Unfinished Block Homes..Why??

In visiting the DR I have noticed there so many unfinished block homes between Boca Chica and Santo Domingo. is this a normal practice to just put up the outside walls and finish the house later when more money is available?? It seems like some sit for years??

There is a practice to build houses one block at a time, because of the economic situation of these people. In cases of large houses, it is usually a case of someone who was doing well and all of the sudden his or her finances went down the tubes.

You will also see lots of block houses without the finishing touches in the walls and accessories in the bathroom and kitchen.

Thanks for asking that question!! When we get there we, too, would see that and would be wondering! Although I have seen that happen in northern Italy for many years and I do understand about it. through your question, we got the answer ... that's what we like about this Board - among other benefits - like really nice and helpful people for a change!! -Ed and Mame-

FOR YOU ALL TOURIST OUT THERE ASKING THE SAME QUESTION...
LET`S MAKE A LITTLE COMPARITION.....US vs RD..

IN US YOU USUALLY GET A HOME BY THIS TWO WAYS..
1-YOU SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR THE DOWN PAYMENT,GO TO A BANK ,APPLY FOR A LOAN ,WHEN APPROVED JUST BUY THE HOME AND KEEP PAYING MORGAGE FOR THE NEXT 15 TO 30 YEARS..
2-SAVE THE MONEY TO BUY THE LAND TO BUILD YOUR HOME
WHEN YOU OWN THE LAND THEN YOU WALK TO THE BANK ,APPLY FOR THE LOAN TO BUILD ,AND WHEN APPROVED JUST BUILD YOUR HOME AND SAME THING ,REPAY FOR THE NEXT 15 TO 30 YEARS....

NOW THE DOMINICAN WAY..
1-SAVE SOME MONEY FOR DOWN PAYMENT,GO TO A BANK,APPLY FOR A LOAN AND WHEN APPROVED GET YOUR HOME AND WORK FOR THE NEXT FEW DECADES TO REPAY..(MAYBE 10% USE THIS WAY)..
2-GO TO ANOTHER COUNTRY ,WORK AND SAVE LIKE CRAZY ,AND WHEN FINALLY SAVE ENOUGH .GO THERE AND GET YOUR HOME....
3-SAVE SOME MONEY TO BUY THE LAND(USUALLY CHEAP)..
WHEN OWN THE LAND ..NOW TO WORK HARDER...AND EVERYTIME YOU CAN AFFORD TO BUY A BLOCK OR A BAG OF CEMENT OR SAND OR ANY OTHER BUILDING MATERIAL ..YOU APPROACH IT..AND GO BUILDING YOUR HOME IN A SLOWLY MANNER UNTIL YOU FINALY FINISH IT ......NOW NO MORGAGE,NO INSURANCE,NO TAX ,NO WORRIES YOUR HOME IS TOTALLY YOURS..........SANTO DOMINGO.....HAY QUE LINDO!!!!!!

Where do you live in the interim? While you are "paying that mortgage in the US" you have a home

when reffer to "morgage" i mean to say "your monthly payments to the bank "your loan repayment ...as most dominicans call it morgage even if is not exactly a morgage repayment.

Unfinished block homes have to be seen as an improvement to a piece of land owned by the town hall which anyone can appropriate. A row or two of blocks is considered as a ' mejora ' i.e improvement and allow an individual to claim the land as being its own. This process starts as if the land was rented, the next step is to build on it be it anything two or three blocks so the land is clearly identified as being ' appropriated 'it has a land mark. Further, tax is due on unbuilt land if it remains unbuilt after a while following the apropriation.

What about disputed land titles?

Here's one the thread

I know of at least three unfinished block houses near San Cristobal. These are unfinished because the drug dealers that were putting it together (with drug money from the US) suddenly found themselves unable to complete the projects.
One was arrested, another was murdered, and the other one is in hiding.