Hi J D Sauser, base on your experience living on a small gated community, what are pros and cons of living there?
I am not sure I understand your question. Do you mean, what the advantage would be to live in a SMALL development?
IF so: Smaller developments are in general more likely to be successful from the get go on in this country. The country is riddled by large megalomaniac "
proyectos" which have failed or are failing because of the lack of urbanistic foresight, planning, organization and oversight.
Small developments are more easy to build, finance and finish within a practical time frame. Usually they are sold out before they are finished and attract people LIVING in them.
Occupancy is important when we consider SAFETY. They are also easier to monitor and offer less weak points of undesired entry.
Theses are only some of the reasons why only few large luxury developments have been able to withstand the tests of time.
How many crimes have you heard about in Sea Horse Ranch over the past 10 years? Have you tried just walking in to Sea Horse?
What about Punta Cana Village, Cap Cana etc?
If you know of crimes, please list them here, with the sources.
It's certainly not something you will learn a lot about from current residents and "investors" and much less those who are linked to the commercialization of RE in those developments. It would seem logical to accept the fact that they protect the development's perceived reputation of safety and "untouchability". After all, the premium "value" of their properties depends highly on exactly that reputation.
I have been told by several ex residents of two of the developments YOU mention, that they have suffered issues and they go to such great lengths to keep a lid on any information that they even have "deals" with the Police (PN) so that it won't be made public. One owner even hinted that owners had been "asked" in no uncertain terms to keep their experienced issue quiet.
Now, you may wonder who said what exactly. But I trust you above all will understand that these sources will have asked not to be revealed.
This is why I have refrained from naming specific neighborhoods (except for Casa De Campo where I mention security and alarm systems which I find needed and helpful) and instead included some of my opinions as to what deficiencies I have observed some issues could arise from.
If you visit thoroughly some of these developments (beyond marveling at an impressive main entry gate lined by guards dressed like Swat team drill sergeants), I am sure you with your knowledge of the country, will be able to appreciate that there are obvious weaknesses in and around most large developments known on this island which can hardly effectively be covered by a brigade of "
watchies", especially if one takes the situation surrounding these developments into account.
The issue here maybe is not so much gated and especially luxury developments and how safe or not they are made or kept, but the fact that they are in a sharp contrast to the country's overall living standards, which attracts a heightened risk of issues.
Anyway, here's one link to an article discussing several cases in Casa De Campo. Have you ever tried to get into Casa De Campo? I know, you and I can.
Dominicanos HOY: Hechos de sangre siguen estremeciendo Casa de Campo
Now, I in no way imply that there HAS to be a similar history in the developments YOU mention. However, besides Casa De Campo probably being the largest development and also having to allow some thru traffic because of Altos De Chavon, I wonder what would make anybody think that what has happened repeatedly in Casa De Campo could not happen in
some of the other gated successful developments in the country?
Do we have any posters on DR1 that live in Sea Horse Ranch, Punta Cana Village, or Cap Cana that can provide us with insight into how well security works there?
I suspect that anything that happens in those locations would normally not make it outside of their gates.
So do I.
... J-D.