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Be aware that Costa Rica has the second highest electricity costs in the world, just behind Singapore. Rates increased about 40% in 2010 and have been continually rising. Ticos have not been as sensitive to these increases as Gringos who want their A/C comfort.
We have a condo near Jaco and have a few +$700/month electric bills when the 2,200 sq. ft. condo was occupied for a full month.
I will be installing the ‘Nest’ IP thermostats so that I can better control the A/C settings (the major culprit) both when I’m there and remotely via the internet from the U.S.
A few clarifications:
“established methods of socialized forms of government” = communism…which hasn’t worked all that well (remember the good ‘ol days in the Soviet Union?). Free speech was extinguished in Cuba over 50 years ago with the rise of Castro and his communist regime….been on any Cuban blogs lately to see complaints about the $20/ month income?
Of course, Castro is a communist and Hugo Chavez is a socialist while being in traning for full blown communist dicator. Chavez just conned a narrow majority of Venezuelans to vote away with term limits (meaning a limit on how long an elected offical can hold office). Chavez can now run for office for life….His next step? Consolidate power, nationalize the banking industry and develop the appartus to ‘control’ future elections thus assuring he stays in office for life.
You may want to study your history and keep up with current events before blaming all of the world’s ills on Rush Limbaugh and Reagan.
If you are considering surgery in CR…remember to carefully review the credentials of and interview the credentials of the anesthesiologist. A poor plastic surgeon can disfigure you. A poor anesthesiologist can do you in !
John H.
..Careful…its risky to rely on a ‘one mand band’. I have talked with Dr. D. as well as e-mailed him with some rainfall and satellite-related questions. He answered one e-mail and I never heard from him regarding my follow-up questions. he’s probably very busy doing new intalls…but what about the good ‘ol ‘service after the sale’ ?
My thought is that is satellite internet is you only option then you need to schmooze Dr. Dish!
JH
We bought a condo just outside of Jaco Beach, Playa Herradura, near the Los Suenos Marriott and Marina. There is a lot of building but the projects are all upscale. The location (at the edge of a rain forest, .5 miles from the beach, on the Coastline Highway) suited us because it was far enough away from the Jaco Beach ‘noise and glitter’ and yet close to most every thing.
The condo appreciated in value ~30% in eigth monts so we think we found the ‘sweet spot’.
Be aware of construction delays due to the utilities infrastucture not being able to keep up with booming construction. The power company (ICE)sometimes can take months just to connect the development to the power grid.
John
We bought a very nice 2,400 square ft. condo (a gated community) about 3 miles from Jaco Beach (.5 mi. from Playa Herradura), 1 mile for Los Suenos Marriott and Marina and near the soon-to be-built St. Regis Hotel.
It was the right blend: access to many things to do but far enough away not to hear the noise.
John H.
Yes, National, Hertz, Budget have a rental location at the Los Suenos Marina (near Jaco). One tip regarding rates at all rentals- The rates that are quoted don’t always include insurance which is no small item.
We rented from National for a rate I thought was approximately $54/day for a mid-sized SUV. Mandatory insurance tacked on another $35/day making the effective rate almost $90/day. There were also a few taxes on top of that!
John H.
Any advice on smaller shipments?
We need to make a small (80 – 100 lb) shipment of pre-configured computer equipemnt to our soon-to-be completed Jaco area condo. We need to have this equipment shipped in advance in order to have our IT consultant setup and test the system in advance of our arrival. So we can’t wait to schlep it along in large suitcases as many people would do.
We do have someone in Jaco to receive the shipment but we are not sure about how to ship (i.e. AA Air freight) and then clearing it in customs in San Jose and then arranging for final shipment to Jaco.
Has anyone had any experience of getting smaller shipments to destinations beyond San Jose and with specific frieght forwarders?
Thanks for any advice you may have!
John
We purchased a new 3 bdrm. condo in Jaco, near Playa Herradura, off the Coastline Highway (close to the Los Suenos Marriott, the new St. Regis under construction, Los Suenos Marina, new shopping mall, etc.). We drove by a number of the Costa Devlopments and talked to their telemarketrs when doing pre-trip due diligence. The Costa development south of Jaco (Costa Montana) was quite far from basic amenities. Many of the real estate brokers treated Esterillos as if it were in another province as opposed to down the road about 8 or nine miles. Even though Jaco is up the road about 10 miles from Esterillos, driving at night to go get a loaf of bread or other basics can be a pain. Pedestrians walk on the the road on a poorly lit road making a quick jaunt to the store an adventure and a burden!
It really depends on how close or far you want to be from shopping, restaurants and other conveniences. The Esterillos area seemed a bit remote with no shopping nearby. We want to experience Costa Rica with all of the conveniences initiially and not necessarily all of the adventure! We can then decidelater if we want to buy another property in a less developed area later.
Whatever you do, check out the area and other listings first before ponying up any money to the many hustling developers that are ‘on the prowl’ for Gringo gold!
Good hunting!
John H.
Scott:
I wondering if you are refering to “Dr. Dish” ($5,999 number was the clue). I have talked to him several times as he is the vendor who installed a 2.4 dish in the condo unit where we bought (Jaco).
I had inquired as to how he planned to distribute the satellite broadband within the condo development. I needed to know due to security and reliability issues associated with wireless networks. I thought it was a reasonable request and something he would immediately know because he is the ‘purveyor’ of the entire system (not just the dish). He explained that he doesn’t do that part (??) and would check with an expert. I’m still waiting and have growing concerns. Issues like ‘service after the sale’ certainly come to mind among others. Hopefully, he will restore my trust with a response to my questions soon!
John
Thanks for sharing you experiences regarding your trip to Sarchi and for your excellent write-up w/pictures .( https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/842.cfm). My wife and I are trying to plan furniture purchases for our second home/rental 3 bdrm. condo currently being built in the Herradura/Jaco area (not too far from Sarchi).
We are not sure whether the stores in Sarchi, as described in the article, are more tourist oriented focusing on collectable items such as rocking chairs, benches and other specialty items or whether it is a place where we could do some ‘serious shopping’ to outfit our entire condo. Our trip in December is short and ‘jammed full’ of things to get done, so having a ‘one stop shopping’ destination (possibly Sarchi)with a good selection, reasonable prices and short turn around delivery would give us a great advantage.
Perhaps you could give us some additional insights:
1. Furniture styles: We saw some pictures posted from one store in Sarchi While the rustic hand crafted, homemade look is OK for the traditional CR rocking chair, we were looking for more traditional pieces to fit out our unit (i.e. night stands, writing tables, sofas, lamps, etc.).
– Do any of these stores carry a more traditional style of furniture (suitable for a rental condo, etc.)? As I magnify Scott’s picture, it looks as though there is agood variety.
– Do some of the (non-touristy) furniture stores in Sarchi sell accessories such as lamps, box springs and mattresses, wall hangings, etc. (if so, we could get everything at one destination)?
– Are there any particular names of stores that you would recommend? (We’ll mention your name!). I spotted the Cuyo Rodriguez store mentioned. Any others?
2. Pricing: Is the pricing the typical two-tiered pricing? (You know, one price for Gringos and one for everyone else.).
– Also, can you negotiate a discounted package price? (you at least gotta try!)
– If so, if you negotiated a price, do you recall what percentage they dropped the (sticker) price?
– Are most transactions cash at time of sale, credit card, or some cash at time of sale and the rest upon delivery?
3. Delivery: How long does it take to get the furniture? As you know, in the US many furniture stores don’t stock or sell off of the showroom floor. They take your order and then tell you it will be 4 – 6 weeks.
We are trying to combine a trip to close and buy furniture and, ideally, have it delivered during our 7 day stay. Too much to hope for?
– So, assuming we find what we want, any idea as to how quickly they can set up for delivery?
4. Web sites: Although this may be unlikely (per the comment in the article) , do you know if any of these Sarchi stores have web sites? It would be great to at least some sample and have a few stores in mind to prevent rambling around when we have such limited time.
I know this is a long list and you may not have the time to devote to answering this ‘Quiz’ ! :- ) Any information would be greatly appreciated!
John H.
