Rent 1st!! For 3 years, at least.
Sue, I think that you're making a potentially serious & very expensive error in judgment. I'm an American who has been living in the DR or 12 years; I bought a house 6 years ago. My advice to any emigrant: rent 1st; learn a lot @ the community you plan to live in!! Why?
* real estate, esp. single family homes, is an extremely illiquid investment in the DR; where I live, Puerto Plata, it frequently takes 3 - 5 - 7 years to sell a home. I exagerate not.
* If you don't like Punta Cana [or the people, DR or foreign] you have put yourself between a rock & a hard place. Each DR location has its own distinctive character &, usually population.
* You don't want to deal with renters &their inevitable problems from 1,000 - 1,500 miles away, depending on DRs for info & services! You are leading with your chin!
* When you arrive & rent, advise the local R E community that you have CASH!! CASH is king in this country.
* Meet the local expats. Discreetly look around for motivated sellers, very motivated! There are always those who look foward to 15 - 20 - 25 years of pleasant retirement, in the DR for example. Then? Divorce, cancer, a major illness, absence of grandchildren, etc. These people are extremely anxious to sell.
* My suggestions: rent for 3 years; buy an inexpensive car; travel @ the country, trying to live in each attractive location for @ 2 weeks. Then, . . listen to the inner voices. Good fortune.