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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

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

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

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

» 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

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

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

» 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

» 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:

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!!!!
Shower doors that can swing only one way since they hit the toilet—not the end of the world but not a great design.
Minimal, really minimal lighting throughout—one overhead 40-60 watt bulb per room;
Minimal kitchens of poor design and inexpensive cabinetry with virtually no lighting and doors which will be problematic when appliances are installed.
No screens on the few opening windows.
Really poor bathroom lighting—both vanities and general/shower area.
Very minimal balconies not large enough for two chairs and a table AND very low (32") guard rails,
Minimal landscaping with no irrigation system;
Cheap commercial type clothes closets w/ no overhead storage;
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;
Flat wall paint which will mark badly vs. "eggshell" which has a harder finish and is washable;
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;
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,
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.
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.
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.
I have difficulty figuring out where a computer desk or lap top might fit.
While I don't remember all the designs, I don't remember seeing a guest powder room in any.
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

» 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

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

» 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