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Luna
 Situated
on slightly sloped terrain, Luna discreetly blends with its
surroundings, introducing abundant nature and panoramic views to
every door, window and room. Entering Luna by way of a lush
exterior entry courtyard with terraces, ponds and waterfalls, a
large entertaining area greets - made up of kitchen, dining and
living rooms seamlessly integrated with exterior dining,
lounging and pool. A circulation spine consisting of half level
landings connect the main floor with a luxurious master suite
and guest rooms above. Incorporating all of our deluxe
amenities, Luna’s split level design also continuously maintains
an intimate relation to the flora and fauna of the incredible
Costa Rican forest.
  
Building a Dream, While Building Green
 Kalia has
recently become proud members of the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC). This further demonstrates our commitment to
sustainable development in all of our eco-villages. The USGBC is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. Their mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.
Exterior Green Features
Roll your mouse over the red
dots on the model home to see how we "greened" your new Kalia home.
Solar Energy - Solar Panels will reduce the use of electricity for pool and water heating.
Green Roofing System - A landscaped roof will help regulate your home’s temperature while reducing storm water run off and filter pollutants and CO2 out of the air.
Site Development - The home is designed to fit the natural terrain so minimal grading and site work is required.
Cross Ventilation - The home is designed with strategically located windows and doors to achieve maximum cross ventilation to minimize energy consumption.
Passive Cooling Water Features - Water features around your home will contribute to the independent cooling of the house allowing a cool breeze to flow off the pools.
Water Efficiency - Plenty of water is provided from on site wells that have been tested for quality.
Gray Water Recycling System - Stores and provides recycled water to the yard and surrounding landscape.
Interior Green Features
Roll your mouse over the red
dots on the model home to see how we "greened" the interiors of your new
Kalia home.
Cabinetry - FSC certified wood ensures it is coming from responsibly managed forests. The stains and materials used are water based and formaldehyde free.
Appliances - All appliances are Energy Star Rated. The refrigerator is the healthiest on the market using R-134A coolant which doesn’t contribute to the greenhouse effect.
Paint- Low VOC paints are used to reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, potentially irritating, and harmful.
Countertops - Quartz surfaces have a non porous nature that prevents the growth of surface mold and microbes.
Furniture - Crafted to be 100% FSC pure by using sustainable or reclaimed woods that preserve the earth’s forests.
Fabric - Made using recycled content and environmentally approved dyes.
Tile - All materials are produced by a socially responsible manufacturer. Tile is made using recycled content.
Plumbing - Manufactured by Italian technicians and artisans which means special attention to detail, materials, and finishes. Shower heads and toilets are low-flow and low-flush to reduce water use without sacrificing quality.
Costa Rica Aims to be "Carbon
Neutral" by 2021
By AFP, Apr 16, 2008 - 5:59:31 AM
SAN JOSE (AFP) — Costa Rica
plans to balance out carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to become "carbon
neutral" by 2021, through a joint government-private enterprise effort,
without foresaking economic growth, the environment minister said Thursday.
Roberto Dobles outlined the ambitious plan that includes substituting
petroleum and its derivatives with biofuels, thrifty and efficient use of
energy and reducing agricultural burn-offs, at the two-day National Meeting
for Carbon Neutrality.
With Britain and Spain participating, Dobles said the gathering of around 60
business leaders, academics, non-governmental organizations and
environmental activists will share experiences in the field and help Costa
Rica focus on its goal.
He said that besides reducing and compensating CO2, methane and other
greenhouse gases emissions by coordinating government policy with the
private sector, the plan will also continue a tree replanting campaign that
last year surpassed the five million goalpost.
"For 2008, we've set the target at seven million trees in rural and urban
areas, surpassing the target set by France, a country with 64 million people
(Costa Rica has 4.2 million)," Dobles said.
Mortgage Lenders See Opportunity Beyond the Border
By Tom Kelly - Herald Net
May 18, 2008 - 4:45:13 PM
The cold domestic housing
and mortgage markets have lenders looking for warmer possibilities, and a
few are spending more efforts to finance Americans who choose to purchase
primary residences and second homes south of the border.
Lehman Brothers Resort Home Lending will enter the market in a big way,
offering mortgage packages this year in Mexico, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, the
Dominican Republic, Panama, Canada and the United Kingdom.
The programs, featuring one-, three-, five- and 10-year adjustable-rate
mortgages amortized over 30 years will be available to U.S. borrowers in
Mexico, Costa Rica and the Bahamas beginning June 21, said Dan Bryant,
former director of GMAC International Mortgage and now senior vice president
for Lehman Brothers Resort Home Lending. Lehman plans to enter markets in
Canada, the United Kingdom, Panama and the Dominican Republic in September.
GMAC was the first national lender to introduce a 30-year, fixed-rate
product south of the border but pulled out of Mexico late last summer when
the U.S. mortgage market meltdown began to influence international partner
companies. Lehman Brothers purchased some of GMAC's Mexico back-office
operation late last year.
"There's a lot of work ahead of us but the opportunity is very exciting,"
Bryant said. "There are so many things that are different in how loans are
done in Mexico and other countries, yet we plan to give our customers an
excellent experience."
Wachovia Bank also has launched a program that enables the bank to purchase
vacation home loans made in Mexico. The vacation home origination process is
designed to look and feel like the loan origination practices in the United
States, according to Wachovia.
"Having the support of a successful U.S. bank like Wachovia really speaks to
the strength of the vacation home market in Mexico," said Joe Schneider,
project administrator for Cascadas de Manzanillo, a 530-acre planned-unit
development on Santiago Bay just north of Manzanillo, Mexico.
How have Americans financed second homes outside the United States?
Traditionally, it was get out your line-of-credit checkbook, add any savings
you could muster and then pray that the seller would "carry the paper" until
you found another way to refinance the balance.
Bryant said the firm will scrutinize builders and developments in specific
destinations. For example, Lehman Brothers will focus on waterfront and view
communities in Mexico's Riviera Maya, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.
Underfunded projects and unscrupulous developers in popular drive-in areas
such as Puerto Penasco at the northern most point of the Sea of Cortes, and
at a few oceanfront buildings on the northern Baja Peninsula have prompted
lenders to spend more time on analysis and research before electing to
approve permanent financing.
Anaheim, California-based World Wide Lending, LLC,
which plans 20 locations in Mexico, has begun to list its approved
developments on its Web site. It plans to utilize a broker network
throughout Mexico, while Lehman Brothers will have retail sales
relationships inside each approved development.
Chris Stopp, a broker for Sacramento-based MexUs Capital, said his goal is
to provide a menu of attractive loans not only second-home recreational
buyers but also for retirees. "The variety of
people coming to Mexico to live part-time or full-time continues to increase
and their needs are different," Stopp said. "We want to offer them an
American transaction in a development they will enjoy for a long time.''
Interest rates on Mexican loans are higher -- about 2 full percentage points
-- than those in the States because there has been no competition in the
secondary mortgage markets, nor has the with Wall Street capital markets
been willing to purchase the loans as securitized assets. Once the loans
become more attractive and marketable to buyers, interest rates will
drop, according to financial analysts.
The Canadian offerings could provide an attractive option, especially with
the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, B.C., just around the corner. Retirees
and aging baby boomers "from the states" are drawn to Canada for its
wonderful skiing, health care, bargain medicine, terrific sailing and clean
air, but the number of second-home buyers and older full-time residents has
not been as attractive to lenders as the pool of thousands of snowbirds who
head south to Mexico and Latin America.
Americans can borrow from Canadian banks and vice versa. But trying to
finance Canadian property with U.S. funds becomes difficult. Location,
security in the property and the ability to enforce repayment simply make
the package unattractive to most U.S. lenders.
Lehman Brothers is willing to gamble that it can make cross-border lending
work, and that the number of Americans buying in Canada -- and elsewhere --
will continue to rise.
 “The
aesthetics of all the models created by the brilliance of the Kalia
architectural team was probably the deciding factor in my choice to purc in this
vacation home. They really spoke to me, hip, modern, efficient, and eco-friendly. The Breeze feels like it will integrate best into the environment, and
take advantage of the stunning views from our lot.”
Howard Van Emden
Ruby Sky Eco-Village |
