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The condo’s Scott is featuring (Oct 06) interest me but I live in Florida and one web site says Santa Ana is warm. I’m looking for COOL weather but it would be a second home and the price has to be around $100K.. I would like it to never go much above 80F. Cooler would be better. Also close to the amenities like Santa Ana is. Any thoughts?
Muchas Gracias. In Fla we have to know a little Espanol.John
It’s all about altitude, John. The higher you go, the cooler it gets. We’re at about 4,200 feet outside Grecia. Nights usually get down around 62 degrees F; days rarely reach 80. We have neither heat nor air conditioning and only infrequently use the ceiling fan.
We’re about forty-five minutes from the airport and an hour from Santa Ana. If you don’t travel at rush hour, it’s not a bad drive.
David,
Thank you for your reply. I’ve been to Grecia and it is a nice town. I’ve thought I would like to be a little closer to the action. I’ve moved way out in the country here in Fla and realise that I like being close to shopping, good restaurants and medical care. I recently had a heart attack and had to be airlifted to a “good” hospital. Complete recovery! There is not much around here so I want a little life going on. Also I found a church group I like in San Jose. So I would like to be somewhat close to things. Maybe Scott will come up with a great place a little higher up. Thanks.
John
I don’t think you would find this area of Santa Ana too hot (much cooler than any of the beach areas) as there is normally a very comfortable breeze.
The first project I mentioned in Santa Ana is lower, next week we’ll look at the new Country Club project in Santa Ana which is slightly higher and more breezy.
Having said that, the best thing to do would be to come back and visit for a few days and nights and see for yourself.
This area really is sooooo convenient for everything
Scott Oliver
WeLoveCostrica.comThanks Scott,
I will look into coming down. I would normally come in the summer when it is hot here in Fla. Right now the weather is good. Do you know the square footage of those condo’s?
John
John,
Ideas of hot and cold are relative. For Scott Santa Ana is not too warm. For me it is. I would need a/c all day if I lived there. However, David’s right, it’s all about altitude. Santa Ana, like most parts of the central valley, is butted up against mountains. Drive up a few hundred feet and you’re out of the heat.
Escazú, Santa Ana, and points west is where most of the development is happening. When the highway finally makes it from there to the beach, it will be the most convenient area to both San Jose and the southern Pacific coast. It will also be the most congested.
The south side of San Jose, bewilderingly like the south side of many cities, is the poor side of town. There is some room to grow to the East, towards Cartago, and the temperature drops every kilometer.
If you want cool countryside close to San Jose, I’d go north. Hop on the highway to Limón and in 4 minutes you’re surrounded by coffee fields. It goes up in altitude quickly, and in 10 minutes you’re in a cool cloud forest. Anywhere from this highway to the West to Heredia is my choice for living. There’s plenty of countryside, small towns, little congestion, a cool climate, and you’re right next to San Jose.
Next time you’re down stay a night or two at La Condesa Hotel, above San Rafael de Heredia. It’s a drop-dead gorgeous establishment, not too expensive (I think I paid about $80 a night – it’d be worth at least twice that in the States – including a huge, delicious buffet breakfast), surrounded by cypress trees, green grass, and a few bovines that look like they’re from Wisconsin. You capitalized “COOL”, so I think you’re like me. Put it this way, When I’m in Costa Rica, I don’t drive a car, I drive an air conditioner with wheels.
I guarantee you’ll fall in love with this area. Stop in at Residencial Aves de Paraíso on the way (a nice gated community), as well as Soda La Casita for very inexpensive typical Tico fare and basic atmosphere. If it’s a weekend, go to the left in the fork in the road after La Casita, drive a kilometer or two and eat at Las Chorreras for a family-cooked meal in the open air. Another great place to eat with lots of antique atmosphere further down towards San Rafael is Añoranzas.
Again, most of the development is from San Jose to the West. As a result, there are less housing options here. Oh well, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Scott, are there any decent condo developments going on around here? Remember, Lincoln School is relocating near Barrio Socorro, right off the Carratera a Limón.
There are a variety of models and they in turn have different designs but I believe that they range from 85-170M2 which would be 914 – 1,829 square feet
I will have more information to post on these as soon as I can find some more time… There are also some of the new apartments (the project that they have just finished) with tenants that are available for sale ranging from US$110,244 – US$146,474 totally furnished.
For someone who plans on retiring in a couple of years, it would be good to buy the apartment now, have the tenant continue to pay rent (ranging from $700-$1,300) and then move in when they move out …
Scott Oliver
WeLoveCostaRica.comWe live near Santa Ana (San Rafael de Alajuela) in a very nice apartment. The climat is very good, we don´t use fans or AC. Nearby a good hospital (CIMA), shopping malls and restaurants. Try a search on this site: “Concasa” and you will find comments from Scott about this project. If you are not sure to buy, rent an apartment (somewhere in the Santa Ana area) and buy something 1 or 2 years later. There are allways nice houses and apartments for sale in this beautifull country.
Bart and MaryLuz.
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