Do small plots of land next to the beach still exist?

For a long time I've been thinking about purchasing a small plot of land next to the beach where I can build a small house and have a bit of land for a tree or two. Through the years I've been able to save, and now I'm searching.

I currently live in the US, so I don't know where to begin. Searching for real estate agents in the web didn't help. It doesn't have to be anywhere specific, as long as the area has access to electric and water, and it's right next to the beach.

Do these plots of land exist or is everything expensive?

For me any real estate purchase is an investment. It should go up in value and I should be able to sell it with relative ease. In the DR the majority of the time this won't happen. I too was like you interested in purchasing real estate in DR. After many visits and research I decided against it.

I now whenever I visit rent hotels, boutique hotels or airbnb. This allows me to move around the Island with ease and if I like any place more than other I can stay there longer. If I get tired of a place I can move on the next. Renting or staying in a hotel or villa the cost is negligible and you are not burdened with all the negatives of owning a property in the DR.

Also if you do decide to move forward and purchase a plot there is tons of information on this site about the dangers, frauds and pitfalls. Take some time to really read the posts. The information on this site was one of the principal reasons I choose not to buy.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

Thanks.

What phrase do you use to search for information in DR1? I've been searching here but I don’t get helpful threads.

There is an entire real estate section

https://dr1.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/63-Real-Estate

Peruse through this and Im sure the majority of your queries will be answered. If not let me know and I can find other relevant threads.

Sosua Sonny said:

For me any real estate purchase is an investment. It should go up in value and I should be able to sell it with relative ease. In the DR the majority of the time this won't happen. I too was like you interested in purchasing real estate in DR. After many visits and research I decided against it.

I now whenever I visit rent hotels, boutique hotels or airbnb. This allows me to move around the Island with ease and if I like any place more than other I can stay there longer. If I get tired of a place I can move on the next. Renting or staying in a hotel or villa the cost is negligible and you are not burdened with all the negatives of owning a property in the DR.

Also if you do decide to move forward and purchase a plot there is tons of information on this site about the dangers, frauds and pitfalls. Take some time to really read the posts. The information on this site was one of the principal reasons I choose not to buy.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

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This is 100% on the money. Boutique hotels and rentals of good condo apartments have incredible value. What's better than at the end of your stay you walk away from all of the horrors associated with dealing real estate in a country that is known to pick your pocket, eat your lunch at every opportunity.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a rental apartment on line that was on the beach in Juan Dolio. You stepped out and put your feet on the sand. The first thing I thought of was, how would I ever sleep at night with creeps, robbers, ash holes on the other side of my metal gate? That being said to answer your question as to how to search, I would suggest you include the words, "land, lots, building lots" in your search.

Why live next to the beach? It's hotter, little breeze typically at night, more mosquitos in most places compared to than living up on a hill overlooking the ocean and more likely to have unwanted night creepers along the beach with access to your solar.
But definitely it's hotter is why I rule it out.

chico bill said:

Why live next to the beach? It's hotter, little breeze typically at night, more mosquitos in most places compared to than living up on a hill overlooking the ocean and more likely to have unwanted night creepers along the beach with access to your solar.
But definitely it's hotter is why I rule it out.

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This is exactly why I say my method is ideal. Rent a place on the beach for some weeks. Then after you can go rent a place on a hill overlooking the ocean. AND you dont have to worry about the solar!!!!

If you Google "beachfront property" in Caberete Dominican Republic or beachfront property Las Terrenas, or beachfront property Punta Cana your going to find a gazillion results. Scroll past the ads to the links promoting beachfront properties, you will most likely even find DR1 links, its going to take time and patience but that's a given if your seriously searching... Or, as mentioned, come down and rent and see it all in person... Good luck!

johne said:

This is 100% on the money. Boutique hotels and rentals of good condo apartments have incredible value. What's better than at the end of your stay you walk away from all of the horrors associated with dealing real estate in a country that is known to pick your pocket, eat your lunch at every opportunity.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a rental apartment on line that was on the beach in Juan Dolio. You stepped out and put your feet on the sand. The first thing I thought of was, how would I ever sleep at night with creeps, robbers, ash holes on the other side of my metal gate? That being said to answer your question as to how to search, I would suggest you include the words, "land, lots, building lots" in your search.

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Las Puertas Del Paraiso in Rio San Juan is an awesome place that I always stay for a few days on my trips. You should check it out.

I own property in Dom Rep and completely agree with everyone else's feelings on here. I just want to add that building a property is a complete nightmare compared to buying something which has already been built. Just getting permissions from all the government departments required, who automatically try to find a reason to say no, takes years and years and years. Renting is definitely a much more sensible way forward.

I bought a villa in Cabarete in January after months of careful research, and I have stayed there since.

I must say that I am 100 percent happy with the purchase, but I do not consider it an investment. It is for living there myself with my family.

I studied all the intricacies of purchasing property here, and took the advice here on DR1 seriously (most said not to do it)

But I am a happy customer. Buying property here was a scary process until completed though.
As everybody says, hire an honest/good lawyer (if possible finding one, good luck)

It is clearly a buyer's market in this country and has been for quite a few years. With a decent lawyer and assuming no shenanigans with the title/deslinde, one can purchase a property and after a bit of a wait receive their title and everything is cool. One can even stumble upon a bargain from time to time and potentially a property with few hidden/undisclosed defects.

The issues for most present themselves when circumstances change and the foreign property owner needs to leave the DR. Selling a property can be a very time consuming and lengthy process. It's almost a lottery where the right person with the right amount of money needs to be teleported to your property at the right time - something which doesn't happen often these days.

Where I live, I don't see a lot of 70+ year old full time foreign residents. I can only conclude that for most of this demographic, they came, had a good time and then left. For some their exit was due to health issues, others perhaps a death in the family, maybe some economic considerations for some...

I see a lot of properties that have been on the market for a long time that are essentially abandoned - in that no one lives in these properties and they have begun to show the effects of a steady decline from a lack of general upkeep. After a while, spending money on a property that isn't likely to see an imminent sale becomes less of a priority the longer a property remains uninhabited and for sale.

Sure if someone is recently retired, they are committed to living here, intend to be here for "a long time" and reasonably expect to be in good health, purchasing a property free & clear is an option. However, if there exists a known likelihood that a quick exit might be in the cards, maybe renting is a more cogent reality.

For me, I know that my exit plan when the times comes and there is no doubt that someday that time will come, involves getting my first ever facebook account and an ad here on DR1 to announce a week long household goods sale - people come, pick through everything I own and buy what they want at bargain basement prices. After a week, I donate everything that is left to anyone with a truck to haul it away and I hop on plane. I can't envision this happening next week, but much beyond that will be determined by fate. I would not wish to be a property owner saddled with a significant chunk of hard earned change sunk into a property that I would likely never use or see again. I suspect that like so many others in this exact situation, with no family here and no one in the family able or willing to live in the DR, such a property would join the list of so many other properties that seemed like a good idea at the time and even served their purpose for some period of time, but ultimately now sits empty, becoming more and more unsellable with each passing day.

chico bill said:

Why live next to the beach? It's hotter, little breeze typically at night, more mosquitos in most places compared to than living up on a hill overlooking the ocean and more likely to have unwanted night creepers along the beach with access to your solar.
But definitely it's hotter is why I rule it out.

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Security is an issue because of easy access to to your house from public traffic along the beach and so is accelerated wear and tear on your appliances and small electronics from the heavily laden salt air. Damage to houses along the coastal zone during hurricanes is also an issue.

If you choose to proceed, there are beach front lots available in the countryside. Anything near the major cities and tourism centres has been developed or has risen to astronomical prices. Good luck.

Everyone want to live on the beach until they live on the beach.

If you buy here do not view it as an investment and you will be fine.
I did not expect to make money on my home here and was not disappointed.
Even after some years of ownership you will do well to break even, if you can find a buyer.

Beauty of owning here is with an all concrete home on a hill there is no need for insurance and property taxes arenearly nothing.

One down side is that you need to have the home occupied all the time.
Marry a Dominican and you will have plenty of family happy to live in your house with or without you.

….When I first came to the D.R. I had some of the same ideas you do....What I did and what I recommend is this...If you think you want the ocean like the North coast, find a all inclusive resort you like and is rated very good...then talk to the manager about renting a room by the month...I did and the cost was about $900 month but that includes everything food, booze, maid service every day, mini bar, laundry, and that's 24 hours a day and as many guests as I wanted ….I picked a room close to the front Desk that was secluded and not noisey...after about 1 week the resort employees were very helpful and gave me great advise...After 10 months I had made my choice to live away from the ocean and first rent a nice house...only problem you might get spoiled living in a all inclusive...……...Doc...….

USA DOC said:

….When I first came to the D.R. I had some of the same ideas you do....What I did and what I recommend is this...If you think you want the ocean like the North coast, find a all inclusive resort you like and is rated very good...then talk to the manager about renting a room by the month...I did and the cost was about $900 month but that includes everything food, booze, maid service every day, mini bar, laundry, and that's 24 hours a day and as many guests as I wanted ….I picked a room close to the front Desk that was secluded and not noisey...after about 1 week the resort employees were very helpful and gave me great advise...After 10 months I had made my choice to live away from the ocean and first rent a nice house...only problem you might get spoiled living in a all inclusive...……...Doc...….

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Amen to that brother! I’ve been leading the charmed AI life in Playa Dorada for many years. It’s going to be hard for me to transition to a rental and have to cook for myself and even harder to buy a house and deal with the ongoing maintenance. 24 hour electricity, air conditioned rooms although I seldom use air conditioning, full security, excellent food and good service, especially from the maids who I tip really well. Going to hard to ween myself off of that.

Ecoman1949 said:

Amen to that brother! I’ve been leading the charmed AI life in Playa Dorada for many years. It’s going to be hard for me to transition to a rental and have to cook for myself and even harder to buy a house and deal with the ongoing maintenance. 24 hour electricity, air conditioned rooms although I seldom use air conditioning, full security, excellent food and good service, especially from the maids who I tip really well. Going to hard to ween myself off of that.

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Why would you?

Biggest mistake I ever made was buying a house on the beach. Yes there are small lots left. I have an empty lot next to me but my neighbour and I certainly don’t want anyone to buy it. Lol.

I would NEVER live on the beach again! If you are extremely rich then upkeep and new electronics non stop may not be an issue but it’s just exhausting fixing the same things non stop!
My opinion would be ocean view NOT ocean front.

JDJones said:

Why would you?

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Unfortunately the resort where I had my suite deal has a new owner and is under major reconstruction as it changes to condos. About thirty of us were told they won’t honour the previous deal. It was fun while it lasted. I’ve been approaching other resort managers but they can’t touch the deal I had at Puerta Plata Village for the past 12 years. It’s time I moved on anyway. My DR karma has been good so there may be some woman out there willing to take pity on me and feed me. Now if I can find her and her father owns a liquor store, it’s bye bye Canada and hello DR permanently. Lol!