Testing the Waters

There is currently a thread about the same thing...

http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/125362-im-moving-need-some-info-guys-6.html#post1113637

DiosMio said:

Hi, I'm interested in moving to DR (North coast probably), and buying real estate. Before making a big investment in something like property I'd like to rent for 6-12 months and make sure I would be fairly. Does anybody have advice for the best way to go about doing this? How much should I expect to pay in rent? I have some Dominican friends in the US that would probably be willing to help get me set up in DR and avoid any gringo prices.

I'll need a decently reliable internet connection for work (is this possible?), and I'll need to bring my PC, but other than that I don't have any special requirements.

Thanks.

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You might end up paying the Dominican Friend Surcharge which is sometimes higher than the gringo price.

Luperon said:

You might end up paying the Dominican Friend Surcharge which is sometimes higher than the gringo price.

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LMAO so true!!!

"negligible"-ha! Dominicans dont do nothing for nothing if they see you as a gringo with money to spend. Be extra careful of your friends. Once you move down and rent for a time you will have a more experienced viewpoint. No need to worry now, move and see if you like it here.

In the Cabarete/Sosua area you should be able to find a good place to start. There are options to suit a wide range of budgets. Excellent idea to rent for at least 6 months before you commit.

well, if you do a quick search or even hang around on the board for a couple of weeks you will get to see all kinds of advice about all styles of life in DR: from living on solar power, spiritual energy and seaweeds (from one of our most entertaining yet elusive - due to constant banning - poster) to living it large in the capital brushing buttocks with rich and famous.

rental prices are irrelevant: you can find anything from a den in a barrio to luxurious villa. do not ask how much should you expect to pay; set your budget and look for something within your range. compare real estate sites so you get the general idea of pricing, then you can check it on dr1 too.

as far as your monthly spending it is generally agreed that a single person will live nicely on 1000 US dollars a month. of course my neighbour spends that on booze alone so you can make some adjustments based on what you want/like to do. food prices will be similar to those in USA, on the whole. you may find some things (local produce) to be cheaper but other things (what you like from back home) will be more expensive. bills will be somewhat higher (especially power and internet) but services are way cheaper.

in this case keep internet in mind when choosing your location: it may be better or worse, depending on the area. yeah, you can get one of them internet sticks but a proper connection is is always preferable. even then you may have issues: we have the internet from claro and have to stay on lower speed; every time they hike it up the internet just go off, completely. apparently it's something to do with the distance from the tower/central.

going out: different range of prices. street burger/hotdog will be less than 50 pesos, a plate of the day 100-150, a meal in the restaurant 250-500, in better places up to a 1000 pesos for the main course. a drink, depending on location and preferences will be from 60 to 300 pesos. so again, plenty of choice for everyone.

I understand the cable modems in Cabarete/Sosua are extremely fast and reliable. I'm not from there, I'm in the boondocks of Cabrera, but people I know there seem to brag about the speed a lot.

[URL="http://www.supercasas.com/reg/do/home.aspx

This is an excellent site to get an idea of the rental prices throughout the DR. Whenever you respond to an advertisement have a Dominican do it on your behalf. Where possible always try and get a rental contract in pesos.

Castellamonte said:

I understand the cable modems in Cabarete/Sosua are extremely fast and reliable. I'm not from there, I'm in the boondocks of Cabrera, but people I know there seem to brag about the speed a lot.

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damn them! i only know we have this problem in POP and the OP is looking at the north coast in general, i think. better safe than sorry, i say

Hi DiosMio. I wouldn't hold my breath that Sosua will ever be completely "cleaned up" but Cabarete has all that is on your list and keeps it within walking distance of everything. There are gated communities between Sosua and Cabarete with a few being in Cabarete. Have a look around and check out the entire towns before committing to anything. Lots of expats in both places. Good luck!

now you are stirring a hornets nest
sosua is cheaper, bit bigger and closer to POP if you need proper shopping. people are older, generally, and there are many long term residents: so either they enjoy hookers or it ain't that bad it has an excellent major and has changed for the better in recent years. there is a huge choice of restaurants and bars - some come and go and some have been there for years.
cabarete is more expensive, a bit smaller and generally attracts a younger crowd. it has a great surfing beach so there are plenty of people who do just that. the main street has everything you need, from bars to shops and colmados but it is a shi**y piece of road to drive: cars park on both sides of the street making it very narrow, keep your eyes peeled when driving or even crossing.

plenty of gringos in both places. sosua has a german butcher and bakery and cabarete has a belgian bakery. none of them bastards want to move their businesses to POP. i think i may have to kidnap their dogs or something... i mention those shops specifically because there is no way not to love them and the stock they offer. sosua has better bus connection with the rest of DR: there are daily buses to POP, santiago and SD. but cabarete makes it easier to drive to SD and punta cana via new highway.

i do not know what else to say to be polite i would not like to live in either. POP is already a campo to me and i miss big cities. but to each their own.

Check out Hispaniola Beach (ocean front condos | beach front condos | Sosua | Dominican Republic | For Sale | For Rent | Hispaniola Beach), ask for "Jim" and he can get you a great rental deal on the beach, in Sosua, away from the crap yet local enough to enjoy the shopping. I visited that development a couple of days ago and was impressed!

I like Juan Dolio,on the south coast,less than an hour by car from SD.
Most Great restaurants percapita than any other "Beach Town" I have visited,north or south.
ALL levels of social strata there,from the Presidential beach villa,to..................................whatever level you seek to socialize with.
I like Sosua for the North Coast,not just because Ken,Eddy,and lots of other DR1ers live there,I JUST LIKE IT!!!!
If I had my "Druthers",I would live in a nice villa/house,town house,or ANYTHING at the Metro Country Club in Juan Dolio.
They have all amenities there.While not on the beach,which is a big PLUS for me,they have quiet,and a beach club,on the beach,for all residents to use.
There is an Embassy Suits hotel there.You can use all their facilities as well,Golf,Huge free form pool,with swim up bar!!!.
I am thinking of building a "DR1ers' guest house on my grounds in Arroyo Honda.
Imagine a nice little house,and CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC 24/7!!!!!!!!!
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I would not buy here.
You can keep your capital invested/banked in the USA,and just rent the house/condo where you want to live.
You also won't be buying a house that does not have a clear title,and loose everything when the "Guy with clear title shows up!
It's easy to move if you don't like the apt.where you live,but almost impossible if you own.
You never know who,or what,will be your neighbor in the future.The DR's "Zoning laws"???????(Oxymoron?) are forever suspect,and changeable.
You can rent a great house,apt.,condo for a monthly rate that is less than if you were buying.
"Bien Venido",no matter where you find to live.
CC