Hig?ey, any Info someone?

caribmike

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Jul 9, 2009
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I am trying without much success to find out about cost of living in Hig?ey due to a possible relocation from PP. I like to know how much is rent for houses (we need no pool, no a/c, used to do without) but 3 bedroom and a yard for the (not small) dog and our boy to play outside... Not barrio, no gated community, just something in between... Any good school there for a 6yr old? Centro Medico? La Sirena or something that size? Questions questions questions which google don't want to answer for me... :tired:
 
Feb 7, 2007
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House rent 3 BR about 10 to 12,000 pesos per month. Depends on where.
"Barrio" what do you understand with that? Because there's no Piantini or Naco type of sector in Higuey. There are good sectors and there are OK sectors and there are worse sectors. All of them can be either urban (high traffic) or rural (little traffic). There are nice sectors that are "rural" and not so nice sectors that are "urban". So you really would need to come and have a look. I live in sector that is nice (upper middle class) and is "rural" but it's just 3 km to city center and have cable and DSL and good power (until today). I see lots of cows and horses every day, but I have commodity of "city" life and "campo" living. Beware - the streets in Higuey are terrible, you go to a millionaire sector and you have dirt road.

There are several schools in Higuey, count on about 1000 pesos per month.

There is a nice 3 BR house available for rent just across the street for 12k so if you come to Higuey I can show you around.

Medical - we have 2 good clinics (Cedano, MontasUrena) and several so-so clinics. Most insurance plans accepted. If you have Humano Max or Platinum you can go to Hospiten in Punta Cana and also Centro medico Punta Cana.

Shopping - there is Iberia (La Sirena clone) and Supermercado Higueyano (not that big, but has most things you need, and which is now building a huuuuge 2-stories extension) and a big chain from SD is opening up soon. There is also Corripio and Plaza Lama for appliances, and lots of mueblerias.

Any other questions, you can post here or if they are sensitive you can PM me.
 

caribmike

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Thanks a ton...

...that was exactly what I wanted to hear, well, barrio here in PP means wooden and tin roof and (if power) 24 hours reggaeton and such, that is where I do not want to live, but Piantini or Naco type I do not need, neither.

A mix between rural and urban like you describe will do it. Any bilingual school?

Like I said, we are thinking about relocating, nothing sure yet, but nothing without informing myself about as much as possible before.

I although try to figure out how much might be a local to rent in El Cortecito, Plaza Bavaro or Plaza Punta Cana?
 
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Feb 7, 2007
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"Locales comerciales" might go for US$1,000 per month and up that is in regular area (e.g. Friusa) but the top spots may go for double that. Also depends on the size. But I am no expert on Bavaro renting, the information is hearsay.

If you come to Higuey to look around, drop me a line and I can show you the most important stuff here.
 

caribmike

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Found it out...

Another question Puerto Plata is pretty safe when it comes to hurricanes, and Hig?ey?

Mmmmh and El Cortecito, guess it will be VERY windy if one of this bastards is coming in...never happened to be in one...

Found plenty of pictures from Hig?ey etc. at flickr.
 

laurajane

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Hi

I agree with everything Rubio has said and i can say he would be a good guy for you to meet up with if you visit, he has been very helpful to me at times. Of course feel free to drop in on us too. I live very close to Rubio and our area is quite good. I live the family life also so i know what is probably more important to you rather than caba?as, car washes and discos ha ha!

As for schools i believe there are some bilingual but i dont think they are great to be honest, living in Punta cana area would put you near some good schools, but again it would mean paying rather alot for it.

Also depending on what work you are in may determine the best place for you and your family.

Higuey is not a fancy tourist spot and it for those who can truly handle the "real" DR, thats for sure. I would 100% suggest a short visit and both Rubio and i would be happy to show you around.

Laura
 

caribmike

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My idea is, if we make the step, to live in Hig?ey and to work in the tourist area... because I think affordable housing, school and supermarkets etc. in that area = the answer is Hig?ey, right? Correct me if I am wrong.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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You are right. Residential rents in Higuey are a fraction of what they are in Bavaro. Same goes for food and other expenses. Also power is cheaper in Higuey and if you get to live in a nice area your power supply would be more or less stable. There are no big supermarkets in bavaro, in Higuey there are two big ones, soon 3.

You would need to commute to Bavaro, about 1 hour time. Two roads (via Veron and via Macao) are both being repaved as we speak so while traffic heavy at least your car will take it easy.

There are several bilingual schools in Bavaro or fully English ones but they are $$$. there are several bilingual schools in Higuey (not full English though).

As Laura said, you are welcome to stop by anytime and we'll be glad to show you around. I think you should do that, before making a final decision to move.
 

caribmike

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Which Internet Provider best to choose in Hig?ey? Codetel? I have now 1,5 mb from codetel, mostly a little faster, won't do with slower... How performs Viva Interjet there?
 
Feb 7, 2007
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You get Codetel DSL, speeds are good, Higuey is free of DSL congestion. I also get more speed than I pay for.

Then, you can get EVDO service by Interjet, the speed is regular (about 600 kbps) the last year I checked. Haven't used the service for almost a year. You also can get Claro Banda Ancha, another EVDO service, speed is about 800 kbps, I have heard (last year) it was more stable than Viva and price is the same.

According to Tricom's customer service, WI-MAX service is now available in Higuey, but if that's true it's teh best-kept secret because not many people know about it. But I know several people (offices) that use Tricom, and there is no DSL by Tricom here or by cable, so it must be WIMAX.
 

caribmike

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Anybody has a local in El Cortecito, Plaza Bavaro or Plaza Punta Cana or is doing business there and can tell me how much is the rent for a little shop?
I hope they are not all in the 1k to 2k range, but in Playa Dorada they are, too, so, I guess the advantage in PC is, I would have far more tourist traffic there (hopefully) than in "dying" Playa Dorada?
 

caribmike

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We do not own a car, and with a pasola or such to go daily to work is not a good idea, me thinks... So, how much would be public transport to get from Hig?ey to p.e. "El Cortecito" or the other malls / plazas?
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Guagua from Higuey to Bavaro runs around 100 pesos one way. You better get expreso (runs every hour, in peak times every 30 minutes) for 10 to 20 pesos more, you will ride with AC and the trip will be shorter. Count about 50 minutes to 1 hour with expreso, 20 minutes more with regular guagua caliente.
 

caribmike

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That way a lot comes together if used by two person on a daily base. Easily 10K a month...wow. Do hotels have their own transport? Maybe a deal is possible...
 

MikeFisher

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Feb 28, 2006
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firstly,
totally agree to the given info by Rubio and Laura.
but there's one important point to count in:
if i understand you right you plan to live with your wife and 6 years boy in higuey while running your own rented tourism business/gift shop or such in bavaro, both you and your wife travelling every day from higuey to bavaro to run the biz and back for a short visit to see your son.
to be honest,
i don't see that as such a great ida, and i neither see why on costwise.
Higuey rentals are a toouch cheaper than bavaro rentals, yes, but i.e. in pueblo bavaro you can rent brand new and fully funiched houses actually $350-$400.- per month, that's usually 2 bedrooms, the ones with 3 bedrooms run in the 400-550 bucks range.
from here you could use your pasola to go to work/run your biz, would make you more independent in case of coming around, not just the 2 of you loeaving home early morning and coming back home last night, without a chance to pass by the home during daytime if needed, i mean you have a son of 6 years there at home, i guess a Nani is needed also.
counting the travel costs for 2 persons from higuey, depending in which area of higuey you rent you may need aside of the 100+ per person per one way guagua cost an additional cost for the motoconchos to bring you from the main road to your sector and in the morning again out to catch that bus, and the different circumstances with a kid at home i would look towards possibilities to live in bavaro and have the home and the biz closer to each others.
higuey provides more supermarkets than bavaro, but in case of quality i would not differ them, and in case of prices there been stuff i found in the past cheaper in higuey and other products i found cheaper in bavaro, same level.

Rubio:
my buddy over here has the Tricom Wimax, that's the lil red antenna, right?
he has the deal with the lowest speed(can't tell you how many KB's he has, but it is the basic from their offer), we play online games often together at my place or at his place, it is not the top speed model but running very reliable, and he just pays 900 plus tax per month, been a special offer they run a few months ago up there in pueblo bavaro where he lives. the now actual rate for that connection would be around 1200 plus tax. we also use it often down here at my place right on the beach. we have in front of the house palm leave roofs for shaddow right on the water front with 110V connections and my house's ireles signal does not reach that far, so we put that lil antenna down there on the beach, connect and it runs great, til now a reliable and flexibel to use thingy. he has it since around 10 weeks now.
anyways,
the Claro/codetel connections are in bavaro available almost everywhere also.
for a highspeed connection in bavaro i would recommend their services.

the rental rates for a busines location can like mentioned above vary a lot, depends on size, location and also what kinda business you want to bring in.
a biz location will sure in case of the rent be much more expensive than a 3 bedroom house rental in bavaro.
come down for a while and check out the area first before you pay several months biz location deposits, just in case you plan to do one of the by hundreds available/present things like gift shops, call center aso.
don't get yourself in trouble by looking on locations for a bar/lil restaurant or such, there's always a dozen available, always the same dozen, none of them ever run fine, they change ownership every 4-8 months(when deposits aso are done, lol), til today i did not know of any who sold/left such down here after he made his money out of it.
this typical AI area has very few great and good running spots of that kind, of course none of them is available to rent or buy.
good luck
Mike
 

caribmike

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Than would be the question what kind of school my son could attend in the Bavaro area and how much they are and how close they are to Pueblo Bavaro.

From the location I tend very much to El Cortecito, from here it looks like the only one situated close to or on the beach.

We are not planning to open another gift shop or bar or call center, well what we actually planning to do I do not want to make public here b/c of the well known possibility of copying others business ideas etc..

I agree with you that it looks like it will have to be Pueblo Bavaro for living.

I miss my son already, when I don't see him for one hour, so how I could resist a whole day without seeing him? You are right: Not possible!

My initial idea to settle in Hig?ey was because I was thinking, that even humble housing in Bavaro would be far more expensive than the numbers you mentioned, that was really a positive surprise for me, being it the same like here in PP.
Also somebody mentioned that locals in Punta Cana Plaza start at 500 US$, which sound reasonable.

What I still don't know is where those "plazas" are located, close to the beach or far? I would prefer a spot where people browse in daytime whithout they have to change and such = beach or as close as possible.

I did my biz already inside different hotels in PP and paid a fee to them, maybe such a possibility exist in Bavaro, too. But I have no such kind of connections there.
What I know is, that it is time for a change, PC seems where the music plays, PP is becoming more silent from day to day. I just think, our chances are better there than they are in PP. I could imagine to attend somebodies shop / biz for free in exchange for allowing us to add our thing.

We have to find a solution that includes all mentioned as close to in one place or nearby as possible, so i still need a lot advice from you people, any tips and ideas are very welcome! We are not in a hurry (yet). I want to plan and to be with everything on the safe side and have it well thought out before we act.

How is crime rate, by the way?
 

caribmike

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Is Otra Banda an option? Can't find no info about except google earth indicates it is closer to the El Cortecito area. Where are living all the Dominican people working in the hotels? Surely not all of them in Hig?ey? And Pueblo Bavaro has a price range an average Dominican can not afford to pay. In google earth I see no villages, nothing apart from Pueblo Bavaro, Otra Banda and Hig?ey... For sure there must be more, what I am missing here?
 

La Mariposa

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Is Otra Banda an option? Can't find no info about except google earth indicates it is closer to the El Cortecito area. Where are living all the Dominican people working in the hotels? Surely not all of them in Hig?ey? And Pueblo Bavaro has a price range an average Dominican can not afford to pay. In google earth I see no villages, nothing apart from Pueblo Bavaro, Otra Banda and Hig?ey... For sure there must be more, what I am missing here?

Search for Veron ( some spell it Bevon)
 
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