Lately I have noticed many people want to move to DR. I am just curius as to why?

[lilsam]

The one thing that shocks me most is the price of food.

After six months I am finally realizing that 60 pesos for a half a pound of cheese is $2 US. That pretty much the going US price.

I dont see how Dominicans make it on $4,000 pesos a month. And I dont think I ever will.
TEHAMA

Its easy to understand they come and eat your food (Hahahahah)
On a serious note they survive by networking ie go to friends houses when one has food they share lil rice lil beans lil meat etc. Also they dont eat in the portions you are usted to lil Sam

 

[Criss Colon]

And, Dominican Cheese "$UCK$"!!!!

That Sosua stuff tastes like "plastic"! "Cheese" is no longer on our menu!The "Good Stuff",anything from the US,is about 7 or 8 dollars a pound!

 

[Dolores1]

http://dr1.com/living/why.shtml

 

[Bob K]

lifestyle

I think the move to the DR has to do with life style. After many years of long hours and a multitude of "fires" to put out, we are ready for a change. True we are nearing retirement age anyway, but we can afford to do it earlier in the DR. We have spent many years looking all over the islands for a place to "run a way" to, and the DR has captured our hearts. Hopefully our heads as well. So rather than staying on the treadmill for another 5 -8 years we are going to cash out and start our adventure. Those that we have met both in person and on the DR1 board certainly have helped us make the decision to go ahead. We have purchased land and will start building our new home this summer if all goes well. It is a new chapter and new adventure in our lives.
And as an aside, we have recently build a lux. home here in the US and our costs in the DR will be about 1/2 of that.

Bob K

 

[Panacealater]

Cheesy reasons

Speaking strictly from ignorance, are there no "cottage" cheese operations?

 

[Chirimoya]

If I understand correctly, what you mean by 'cottage' cheese operations describes the set up at my husband's finca. We're in Santo Domingo, and the farm is in San Pedro de Macoris province. We would be delighted to host you and MaineGirl if you travel this far south.

 

[mojo*mojo]

I wanted to reply both to Robert's and CT's posts. I am a single 26 year old gringa plotting her escape from Corporate America with one of girlfriends from college. We're still kicking around where to spend a little time, and the DR is definitely on the short list. I will likely remain with my company, but work online and therefore remotely on a part-time, cubicle-free basis.

My reasons are not unlike that of CT and his family. I live in Chicago, where it is dark and cold and I spend most of the year leaving the house in darkness and returning in darkness, after spending the daylight under fluorescent lights. I don't have a family, no one in my office does, because the "unrequired" but requisite 60 hour weeks would not permit that. Oh, and I work a second job, teaching part time at a local college. I don't want this life, no matter how much money or how fast I could climb the corporate ladder. I want children, and I want to raise them. I want to be surrounded by people who are generally satisifed, not having existential crises about their jobs.

With the lower overhead and an opportunity to make a decent (though reduced) wage working less hours, the warmer climate and warmer culture is almost the icing on the expat's cake.

I know that there are many obstacles and difficulties surrounding what my friend and I are about to do, but to me, life is about quality. One's definition of quality likely varies widely from another's. More than anything, I have the time and freedom and opportunity to make this move, so it's more a question of "why not" than "why" :glasses:

And yes, I never want to endure another Chicago winter. Or ANY winter for that matter. A lifetime spent so far in Rhode Island, Maine, Iowa, and Illinois has cured me of any romanticism toward snow, ice, or freezing temperatures for the rest of my life.

 

[TEHAMA]

http://dr1.com/living/why.shtml

Dolores- I find that last comment in your link to be most incorrect. These are the most "impatient" people on the planet. I can't count how many times they jump in front of you while waiting in line and obviously the writer has never driven in Santo Domingo.

Cris- I agree that "orange" traffic cone looking cheese is horrible. But the Gouda is palatable.

As far as cottage cheese, I have never seen a Dominican or even meet tourist claiming to be on a diet. Everything here is either deepfried or smothered.
TEHAMA

 

[Naufrago]

We're still kicking around where to spend a little time, and the DR is definitely on the short list.

Welcome to Dr1! The people of this country are it's greatest asset. Don't know exactly what kind of lifestyle your looking for, but Santo Domingo is an up and coming, hot, vibrant city, with challenges, opportunities, and new experiences awaiting you. Good Luck with the changes you're seeking. irate:

 

[Panacealater]

Not that cottage

Dolores- I find that last comment in your link to be most incorrect. These are the most "impatient" people on the planet. I can't count how many times they jump in front of you while waiting in line and obviously the writer has never driven in Santo Domingo.

Cris- I agree that "orange" traffic cone looking cheese is horrible. But the Gouda is palatable.

As far as cottage cheese, I have never seen a Dominican or even meet tourist claiming to be on a diet. Everything here is either deepfried or smothered.
TEHAMA

I was meaning 'cottage' in the sense of small to medium producers of private label products - a home based product. Here, one way goat herders pay for overhead is to market cheese instead of milk. Like all dairy operations here the supply of milk is not continuous and in times of excess, cheese is made.

 

[TEHAMA]

I was meaning 'cottage' in the sense of small to medium producers of private label products - a home based product. Here, one way goat herders pay for overhead is to market cheese instead of milk. Like all dairy operations here the supply of milk is not continuous and in times of excess, cheese is made.

Very interesting! I did not know that. Thanks for sharing your insight.
TEHAMA

 

[faer]

Advice

Hi CT,
I've been offered a job position in S.Domingo and I'm on the final steps of the negotiation for a 2 to 3 year contract. We are also a couple of professionals on the early thirties and we have 2 kids, one 3.5 yo another just 1 month. We are Chilean, have good jobs, nice house also, but all the same pressure and lack of time you experienced. We feel moving there can give us some extra time to spend with the kids and the wife, keep somehow our current lifestyle and save some money (like US$50000 within a 2 year period)
As you can see it looks pretty much the same, but I'd like you to share with me your insights of your move, which things you should have done some otherway. Please I'd like to have any idea on how much you need for having a good time being. We are thinking of renting an appartment or house on a medium to upper class area, buy a second hand medium size SUV, and enjoy the island...
Well I intended this to be short so all your comments are welcome.

regards

Francisco

sorry if something doesn't make sense or is misspelled, but I'm a spanish native speaker

my wife and son passed the year anniversary of being here in the DR in November (the 9th to be precise)

We have had a trauma or two !! but mostly of our own doing.

All in all its been fantastic.

We were a professional couple, both senior managers with large companies - both had the mandatory laptop, mobile phone, company car and expense accounts. Our jobs paid for a beautiful home in the Kent countryside in England that we loved and we pretty much had things that we wanted. But, we had a son who was just a year old that we hardly ever saw.

We were working - he was in a nursery. Our life revolver around work so much we spent 3 evenings and one afternoon together - and a Sunday each week. We hated it.

Now we are here, we spend the most of each day together - our son, who is nearly three now, counts to ten and says some words in Spanish and swims like a fish. My wife is with him every day and we have enjoyed seeing him grow and develop. That has been worth all the money in the world to us.

We hope it lasts - but if it doesn?t, this part of our 'journey' has been fantastic and fulfilling.

A beautiful country, fantastic people and a wonderful experience. Please god may it continue.


CT

 

[ColoradoGirl]

I am off today to the beautiful DR

I was just browsing...learning the archives as I am definitley a newbie! We are moving there because my husband and his uncles own a HUGE portion of land and we are doing some awesome growing. We are estimating that we will do VERY well in beautiful DR. We are leaving tonight for DR and will stay a week. We will be finalizing all the last minute details. I have to tell you though... we are thrilled. We are in our early 30's and have done very well here in the good ole USA but we do not want to have the rat race for another 35 years and want to settle with great people, weather and economic status. All of which we believe we will find in DR.

Just my 2 cents. Thanks for allowing me to explain my views and "why's" Talk to you all when we get back!

DR here we come! YES!!!!

 

[Carlito]

I live in Maryland now, and the People here are very strange !
I have always liked living in the DR better than here,

You don't make much money in the DR, but here in the US, you get killed by taxes and laid off often enough,
I used to earn more money in the DR all told than I do here, I should have stayed in Puerto Plata remodeling houses for American and Canadian clients,
it was a better job than any here and it was steady work.

 

[Criss Colon]

Then LEAVE Already!!!

Stop complaining.If you don't like the US what are you doing there!?

 

[Golo100]

Fair warning to new comers

I moved to DR in 1993 from the U.S. DR today is not the dreamlike paradise of the early 90's and before. Welcome to the real world. This land is no longer for the novice and simply adventurous anymore. This is a very complicated country and there are more people who want to leave than come here.

I for one would leave in a minute if I could master the experience I have here somewhere else. But I have to understand that leaving would be another adventure and most countries today have problems like we do.

Those who want to start a new life or business here need to know several basics:
1)If you want to survive do not under any circumstances take a Dominican as a partner, that is, unless you want to lose everything in a matter of weeks.
2)Beware of Dominican lawyers, even legit ones. Many lawyers don't even have license to practice and can't even speak or write their own language well. Almost any Dick and Tom can become a lawyer here, but few can practice true law. This is a mine field for starting a business.
3)Corruption will eat away your business. You have to be a magician to avoid being shafted by politicians, the police and government authorities. We have the equivalent of the mafia paybacks and graft in Little Italy.
4)Jealousy by locals can lead to disaster. What if a politician or army general thinks your business is doing too good and they want it for themselves? There is nothing you can do if they really want to take it away from you, except call the U.S. ambassador for help. If you buy land.....oh my god!!! Most land in DR lacks legitimate titles and even titles may end up with multiple owners. It even comes to the unreal situation that if a new government comes in, it can do away with any decision made by the previous one, just for the hell of it.
5)Dominican employees are just about the worst and are supported by labor laws that can turn you into a nervous wreck in months. Just think. Why do we have 2 million Haitian migrant and permanent workers in DR? Why don't Dominicans cut their own sugar cane, or work in construction, or prefer to be motoconchistas and informal street vendors? Everyone here wants to be a boss, but few want to pay their dues. On the other hand, most business are family business and there is no opportunity to grow.
6)Just remember that the cost of security personnel for both you business and home could take a large portion of your income. You must have armed guards to protect you, your home and business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have close to 1,000,000 professional thieves roaming our streets. Our car thieves are better than those in New York or Miami. Our thieves can rob an entire home in less than 30 minutes and can climb buildings as expertly as rock mountain climbers. Besides, they are becoming armed and dangerous and prefer to leave no witnesses.
TW

 

[rendul]

Wise words Golo! Haven't heard the costs of security come out before.

 

[Golo100]

Wanto to get an estimate?

The cost of a security guard from an organized firm would range from $30,000 pesos a month and up, that is US$1000 a month for a reliable outfit that would post the guards on time, in uniform and guarantee certain losses. If you hire your own "guardian" or "sereno", you have to pay the minimum wage of $3000 pesos a month and up, but chances are this person would just about be useless, if a real smart thieve wants to break into your home. In many cases, your employee could turn out to be an accomplice of the thieves, or at best be caught sleeping by the thieves and move in your home without resistance. Equally useless are the armed guards, but they offere better prevention. Generally speaking, you must provide sanitary facilities, food and even transportation to those you hire because their salary would just be enough to pay for their transportation to the job. You may have to hire a maid to offer some presence and help you with chores and if both you and your wife work you must have security no matter what.

The police is useless in break in and most likely, they will help get the thieve into your home, if not become the thieves themselves. More than 50% of policemen are former criminals.

TW

 

[Camden Tom]

Golo should win the award.....

......you know the one I'm talking about, "The glass is half empty and the sky is falling" award. Based on your posts, I would never want to visit, let alone live, in that horrible place called the Dominican Republic. I would be wrong. My wife and I have been visiting the DR many times a year for several years. We have been involved in many real estate transactions, we own a home with mostly Dominican neighbors, the criminal station, oops, I mean the police station is just up the street. I don't even recognize the place that Golo discribes. We've had no crime issues, except some minor bribes during construction. We haven't been ripped off by any lawyers. We've never met anybody that actually knows anybody that has had their land or business confiscated by the military.

Tell me of a place in the world that does not have challenges to over come. Maybe I'll start going there instead of the DR.

Personally, I love the DR, warts and all.

 

[NALs]

......you know the one I'm talking about, "The glass is half empty and the sky is falling" award. Based on your posts, I would never want to visit, let alone live, in that horrible place called the Dominican Republic. I would be wrong. My wife and I have been visiting the DR many times a year for several years. We have been involved in many real estate transactions, we own a home with mostly Dominican neighbors, the criminal station, oops, I mean the police station is just up the street. I don't even recognize the place that Golo discribes. We've had no crime issues, except some minor bribes during construction. We haven't been ripped off by any lawyers. We've never met anybody that actually knows anybody that has had their land or business confiscated by the military.

Tell me of a place in the world that does not have challenges to over come. Maybe I'll start going there instead of the DR.

Personally, I love the DR, warts and all.

It's actually good that Golo is being a bit pessimistic here.

I would normally come in with an optimistic view towards what Golo said in an attempt of balancing the scales, but I won't do that right now. It's been a very stressful day for me today.

However, blend what Golo just posted with the most positive things you know of the DR. Blend the two images very well and you get a full rounded pictures of the DR.

In short, this country is not La la land or hell on earth. It's a normal country, with normal issues, and its has nice qualities and bad qualities.

It's a typical country in this world.