real estate courses

[Acira]

For the RE agents here in the DR, after going through a few of them here on the North Coast, we think we have finally found one who can do the job for us and that is finding us the right piece of land to build on. Very professional organization, very professional representatives and the guy we are dealing with is working his butt off to assure that we will get what we want. We are very critical and particular in what we want (we are planning on building only one time so it has to be right) but he asks the right questions, has no problems with us saying no to pieces of land he offered (instead of others who continue to bring up the same pieces again and again), he has a good and solid network and database to search for other properties, he keeps a very good and steady contact with us (something else we noticed to be lacking with others after a few no's of us) and he looks ahead of us by continuous asking more questions. I like working with this guy and his firm, got already first contact with a good maestro and he, upon listening how we see our design of the house, already brought us in contact with the right architect.
Now its a question of finding first that piece of land.

Acira

 

[AnnaC]

What's his name and who does he work for?

 

[Acira]

What's his name and who does he work for?

You have pm.

 

[AnnaC]

You have pm.

You can post it here it's not your business. Others might want to know as well

 

[Acira]

Signor Edward Rivas working for Golden Treasures Real Estate.

 

[Chuck T]

Bravo Dan !

 

[SantiagueroRD]

There are some very good informational posts here but a big problem I had was that because of the lack of a real central listing service the agent or lawyer only wanted to show the properties that they had. I was repeatedly shown or asked to look at properties that did not meet my specifications as to number of bedrooms/baths or location. The concept of sharing the commission was greeted with a we don't do that here kind of response. I did all the market research myself and located the ideal place via the "watchy" net which ended up saving me about 40% off the price!

 

[Acira]

There are some very good informational posts here but a big problem I had was that because of the lack of a real central listing service the agent or lawyer only wanted to show the properties that they had. I was repeatedly shown or asked to look at properties that did not meet my specifications as to number of bedrooms/baths or location. The concept of sharing the commission was greeted with a we don't do that here kind of response. I did all the market research myself and located the ideal place via the "watchy" net which ended up saving me about 40% off the price!

That's exactly what we encountered also numerous times when in first instance looking for house to rent long term. How many houses we visited that didn't come close to what we gave up as specifications and all the lost time in driving to those places.
We soon decided to do it ourselves, having enough contact with people local living there and just dropping the word and indeed, you cut the price off also.

But...in this particular case, we are wanting to buy a piece of land and we want to build on it and the horror stories I have been hearing about people buying land without title or deslinde (not possible anymore seems to be now) or land that's farmland and have to be converted to building land, the stories about building disasters. The hassle of that is too much for us and we don't have enough experience in this country to do that ourselves. Hence the search of a good RE agent for purchasing a piece of land in combination with a solid firm who has proven enough to build high end houses and can handle large projects that are thriving. What is very encouraging about this firm is that no matter how "small" our budget may be in comparison with the much bigger projects they do, we get the same quality time of investment in us as potential clients as anybody else they have as clients. Now we mean business also, maybe we don't have much experience here but we do absolutely know what we want and how we want it.

 

[Chip]

There are some very good informational posts here but a big problem I had was that because of the lack of a real central listing service the agent or lawyer only wanted to show the properties that they had. I was repeatedly shown or asked to look at properties that did not meet my specifications as to number of bedrooms/baths or location. The concept of sharing the commission was greeted with a we don't do that here kind of response. I did all the market research myself and located the ideal place via the "watchy" net which ended up saving me about 40% off the price!

I'm sure you what one will find here will run the gamut but I have personally seen that it is normal enough here to share the commission. At any rate someone as experienced as you here in the DR found the best way to do it, bravo.

 

[Mason3000]

For the RE agents here in the DR, after going through a few of them here on the North Coast, we think we have finally found one who can do the job for us and that is finding us the right piece of land to build on. Very professional organization, very professional representatives and the guy we are dealing with is working his butt off to assure that we will get what we want. We are very critical and particular in what we want (we are planning on building only one time so it has to be right) but he asks the right questions, has no problems with us saying no to pieces of land he offered (instead of others who continue to bring up the same pieces again and again), he has a good and solid network and database to search for other properties, he keeps a very good and steady contact with us (something else we noticed to be lacking with others after a few no's of us) and he looks ahead of us by continuous asking more questions. I like working with this guy and his firm, got already first contact with a good maestro and he, upon listening how we see our design of the house, already brought us in contact with the right architect.
Now its a question of finding first that piece of land.

Acira

So he hasn't hit you up for gas money yet then?

Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm sure your guy is the best & frankly this kind of info is what makes forums valuable. There ARE good people working in the DR Real Estate sector & having posters to share info & promote them is what community is all about. That said, i'll never forget the first time (it was not the only time) a DR "Real Estate agent" hit me up for gas money.

 

[belgiank]

So he hasn't hit you up for gas money yet then?

Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm sure your guy is the best & frankly this kind of info is what makes forums valuable. There ARE good people working in the DR Real Estate sector & having posters to share info & promote them is what community is all about. That said, i'll never forget the first time (it was not the only time) a DR "Real Estate agent" hit me up for gas money.

Nope, this guy has not. Hell, he even paid the cafe for the couple of cokes we bought while waiting for him (he was 10 minutes late, and had called to tell us).

But I know what u are talking about. We had a real estate agent taking us on a tour of the NC, taking us to see all kinds of pieces of land nowhere near our requests, we paid for his lunch, we drove the car and paid for the gasoline, he took all kinds of measurements of those pieces, with us waiting, and on the way back he tried to hit us for a loan of a couple of thousand pesos. Mind you, he was not Dominican, he was Austrian.

 

[Mason3000]

What's the deal with the DR Real Estate "Association", they still around? They charged agents a monthly membership to be members of an organization which had no control, nor jurisdiction over RE agents in the DR.

 

[aarhus]

Aei

What's the deal with the DR Real Estate "Association", they still around? They charged agents a monthly membership to be members of an organization which had no control, nor jurisdiction over RE agents in the DR.

Here is their website Asociacin de Empresas Inmobiliarias - Repblica Dominicana contact them and ask them what the deal is.

 

[Mason3000]

Here is their website Asociacin de Empresas Inmobiliarias - Repblica Dominicana contact them and ask them what the deal is.

Actually I did contact them. They said they have "contacts" inside the Government and were going to get a law passed that would allow them to write the code of ethics & decide who got licenses. This was a few years ago, just wondering if anything had ever materialized?

Then they tried to get me to join & pay a monthly membership. I asked what I'd get in return & they said I could use their logo on my website/printed materials . Then I asked if they could mediate disputes with Realtors/Developers etc? They said "Absolutely, as long as the Realtor/Developer agrees to let them mediate the case", which sounded like a fancy way of saying "No".

 

[Mason3000]

Just clicked the link. Looks like they've gotten some new members, but all Sto Dgo-La Romana-Bavaro still. I had forgotten the association is run/headed by Remax. That begs the question John, do you think the new law would be good because it'd clean out some of the bottom feeders or could it just become a ReMax monopoly?

 

[CaptnGlenn]

Just clicked the link. Looks like they've gotten some new members, but all Sto Dgo-La Romana-Bavaro still. I had forgotten the association is run/headed by Remax. That begs the question John, do you think the new law would be good because it'd clean out some of the bottom feeders or could it just become a ReMax monopoly?

Doesn't that by default give ReMax agents an advantage over the other "members", why would any other agent join that organization?

 

[cobraboy]

Then I asked if they could mediate disputes with Realtors/Developers etc? They said "Absolutely, as long as the Realtor/Developer agrees to let them mediate the case", which sounded like a fancy way of saying "No".

That's not a "no." Both parties have to agree with mediation in any dispute. It's more of a "yes, but..."

If mediation is "forced," it is not mediation, it is law. Mediation usually is a step before parties going to court for a judge to apply applicable law to the dispute.

Often mediation is agreed within a contract, and it is common language in real estate contracts.

Additionally, the results of mediation also have to be agreed to. If a party does not like the results they have the use of the court system.

I have been through mediation often in business and real estate conflicts in the states. I admit to not understanding the mediation system in the DR but due to its nature can't imagine substantial differences.

 

[Chuck T]

I'll opt for the court system , a jury of my peers, statistically the odds show the larger ( richer ) entity has the advantage in mediation , please don't ask why, I can't remember the logical explanation.

 

[Bigocean]

I'll opt for the court system , a jury of my peers, statistically the odds show the larger ( richer ) entity has the advantage in mediation , please don't ask why, I can't remember the logical explanation.

I would recommend the court system as the option of last resort in the DR.

 

[Chuck T]

I would recommend the court system as the option of last resort in the DR.

I can't argue as I have no experience with the RD court system however in USA jury more likely to side with working stiff rather than corporation etc. in cases of this type