Expat Neighborhoods in Santo Domingo

Leeshnc

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Dec 10, 2004
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Hi,
I am trying ot figure out where most of the expat community lives in Santo Domingo. I have read through the forums that Piantini is a nice area along with Naco. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the safest/nicest areas were and then those in the next price level down, like expensive to moderate. Any help would be great!!!
Thanks!
 

pacito

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Jul 28, 2004
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I have purchased an apt in Piantini (Seralles)
, near the supermarket " Nacional". But it is so close to NACO that I usually say it is in NACO....everyone knows " Plaza Naco.

For a 3 bedroom 200 + sq meters you will have to pay around 5 to 6 millions pesos.

This is for good quality building, 2 parking places, security, planta the works.

You can of course get cheaper...but I venture to say that you get what you pay for and location location location!!

I spent a lot of times checking out the various areas of Sto Domingo and various real estate agents. If you want more info send me a private E mail

Pacito
 

Jimmydr

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Apr 17, 2003
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pacito said:
I have purchased an apt in Piantini (Seralles)
, near the supermarket " Nacional". But it is so close to NACO that I usually say it is in NACO....everyone knows " Plaza Naco.

For a 3 bedroom 200 + sq meters you will have to pay around 5 to 6 millions pesos.

This is for good quality building, 2 parking places, security, planta the works.

You can of course get cheaper...but I venture to say that you get what you pay for and location location location!!

I spent a lot of times checking out the various areas of Sto Domingo and various real estate agents. If you want more info send me a private E mail

Pacito

Thats about $220,000 for a condo?
 

Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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Jimmydr said:
Thats about $220,000 for a condo?

Yep, welcome to the big city. Plenty here for US$1 million+

If you hunt around you can get a nice 2 bedroom (150sq M) condo in a very good location for around US$80,000 - 100,000.

In my building right now is a 2 bedroom (120sq M) going for around RD$1,900,000 (US$70,000) and I'm in a good location. Just off of Winston Churchill on Gustavo Mejia Ricart.
 

Pib

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Jan 1, 2002
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There is no expat community in Santo Domingo. Let's be grateful for small favors. Expats live where they can afford it, meaning if they can afford living where the rich Dominicans live they do, if they can't they move down the ladder. I have met expats living pretty much everywhere here.

For some whacky reason I fail to comprehend buying a house/apartment here is expensive. I guess concrete is expensive. Maybe if we start building like Florida it would be cheaper... of course we would have to rebuild our homes every year or so. ;)
 

Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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ricktoronto said:
And $110,000 6 months ago.
I would guess that these places have been priced relative to the dollar and if they were any less before that would be because it was less expensive before. I know that this is the case on the North Coast.

Jimmy, you have to look at the size of the condo. Over 200 meters is a big condo.
 

Naufrago

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Sep 1, 2004
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We just bought a really nice 3 bedroom/24hr security, around UASD (paid 2,800,000 pesos, saw alot for around 2,000,000) lots of new 4 story buildings going up in the neighborhood. Area is nice, relatively safe, and close to much, check it out.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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There are a large number of Foreigner around the Hotels:

Embajador,and Dominican Fiesta,Santo Domingo.But I find all the apartment buildings in those areas depressing.They like it because there are no "slums" in those areas! I prefer Piantini,Los Rios,and Arroyo Hondo.There are some residencial neighborhoods there without the "Mid-Rise" apt.buildings everywhere!
 

juancarlos

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Sep 28, 2003
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Naufrago said:
We just bought a really nice 3 bedroom/24hr security, around UASD (paid 2,800,000 pesos, saw alot for around 2,000,000) lots of new 4 story buildings going up in the neighborhood. Area is nice, relatively safe, and close to much, check it out.

That's good. Did you pay cash for it or is there financing in the DR, as it is done in the US? My understanding is that the interest rates there are beyond belief and the number of years to pay your mortgage is also different. At the same time, when I see the price for those apt. ads in Listin Diario, it is hard to believe there are that many people who can pay US$150.000 cash. How do most people who buy these apts. in nice areas of Santo Domingo pay for them? Two million or two million eight hundred thousand pesos is not bad, but how do you pay for it? Is the one you bought close to the sea? Does it have air conditioning and that which they call planta full?

It seems to me you bought a nice one. Three bedrooms is very good and in a good part of the city!
 

Naufrago

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Sep 1, 2004
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We paid 2/3rds up front (which was about all we had to spend) and the owner agreed to wait for the rest with a 2 year payout schedule. We paid in US dollars between US bank accounts, so we made out as the rate went from 33/1 to 30/1 before we closed and the rest is in dollars too so now at 28/1 the apt. is getting cheaper to pay off. I have some stateside investments that give me quarterly checks, not alot but enough to cover the payments. Can see the water from our window, Two streets up from the Malecon. No planta, but it came with ceiling fans, water heater, tinaco, and an inverter/batteries which is really all you need, we brought our window A/Cs, but haven't needed them yet. Where are you coming from?
 

juancarlos

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Sep 28, 2003
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Naufrago said:
We paid 2/3rds up front (which was about all we had to spend) and the owner agreed to wait for the rest with a 2 year payout schedule. We paid in US dollars between US bank accounts, so we made out as the rate went from 33/1 to 30/1 before we closed and the rest is in dollars too so now at 28/1 the apt. is getting cheaper to pay off. I have some stateside investments that give me quarterly checks, not alot but enough to cover the payments. Can see the water from our window, Two streets up from the Malecon. No planta, but it came with ceiling fans, water heater, tinaco, and an inverter/batteries which is really all you need, we brought our window A/Cs, but haven't needed them yet. Where are you coming from?

Thanks for the information. I know this type of deal is different over there. It seems you've got a good arrangement. I just wanted to know out of curiosity. I am not planning to move over there, but as they say, you should never say never. Also, I believe this information would help those who are interested in buying an apt. over there. Thanks again.
 

pacito

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Jul 28, 2004
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newuser said:
How many square meters is the apartment that you bought?
For all to know, I believe that to convert sq meters into sq feet you multiply by 10.45.

So, an apt of 200 sq meter would be approx. 2100 sq feet.

What is your budget? Or where do you want to live? Naco, Piantini, Serralles
Los Ros and Gascue are expensive...but then again you get what you pay for.

location, location, location!!!
 

Naufrago

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Sep 1, 2004
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1,248 square feet, we saw more space for less money, but the building is 1 year old, beautifully tiled, with hard wood trim and closets throughout. Comparable to our NYC apartment, and the area around UASD reminds me of the Area around NYU, with all the students and low rise apartments.
1248/10.45=119 square meters