Naufrago hit it on the head in many ways,and i can tell you that his opinion is worth heeding, as I have met him and can vouch for his good sense! Plus he really lives here, works here, participates; he is not a mere visitor. There are many drawbacks to living in a developing nation that is sort of on the cusp of two worlds. While I find the traditional culture very stimulating and interesting, the new world that is taking its place is a mixed bag. Along with the increasing overall wealth, there is inflation, conspicuous consumerism of a particularly egregious sort, crime, greater class conflict, etc. There is also increasing Americanization. But there are better services (not talking about the electricity here!), wider range of consumer goods (heck, you can buy Thai curry paste now in Chinatown here), the capital, though dirty, is cleaner than it was in the past, and more Dominicans these days are aware about the outside world and have a hand in it -- particularly the young people. It is a bustling place, despite the laid back caribbean culture, and it is changing fast. There are opportunities here, too, for the entrepreneurially minded, but the business climate is tough! I have seen more failures than successes. You cannot afford too be naive, too trusting, a "pendejo" in any way shape or form. Survival is a paramount value here, and survival sometimes dictates that people act nakedly in their own self interest. You absolutely must learn Spanish and learn the history and culture if you expect to get anything out of this experience and thrive.
If you live over by Vergel, you may well want AC and all the fixings (including a generator in the building, or at least your own inverter, because you wont always have lights). It is going to cost you a pretty sum. I dont have any of that and I live very comfortably in Gazcue. My apt faces the sea, we get a breeze and the ceiling fans take care of the rest. While it gets pretty hot toward the end of summer (and wet!), the good weather is on its way now. You dont have to have a car, but it is certainly nice to own one. Bear in mind that cars down here are more expensive (import tariffs) and second hand junkers go for more money than they ought to.
Money in general is a problem. First of all you have to accustom yourself to watching everyone in any situation that deals with money. Plenty of honest people here, of course, but money you will quickly discover poses a problem and all financial transactions, from a colmado purchase up to buying property, has to be closely watched. El que tiene tienda, que la atienda o si no, la venda. I dont know what kind of work you may have acquired but i can tell you that working here as an employee is usually a thankless situation. I am a freelancer whose clients are mostly American and European, but I am always looking for extra work down here, and I am sorry to say that, except when I work for the newspapers (Clave, Listín) I have not yet been satisfied and in some cases I was thoroughly disgusted and walked out. All part of the learning experience, I dont regret any of it, and in fact it all just provides more fodder for my essays! My last gig was teaching English to baseball players -- what a farce! But also quite interesting and it was a pleasure to be among the kids who are all very spirited people (a bit too spirited!). That part of it was wonderful; the program however was a failure.
Finally, about moving on or settling in. I think it is best approached with an open mind as a kind of test. I am happy here, I could see myself living here till my bones nourish the farm I would like someday to buy. But as a parent I have to say that I have ambiguous feelings. I think that this place is great for children: my (almost) 4 yr old daughter is a very very happy child and surrounded by the love of a large extended Dominican tribe. But will that be sufficient when she reaches adolescense? I dont know. I would like her to see the world, but she may pursue that on her own while I dodder on here. I will say that I am impressed by many of the young middle class kids I am meeting these days, who are all quite hip, quite bright, well attuned to the outside world, and deep down, very good kids. So maybe there is hope for the place. But I sometimes think it would be nice to live in Spain and have all of Europe and No. Africa in your backyard.
You have any specific questions feel free to ask.