When you look at Real property in a foreign country you are not very, but VERY familiar with, you can NOT effectively do by window shopping thru the Internet.
Real Estate folks will tell you "location, location, location", mostly not understanding that the three words are not a repeat of the same thing, but in the case of property in this country, the importance of all aspects of the word(s) "location" cannot be underscored strongly enough.
There are too many, the properties which are within terminally failed "developments" or neighborhoods in the process of "gethofication" or neighboring problem areas, as well as abandoned condo and apartment projects with poor or no really effective management left, literally going into ruins threatening to add to the landscape of empty carcasses around soon.
On top of this, crime, drugs and prostitution gearing up in the last years and especially months around towns like Sosua, paired with the still worsening economy in the countries where buyers used to come from is starting to show signs... namely more 4-Sale signs.
Currently there are more 4 Sale signs up than people around who can or care to read them and they keep popping up like mushrooms after a fall rain.
Short, prospect buyers would be well advised to take a "tour" of all the abandoned ruins scattered around the island on "prime" locations before they think that buying is "easy" in a country like this one.
Good deals ARE to be found, and I suspect more will come as the buying pressure experienced as a result of real estate bubbles in the early 2000's is definitely vanishing. But there is no need to hurry, meaning there IS TIME to exercise DUE DILIGENCE and ON SITE RESEARCH.
... J-D.