Well we decided on the condo we wanted to lease for 1 year only to find that the owner decided that he wanted a shortened lease. David (Realtor) and his partner Charla (Property Agent) sent pictures of other properties they thought we would be interested in.
We decided 1 or 2 of the units could work so we made plans to travel back to Coronado. David found us a rental condo for our two day visit that was just coming on line at The Royal Palm Condominium.
Our stay at the Royal Palm…
This unit was just coming online so we were the first to stay there. Being first has advantages and disadvantages.
- Advantages:
- New furniture and appliances
- Huge smart TV
- Well appointed kitchen
- Clean and comfortable
- Location – Panoramic view of ocean & shoreline
- Disadvantages:
- Smoke detectors not fully installed
- Missing the fob to access the pool, beach and gym (the business office gave us a new one within 5 minutes of asking)
- Nowhere to put soap in the bathroom ( improvised with a plastic drinking cup)
- Only overhead lighting (no lamps)
- No garbage bags
- No paper towels
We made a quick store run and had a pleasant stay. We enjoyed walking the beach. The mixture of white and black sand was something we have never seen before. The view from the condo was great as well. But the absolute best part was the people we met at the Royal Palm. The 3 families we met are US expats living in Panama. They are a wealth of knowledge. In September after we settle in, we will see Michael, Alonso and the lady who’s name we can’t remember.
Looking for a long-term condo…
We toured 1 condo on the first day but we both decided quickly that it would not work. Karen put some pressure on David and he said that tomorrow he guaranteed we would love the condo.
On day 2, the first condo unit was homey feeling and located in the Ensenada community. It was a large 2 bedroom / 2 bath unit. Karen agreed that we could make it work as the unit had most of the things we wanted and the furnishings were solidly constructed. The balcony was large and shaded and we could imagine spending a lot of time relaxing and grilling there. The grounds were beautiful and well maintained. David did not disappoint us on to this unit!
The second unit was located at Casamar in the San Carlos District. The condo is gorgeous! It has everything we asked for in spades except for a king bed and TV in the primary bedroom. The primary bedroom is large with a walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom. The 2nd bedroom is slightly smaller than the primary and it also has an ensuite bathroom. The kitchen is wow! The living/dining area is well appointed and large decorated with top-of-the-line furnishings. The balcony contains great comfy furniture and even a hammock. While Ensenada was great, we like Casamar more. We both waited for David to tell us the monthly rental price (which we suspected would be outside of our budget and well into the stratosphere).
Drum roll…
We were astounded that Casamar was only $300 per month more than Ensenada but still $200 less than we budgeted. Additionally, utilities were less than planned with gas, water and parking all included in the rental price. Only electricity & internet is extra. We are in the process of signing the lease for Casamar. Pictures to follow after we move in on 9/1/2022.