The Tropics Are Calling!

[ALLOR925]

Hola,
My wife and I are approaching retirement 5-10 years, and have dreamed about owning a little piece of paradise. We live in the Northeast Georgia mountains and have traveled both the East and Western Caribbean in the last decade. We currently have a market research/relaxation trip to Bavaro/Punta Cana area scheduled for April 2-12th and hoping to view lots of properties, get a feel for the local flavor, make some contacts and of course hit the beach. We are thinking this may be a great time to invest in the DR, not as a typical rental, but a vacation home for family and hopefully a part-time residence at retirement.

I'm grateful to have a resource such as this forum to get the latest info and opinions from people on the ground. I'm also hoping this forum is unlike others that sometimes can't seem to respect other points of view and not treat it like normal social media platforms we all are too familiar with. Peace!

 

[Caonabo]

Hello ALLOR925.

 

[CristoRey]

I'm grateful to have a resource such as this forum to get the latest info and opinions from people on the ground. I'm also hoping this forum is unlike others that sometimes can't seem to respect other points of view and not treat it like normal social media platforms we all are too familiar with. Peace!

We have a few folks on here who seem to think they
know what is best for the rest of society and refuse to
accept other people's points of view. Most of them are
just control freaks who do not live down here and tend to
make it up as they go along to fit their narrative.

Learn to ignore them and you will get a lot more out of being a
member on this awesome forum.
Welcome to Wonderland!

 

[Yourmaninvegas]

I'm grateful to have a resource such as this forum to get the latest info and opinions from people on the ground. I'm also hoping this forum is unlike others that sometimes can't seem to respect other points of view and not treat it like normal social media platforms we all are too familiar with. Peace!

Do not get your hopes up
I have found that DR1 is very intolerant.
And when they disagree with you they often engage in ad hominem attacks.
That is DR1 Play #1
Ran when an individual does not have anything to add intellectually to the conversation.
Learn to ignore their attacks.
Press on with your requests for information.
And you will pick up a gem every once and a while.

DR1 Play #2 is the appeal to authority.
It goes like this: "I have been living in 🇩🇴 for X number of years therefore I know everything you and you know nothing"
Learn to ignore this also.
I have‼️
And once I did...
My experience with DR1 improved immensely.

 

[USA DOC]

welcome...if you are going to look at places for sale, also look at places for rent...renting in the beginning is a good thing.

 

[Gadfly]

Hola A-925. I like Athens, GA. And Hot’Lanta.

 

[Son of a sailor]

heard that real estate has heated up in the past year, driven by people in your same situation, hopefully it will cool off a bit by the time you're ready so you can get as much bang for the buck as possible. enjoy your stay.

 

[ALLOR925]

Hola A-925. I like Athens, GA. And Hot’Lanta.

Go Dawgs!!!

 

[ALLOR925]

heard that real estate has heated up in the past year, driven by people in your same situation, hopefully it will cool off a bit by the time you're ready so you can get as much bang for the buck as possible. enjoy your stay.

I was kinda hoping the real estate market would be slightly depressed since the decline in tourism because of Covid. With less travel and uncertainty in the rental market and individual owners portfolios even in their home countries. Guess we will see. Thanks

 

[CristoRey]

Do not get your hopes up
I have found that DR1 is very intolerant.
And when they disagree with you they often engage in ad hominem attacks.
That is DR1 Play #1
Ran when an individual does not have anything to add intellectually to the conversation.
Learn to ignore their attacks.
Press on with your requests for information.
And you will pick up a gem every once and a while.

DR1 Play #2 is the appeal to authority.
It goes like this: "I have been living in 🇩🇴 for X number of years therefore I know everything you and you know nothing"
Learn to ignore this also.
I have‼️
And once I did...
My experience with DR1 improved immensely.

Cool.
You live here.
Me too.
It's a sunny place for shady people.

 

[Africaida]

I was kinda hoping the real estate market would be slightly depressed since the decline in tourism because of Covid. With less travel and uncertainty in the rental market and individual owners portfolios even in their home countries. Guess we will see. Thanks

It s not (I had the same hopes, tbh). Some people are moving sight unseen and even buying properties. Confinement in the tropics is of great appeal. In Las Terrenas, rental prices have nearly doubled.

I wonder what is going to happen in a few years because some people will have to go back to the offices, companies are talking about adjusting salaries for people in different locations or when they realize that it s not paradise after all.

I was looking into buying/building soon, but I think it is wiser to wait during these uncertain times. Good deals may be had in a couple of years, or not. Vamos a ver.

 

[Joseph NY2STI]

It's a sunny place for shady people.

I'm stealing this. Thank you.

 

[CristoRey]

I'm stealing this. Thank you.

Have at it buddy.

 

[Yourmaninvegas]

In my opinion,
If you come here and rent for a while...
You get a chance to experience different parts of the country.
What you think is the right spot when you visit...
may turn out not to be the best spot after you actually LIVE there for a while.
I am speaking from experience.
I think the best deal is building a custom home in 🇩🇴 .

 

[ALLOR925]

In my opinion,
If you come here and rent for a while...
You get a chance to experience different parts of the country.
What you think is the right spot when you visit...
may turn out not to be the best spot after you actually LIVE there for a while.
I am speaking from experience.
I think the best deal is building a custom home in 🇩🇴 .

I've heard the advise to rent first quite often and I'm sure it's good advise. I'm not looking to retire in the DR, just a vacation spot and split time in the states once we do retire. Our considerations will probably be geared towards tourists for multiple reasons, increased safety, rental options, proximity to airport, increased activities etc...

 

[Yourmaninvegas]

I've heard the advise to rent first quite often and I'm sure it's good advise. I'm not looking to retire in the DR, just a vacation spot and split time in the states once we do retire. Our considerations will probably be geared towards tourists for multiple reasons, increased safety, rental options, proximity to airport, increased activities etc...

Understood.
My favorite place for that is Punta Cana.
People say it is expense.
But for me it is worth it.

 

[Carl.L]

I've heard the advise to rent first quite often and I'm sure it's good advise. I'm not looking to retire in the DR, just a vacation spot and split time in the states once we do retire. Our considerations will probably be geared towards tourists for multiple reasons, increased safety, rental options, proximity to airport, increased activities etc...

If you're not moving to the DR fulltime and don't need to try and turn your place into a rental property then definitely rent and try different places. It's the best advice I've received and heard, over and over again. Also the rental market is very tricky at best and in most places pretty crappy. It's been on the decline for years. Punta Cana perhaps excepted but it comes at a cost. I just fly in and out, never lived there. Finally it's not always safer in a touristy place. That's a "target rich environment" for thieves, etc.

 

[USA DOC]

and contrary to what I thought and other people like the realators and the owners that where selling properties...the prices during the pandemic have gone up....The one thing I have always done with real estate is buy in a down market, not in a up market and it served me well........

 

[polack46]

Hola,
My wife and I are approaching retirement 5-10 years, and have dreamed about owning a little piece of paradise. We live in the Northeast Georgia mountains and have traveled both the East and Western Caribbean in the last decade. We currently have a market research/relaxation trip to Bavaro/Punta Cana area scheduled for April 2-12th and hoping to view lots of properties, get a feel for the local flavor, make some contacts and of course hit the beach. We are thinking this may be a great time to invest in the DR, not as a typical rental, but a vacation home for family and hopefully a part-time residence at retirement.

I'm grateful to have a resource such as this forum to get the latest info and opinions from people on the ground. I'm also hoping this forum is unlike others that sometimes can't seem to respect other points of view and not treat it like normal social media platforms we all are too familiar with. Peace!

from my experience with going there over 15 years and having friends who own property there i think you are further ahead renting there on a long term bases of lets say 2 months to 6 months; you can find a very decent place for about $400 to $600 per month that at top end is 3 bedroom plus utilities ; but if you buy it will be like very hard trying to unload your property ; I have friends trying to sell their dream vacation home for over 5 years with little to no bites on them but if you are looking to buy now is the time as properties are very devalued there now but make sure you find a very honest lawyer and if you plan to build make sure you also have property rights to the land as some places land rights are separate from the buildings and basically you need to be there supervising your build as alot of contractors will short change you on wiring specs and every thing else after the building is built who knows what type of wires are in your house or plumbing lines ; alot put in undersized plumbing then u have issues with toilets or your breaker be kicking out because of undersize wiring ; i really do not think there is any building inspectors like they have in canada or the USA ;;if you go there just visit some construction sites and you will be shocked to see how they build there ; personally i;d rent ; plus if you do build make sure you are in a gated community or else when u return to your home every thing be gone or some be living there so then u need to hire a guard to be there while you are gone and in a gated community u then run into condo or maintenance and security fees this could be like 250 to 400$ per month ; i;d say rent and forget it ; if staying over 2 months u should look around for a cheap car and leave it with a trusted friend when you are gone

 

[franco1111]

from my experience with going there over 15 years and having friends who own property there i think you are further ahead renting there on a long term bases of lets say 2 months to 6 months; you can find a very decent place for about $400 to $600 per month that at top end is 3 bedroom plus utilities ; but if you buy it will be like very hard trying to unload your property ; I have friends trying to sell their dream vacation home for over 5 years with little to no bites on them but if you are looking to buy now is the time as properties are very devalued there now but make sure you find a very honest lawyer and if you plan to build make sure you also have property rights to the land as some places land rights are separate from the buildings and basically you need to be there supervising your build as alot of contractors will short change you on wiring specs and every thing else after the building is built who knows what type of wires are in your house or plumbing lines ; alot put in undersized plumbing then u have issues with toilets or your breaker be kicking out because of undersize wiring ; i really do not think there is any building inspectors like they have in canada or the USA ;;if you go there just visit some construction sites and you will be shocked to see how they build there ; personally i;d rent ; plus if you do build make sure you are in a gated community or else when u return to your home every thing be gone or some be living there so then u need to hire a guard to be there while you are gone and in a gated community u then run into condo or maintenance and security fees this could be like 250 to 400$ per month ; i;d say rent and forget it ; if staying over 2 months u should look around for a cheap car and leave it with a trusted friend when you are gone

Please give us the names of the projects that are "very decent place for about $400 to $600 per month that at top end is 3 bedroom plus utilities." Thanks.