I have accumulated so much stuff over the years from people getting up and moving back home to either North America or Europe, that i am thinking about starting a flea market. Just take a second and think about what happens here every single month with foreign investments, and then think about how many people move down here, spend all their money, and then get desperate and try to sell everything as quickly as possible. Here are some everyday scenarios i've witnessed over the years:
1. North American & European couples move down here all the time. Somewhere down the road, the relationship turns sour, because, well, it's a Caribbean island where, fortunately or unfortunately (depending how you look at it), there are virtually no taboos, and no well defined "moral" lines that cannot, and will not be crossed. Once the relationship breaks up, people start looking for an exit plan, and then they're trying to sell everything and head back home.
2. Singles come down here on vacation everyday, fall in love, then go back home, maneuver and manipulate things in order to move down here--to what they think is paradise, only to soon discover--after some months--there is no such thing as paradise. Eventually, their relationship passes the "honeymoon" period, and then they're ready to go back home and lick their wounds. Before they leave, they're trying to sell everything.
3. People move to the DR all the time running from ex's, divorces, bad relationships, chemical addictions, mental problems...you name it. People move down here everyday running from something. They choose the DR for a plethora of reasons--convenience, location, easy visa requirements, weather, prices, etc...but then their problems catch up with them, and so do their bad habits & addictions--and if that isn't enough, their demons catch up as well...and before long, their soon running to the next place that they think is going to solve their problems and offer some kind of redemption. Before long, they're trying to sell everything they own in order to get out of here as fast as possible.
4. Look how many people involved in criminal activity move down to the DR. They get a temporary reprieve from the law and enjoy some halcyon days while on the run. But like everything, their past eventually catches up to them, and soon they're on the next plane either running or being deported. Sometimes, they got a few days of freedom in order to try and sell everything they got. I've had two neighbors (one in Sosua, one in Cabarete) who were both deported. It goes on nearly every month down here. People get desperate, and soon they need to get rid of everything, fast!
5. Look at how many people from North America & Europe come into fast, easy money from either inheritance, selling of a house or property, an insurance payout, a lottery win, etc. They move down here as fast as possible and throw their money trying to own a business/dream in a foreign country of which they know little about, and have no idea how things work here.
Sometimes through either bad luck, bad timing, bad investment, bad advice--or all of the above-- they throw all their money into a business/dream, and soon, they're trying to unload everything in order to try and recoup some of their losses. This happens every month here, and will continue to happen every month as long as people keep inheriting fast, easy money or "hitting" that big payday through some kind of insurance payout, inheritance, good fortunate, etc.
I got many more examples, but this is a good starting point in trying to understand how, if your patient, you can always find a good bargain in the DR from North Americans & Europeans trying to leave the island in a hurry, and go back home to lick their financial wounds and regroup before embarking on their next adventure.
Frank
1. North American & European couples move down here all the time. Somewhere down the road, the relationship turns sour, because, well, it's a Caribbean island where, fortunately or unfortunately (depending how you look at it), there are virtually no taboos, and no well defined "moral" lines that cannot, and will not be crossed. Once the relationship breaks up, people start looking for an exit plan, and then they're trying to sell everything and head back home.
2. Singles come down here on vacation everyday, fall in love, then go back home, maneuver and manipulate things in order to move down here--to what they think is paradise, only to soon discover--after some months--there is no such thing as paradise. Eventually, their relationship passes the "honeymoon" period, and then they're ready to go back home and lick their wounds. Before they leave, they're trying to sell everything.
3. People move to the DR all the time running from ex's, divorces, bad relationships, chemical addictions, mental problems...you name it. People move down here everyday running from something. They choose the DR for a plethora of reasons--convenience, location, easy visa requirements, weather, prices, etc...but then their problems catch up with them, and so do their bad habits & addictions--and if that isn't enough, their demons catch up as well...and before long, their soon running to the next place that they think is going to solve their problems and offer some kind of redemption. Before long, they're trying to sell everything they own in order to get out of here as fast as possible.
4. Look how many people involved in criminal activity move down to the DR. They get a temporary reprieve from the law and enjoy some halcyon days while on the run. But like everything, their past eventually catches up to them, and soon they're on the next plane either running or being deported. Sometimes, they got a few days of freedom in order to try and sell everything they got. I've had two neighbors (one in Sosua, one in Cabarete) who were both deported. It goes on nearly every month down here. People get desperate, and soon they need to get rid of everything, fast!
5. Look at how many people from North America & Europe come into fast, easy money from either inheritance, selling of a house or property, an insurance payout, a lottery win, etc. They move down here as fast as possible and throw their money trying to own a business/dream in a foreign country of which they know little about, and have no idea how things work here.
Sometimes through either bad luck, bad timing, bad investment, bad advice--or all of the above-- they throw all their money into a business/dream, and soon, they're trying to unload everything in order to try and recoup some of their losses. This happens every month here, and will continue to happen every month as long as people keep inheriting fast, easy money or "hitting" that big payday through some kind of insurance payout, inheritance, good fortunate, etc.
I got many more examples, but this is a good starting point in trying to understand how, if your patient, you can always find a good bargain in the DR from North Americans & Europeans trying to leave the island in a hurry, and go back home to lick their financial wounds and regroup before embarking on their next adventure.
Frank