Potential Buyer, More Newbie Questions

Pukie

New member
Oct 28, 2004
11
0
0
Hi,

After lurking on this forum and gaining as much info as we can my wife and I are coming to DR to buy a holiday home around Sosua/Cabarete.

There seems to be quite a few happy Casa Linda owners on here so following the advice given to other people we think we are going to stay there to see if it suits us. If everything we read is to be believed, it seems to tick all the right boxes except for being close to the beach.

Are there are other Villa communities that are good for absentee owners?
We don?t really want to get involved with the day to day running of the place while we are not there, but would like to rent it out, and we don?t want it broken into while it is empty ( or occupied for that matter!).

There seem to be a lot of places claiming to be ?a nice gated community? that then still have bars on the windows and doors. I?m not sure what to believe. Can anyone shed any light on this ? or is the answer obvious.

I am also considering that a beachfront condo might be a good option,
Anyone know anything (good or bad) about the Sol Bonito, & Oriella del Mar
Apartments or the villas in the Costa Azul project.

Are places easy to rent out or do they, in reality, sit empty for ages.


TIA,
Luke.
 

ecarignan

New member
Jan 9, 2003
302
0
0
www.commtech.ca
Casa Linda is good, and so are Costa Azul, ProCab, Perla Marina, Lomas Mironas. For beachfront, Orilla del Mar is good, don't know the other one. There are new ocean front condos going up in Perla Marina, in Sosua by the new beach (near Waterfront Restaurant), and in Cabarete, which are all good purchases too and likely to go up.

Good luck in finding the right place.
 

wayne

Member
Dec 25, 2003
262
9
18
In my opinion there are only 3 secure well run communities on the north coast, Casa Linda for affordable houses and Sea Horse Ranch and Hacienda El Choco for High end properties. We did a lot of research and looked at a lot of communities and I don't care what anyone else on this board tells you all the other places have some serious security and management problems. Do a search and you will see for yourself.
 

JanH

New member
Dec 26, 2002
497
0
0
Wayne is right on.

We love Casa Linda. It is a tight-knit community with many absentee owners keeping in touch with one another throughout the year. The neighborhood is beautiful and very well kept.

It is extremely easy to rent your villa; in fact, we can afford to pick and choose who can rent ours to keep damages to a minimum. Villas sell quickly.

The property management is excellent. They keep in touch with the owners routinely. For example, when TS Jeanne went through, they emailed us that they were securing the villas (bringing outside things inside). They then sent photos of damages to each owner and reported on condition of our villas (none were harmed).

We've had several things break during ownership - such as pool pump, ceiling fan. Instead of buying a new one, they sent the pump for repair, saving us money.

You can PM me if you have more questions.

Jan
 

Escott

Gold
Jan 14, 2002
7,716
6
0
www.escottinsosua.blogspot.com
wayne said:
In my opinion there are only 3 secure well run communities on the north coast, Casa Linda for affordable houses and Sea Horse Ranch and Hacienda El Choco for High end properties. We did a lot of research and looked at a lot of communities and I don't care what anyone else on this board tells you all the other places have some serious security and management problems. Do a search and you will see for yourself.
Do a search on Robberies at Casa Linda. I seem to remember something having to do with a breakin while the people were sleeping and the Casa Linda security guards being involved. I think it was one of the posters here who own a business in Cabarete "Girlie Girl".

There is absolutely NO comparison to Seahorse Ranch or Hacienda El Choco to Casa Linda. You may as well be talking a different language for all the things they have in common.
 

wayne

Member
Dec 25, 2003
262
9
18
I wasn't comparing Casa Linda in terms of luxury to Sea Horse Ranch or Hacienda El Choco but the management and security are top notch. Casa Linda is also a very beutiful community and growing quickly, I would think this speaks for itself. Phase 3 has some very nice custom built homes and larger lots and the new phase 4 will have larger lots with even more luxurious homes. We have just finished building our home in phase 3 and have also reserved a lot in phase 4 to custom build a larger home. My comments have nothing to due with personal gain unlike some regular posters on this board, the only advice I can give is beware of the so called experts whose best interest seems to be only the all mighty dollar. Also if you look into the claims with Girlie girl you will find no evidence that anything actually happened. Seems strange to me this is the only post with such an incident
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
341
83
dr1.com
Pukie... You cannot go wrong at Casa Linda. I have heard lots of good things about the community and we have a few very happy DR1er's that live or own there.

Timo that looks after the day to day stuff is great guy and I hear doing a great job.
 

Escott

Gold
Jan 14, 2002
7,716
6
0
www.escottinsosua.blogspot.com
wayne said:
I wasn't comparing Casa Linda in terms of luxury to Sea Horse Ranch or Hacienda El Choco but the management and security are top notch. Casa Linda is also a very beutiful community and growing quickly, I would think this speaks for itself. Phase 3 has some very nice custom built homes and larger lots and the new phase 4 will have larger lots with even more luxurious homes. We have just finished building our home in phase 3 and have also reserved a lot in phase 4 to custom build a larger home. My comments have nothing to due with personal gain unlike some regular posters on this board, the only advice I can give is beware of the so called experts whose best interest seems to be only the all mighty dollar. Also if you look into the claims with Girlie girl you will find no evidence that anything actually happened. Seems strange to me this is the only post with such an incident
Well Wayne although I know of people on DR1 (one person in particular) who hustle others here to their own gain, I can assure you that I do not do this. I do NOT make one penny nor have I ever on any recommendation I have ever made and I spend a lot of time and money helping others on the North Coast with pleasure.

I have seen the CL owners here pump up CL time and time again like it was the best place on the Island and have not understood this exactly, but when another spoke well about another place I heard one owner in particular make statements such as there is no security there at all while there are 6 full time people all the time and a guarded gate. Makes one wonder if there is something to gain.

I can't speak of the issue with Girlie Girl because I wasn't there but there were accusations made on this board by a person who was robbed. Why would she say she was robbed when she wasn't robbed?

Just to let you know, I own a few lots but have NOTHING to sell and therefore nothing to gain as I am not in competition with CL in any way. The lots I bought have appreciated 150% plus in the time I own them judging by current sales in the sub division but I am building a home there for myself. I am closing on a 4300 meter lot this coming week that is right next to Casa Linda but will hold this and not sell it.

The only thing I didn't like about Casa Linda was how small the lots are, houses built on top of each other and that there wasn't any parking by the homes I visited other than one space for one car. This along with the small houses in phase 1 I guess was a turn off for me so I never considered living there. Perhaps the newer phases are different.
 

Pukie

New member
Oct 28, 2004
11
0
0
Thank you all for the replies,

Seems to confirm pretty much what we had already figured, regarding areas.
There is a difference between "gated community" and "a community having a gate".

Unfortunately SHR is way out of our league otherwise there wouldn?t have been any need for the questions.

Its a pity the only agent We've seen with those new Sosua apartments on their website seems not to return my emails!!

Size is not important (ooo err!) since it won?t be a permanent residence.
My main concerns are security, hassle free management and the ability for the property to at least cover its running costs if not actually make a rental profit.


I?ll be replying to the PMs later.

Thanks
Luke
 

ecarignan

New member
Jan 9, 2003
302
0
0
www.commtech.ca
To answer your exact needs, if you are looking for a vacation home, not a permanent home, then Casa Linda is your place. As Scott mentionned, the lots are too small (but private with all the vegetation) and not much parking, making it perfect for vacationing, not for permanent house, where you'd want more space and not care all that much about a gated community. In Casa Linda, it's hassle free, they pay all expenses and put it on your tab and run the place very well when you're away. You also know they'll take good care of people you rent to.

Good luck in finding the right place.