OwnCostaRica and Monterra Developers are Working Hard!

Valle de Luz Title Process - Board of Directors Call.

2012-04-30T22:33:00.001-05:00

GREAT NEWS!

As part of the projects registration process, Monterra Developers are pleased to announce our ability to elect a Board of Directors to the VDL project. The Board will govern, maintain and create regulations for this development, overseeing the future management and quality of VDL.
All property owners in VDL who wish to be on the board can call us for more info.

(905) 750-0010,

Home Construction Continues!

2012-04-30T10:11:00.001-05:00

Just a few pics of process photo's that the owners are looking at weekly on the home-owners web site. When construction begins, customers receive a password account where info and weekly photo's are uploaded to view.

Monterra Purchases Equipment

2012-03-19T13:47:00.003-05:00

With the amount of home construction scheduled for this year and 2013 our crews will be working the traditional 12 days on and 3 days off, weekends included. We will likely experience a construction bottleneck from heavy equipments contractors, who run such machinery as backhoes, bulldozers and excavators, as they don't work weekends or extended hours.
So to keep our crews working and our customers homes on schedule Monterra will be acquiring it's own machinery like this new backhoe that arrived last week.

RDS 2 Owners Can Look Forward to Titles this Year!

2012-03-15T16:51:00.003-05:00

RDS 1 and 3 are almost fully titled at this point but it's 2 that's keeping our phones ringing.
About 3 years ago we were well on our way to get RDS 2 started when we had a unannounced visit from the ministry of environment asking to look at the property. Our senior people and engineers were all unavailable at the time so without an appointment the agent set out (alone) to look. Shortly after a letter was written to us saying that the property could not be developed because of various reasons, which we knew was not true. What the ministry agent didn't know was that she was not on our property! After we demonstrated this including our plans for allowable development the ministry finally accepted our arguments. That took 2 years and 1 more year to catch up on permits that previously expired. We also had to separate the phases which cost us another year. We would expect complications and delays while working in a tropical paradise but it's hard to account for negligence. As frustrating as this was it's also a example of why more developers aren't here and we're very happy for that!
During this delay we have continually offered phase 2 owners an option to migrate into any of our other / titled properties in any of our phases - many took advantage of this.

Today we went into the property to the see the surveying / production progress of RDS 2. By referring to our milestone charts we can now get back to continued reports and updates for this stunning property.
The good news is that we're on schedule for titles this summer / fall - 2012, just in time for owners to plan for the new building season, The phase is beautiful and the views spectacular, lots of water and green year round. We will be providing updates as we continue through our milestone chart.

Building Progression Photos.

2012-03-10T08:59:00.008-06:00

Here are some construction update photos as we are gaining momentum with our first homes. We will continually post new images as construction proceeds.

5 Construction Spots Left for 2012!

2012-03-07T07:39:00.007-06:00

Yesterday 'Fast Track' (Monterra's lead property representative) hosted a conference call with updates on all projects. If you missed this call please look for an email with a follow-up date for the next one. One of the important subjects covered was building.

MDG's commitment constrcution price for 2012 is an average of $100/square foot. In 2013 the price will increase to an average of $125.00. The average construction price for other builders in the Peninsula area is averaging $160.00, yet MDG offers better quality and more unique designs.

This year we have capped home construction to 20 - this is for quality control purposes as our crews are being formed and materials pre-ordered. Currently we have 12 homes awaiting permits and 3 under construction. For you to build this year we require a completed '2012 Architectural Design Agreement' which will honor 2012 prices. We have 5 spots left. Please call Amanda at (905) 750-0010 for this agreement and more details. Thank you.

WWW.MDGCONSTRUCTORES.COM

BIG NEWS! Home Construction Begins

2012-02-27T18:07:00.011-06:00

Today Monterra Developers broke ground on home building. 3 homes are now under construction with many more awaiting permits. Our crews and some excited property owners were on hand for a photo opportunity as we cut the
ceremonial 'surveyor's tape' with a seemingly appropriate machete. MDG (Monterra's building company) has been accepting building contracts and designing homes for months but today is the day that it all begins.
Property Owners have been eager to get their homes under contract as Monterra has limited the amount of homes to be started in 2012 (as mentioned in an earlier post). Home designs for these houses and more can been seen on the
MDG's website and are unique to Monterra Developers. MDG will be building with the highest quality materials available and will be setting new standards in the Peninsula for design and luxury. The group picture shows the workers housing, in the background, for the duration of the build whcih is standard and required in Costa Rica.

www.mdgconstructores.com

For more information please call us at US/CANADA Toll Free: 1 (877) 313-3336

Join Our Team and Live in Paradise!

2012-01-10T22:32:00.002-06:00

Home Constrcution Orders, Just Starting to Come In!

2011-12-08T09:20:00.001-06:00

It's been a busy Fall so far and now that we're headed into the new season (CR summer) our big news is Building, Building and more Building.

Valle de Luz is fully permitted and ready for construction and more infrastructure. The rainy season took it's normal toll on this project but our road crew is headed back into the property now that the summer is almost here.
VDL property owners should have received notice by now to have their corporations opened and prepare for title transfer. Monterra is transferring another 220 titles - just in VDL!

2012 will see the formation of Monterra's new building company which already has 10 homes to start early 2012. We will be posting progression photo's as these homes raise.

According to Costa Rica's development and permitting office, as of fall 2011 Monterra is now the largest owner of titled and permitted properties in the entire peninsula, and we're in the top 5 for the entire country. The Monterra team has worked very hard to achieve this as we've witnessed other developers stall as they try to build without these complicated permits. There are no shortcuts in this country! And we're happy for that.

With our upgrades to the Hotel Costa Coral and our union with powerhouse 'ACI' - Monterra has built new relationships with billion dollar marketing companies such as Groupon and Living Social who are populating the Hotel Costa Coral and driving
interest to our area. This has translated to more property sales and home building enthusiasm. OCR in Canada, will likely focus more on client administration for Monterra allowing these big
companies to handle marketing for us in this new age of promotion. OCR seminars will continue but with focus on home building education with little emphasis on property sales. Our marketing partners will take over in this area.

2012 and 2013 Monterra will be focusing 90% of it's efforts on construction and not land development. This coincides with our business plan for 2012 which put most of our emphasis on home and condo construction. Also this keeps our (the) property
market from inventory saturation allowing land pricing to climb closer to Chicago Title appraisal values, benefiting all. We still have many properties available but the prices will be climbing more dramatically over the next 2 years - and many will be sold with a building contract in place.

This is great time to be involved with our company. If you're considering building then please contact OCR (ask for a 'Architectural Agreement') before the holidays - we're limiting our home numbers in 2012, and already have commitments for 2013.

Monterra Developers,

We will update our BLOG shortly. We have lots to share with you!

2011-10-24T08:40:00.005-05:00

Playa Tambor Flys Costa Rica's Blue Flag! Thanks Trish Miners for this info!!

2011-07-04T18:10:00.005-05:00

Costa Rica's Blue Flag program identifies and certifies the best quality beaches. What exactly is a Blue Flag Beach?

Modeled after the Blue Flag program developed in Europe to identify the world's best beaches based upon ecological quality and visitor conveniences, Costa Rica has created its own Blue Flag program with strict objective rating standards involving water and beach qualities of cleanliness. Only those beaches obtaining a water and beach quality score of 90 or more (out of 100) are certified as Blue Flag. Under the Blue Flag Ecology Program, the Costa Rican beaches are evaluated on a strict criteria. The beaches are assessed on water quality of the ocean and the drinking water, waste disposal, sanitary facilities, signage, tourist safety, environmental education and involvement of the community in beach maintenance. Only beaches with a 90% score succeed in acquiring a distinction and receiving the Blue Flag. Beaches awarded the Blue Flag are then monitored on monthly basis for sustained maintenance. Out of 84 beaches hoping for the award, only 67 beaches passed throughout several examinations, such as water quality, cleanliness and security.

This program started in 1996, and it's carried out by the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA) (Aqueducts and Sewers Institute), the ministries of Health, Environment and Education, by the National Chamber of Tourism (NCT) and the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (CRTI).

Meet Michael!

2011-04-07T08:59:00.006-05:00

Many of you have already met Michael as he's been employed by Monterra Developers for more then a year. As we're rapidly moving into home building this year Michael has been busy sharing his home ideas and meeting with customers who are ready to get building. He's also been busy interviewing / hiring our building crews consisting of trade and labor - with their first project being the Monterra warehouse in VDL.
For the past year Michael, who now lives in Playa Tambor, has been researching and assembling a comprehensive quoting sheet of every type of material needed to build and finish a home in Costa Rica. After a year of negotiating and pre-purchasing materials Monterra's exclusive pricing from these suppliers will make our luxury homes very competitive (quality & price) against any builder in Costa Rica.

More info will be coming soon on the Monterra building process and how to get started.

Michael Pechbrenner:

- More than 30 years' experience in construction building.
- Second generation. Credited with projects in; Northern Alberta, British
Columbia, GTA, and 8 years in Florida.
- Florida; Home construction from 6,000 - 18,000 Sq. Ft.
Disney World, Busch Gardens, world famous Hammock Beach Resort (Hard-scape finishes) and many other hospitality, resort and residence construction and finishes.
- Heavily experienced with structural engineering for; Bearing, Uplift, and seismic.
- Engineering, architectural, and construction management skills to complete projects expeditiously with superior results.
- Working with architect for custom home designs to optimize terrain usage, views, functional, with beautification, natural materials, and eco friendly finishes.
- Current in technological improvements and automation for energy savings, security, communication, to simplify life's demands and comfort.
- Experience includes residential construction, commercial construction, government projects, road and parking lot construction, theme parks, city park construction with full understanding of blue print reading which include; elevations, cross sections, inverts, structural, mechanicals,
electrical, finishes, call outs, and sectionals.
- Full experience with project management, project scheduling, project estimating/budgeting.
- Full understanding of North American building codes and engineering. Currently applying skills in Costa Rica for 4 years.

From Ms. Trish Miners - Monterra's Client Manager

2011-03-28T15:15:00.006-05:00

"Two years ago, I had no idea where Costa Rica was or that such a place even existed. Now, I call Tambor, Costa Rica my home."

"I started my career in real estate in Toronto, Ontario at the age of 20. While working in Toronto I realized my passion for real estate, investments and overall life and wealth enhancement. After working for three years in real estate locally I was introduced to Own Costa Rica and Monterra Developers. Working with Monterra and Own Costa Rica has been one of the greatest opportunities I could have ever asked for in my life.

Making the decision to invest in Costa Rica was relatively easy, but making the decision to move to Costa Rica was not quite as easy. My father and brother live in Mississauga, Ontario where I grew up. When I was presented with the opportunity to move to Costa Rica, I was torn between career opportunities and moving away from my family. I promised myself that I wouldn’t turn away such an opportunity and told my family I would give it a fair shot and if it didn’t work out I would be home soon. Over the past two years I have spent more time in Costa Rica than I have Canada and I would never look back. My father and brother both come to visit me here periodically and it is the most amazing feeling in the world to be able to show them my new life and what Monterra has created.

Growing up in Canada, horses were a huge part of my life. They are a passion of mine; I spent many years training, competing and teaching students how to ride. I have found in Costa Rica that my passion is shared with many others. Horses are a big part of this country and I now have the opportunity to ride in all of the rodeos, fiestas and perform what we call “dancing with the horses”. If we are not in a rodeo or fiesta, you will usually find us riding in the mountains or on the beach.

Costa Rica is a place that makes you feel at home almost instantly. The Costa Ricans have treated me like family since day one, their lovingness, respect for others and sincerity makes you welcome them into your life with open arms. Their way of living is truly amazing. There is never a reason to be angry or upset here, every day is a great day full of happiness and constant smiles. Everything here is basically as organic as it gets, from the food we eat to the shampoo and soap we use in the shower. I have never felt as healthy in my life as I do now living in Costa Rica.

Having the opportunity to invest in property, build and design a house and be a part of the Monterra family and community is an opportunity that I think everyone should explore. I know it has changed my life dramatically, both financially and personally. Being able to share what I have found with friends, family and clients is one of the most rewarding things for me to be doing. When clients are in Costa Rica there are many things that I share with them. Our boutique hotel, the Costa Coral, development and investment projects, luxury hotels, local towns, eco tours, farms, nature reserves, the list never ends!

Sitting in my office while typing this I am listening to clients designing homes and building dreams. Outside the window there are monkeys in the trees and horses playing across the street. Life is not measured by the number of breathes that we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away. I am absolutely convinced that there is nowhere in the world I would rather be than here in Tambor, Costa Rica."

New Tower Now Installed!

2011-03-21T07:49:00.003-05:00

As promised 'ICE', Costa Rica's telecommunication company, just installed a new tower down the road from our Valle de Luz entrance. That tower now provides 4G cell phone technology (not 3G) and wireless high speed internet to Monterra's VDL projects including Pacific Blue - right to the beach!

Monterra's New Warehouse.

2011-03-07T10:52:00.005-06:00

As planned Monterra Developers are moving quickly into becoming an organized building company. New staff have recently joined our group including an in-house architect (Costa Rican) and our Canadian home builder who comes with 25 years experience building to North American standards. Our construction team is being formed by top trades people in Costa Rica and new home designs are being created weekly! We currently have 9 client homes to build in VDL and RDS which will begin after our warehouse is completed.

Our new warehouse is designed for 10,000 square feet and will be located on VDL next to our nursery (vivero). It's needed for equipment, building materials, tools and security. Once completed it will become the main building and lock-down centre for all Monterra phases. It's vital for the building process and is the final stage before construction begins. We are very excited to be at this stage!

"Costa Rica, From a Woman's Perspective."

2010-12-23T14:18:00.010-06:00

JUST RELEASED!
Thank you to Sandra Roberts for this unique editorial, on Monterra Developers & Costa Rica, published in her internationally distributed Pie Magazine. Also thanks to the world's most patient writer Michelle Valencourt, and to Andy Vanderkaay who, for 1 week, only saw Costa Rica through a camera lens.

Visit this link for the full 14 page story. http://www.owncostarica.com/contact-us/our-brochure.html

Why is the Southern Nicoya Pennisula so Popular?

2010-12-14T10:20:00.009-06:00

We're back in the high season again (Nov. to May) and many more people are showing-up this year to see how beautiful this area is. The word is getting out that Playa Tambor is more accessible than ever and offers true Costa Rican nature, culture and bio-diversity. Costa Rica has determined that this entire area (Southern Peninsula) should be protected from over-development to maintain it's forests and coastlines. Over-development has occurred in some other famous beach towns which has not only hurt those area's ecology but also Real Estate values too!

Daily the ferries/ airplanes are arriving full of people coming to work, play and maybe even live in this area. Even the Cruise Ships, which dock across the bay from the peninsula, are offering passengers excursions to our area for the first time. People are coming to see what we've known for years - but without the threat of high population as the inevitable Real-Estate boom happens.

Exotic Property Tours - Video Web Site.

2010-11-11T17:02:00.004-06:00

EPT launched a new website designed specifically to host video information pertaining to Playa Tambor and Costa Rica.

Over the past 10 years we have have been a leader in providing up-to-date information to interested property seekers, web surfers and existing owners. By researching current search-engine statistics we can easily see that video information is quickly becoming more popular then text or images, therefore EPT has created a video web presence that is not only web friendly but also interesting and informative.

www.exoticpropertytours.com

Monterra Purchases New Development.

2010-10-29T10:37:00.008-05:00

Located in one of Tambor's most beautiful areas (known as Tango Mar) is a spectacular property which was has been under the development process for the past 3 years. During this time the previous owner/developer had acquired the necessary development permits to begin infrastructure and building. However due to economic reasons they needed to sell.

Recently Monterra was able to purchase this property at far below the appraised value and will pass those savings on to property purchasers. These are the lowest land prices we've seen in 5 years for a development of this quality. Monterra will only sell 1 per person - we are looking for people who want to start construction either immediately or within a few years and not buyers who want to purchase and flip these lots. Although this is a excellent investment it's also a great opportunity to own a piece a paradise in Costa Rica and build a winter getaway or permanent home.

The development allows for 80 building properties - building can begin immediately. There are already many homes built in the area and the 5 star 'Tango Mar' resort is located just down the road. Other then all the activities the Playa Tambor area offers, from this project you can walk to one of nicest beaches in country or Golf just a few minutes from home.

The project is named 'Pacific Blue' and is Monterra's 4th development site in the Playa Tambor area.
http://www.pacificblueproject.com/
Sales: 1 (877) 313-3336

RDS Roadwork Continues!

2010-10-23T22:01:00.007-05:00

This past season Costa Rica property developers have had their roads tested by heavy rains - the heaviest rainy season in decades. Monterra road builders have continued working thorough this entire season as it's the best way to identify areas that need improvement. After a recent inspection we see that our water management systems have performed as they were engineered too and our roads are dry and solid. Electrical plans have now been approved by government and we will begin its distribution by Nov. 29th 2010.

'Condominio de Luz' - Starting this fall!

2010-10-06T14:17:00.006-05:00

As our title processes are moving forward on all Monterra phases we are switching gears and initiating building projects in VDL.

We've been working successfully in the challenging but beautiful area of Costa Rica, the Southern Nicoya, for almost 4 years and with tremendous growth. Monterra started in the Playa Tambor area (Vainilla) with a single phase and now we're developing more then 12 with a 90% sell-out / reservation.
With every project comes lengthy and expensive permitting processes. Monterra has been extremely successful in these areas too, with approvals from all branches of government and recognition as a leader in the area for business development, employment and environmental responsibility.

As we moving into this next season we have made the decision to start building luxury condominiums combined with continued property sales and development. This will provide significant benefits to our developments and all VDL, RDS and PACIFIC property owners.

Construction will increase values to all Monterra properties.
Monterra will now be offering all fully built (turn key) products to buyers and investors.
Mortgaging will now be available for condo purchasers.
Rental programs will be initiated.
Condominiums will encourage local business and home building.

The condo's ('Condominio de Luz') will be available for purchase this November with a deposit structure of (10%,10% and 10%) and a 70% closing cost. We anticipate that the 70% will be mortgaged by one of the international banks. We have a letter of intent from Scotia Bank currently. Our first phase will offer 24 units consisting or 1,2 and 3 bedrooms. Pricing is TBD.

Why is this home unique? Designed for Monterra's Rios del Sol.

2010-08-25T12:49:00.009-05:00

A Canadian client together with our CR Architect 'Leon de Leon' have come up with this unique mountain home design that will be built in Phase 1. This home is actually a duplex maximizing its investment function both as a private family retreat and dual rental income potential. Even when the owner is using the home it can still be rented - Great Idea! And a beautiful home too.

What the 'Heck' is happing to Rios del Sol Phase 2 and 3?

2010-08-23T15:06:00.003-05:00

This is a popular question these days as we have not written much about these 2 projects for a while.

The RDS phases 2,3 are definitely taking more time then planned but they are well worth the wait, keeping in mind that these river and forested areas are as beautiful as they are protected. It takes a dedicated developer to make certain that they are planned just right and have the ability to build in these regions. It also takes government permissions and with this we have delays - normal for Costa Rica, frustrating for those who are waiting to build.

GOOD NEWS! These lots will be some of the last of their kind in Costa Rica and after this final title process any 5000Sq2m + size properties will be hard to find anywhere! CR's development future is small lots - so for those lucky few who own acre properties, hold on to them! Once the final plans have been approved we will be writing more about Rio's del Sol Phases 2 and 3.

Costa Rica's Lifestyle.

2010-08-21T15:56:00.002-05:00

A question we hear regularly is "what's it like to live in Costa Rica"?

This week we've had the pleasure to host an international magazine publisher Ms. Sandra Roberts (pictured here) for an upcoming lifestyle editorial on living in Costa Rica. She brought with her a writer and an acclaimed photographer to record her 7 day trip throughout the country. Playa Tambor was definitely on the itinerary but other locations including: San Jose, Escazu, Santa Ana, Salitral, Arenal, La Fortuna, Jaco, Puntarenas, Mal Pais and Montezuma were also visited.
Being in popular media circles Sandra'a hears a lot about CR and essentially wanted to see first hand what Costa Rica has to offer to women and families. This was Sandra's first time in Costa Rica and we're looking forward to her fresh point's of view on our unique country.

The 16 page editorial will be published this fall.

Rain, Rain and more Rain!

2010-06-15T09:02:00.006-05:00

The mountains are green and the waterfall's are flowing - the Tambor area is vibrant and fresh with all this rain.

We're experiencing an unseasonal amount of rain in Costa Rica now. Normally this season is much dryer and we wouldn't really expect any heavy rain until late Sept. or Oct.
As we're continuing to cut roads and develop infrastructure the abundant water is putting every cut to the test. It's slows us down for road construction but also allows us to see trouble areas as we're working. Work continues in VDL Phase 1.