Which is best and most desirable area in DR

Any help?

http://dr1.com/realestate/index.shtml

Hi Sam,
I don't think you'll find DR is inexpensive compared to the U.S. if you want to match your U.S. lifestyle. To match it will likely cost more.

I prefer the north coast area from Cofresi to Cabarete, though I must admit I've never been to the Punta Cana/Bavaro area. If you're wanting to live in a real city away from the beach amongst 99% Dominican population, I prefer Santiago over Santo Domingo (though Santo Domingo's got a lot going for it).

DR's a great place, as you have heard and many on this board can attest to. However, it's also quite a different place from Florida and not for everyone. Life is not always simple or easy, even for those with money (thought it definitely helps smooth out the bumps in the road).

How familiar are you with Latin American countries? How's your Spanish or willingness to learn? How's your tolerance for things not working like you expect all or most of the time (electricity, water, cable, internet, mechanics, laws, police, etc, etc)? How's your tolerance for adapting to different food products?

The $175,000 will buy you a nice house in a 'gringo tourist town', but not on the beach these days. It can buy you a house on the beach away from town - but there are often many issues associated with that (lack of infrastructure and possibly security).

The advice... don't dare buy anything during your first 10 day visit. Look, come back & look again, then come back & look some more. Ask a lot of questions - and ask them of different sources. Don't expect that just because a development looks nice that it functions as one in the U.S. does. Two condo or housing develpments within a quarter mile of each other can deliver astoundingly different quality of life depending on how they're managed. It takes time to know what's what. Desireable areas are not that easy for a first, second, or possibly even 10th time visitor to pick out. Then rent for 6 months to a year. If you still want to buy a house at that point, then is the time to do some serious looking... AFTER you know you really like it & are comfortable with the area in which you're looking.

Sound negative? I think most here will attest it's just realistic. And yes, I too am considering property after spending more than 4 years in the country.

Well, with that money I think you should be very very careful. Keep it a secret wherever you go.
North Coast: Nice, lots of ex-pats, good fun and good food are available, and NO hurricanes. Access to Santiago, a very cosmopolitan city of close to 800,000, with very good shopping and everything you'd need.

You have to decide on your lifestyle.

MUST you have: Beach? You'll pay for it.

You decide after you look. the DR is as big as West Virginia. It has hills, mountains, valleys and lots of beaches. It has towns large and small. You just have to decide onthe amount of sophistication youthink you;ll need to live a happpy retirement.

Let us know more about what youwant out of life and maybe we can direct you a bit.

HB

wanaretirenow said:

My wife and I (also a dog and a cat) would like to retire in DR as we have heard a lot of good things and how freindly, prety, and inexpensive compared to where we live in Florida.
We are planning on flying to DR on March 8th for a week or 10 days to visit and look around for a property to buy.
What is the difference between the N. COAST and the south coast in comparison to prices, climate, beaches and value.
We are looking for a house prefferably not Condo, as we have pets. Our budget for a house Under $175000 US.
Your advice is much appreciated
Thanks every one
Sam

Click to expand...

Sorry Sam,
I am not feeling as generous as Hillbilly & CFA today so you are going to get it in the neck from me!

WHY are you even considering buying when you don't even know where in the country you might want to retire?? First visit, come look at the country but DON'T buy. 2nd visit come look at the country & maybe somewhere you might like to RENT on your next trip down. Make 3 or 4 MORE visits before you even consider buying - that way you will save yourself a LOT of money & hassle from Lawyers, realtors, con-merchants & scam artists etc!!

PLEASE read all the previous posts on 'Relocating to the DR', 'Buying a house/apartment/Condo', 'Moving/retiring to the DR' etc etc. by doing a search on those keywords into the archives !! ~ Grahame.

Pretty fair advice.....Look before you leap!!

Old saw: How do I get a small fortune in the Dominican Republic?

Answer: Come here with a large one!!!

HB

wanaretirenow said:

, and inexpensive compared to where we live in Florida.
We are planning on flying to DR on March 8th for a week or 10 days to visit and look around for a property to buy.
Sam

Click to expand...

If today you consider that Florida is too expensive for you to live, DR will give you the same taste. Identify what kind of expenses makes Florida a bad option and expect the same in the island. Don't forget you have removed the weather excuse as a reason to move.

For that price range, stick to north coast. Punta Cana is above that price range. 2 nice gated developments that fit that budget are: Residencial Casa Linda and Residencial Hispaniola.

Good luck.

I certainly think it is cheaper than Florida and much nicer in terms of weather.

I live in both the DR (10 years now) and north Florida. Without a doubt, the DR has become as expensive or even more so than Florida.

Andy B said:

I live in both the DR (10 years now) and north Florida. Without a doubt, the DR has become as expensive or even more so than Florida.

Click to expand...

North Florida, maybe, (but I doubt it) but South Florida, not even close. As of now, housing alone is at least 2-3x higher in South Florida then for a comparable home/community in the POP/Sosua/Cabarete Area. Punta Cana is another story. If you open up the rest of the country, there are areas that are much cheaper than anywhere in Florida, or most of the US for that matter. As for the cost of living, while some things: gas, electricity, electronics, cars, etc are higher than in the US, taxes, most food (except imported), restaurants, public transportation, household help, healthcare/medicine, etc. are also much cheaper than in the US.

if you are comfortable with the lifestyle of a third world country, and can get used to changing some of your daily routine, you can live in many areas of the DR very well for a lot less than most retirement destinatations in the US.

As for where to live, as has been said in this thread and many others, you absolutely need to make several trips here...and not for a weekend at a time...check out different areas, meet locals and ex-pats, speak to several different realtors, look at lots of properties, then decide what feels best to you. But in general, I'd say the POP/Sosua/Cabarete, Juan Dolio, and maybe Las Terenas/Samana areas would provide the easiest transition for someone looking for a beach area lifestyle, Santiago for the small but vibrant city life, Santo Domingo for the big, CRAZY city, with easy access to nice beaches lifestyle, and Punta Cana for the upscale Golf lifestyle...but you'd be hard-pressed to find a really nice place there for under $200K and as of now, there's not much going on their socially/culturally...outside of the big resorts...IMO, of course.

wanaretirenow said:

My wife and I (also a dog and a cat) would like to retire in DR as we have heard a lot of good things and how freindly, prety, and inexpensive compared to where we live in Florida.
We are planning on flying to DR on March 8th for a week or 10 days to visit and look around for a property to buy.
What is the difference between the N. COAST and the south coast in comparison to prices, climate, beaches and value.
We are looking for a house prefferably not Condo, as we have pets. Our budget for a house Under $175000 US.
Your advice is much appreciated
Thanks every one
Sam

Click to expand...

Come to Santiago! You can still get set up in a nice house for that price, plus the expat community are getting organized and are planning on doing get togethers often(check out "Damn Good Burger" thread) Not only that the Dominicans here are a lot less "conditioned" to gringos unlike the ones in the tourist areas which will make it a lot easier to assimilate. Plus we have schools here to learn Spanish and the beach is only an hour to an hour and a half away AND you don't really need ac, in my opinion.

Good luck

If I could but in...

I am sure you have research this island throughly if you are wanting to buy property. If you did, did you find any info on the crime rate?-are there any of the beaches on the northside polluted still or did they get it all cleaned up? Are there beaches left or are they all private because of villa developments and resorts? Is electric power a problem or I should say, having problems staying on? Villas all seem to have backup generators. What I have read I am finding both good and some scary stuff which is very confusing...
We have been to several island in the Caribbean and look at property. DR is so much cheaper than any other island...Why????
So if know more than I do, please share...
Thank you for your time!

If you even consider buying here, come down and rent a condo(Apt) for a couple months. I'd suggest North Coast. Everyone gives advice, but you have to decide if this is what you want. We love it here, but as has been said it's not allways easy. You may find you just want to come down for a couple weeks each year.

Things are a lot different here. Definately come down for a while and take your time looking around before you sever any ties back to Florida, even Broward County as expensive as it is (I know, my step-sister lives in Cooper City and my daughter lived in Davie).

You mentioned medical insurance and medical care. This is a problem here in many parts of the DR. If you are over 60 you will have to be approved for coverage after you have gone through a physical exam at a clinic the insurance company designates. Of course, any prexisting condition will be excluded. And then as you get older you will need to be in the proximinity of good medical care, this means within striking distance of Santo Domingo or Santiago. This is one of the biggest reasons we are retiring BACK to north Florida or south coastal Georgia.

As I stated earlier in this thread: cost's are about the same to live in both areas. Also, there ARE parts of the US sunbelt states that are not that expensive for retirement. Take a good, hard look before you leap.

Great advice Andy B!
I for one would be hard pressed to maintain our lifestyle on US$2000 per month and we don't own a house here, just a 2 bdrm condo near the beach.
We have discovered that we do need to invest in medical insurance now (even tho' neither of us has quite reached the majic 60 yet) after having spent approx. $2500 for a two week severe illness this year (and at that we thought the cost was relatively cheap considering the type and number of tests done). however if our monthly budget was $2000..........well you get the picture!
So my advice is come down, look around, get a feel for the island and how things work and how much it costs, then take a look around back home for areas that might meet your requirements before you decide to move.