This is Robert Irvin, the developer at The Oaks Tamarindo to talk to you for a couple of minutes about the total cost of ownership at The Oaks.

If you’re a reasonable person with reasonable use, your total cost of ownership should be under $500 a month. It breaks out like this. This year, $240 for your homeowner’s association, which includes, by the way, waste water treatment and security, items that are normally covered by municipal taxes.

Water is $16 a month which by the way is normally a public service in North America and is normally much higher. Real estate taxes are $22 a month. That is ridiculously low and that explains why you are paying for some municipal services with a separate water fee and with a separate homeowner’s association fee because about a quarter of your homeowner’s association fee is going to security and about an eighth of it is going to waste water treatment.

In addition to that, you’re going to want to watch your cable TV. That’s $30 a month. Compare that to North America.

In addition to that, you’re going to want to have internet. Internet at two megabytes is $30 a month. Again compare that to North America.

You may or may not want a plain old telephone in your unit. We have fiber cable to the unit to service the telephone and the basic telephone fee is $6 a month.

I strongly recommend it because that is much less than using your cell phone and paying for minutes. Add it all up. Just under $500 a month with the variation being that you can cut off almost $150 a month from electricity when you’re not here by simply lowering your breakers and cutting off the electricity and that if you’re an electricity hog or someone who needs to live their life at 62 degrees Fahrenheit, then you can double your electricity bill.

But on average for the reasonable person, just under $500 a month when you’re here and just over $350 a month when you’re not here.

Property management in 60 seconds. Full service, $100 a month, optional. Bill paying, cleanings twice a month, look after your property, lets you know what needs to be done, if there’s anything.

Half service, bill paying and accounting, $40 a month. We will help you find your own maid. You’re on your own with your cleanings. You will probably be fine.

Total, total, a la carte, you need cleaning, you don’t want your own maid, $24 for two hours with materials, $42 for four hours with materials. You decide when you want to clean. You decide how much.

As the founder of WeLoveCostaRica.com for over ten years my primary goal has always been to save our VIP Members time and money by investigating projects for you so you don’t end up having another painful and expensive “learning experience.”

The developer of The Oaks Tamarindo, U.S. citizen Robert Irvin is an experienced developer with a proven track record of building quality real estate in Costa Rica and, it’s important to note that this is not a project in pre-construction, The Oaks Tamarindo is a totally completed, debt free project and I feel very comfortable recommending it and I know that Robert Irvin will do his best to ensure you are 100% satisfied with your real estate investment at The Oaks Tamarindo.

For more information about buying or renting a condo at The Oaks Tamarindo or more details about the developer financing then please help us to help you by using the simple form below:

Written by Scott Oliver, author of 1: How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa, 2: Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore and 3. ¿Cómo Comprar Bienes Ra’ces en Costa Rica, Sin Perder Su Camisa?

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.