Rincón de Sabanilla

About Rincón de Sabanilla:

The district covers about 2.4 square kilometres at roughly 1,135 metres, on the gently rolling volcanic floor of the Central Valley, and its streams drain south to the Pacific through the Río Grande de Tárcoles basin. It sits between San Pablo centre and the city of Heredia, with La Uruca about four kilometres to the south. Ruta 3, the old Heredia–San José road, runs through it. The commuter train from San José comes in past Rincón de Ricardo and stops at Miraflores before it reaches Heredia. Buses run from Miraflores into central Heredia, and other lines through the district head for San José, Alajuela and CENADA.

Until November 2008 all of this was part of the San Pablo district. An executive decree split off Miraflores, Corobicí, Estrella, Rincón de Ricardo and Santa Fe and made Miraflores the seat of the new district. San Pablo is one of the smallest cantons in the country, and Rincón de Sabanilla is the more crowded of its two halves. The 2011 census counted 8,259 residents, and at more than 4,000 people per square kilometre it is denser than the district of San Pablo itself. There is little open ground left, so new homes tend to arrive as compact condominiums on lots that used to hold a single house.

It is not only a dormitory suburb. The Compañía Nacional de Chocolates runs its Costa Rican plant on Ruta 3, the municipal map marks an industrial zone inside the district, and the Universidad Latina has its Heredia campus on the same road. Paseo de las Flores, one of the largest malls in the province, with a cinema, supermarkets and banks, is a few hundred metres west of Miraflores. Day to day, people use the EBAIS clinic in Rincón de Ricardo, Escuela Miraflores and the Iglesia Santa María de Miraflores. Calle Cordero carries most of the sodas and small restaurants.

Most homes sit in urbanizations built over the past few decades: Miraflores, Compostela, La Estrella, Valle Claro, Rincón Verde, Los Heredianos and Lomas de San Pablo among them. Next to them are gated condominiums such as Cafeto, Vía Heredia, Rincón de las Brisas, Altamira and Terrazul. Buyers are mostly families who want Heredia’s services and a short run to San José without paying for the capital’s eastern suburbs. Small investors buy here too, for units that rent easily to students, university staff and people who commute by train.

Houses in Rincón de Sabanilla:

There are two kinds of house. In the older urbanizations, homes stand on their own lots facing a public street, usually one or two storeys, and many have been extended over the years with an extra room, an upper floor or a closed-in garage. In the condominiums, you are buying into a gated street with shared green areas and a guard at the entrance, and the lots are small: one two-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Vía Heredia has 99 square metres of living space on an 80-square-metre lot, with parking for two cars. Looking for houses for sale in Rincón de Sabanilla, you will usually be choosing between space and a private yard on one side, and security and low upkeep on the other. Ask for the monthly condominium fee and the house rules before you make an offer, because both come with the keys.

Apartments in Rincón de Sabanilla:

Apartments here are mostly two- and three-bedroom units in condominiums with controlled access and assigned parking. They suit buyers who want to be near the mall and the train without looking after a yard. Many buyers never move in and rent the unit out, so check how many units in the building are let before you buy for yourself. The condominium’s reserve fund, its maintenance record and the parking allocation matter as much as the finishes.

Rentals in Rincón de Sabanilla:

Long-term rentals cover the whole range, from apartments a few minutes’ walk from Paseo de las Flores to family houses inside condominiums like Rincón de las Brisas. Tenants are students and staff from the Universidad Latina and the Universidad Nacional in central Heredia, workers at local employers, and households that commute to San José by train or bus. Short walks matter more than square metres. A unit near the Miraflores stop or a bus line on Ruta 3 lets faster than a larger one at the far end of an urbanization.

FAQ:

• Is this the same place as Sabanilla in Montes de Oca?

  No. Sabanilla de Montes de Oca is a district in San José province, on the east side of the capital. Rincón de Sabanilla is in San Pablo de Heredia, and its postal code is 40902. Ads often shorten both to “Sabanilla”, so check the province and canton on every listing before you arrange a visit.

• Can I get to San José without a car?

  Yes. The San José–Heredia train stops at Miraflores, and bus lines through the district run to central Heredia, San José and Alajuela. At rush hour the train is often the more predictable option. When you view a home, time the walk to the stop you would actually use.

• What should I check on the title before buying?

  Start with the 2008 split. Older deeds, survey plans and sale contracts can still list the property under the San Pablo district, so make sure the plano catastrado and the entry at the Registro Nacional describe the same parcel in the same place. In a condominium, confirm that the unit is registered as its own finca filial, and read the regulations and the record of unpaid fees. Then ask the Municipalidad de San Pablo for a certificado de uso de suelo, especially if you plan to extend the house or use part of it for a business.

• What draws tenants to this district?

  Location. The Universidad Latina campus is on Ruta 3, the Universidad Nacional is a short bus ride away in Heredia, and the train and the mall are within walking distance of Miraflores. That combination keeps small, well-located units occupied.

• What services are close by?

  Paseo de las Flores covers shopping, banking and the cinema. The EBAIS in Rincón de Ricardo provides primary health care, and Escuela Miraflores serves younger children. Central Heredia, with its hospital and the larger public offices, is a few minutes away by bus or car.