Why do I still live in Canada?

prepare yourself for the comments that will follow to your post..they will eat you alive ;-)

all I can say is ..skip owning a bar you will not make extra money with that..if you can earn 1500 canadian dollars with renting your
house come down here and enjoy your life

Hello and welcome!

I think that you will hear about other people who also have/have had the "bar on the beach" dream, and how they did. Enjoy!

Welcome aboard !!

Yep get out of dodge, welcome.

Great to have that option, but Canada sure is good to come home to. In my best scenerio i would enjoy the D.R. 4 times a year, 3 weeks at a time. Can't imagine being planted there, somehow i get the bulls eye target feeling.
Ooooo oooo to have the option.

Your nuts, leaving the best health care system in the world, and best government plans in the world, CPP and OAS, where will you find something like that? Not the DR!

1500 per month will not go far...

madman said:

Hey kids!
I've come to a point in my life that I am seriously considering getting the fork out of Dodge.
I'm nearing the end of a divorce (no kids) and am growing weary of Canadian winters.
I have been self employed restoring classic cars for 25 years, and upon the completion of one project I am free from that.
The house I own could easily be turned back into a duplex and earn $1500 CAD a month, probably more.
Owning a small bar on the beach has been a lifelong dream for me and there is one for sale that has caught my eye in DR.
I understand the "third world" culture shock thing but I assure you I'd be happier in a hammock by the ocean than in my own bed.

Advice or tell me I'm nuts.
Thanks.

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Leaving Canada for the little lattitudes is fine. Being a "gringo" and owning a bar is another. If you decide to live in the DR full time that would mean giving up your Canadian Health Insurance. You must be residing in Canada approximatley half of the year. You will need to apply for temporary residency in the DR. That starts in Canada contacting your closest Dominican Consulate. They will tell you the requirements including the various documents you will need. Have you vacationed in the DR? I would suggest coming down here and renting for a minimum of a few months and then you will have an idea of what it is actually like. Owning a bar is very tricky here. The tourist season is about 6 months long, your employees will rip you off and if you do not speak Spanish than don't even consider a business here. You would be happier in a hammock by the ocean if you can afford the DR without relying on owning a "beach bar". Nothing but headaches. Boat Drinks for everyone!!!

Prepare for Plan B

There are a lot of beach bars and bridges for sale, same category more or less.
1,500 CAD = approx. 52,000 DOP.
Enough for a beach bum life. :bunny:

My crystal ball says: not a great future... :tired:

donP

Where would you plan to open a bar. There are lots of small bars all over some towns such as Sosua. It can work out if you set realistic expectations

Don't bother to buy a bar. Just rent your house in Canada, take your 1500$ CAD and come on down. If you're not looking for fancy, you can have a nice life. And YES, you can have health insurance in the DR.

Like someone used to say, "Don't worry be happy"... Enjoy life while you still can.

From a canadian woman who left everything and is HAPPY...

Think long and decide wisely. I come here to escape Canadian winters and have made many friends over the years. However I love spring ,summer and fall back home as well as my friends and family there. I would not come down here to live unless I had double or triple that 1500. Visit and stay here for a few months and you will have a better idea of what you are getting into
Good luck.

there are many here who split their time between Canada and RD..........

some with Cdn Health care , some with RD Health care, some with both

I wouldn't over rate the Cdn Health care.... health care for travelers can be bought in several arenas.
When you think that many pay $10's of thousands in taxes annually, the cost of that health care starts to look large

Don't worry about Cdn healthcare. Yes you'll lose it after being away for six month,s but you get it back 90 days after you step foot back in Canada. besides, when was the last time you heard of anyone being turned away and denied medical care, especially a Canadian who will have universal healthcare guaranteed in 90 days?

As a stop gap measure, get health insurance down here. Relatively cheap, several plans and companies to choose from.

The bigger issue is going to be qualifying for residency in the DR. With no guaranteed monthly income such as a pension, you might have a few extra hoops to jump through to convince Migracion that you can meet the requirements to live here. Get in touch with the Dominican Embassy in Canada to discuss your options. The residency process begins by filing paperwork while you are still in Canada.

Come on down. Rent an Apt. get to know the area, if you don't like it, move to another area, repeat until you find a place that suits you. You already know there is a mental adjustment that occurs over time that allows one to live here without pulling all your hair out so why not?

I'm having a blast. I've met lots of nice Dominicans, many nice Gringos and I have the ability to insulate myself from the morass when I don't feel like dealing with it.

Just like anywhere in the world, the more money you have to spend each month, the better you can make things for yourself. If you are careful and make some strategic compromises you can live here for around 2/3 of you are spending at home. Don't plan on opening a business until you have been here for a while and completely understand the lay of the land, your customer base and the set of daily headaches you will be imposing on your otherwise simple retired lifestyle.

Good luck.

I assume the 1500 is net of all expenses like repairs, ...

The best advice anyone can give you is to come live here for at least 6 months before buying anything. Life on vacation can be so much different than living there. DR is't cheap anymore beginning with getting residency especially if you are going to run a business.

1500 CAD.. so thats 40 USD a day.. without rent etc. Are you planning to live on water, rice and beans?

and just divorced.. ouch. So you will have a local chica very quick meaning you have to pay for her as well and for her family (and for her 'primo')..

Also dont open a bar if you never ever worked in a bar in your home country.. If you have a bar it means hard work and no time to relax in the hammock...

[video=youtube;FjrU-OkodKA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjrU-OkodKA[/video]

Funny how opening a beach bar is so easy and yet they are always a bunch for sale.. Visit the DR in off season and see if it's still such a good idea. What's odd is you never see the tourist junk shops for sale even though they sell all the same crap.

If you want a easy business, print up a couple thousand beer cozies and import them to sell to the junk shops and bars for a buck each wholesale. They'll sell them for 100 pesos and everyone will be happy.

AnnaC said:

The best advice anyone can give you is to come live here for at least 6 months before buying anything. Life on vacation can be so much different than living there. DR is't cheap anymore beginning with getting residency especially if you are going to run a business.

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Its a third world country with living expenses for a first world country (if you like a decent life).

just make sure when you are asleep in the hammock you dont have anything in your pockets, money, phone etc etc. you will likely wake up from your nap with nothing.