ydkdy,
They are joking with you because there is already a lot of house and apartment construction going on in the areas that are popular with foreign visitors.
There are also a lot of real estate companies; a new sign seems to appear almost every day.
Have you come to the DR to investigate for yourself. That is most certainly what you should do. One of the things you need to investigate is the availability of desirable land for your project, and the cost. Prices have shot up quite a bit in past year.
But come to the DR and investigate. This board is not the basis on which you should make a decision about your project.