Nealymouse,
When you read those links check the date on each one. They didn't all occur on one day! (That
would be upwindputting!
). The Higuey/Bavaro Titles Mafia was covered extensively in Diario Libre last October-December. If you've got Spanish have a look at the original reports as well as the translated version. And Dominicans were as much, if not more so, victims of that one...........very few foreigners involved there. That said, I'm sure ALL long term expats either know or know 'of' someone who has been a victim of either a ring, like that was, or a 'General' who takes a fancy to someone's farm, or even a lawyer who gets the punters to sign on the wrong line so that they are witnessing
his signature as proud owner............ Indeed it can happen. But it is NOT the bulk of foreign residents' experience. The vast majority and certainly those who do their homework, are smart and employ reputable lawyers and get title insurance, just do NOT have those sorts of problems. Those giving outward signals of 'sucker' can get taken as being just that.
If you have any doubts about your title and you have some Spanish, you can make an independent check yourself at any stage after you have had the initial searches done by good lawyers. After the Higuey episode kept getting newspaper coverage, we checked our own title up here in Puerto Plata - even though we had by then been living in the house we built some 6 years. It
hadn't mysteriously changed hands. It also signalled to the Land Registry that we would be doing this every few years, just in case the 'Mafia' had reached up here. It sends the message that you're on top of things. Damage control.