New & hopefully moving

Elizabeth727

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Jul 11, 2005
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Good Morning, I am new to this Forum. My name is Elizabeth and I hope to gan some knowledge about moving to the DR. I have so many questions.I have been scouring the forums looking for answers. So I will just start by asking a few!
Is it cheaper to buy a car in the DR or bring your own?
We will be looking for work as realtors,(me and my husband) he already is one, and I am studying now. Do anyone know if they hire American realtors?
Thank you very much for any and all responses!
 

Ricardo900

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Jul 12, 2004
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Bienvenido!

Elizabeth727 said:
Good Morning, I am new to this Forum. My name is Elizabeth and I hope to gan some knowledge about moving to the DR. I have so many questions.I have been scouring the forums looking for answers. So I will just start by asking a few!
Is it cheaper to buy a car in the DR or bring your own?
We will be looking for work as realtors,(me and my husband) he already is one, and I am studying now. Do anyone know if they hire American realtors?
Thank you very much for any and all responses!
Cars in the US are cheaper, but you will have to factor in the cost & headache of shipping a late model vehicle. I think AZB is selling a beat up toyota for a good price :classic:

Real-Estate, speak to Escott, he's the guru! I am assuming your husband can speak spanish and is willing to learn the terrain.

Oh yeah, where in the DR are you looking to relocate?
 

AnnaC

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Jan 2, 2002
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I'm assuming you've been to the DR many times and know what city you'd like to settle in?
 

Elizabeth727

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Jul 11, 2005
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Ricardo900 said:
Cars in the US are cheaper, but you will have to factor in the cost & headache of shipping a late model vehicle. I think AZB is selling a beat up toyota for a good price :classic:

Real-Estate, speak to Escott, he's the guru! I am assuming your husband can speak spanish and is willing to learn the terrain.

Oh yeah, where in the DR are you looking to relocate?

Possibly the Puerto Plata, Sosua area. Looking for an area where there will be lots of activity, (real Estate)
 

Elizabeth727

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Jul 11, 2005
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Anna Coniglio said:
I'm assuming you've been to the DR many times and know what city you'd like to settle in?

Hi Anna,

No unbelievable as it may seem, we have only been there once. But I think it will fit our requirements. Low cost housing, low cost of living....etc.. not looking to live in the United States, I understand that it is not the US.
 

Elizabeth727

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Jul 11, 2005
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Elizabeth727 said:
Hi Anna,

No unbelievable as it may seem, we have only been there once. But I think it will fit our requirements. Low cost housing, low cost of living....etc.. not looking to live in the United States, I understand that it is not the US.

we are looking for a change, from the USA. Something simpler and less complicated. We used to own a house in Honduras, and it was simply heaven when we were there.
 

Keith R

"Believe it!"
Jan 1, 2002
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www.temasactuales.com
Elizabeth727 said:
Hi Anna,

No unbelievable as it may seem, we have only been there once. But I think it will fit our requirements. Low cost housing, low cost of living....etc.. not looking to live in the United States, I understand that it is not the US.
Only been there once? :confused: Unless that visit involved living there outside of a tourist complex for quite a period, you really then don't know nearly enough yet to be planning a move there.

I'm married to a Dominican, speak fluent Spanish and I went to the DR for long, non-tourist visits (family) every year for nine years before moving there, and the moving and living experience was still much different than I had assumed it would be beforehand.

And I sure hope you and/or your husband speak Spanish.
 
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AnnaC

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Jan 2, 2002
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Elizabeth727 said:
Hi Anna,

No unbelievable as it may seem, we have only been there once. But I think it will fit our requirements. Low cost housing, low cost of living....etc.. not looking to live in the United States, I understand that it is not the US.


My friend don't pack yet till you go back many more times and have many connections. Living cheap is if you want to live in a shack and eat rice and beans. If you want anything remotely close to NA living it costs more than you might think.


Go back and talk to the Real Estate companies. You need to know the country and how to get around in it.

Where did you stay when you went? Was it an All Inclusive? Did you get out at all and see the real country?


Hopefully you've read all that's here

http://www.dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23103
 

Ricardo900

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Jul 12, 2004
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Research

There are plenty of threads that pertain to this topic, search your butt-off and come back with very specific questions, best to learn it here, than there.
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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Hi, and welcome to the DR1 messageboard.

I live in Puerto Plata since several years, and emigrated here with my family.
I suggest you come here for a prolonged stay and get to learn the country, the culture and the language ( if you don?t speak Spanish that is ).
Also for the sake to create a social net, as well as learning about costs, jobs and all other kinds of functioning in the society.
This would be needed also if you plan to work in real estate.
To do that you need to know the country, the areas, the goods & bads,
regulations and laws.. and so on.

And, as suggested to you from another member, do read all you can on this messageboard. It is a treasure of knowledge and opinions, from people who live here and know alot of things in all kinds of different areas.

As for your question, there are many hospitals, clinics etc in Puerto Plata.
The biggest ones are Bournigal, Ricardo Limardo and Carlos Maria Hernandez hospitals. But there are many more, specialized clinics as well, both private and public.
 
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Elizabeth727

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Jul 11, 2005
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carina said:
Hi, and welcome to the DR1 messageboard.

I live in Puerto Plata since several years, and emigrated here with my family.
I suggest you come here for a prolonged stay and get to learn the country, the culture and the language ( if you don?t speak Spanish that is ).
Also for the sake to create a social net, as well as learning about costs, jobs and all other kinds of functioning in the society.
This would be needed also if you plan to work in real estate.
To do that you need to know the country, the areas, the goods & bads,
regulations and laws.. and so on.

And, as suggested to you from another member, do read all you can on this messageboard. It is a treasure of knowledge and opinions, from people who live here and know alot of things in all kinds of different areas.

As for your question, there are many hospitals, clinics etc in Puerto Plata.
The biggest ones are Bournigal, Ricardo Limardo and Carlos Maria Hernandez hospitals. But there are many more, specialized clinics as well, both private and public.
Thank you so much for the info. I am a big researcher. I noticed when I stated that we were there only once I received a bit of negative feed back. We bought a house in Honduras first trip over there, because I had done a pretty complete research in a slew of subjects that would, could or might affect us in anyway. We had that house for 5 years and loved it.
Thank you again for the info.
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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I don?t think you necessarily need to take the responses you got as negative. We have seen many people come and go, and it is mostly therefor I think everyone suggests to get to know the country first.

If you are able to come here and just live, then are no problems at all.
The thing is that many come here and think it is easy to get jobs, they don?t know the base of salaries here for example or the cost of living that is extremely high, taking in to consideration DR is considered to be a third world country. And many of those who do come, without doing their homework and a research one way or another, will be getting a huge surprise.
They have just seen the palm trees and the lovely people, the gorgeous sun and the tasty chicken & rhum... They have not experienced the other side of huge unemployment, expensive living, many hours of electricity blackouts etc etc. And..therefor end up very shocked.

It is always easier to get to know a country first, and it is a must if you expect to get employment here.
If you are at a stage in life where money is not a subject and you can live of savings, then it is a completely other issue.

Read, read, read and put questions you feel you need to know the answer to.
 
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john cast

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Oct 3, 2004
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Elizabeth727 said:
Good Morning, I am new to this Forum. My name is Elizabeth and I hope to gan some knowledge about moving to the DR. I have so many questions.I have been scouring the forums looking for answers. So I will just start by asking a few!
Is it cheaper to buy a car in the DR or bring your own?
We will be looking for work as realtors,(me and my husband) he already is one, and I am studying now. Do anyone know if they hire American realtors?
Thank you very much for any and all responses!
talk too sandy @ coral bay real estate he may be looking for agents
80903993165
 

sunshine_79

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Jun 1, 2005
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Keith R said:
Only been there once? :confused: Unless that visit involved living there outside of a tourist complex for quite a period, you really then don't know nearly enough yet to be planning a move there.

I'm married to a Dominican, speak fluent Spanish and I went to the DR for long, non-tourist visits (family) every year for nine years before moving there, and the moving and living experience was still much different than I had assumed it would be beforehand.

And I sure hope you and/or your husband speak Spanish.


Hey, easy there!

FYI Elizabeth, if you know yourself extremely well and know that you can survive in a thrid world country (NOT the resort lifestyle) then you shouldnt have any problems. Its not a matter of what this country has to offer, its a matter of your expectations of work, life and standards of living. If you expect a great deal of luck or good fortune in the beginning then you probably should not come here. But if you can deal with hard times and uncomfortable arrangements for awhile then you might be okay.

Im the crazy one on this board that moved here before I even visited. I knew nothing about the country or the culture but still came here anyways. Im happier than Ive ever been in my life but thats just me and I cant promise you the same luck. I lived in a tent in the middle of Balad, Iraq for over a year so I already had a concept of how the other half lived and that is a factor that probably helped me immensely. But as I said, only you know yourself and therefore know what is best for you.

In the interim, if you have any questions then feel free to ask. But I must add that I am a newbie here and obviously dont have very many answers, just personal experience. My best advice for you is to listen to the people on this board because there is a great deal of collective wisdom that will surely help you out.

Good luck!

Sunnie
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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Survivial vvs Living

I agree with you Sunnie, it is all about how you see things yourself and what you are looking for. That is number one, and should be as what makes us happy is always the most important.

But you must also remember it is a huge difference between survive and live.
I am really glad you love it here and I see myself when I meet you that you feel good about yourself. That is wonderful.
But still, you are only at a stage, many people would call survival or less.
I don?t mean your state of mind, I mean with life arrangements such us that you live in a very simple room without shower/bath, that you are not settled in those terms at all.

If you want to come and live here, in the meaning such as working in real estate ( as the OP suggested ), getting an apartment or house and furnish it with at least the basics, get a legal residency,put children in good schools.. the reality is a completely other one than the one you are living now.

I am not arguing anything you mentioned at all in your post, and I am always happy to see you, but there is still a difference in survival and living.
Anyone can come here and survive, there is always a way to eat or to get a cheap place to stay, but it is not living in the real sense for most people.