CasaAnolis

Our time for this trip is starting to wind down but I am still knee-deep in projects. Every day we get things done but we are constantly adding new projects. Fortunately they are rapidly becoming minor ones.

One of the biggies that we are tackling right now is the plumbing. Along with a new kitchen sink faucet I also installed a garbage disposal. The switch and electricity were right there so it was only a matter of taking out the old sink trap and putting the unit into place. The hot water tank was rusted at the bottom and due for a change but rather than replace it with a similar one, for safety and energy purposes we went with an on-demand unit which just sits on the wall-and frees up storage space to boot! Continue reading “Going with the flow.”

Wed, 4/30

Finally. We have closed on Monte Sol at last. It only took from our offer being accepted in November until the 30th of April to get to the closing table. The bank took forever to get it’s act together. To this day I still don’t know what took them so long. Closing was a bit of a zoo. I’ve closed  on properties several times, but never in another language. Fortunately our real estate agent, Sandy Ramos was at the table fighting for our cause. She certainly knows her stuff and was our best advocate! She insisted on them giving us copies of things that they normally wouldn’t, which would help us avoid future problems when we choose to sell. She is very passionate about her profession and it shows. We simply could not have had a better person at the table with us. Well, that is over. We are now the new owners of E 4-3.  Let the work begin! Continue reading “At last.”

First, we finally got a closing date. On Arpil 30th, Casa Anolis becomes ours. Casa Anolis translates as House of the Anolis. When we first walked into the back garden area I was struck by the number of Anoles (type of little lizard) all over the place. Fortunately I’m fond of them.

Second, home automation is not cheap, but it’ll give us peace of mind and some of it will pay us back within a year in energy savings. Within 5 years the energy savings will pay for all of it. The cost of electricity right now is $.25-.29/KWh on the island depending on where you live. More than double what most people in the states pay, so every little bit goes a long way. Continue reading “Casa Anolis. Automated”

Well, closing on the condo isn’t happening quickly.  It’s been a rather long and winding process that is still in the works with FirstBank of Puerto Rico. We sent off the signed contract and our earnest money on the 12th of December via UPS 2nd day. Continue reading “…And now we wait for the bank.”

For years now I have been nattering on (for lack of a better term) about escaping the dreary northeast winters. We’ve tossed ideas around about my eventual retirement to someplace like Ecuador, St Croix, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, etc. You get the picture. They are all year-round warm climates with coastal cities.  So, it’s no surprise that during our recent trip to Puerto Rico a visit with a real estate agent was on the agenda. I’ve been looking on-line for some time now and several places caught my eye. Continue reading “A place in the sun”