I am sure it is a matter of point of view but judging from the amount of replies, mostly recommending staying away, I would tend to agree with the majority. Speaking from personal experience of living in Pto Chiquito, I would also recommend staying away. I would definitely not be willing to say that it is as safe as any other place in DR. Leaving aside the fact that there is a river, open sky sour would be a better name, that runs close by, the sanitation and garbage situation is not worst in Pto Chiquito than anywhere else in DR, the piles of garbage are pretty much the same height and they sure smell the same as everywhere else in DR.
The first sign of problem is that a part from less than one third of the ex- time-share complex and 2 or 3 houses that are still livable, provided you keep the gates and fences around in good condition. All other houses in that area are in a real sad shape. I visited a few of the ruins and was amazed at how thorough and efficient the looters were. You can?t find one small piece of plumbing, electrical or anything else that is not berried deep in concrete. Not true, you do find lots of garbage, even human defection, but I am sure they were brought in after the original owners ran out.
In real-estate the number one two and three rules are location, location, location. If you are thinking of opening up survival and last-chance self defense school, then I think you found the right location, you will get a lot of opportunity to practice what you teach. For living, I am not sure the location is that great. I am a sound sleeper, I am not afraid of much and I like to think that I can still make the difference between daring and careless. Being woken up two or three nights a week by gun shots (not shots from a distance either, close by) is not what I call a safe neighborhood. The local fauna is most interesting, and I am not talking about the kind that has 4, 6 or 8 legs, the two legged version. The area offers a good assortment of desperates, looters, thieves and all around dangerous people. You would stand a better chance in the jungle.
One other point I find interesting is the false sense of security the gates seem to bring to people. Yes there is a ?Manned Gate? but if you come in later at night you usually have to open the gate yourself, there is no one around. When there is someone there, the person is about 5 foot no inches and about 50 pounds, I am not sure he would have a chance against the roosters that runs free around him, never mind a person that had the intention of going in because he figures he deserves to have your possessions more than you. On the nights I didn?t want to get out to open the gate myself I just came in a bit lower down the hill, just around the Moto-Concho stand and local watering hole. There is no gate there. Not true, there is a gate but I think it is rusted open. I have never seen anyone watching that entrance.
No matter how many people reply and regardless of what they say, seeing is believing. If you can, rent before you buy. I figure that the banks that own those places would be so eager to recuperate the money they lost when the original owners defaulted that I am sure you can interest them in making a bit of money. Their first reaction will be to try to off-load the properties at all costs but if you insist, I am sure you will be bale to come to some sort of arrangements and be able to rent-to-own type deal. Just be careful of what you sign.