[Qtc9808]

[quote=”costaricabill”][quote=”qtc9808″][quote=”costaricabill”][quote=”qtc9808″]We have a beach home in the southern Guanacaste area with fairly new LG a/c units. We understand they need periodic maintenance and were looking for a reliable a/c person/company that takes care of this. Thank you! Joe M.[/quote]

Whereabouts in “the southern Guanacaste area”?[/quote]

Playa Coyote[/quote]

Check for PM I sent to you.
[/quote]

Bill,

Did you send me info on an ac company or a metaphor? I did not see anything in the PM except some metaphor.

[Qtc9808]

[quote=”costaricabill”][quote=”qtc9808″]We have a beach home in the southern Guanacaste area with fairly new LG a/c units. We understand they need periodic maintenance and were looking for a reliable a/c person/company that takes care of this. Thank you! Joe M.[/quote]

Whereabouts in “the southern Guanacaste area”?[/quote]

Playa Coyote

[Qtc9808]

I can refer you to a fantastic creative and honest architech that helped us design the home we are building in Guanacaste- His name is Ricardo Barrantes and he resides in Grecia. If you need me to put you in contact with him just write me at qtc9808@aol.com.

Joe

[quote=”spraytherm”]Thought we’d found a good honest Tico Architect/Builder

Well, alas, it was not to be so. (perhaps those subject words are oxymoronic in CR)

After 6+ months and $20K+ we do have a set of plans for a house in a very
difficult location that has a 99 (out of 100) view in the South Pacific region.

But after 100’s of emails, phone calls, meetings in person (4), we were
delivered a construction price 45% over our maximum budget. He knew the budget
all along. It was re-iterated time and time again. He never warned us that he
would be way over budget even though at times we deleted amenities and square
footage because we thought they would “break the budget”.

We saw work that he had done, talked to people who had seen other work that he
had done. All reports were positive. Maybe those were just rich gringo
customers. God knows, the one we saw in Heredia was one expensive abode. He told
us he needed the work and would work within our budget. I’m afraid all we did
was feed his family and make his truck payments and maybe he knew that all
along.

So, why am I posting this tale? To warn others not to get sucked into the “aim
to please” posturing of so many Ticos who will just walk you down the garden
path, taking your money as you pass through the architectural tollbooths that
the CR College of Architects sets up.

Yes I know there are architects who will work outside the parameters set down by
the college and we had tried one prior to this one. That one delivered only
promises, never paid attention to anything we said, etc., etc., etc. We also
interviewed others, from the demure to the ridiculous!

We are still waiting for the stamped plans from the “college”.
[b]
I have a few questions to those in the [u]know.[/u][/b]

1. Do the plans and the approval belong to me or to the architect and can I,
once they are stamped submit them to the muni for a permit myself?

1.a Is he required by law to deliver the plans to me once they are approved and
he is paid in full? I still owe him a pittance, about 5%, and would really like
to get the CAD files

2. What form do I have to get this architect to sign to allow some other
engineer to supervise the work if he is willing to allow that?

3. If all of the above fails, I have the plans in PDF (unfortunately not in
CAD). I have to assume (assuming anything appears to be a dumb thing to do in CR
by the way) that I can just get someone else to re-draw them. Right?

Thanks in advance to those in the “know”[/quote]

[Qtc9808]

[quote=”happygirl”]We have been renting from Dean’s renta4x4incostarica for 5 or more years, sometimes twice a year, and have never had a bad experience yet. This time we are renting for 5 months – find it much easier than owing a vehicle.

[/quote]
happygirl,
I have some property in Guanacaste and hope to finally relocate within the next 18-24 months. I share a vehicle with 3 other persons who travel back and forth to Cr and I have rented from Vamos 4X4 before.
You mention that you are renting for 5 months better than buying a car. Can you be more specific as I would be purchasing my own vehicle as soon as I relocate.
Thanks in advance for you anticipated assistance

Joe:D

[Author]

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