A Little Change in Focus

As some of you know, Stef started a business a couple of years ago called Costa Concierge Services. The purpose in doing this was to keep her busy, and it also gave us the opportunity to help others who were moving here to Atenas. I got involved when I started helping my friend Charlie with his private development of new homes named Villas de Atenas. We made my end of the business a separate division of her corporation for tax purposes and to keep things simple.

Since we started, we have built a network of great resources. I remember when we first got here and needed a plumber  - I had no idea of where to start looking. Now, I can have a qualified plumber over here in less than an hour.

At first, Stef offered a lot of services in fact, too many services. During the period up to now she has found that she really enjoys two general aspects of the business that she now intends to focus on. They are:

• TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES - this includes: car rentals, tours, lodging, cell phone rentals and more. Because she is more familiar with the region, Stef will concentrate on the areas from San Jose to the Pacific.
• PROPERTY MANAGEMENT - Because of the network of resources we now have, she is more than qualified for this and can probably get things done much quicker than anyone else. Stef is already getting involved with several projects where people have requested her services. This part of the business includes: Taking care of properties and making sure the bills are paid when people are away. She will also become more involved in managing rental properties.

Now, what about ole Pete? Many people coming to Costa Rica to build a house get a real strong dose of Culture Shock. Homes are built completely different here. The materials are different, the labor methods are as labor intensive as you can get, and the inspection processes are no way the same as the US. After building two homes of my own, over-seeing the construction of Charlie's project and now, over-seeing the construction of Keith's new guest house - I have learned a lot! And, you know what? I really kind of enjoy it. When we sell our property, I am really looking forward to building the new house. Most people think I am crazy, and maybe they are right. But, I know good reliable honest builders, I know where to buy the materials at the best prices, and who can build us the finest cabinets and doors around. Some people come to Atenas, hire a builder to build their house, and then they take off back to the US with complete trust that the house will get built - In many cases, that is a HUGE MISTAKE.  Taking all this into consideration, I am going to get much more involved in the area of Construction Management. This will give me the opportunity to keep busy with something I enjoy while helping to make sure people coming here to build a house get more of what they want and expect.

In addition to this, I am using my marketing experience to help market some properties for friends and others. I hate selling real estate so I have selected some good companies to take care of the sales part of the deal. You can see the properties listed on our website.

Speaking of websites - Our webmaster had a very bad personal experience and moved back to the states. I had to find a new company to take over her work. Well, I decided it was time to completely re-do the site, and I mean completely re-do it. By the end of the month you will be able to see a totally different site, different concept with a very clear picture of our change in focus.

This should give you an update on how retired people never really quit working :-) - Take care