a private backyard terrace. The vaulted, insulated ceilings in the living room and master bedroom offer fresh air and cool temperatures all the time.

Read More 

Unit #109 - Leased

Unit #107 - For Sale

Total Area (Sq Ft):1716

Total area (Sq M):158

Bedrooms:2

Bathrooms:2.5

Floor(s):2 Story

Type:Detached

Furnished:Yes 

This 1,716 sf. (plus parking for one car) two story, detached house, with three terraces, two bedrooms (one on each floor) and upstairs master suite is a beautiful home. This home consists of two VERY large bedrooms (one on each floor) with en-suite bathrooms and a powder room, each with large closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and ground floor bedroom ceilings as well as the master bedroom on the 2nd floor, provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system. There are three TVs (one in each bedroom and one in the living room.) This is a beautiful home. There is a rough-in for a dishwasher in the kitchen area.

Read More

Unit #120 - Available for Rent

Total Area (Sq Ft):1312

Total area (Sq M):122

Bedrooms:2

Bathrooms:2

Floor(s):1 Story

Type:Semi-Detached

Furnished:Yes 

This 1,312 sf single floor home includes a 300 sf front terrace plus parking for one car. It is an end unit and therefore attached on only one side providing ample lighting and views. The 6 inch cement demising (common) wall prevents sound transfer. This is a very nicely furnished and accented home.

Read More 

The Guard Dog: We still have Mac. The home we thought we had just acquired a dog. This is not an emergency so we will continue to work on placing him.

»EXPLORING SANTA ANA

BANKING IN SANTA ANA, COSTA RICA

Whether you're planning to settle in Santa Ana, Costa Rica for the long term or simply looking for a safe place to exchange a few dollars, an important decision you will need to make is "What Bank Should I Use?" Costa Rica offers a wide range of banking and financial services catering to personal as well as business banking. Recent government reforms and the introduction of private banking have also made Costa Rica an attractive choice for investing.

Costa Rica's banking system consists of the central bank; three state-owned banks, which account for nearly half of total banking assets; a state-owned mortgage bank; 18 commercial banks; four mutual house-building companies; 12 private finance companies; and 27 savings and loans cooperatives. In addition, there are 30 investment and retirement funds or trusts run by both state and private commercial banks and the state insurance company.

The Central Bank of Costa Rica is in charge of establishing banking policy. It is then up to the SUGEF (the General Supervisory Agency of Finance) to enforce compliance with Central Bank policies. All banks (both public and private) are subject to the policies dictated by the Banco Central de Costa Rica.

When choosing a bank, take into consideration both personal convenience and what fees the bank charges. Get information on the types of accounts available and their associated fees from several banks. Internet services offered by both state run and private banks have improved in leaps and bounds over the past couple of years.

Most banks in Costa Rica now offer savings and checking accounts in Dollars and Colones. Banks do differ, however, on the amount of time it takes to cash foreign checks and the availability of ATMS. It is also very important to note that while interest is much higher on colón accounts, there is a monthly devaluation of the colón to the dollar, so you might not be earning as much as you expect. Many also offer Credit or Debit cards, if you meet the requirements (but not all are internationally accepted). All banks will also have different requirements for opening accounts or obtaining credit cards, possibly including banking or personal references, identification, and most likely minimum deposits. Opening hours for most banks are from 9 am to 3 pm.

State run banks are backed by the Costa Rican government and are therefore usually considered safer. They are also located in practically every town in Costa Rica. On the down side, long lines are frequent and bilingual staff is not always available (especially outside the central valley).

Private banks usually offer quicker and more personalized service, shorter lines and English speaking staff. However, they may have fewer branches available outside of the central valley. The great majority of private banks are connected with banks outside the country so that transfers can be done relatively quickly.

Banco Nacional and Banco de Costa Rica have had their branches open in downtown Santa Ana for years if not decades. In the new rapidly growing part of Santa Ana -- also referred to as Lindora -- however, many private banks have established their branches to get closer to some of the most affluent clientele in Costa Rica. The following banks have opened their branches in Lindora in the past three years.

Scotiabank

Scotiabank offers a wide range of personal, commercial and retail, corporate, and trade finance services. With 13 branches across the country, and 1 more to be added to the network by the end of 2003, Scotiabank offers an extensive range of retail and commercial banking services.

www.scotiabank.com

 Banco LAFISE

Lafise´s growth has allowed it to expand its presence to 10 countries including all the countries of the Central American region, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and the United States. Among the financial services it offers are brokerage services, banking, foreign exchange and corporate finance. In some countries, it also provides insurance and warehousing services.

www.lafise.fi.cr

Banco de Costa Rica

With branches throughout the country, Banco de Costa Rica is considered the most profitable and probably best-run state commercial bank.

www.bancobcr.com

Banco Cuscatlan

Corporation UBC International is the holding company that owns the Cuscatlan Groups in the region. This Group has duly regulated operations in El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama and the United States of America, by means of family remittances. Corporate shareholders include partners such as the International Finance Corporation, IFC, in addition to the Central American partners of the most prestigious business groups of the region.

www.bancocuscatlan.com/costarica/index.html

Banco San José

The bank is part of the BAC Credomatic Network, comprised of eight banks in Central America, the Caribbean, and Panama, and Credomatic, the largest credit and debit card issuer and processor in the region. BAC Credomatic Network is the financial branch of Pellas' Group, a corporation with over 125 years of history.

www.bancodesanjose.fi.cr

»MEET THE DREAMMAKERS

Harley

Harley Salazar Vargas

Harley is one of our younger workers age 31, single, uncommitted, and one of the few Costa Ricans on the site. This is his first construction job. He started some three months ago after he had been recommended by his uncle, another employee of ours.

Harley worked various jobs prior to starting with us. Among others, he worked for as a sales person for the department store Ekono in Santa Ana and for a small clothing boutique in San Jose downtown. After adding up his base salary and commissions, he ended up earning approximately the same amount as he now earns with us.

However, some important differences between his previous jobs should be pointed out. His job in San Jose required him to work Monday thru Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and a slightly shorter shift on Sundays. His employer did not pay him the mandatory insurance nor did he take care of social welfare benefits to which Harley was entitled. Only after Harley left the job, the Labor Ministry helped him get compensated through a standard administrative recourse to which Costa Rican citizens can resort in order to get their employers comply with national labor legislation. Considering that Harley lives some 125 meters away from the site of Hacienda El Dorado, he seems to be overall happy with his current job – a stable salary, insurance and benefits assured, close to home. He decided to try it out to get a new experience. He says he likes it except that it is not "as clean a job as is selling women's and men's clothes in a department store," he says.

Harley has three kids – a 6 yr old, a 2 months old and the third one still on the way – with three different girlfriends that he had met through friends and at local parties. Only one of them currently works so his salary needs to also help support them and the children. He likes to keep on meeting and dating other girls too...

The highlight of the year for Harley seems to be the holiday season – Christmas and the New Year's celebrations when the extended family of some thirty relatives tend to reunite around bottles of Costa Rican guaro, beer, roasted meat, vegetable salad, rice and chicken, tamales and a lot of fun!

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

May 23, 2008
Record Birthrate of Leatherback Turtles in Costa Rica: WWF
SAN JOSE (AFP) — Nearly 900 endangered leatherback turtles were born at the Junquillal beach on Costa Rica's Pacific coastline in recent months thanks to community workers that scare off poachers and protect the eggs, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature said Thursday.
  Read

May 23, 2008
Costa Rica Cenbank Intervenes as Currency Slides
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, May 23 (Reuters) - The end of the tourism season and a seasonal drop in trade has caused a shortage of dollars in Costa Rican markets and sent the local colon currency plummeting to a new life low this week.
  Read

May 22, 2008
Doctors Tell Costa Rican Leader to Rest Voice
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Doctors have ordered Costa Rican President Oscar Arias not to talk for a month due to a cyst on his vocal cords, his office said Wednesday.
  Read

May 19, 2008
Britney Spears Relaxes on the Beach in Costa Rica
(NOW) Britney Spears has been snapped enjoying the sun in Costa Rica.
  Read

May 19, 2008
Costa Rica Demands Fairer Trade Deal with EU
(The Tico Times) Costa Rica lobbied European authorities for greater access to the EU market this weekend at a summit in Peru for heads of state from Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean.
  Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: The rainy season has arrived. Usually sunny in the mornings with clouding in the early afternoons followed by several hours of rain. It's a wonderful change and a wonderful time of the year. The plants are happy, no dust, and very little breeze. 

A generally quiet week with normal happenings.   

Note: We still have a couple rentals but may fill those today (Saturday). I did a little historical reconciliation and determined that in the past 2 ½ months, we've placed 9 rentals and two house sales. This is an unusual amount of activity for us; we had several tenants move and we had a number of "snowbirds" return to their principal homes all at the same time. In a time when CRs economy is feeling the N. Am. economic illness, I think we've done quite well.   

The Time Out Tavern in Escazu continues to delight with it's fish and chips. They've cut back on the size of the portions (still adequate)  but not the quality. Still DELISCIOUS and C3,800 still an acceptable price. The other features on Friday nights are also good—salmon with mushrooms and risotto and a spicy Asian shrimp and vegetable dish over rice. 

ISSUE #190: May 26-31, 2008 | 2008-05-31

Life Meets Hollywood; Torrid Rio Oro

» 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.

»MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Webdesign Work is still on-going. In addition to the search feature, we now have links to various groups--business, health care, shopping, etc. We will be adding to these groups over time.

Sales: We continue to discuss the sale of 5 additional units with an investor. We expect the completed contract of one other unit to be in-hand next week. Redesign of Bldgs.18 and 14 may yield an additional sale. We are waiting on the architect to advance that conversation. One of our potential purchasers interested in unit 19-B has not been able to formalize her contract as she is awaiting a bank to approve a mortgage of a person who had purchased her house in Escazu. She hopes to have that finalized this coming week in order to be able to proceed with the purchase of 19-B.

Trees:  We started to clear out 30 mostly small, insignificant trees in areas where roads and buildings are slated to go. This is being done under a MINAE approved cutting plan.

Fill: It's been too wet to add additional fill.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

Office Building: We continue to wait for the permit.

Click here to view high resolution site plan:

http://eldoradocostarica.com/newsLetter_img/siteplan56.jpg

Fence: Not much got done because of 4 days of rain.

Use of the Well Water: Last week I wrote:  Getting the D1 didn't happen this week but we are assured it should happen by the middle of next week.  We'll see.  Well, it didn't happen.  We are now told that it was reviewed by the committee and is now expected to be signed by, i.e, approved by, the committee members by Tuesday/Wednesday. 

Note: There isn't much that happens in CR that is not a struggle. Any schedule you set you should probably double it and add 20%.

As per what I was told the D1 will be ready this coming week. (This would be the week of May 19)

As for the MINAE concession, we are looking at about 4-6 weeks, instead of an average of 6 months.

If this comes to pass, it is the best news I've heard in a long time. However, we must remember that this is CR and construction so while I am cautiously optimistic, I'm not yet dancing in the street.

Torrid Rio Oro:  We developed a new respect for the stream. During the dry season, a person can step across the stream at virtually any place without much fear of getting wet. Over the past 4 days of virtually continuous rain, we had a good chance to see the effects on the stream--which grew into the Mississippi--almost. There were no surprises and none of our plans need to be changed but the volume and the flow rate confirmed our original plan--respect Mother Nature and the Natural Order of Things.

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Website Upgrade / Marketing: Photos of  Residencias Los Jardines, the Santa Ana area and some of the houses are now available on line at http://picasaweb.google.com/gardenresidencesresort.

Life Meets Hollywood--Unfortunately: This story may not yet be over; for obvious reasons, I'm going to be somewhat vague and all names have been changed.

Background:  Jim and his wife came to CR at the request of Robert, to be the help me set up and manage a business he was starting.  Robert was like a brother to Jim even though they are not fraternal; Robert was virtually adopted by Jim's parents at a young age; they grew up together.  About 4 years ago Robert married his current wife whose family is loaded to the gills with ill gotten $$. A family member is currently in prison for appears to be fraud, SEC violations, and who knows what else.  It seems that his wealth bought  LOTS of land here in CR.  It may be that he's still pulling the strings from his jail cell.  Anyway, it seems that all this wealth justifies a private security force of slightly less than 20 who are really into paramilitary culture--guns, knives, jungle fatigues, etc.

Current Story It appears that about  10 days ago, a marital disbute between Robert and his wife happened.  She threw him out but not before she had several members of the inner security guard beat him up.  She told Jim this.  She also said she had Robert in some secure location about 2 1/2 hrs from San Jose.  Jim has not been able to get in touch with Robert--he's disappeared-- and doesn't know where he is.  Jim was subsequently advised by some of the outer circle of security guards that it was no longer safe for him here.  He's been followed; his actions monitored; his cell phone cancelled; He's obviously worried about Robert but he's also worried abou his own safety and that of his family.  As of now, he plans on putting his family on a plane to NY very soon  and he'll follow shortly thereafter.  I'm sure there is more to the story--and I don't every expect to know it all--and I suspect the story may not yet be over.

Rain and Drainage:  We had a good chance to review the drainage.  One pump connection failed.  We now have a back up and will redesign the connection.  All in all, everything worked well. 

Sales: Paperwork is progressing. We have an expression of interest in leasing 120 and an offer on Unit 114. We'll see what develops on each of the latter two.

Units for Sale/Lease:

Unit 114 - For Sale

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

This 1,290 sf. (plus covered parking for one car and two lockers 67 sf.) single story, semi detached house, with garden terrace, two bedrooms is a beautiful executive style home. This home consists of two large bedrooms one with six piece en-suite bathroom with additional access to separate full shower. Each bedroom has large closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and bathroom ceilings provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system. There are four TVs (one in each bedroom, one in the living room and one in breakfast / dinning room.) This is a beautiful well appointed home.

Read More

Unit 124 - For Rent

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.

Read More

Unit #103 - For Sale/Leased

Total Area (Sq Ft): 1000
Total area (Sq M): 93
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Floor(s): 1
Type: Detached
Furnished: Yes

This 1,000 sq ft., (plus parking for one car) detached, single story fully furnished home, which features two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one is en-suite), living room, dining and kitchen area and a private backyard terrace. The vaulted, insulated ceilings in the living room and master bedroom offer fresh air and cool temperatures all the time.


Read More

Unit #107 - For Sale

Total Area (Sq Ft):1716
Total area (Sq M):158
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2.5
Floor(s):2 Story
Type:Detached
Furnished:Yes

This 1,716 sf. (plus parking for one car) two story, detached house, with three terraces, two bedrooms (one on each floor) and upstairs master suite is a beautiful home. This home consists of two VERY large bedrooms (one on each floor) with en-suite bathrooms and a powder room, each with large closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and ground floor bedroom ceilings as well as the master bedroom on the 2nd floor, provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system. There are three TVs (one in each bedroom and one in the living room.) This is a beautiful home. There is a rough-in for a dishwasher in the kitchen area.


Read More

Unit #120 - Available for Rent

Total Area (Sq Ft):1312
Total area (Sq M):122
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2
Floor(s):1 Story
Type:Semi-Detached
Furnished:Yes

This 1,312 sf single floor home includes a 300 sf front terrace plus parking for one car. It is an end unit and therefore attached on only one side providing ample lighting and views. The 6 inch cement demising (common) wall prevents sound transfer. This is a very nicely furnished and accented home.


Read More

»EXPLORING SANTA ANA

The Alta Hotel

If you are looking for a premium boutique hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica …. you are at the right place. Small, special, intimate, The Alta Hotel consists of only 23 units: 16 double rooms, 6 suites, and 1 Master suite. The beautifully sculpted hotel cascades down the hill (Alto de Las Palomas) providing exquisite views of San Jose and the surrounding volcanoes and valley. The carved look melds different styles --- Spanish-Moorish medieval, countryside elegant --- into one graceful structure. The vaulted ceilings in the Paseo and wide stone stairway lead castle-like from the reclusive guest rooms to La Luz Restaurant. We want people to feel as if they have arrived at an extremely gentile hacienda. The setting is warm and elegant, but not pretentious. Go up to your room and relax, soon an exquisite feast will be served in La Luz. The rooms have an overall look of elegant austerity. The finishes are rustic because, in the words of the interior designer, "The grace of imperfection is more important than graceless perfection." Perhaps the finest features of the hotel are the large balconies that overlook the Valley of the Sun and bring the best of Costa Rica (the nature outside) into the room. Here is a great place to enjoy the fusion cuisine of La Luz in the rays of the departing sun…or admire the pond-like, cobalt blue-tiled elliptical swimming pool. The Alta Hotel, among the finest of Costa Rica's small boutique hotels, offers its exclusive guests a sublime combination of pampering services, understated luxury, and San Jose's finest cuisine. Here is the hotel to begin your journey into Costa Rica's natural splendor, to relax after a business meeting, to enjoy your wedding or honeymoon, or to indulge yourself after days in the wild before departing for the nearby international airport. Alta Hotel is your luxurious home away from home.

www.thealtahotel.com

Phone: 2282-4160   
Fax: 2282-4162
Email: info@thealtahotel.com

»MEET THE DREAMMAKERS

Eligio

Eligio was born in 1951 in Puriscal, a small village up in the mountains about one hour drive west from San Jose. He was born to a large family of eleven. His father dedicated himself to farming while his mother took care of the household.  Aside of his six sisters and two brothers, he quietly admitted that there were other siblings, brothers and sisters, that passed away at a very young age because they did not have access to adequate health care and medical facilities close to their home. At the age of 57, Eligio is single, never married, without children. Eligio was brought to the construction site of Hacienda El Dorado by Alejandro (interview with him was published in this newsletter last week), who is married to Eligio's sister Rosalina.

Eligio never completed his primary education. He barely finished the sixth grade when poverty forced him out to work. Although public education is free in Costa Rica, his family could not afford providing him with the necessary school supplies and needed him to help out support the rest of the family. At the age of 11, he made his way to San Jose to join his relatives and started seeking employment. He often worked multiple jobs on construction sites or as a security guard. When asked what he does in his free time, he responds by saying he usually finds some other work to do. He loves gardening so he helps out many people keep up their gardens, a job that pays some 3 dollars an hour.

» NEWS FROM COSTA RICA

If your browser does not support the hyperlinks below, you can view the COSTA RICA NEWS section on our website from the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/English/News/index.php

There are also new articles posted in Spanish on the following URL:

» http://www.eldoradocostarica.com/Spanish/News/index.php

June 02, 2008
Living in Costa Rica’s Santa Ana, a San Jose Suburb
(Costa Rica Pages) The best thing that has happened to me in Costa Rica was to start living in Santa Ana. I did not know it so well then, but I had some friends living there and always really liked the place, if only for its warmer and drier climate.
Read

May 31, 2008
Ticos Survive TACA Airline Crash
(Inside Costa Rica) Airline officials confirm that 24 Costa Ricans were among the survivors of the TACA airplane that crashed in Honduras on Friday.
Read

May 30, 2008
Only 500 Wardens
(La Nacion) Twenty-six percent of the territory of Costa Rica is protected, but there are only 500 wardens for the prevention of deforestation, poaching –particularly of endangered species–, and the misuse of wilderness areas.
Read

May 30, 2008
Bio-Fuels
(La Nacion) As part of the efforts to be less dependent on oil, starting next October, only gasoline with ethanol and diesel with bio-diesel will be available at Costa Rican gas stations.
Read

May 30, 2008
Costa Rica Living in the Central Valley: Santa Ana Is Home for Me.
(WeLoveCostaRica.com) This is the second in a series of three articles on desirable towns west of San Jose. When I was still living in Florida, preparing to make Costa Rica my home, I decided I wanted to live in Santa Ana. My online research and a two-week visit to the Central Valley clinched the decision for me.
Read

May 30, 2008
Dole Standard Fruit Company of Costa Rica Honored with Prestigious Industry Excellence Award
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dole Food Company announced today that for the second time in its history, Dole Standard Fruit Company de Costa Rica S.A. has been presented the “2007 Overall Excellence Award” bestowed by the Costa Rican Industry Association. This is the most prestigious honor that a company can obtain in Costa Rica. Standard Fruit also won the award in 2000.
Read

May 30, 2008
Costa Rica May Soon See a Mega-Marina in Limon
(Costa Rica Pages) SolerPazos Group has announced that it will go ahead with plans to build a marina in Moin, Limon on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Isla Moin, as it will be called, will become the first mega marina in Costa Rica and will include a luxury hotel, 600 condominiums, 100 homes and 100 ocean view villas amid its 113 hectares and 2.5 kilometers of beach front land. The marina itself will have 500 spaces for the yachts and “mega-yachts”.
Read

May 30, 2008
900 Trapped In Cerro de la Muerte Rescued
(Inside Costa Rica) Some 900 people had to endure the cold, rain and mud for almost 40 hours after being trapped since Thursday in the area known as Cerro de la Muerte, on the Intermaricana Sur highway between San José and Perez Zeledon, due to some 15 mudslides that blocked and closed off some 10 kilometres of the highway.
Read

May 29, 2008
Tropical Storm Alma Lashes Central America
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Tropical Storm Alma lashed the coast of Central America with heavy rains and high winds on Thursday after becoming the first such storm of the eastern Pacific season.
Read

May 29, 2008
Tropical Storm Alma Dumping Down on Costa Rica
(The Tico Times) The National Emergency Commission (CNE) has issued a red alert, its highest alert, for Guanacaste and the Central Pacific as the unrelenting rains from tropical storm Alma flood the coast.
Read

May 28, 2008
Real Intercontinental to Invest $40M in Costa Rica Tower
(Costa Rica Pages) In the Escazú Guachipelín neighborhood, you’ll find beautiful homes, intimate neighborhoods, friendly neighbors and now, one more addition: the Hotel Real Intercontinental has begun construction of a tower worth $40 million.
Read

May 27, 2008
Embattled President of Costa Rica's Olympic Committee Agrees to Leave Post
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Associated Press) The embattled president of Costa Rica's Olympic Committee has finally agreed to step down.
Read

» OUR LIVES

Weather: We had 4 days of continuous rain as the Pacific based tropical storm developed into a low grade hurricane over Nicaragua. We got lots of rain but virtually no wind.

What to do in the Rain? Do the stuff you hate doing--filing, cleaning, organizing, etc.

Surrounding Construction: We are surrounded by construction: Kirebe, a large CR developer, continues to build to our east. Two different sites, each having about 85 doors. Two small Tico type lots appear to being readied for construction. One corner lot at the beginning of our street is also under construction with what I'm told will be a three story office building.......I hope the parking will nr underneath on the ground level because there is no other place to park.  However, not having parking never stopped an building permit from being issued.

ISSUE #191: June 2-7, 2008 | 2008-06-08

Coq au Vin and Driving

» 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.

»MARKETING, WEBSITE & SALES

Webdesign: We've gained more direct control over our ability to update items and Jan has added CR content to the links section. We have a ways to go before we are finished with this but we've started.

Sales: We are still working on the same set as the previous two weeks.  Delays are mainly due to getting information.

Trees: The scrub tree cutting and clean-up is mostly completed. MINEA will be called to inspect.

Gaviones: We've started building and installing these along  the back of what will be buildings 14-17.

» CONSTRUCTION LOG

  

 

» RESIDENCIAS LOS JARDINES

Sales: Paperwork is progressing on 124 / 125. This has become an exceedlingly tedious and frustrating effort;  one of the owners is very distracted with personal issues. We also have an offer on 103 and on 114. We might be receiving an offer on 107 next week. We'll see what happens.

Title Protection: In CR, there appears to be a major weakness in securing title and makikng sure it stays in the name in which it is registered.  In a country where there are more lawyers than taxi drivers (so I'm told) there a bound to be a few bad, ie. unscrupulous, characters. All that seems necessary is for one of these lawyers, who's a notary ( higher, more trustworthy character, to swear before the officals of the National Registry, that the documents he / she presents represents the will of the registered owner, and almost bingo, the title starts being transferred without the registered owner knowing anything  about it. When the land is then "sold" to an "innocent third party" and the original owner who's been swindled finds out and sues to get it back, , the courts have pretty consistently held that the "innocent third party" is now the rightful owner. While this scenario doesn't happen very often, it has happened and can happen and has been reported several times in literature I read. Admittedly, this is more likely to happen when the property is owned by people not in CR and not actively inhabited, it could happen. A year or so ago, a company was started which monitors titles in the National Registry's data base. When activity is detected, the owner is immediately notified.  We bought this service for Doneste, S. A. and Residencias Los Jardines. It is an inexpensive Excedrin for a potential problem. 

Units for Sale/Lease:

Unit 123 - For Rent
Total Area (Sq Ft):662
Total area (Sq M):61
Bedrooms:1
Bathrooms:1
Floor(s):2nd Floor
Type:Semi-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

Unit 114 - For Sale
Total Area (Sq Ft):1290
Total area (Sq M):120
Bedrooms:2
Bathrooms:2
Floor(s):Single Floor
Type: Attached
Furnished:Yes

This 1,290 sf. (plus covered parking for one car and two lockers 67 sf.) single story, semi detached house, with garden terrace, two bedrooms is a beautiful executive style home. This home consists of two large bedrooms one with six piece en-suite bathroom with additional access to separate full shower. Each bedroom has large closets with extensive built-ins for personal organization. The vaulted living room and bathroom ceilings provide a feeling of grandeur while allowing the warmer air to rise and exit through the ceiling ventilating system. There are four TVs (one in each bedroom, one in the living room and one in breakfast / dinning room.) This is a beautiful well appointed home.

Read More