Thinking of Investing in Property in Costambar

[Buzzard]

I'm not ffritz, but....

Excellent ffritz. Kind of you to do some work on Reidy's behalf. Sorry to repeat my question but I would like to know if, in your view, new APC is better than the old one - you can answer privately if you don't want to go public .

I've owned property in Costambar for 20 years, and have seen the transformation of the APC from a group of concerned home-owners into the official management organization that it is now. While there are often disagreements between the home-owners as to the direction and methods proposed, the last 12 years (or so) have seen a series of boards that have each contributed to the betterment of Costambar.
Furthermore, to suggest that a new board is 'better' or 'worse' that a previous one, after having been elected less than two months ago, is IMO premature. Judge after two years, not two months.
Buzzard
P.S. The board members are unpaid volunteers, who put in extremely long hours, and receive, for their trouble, the usual condemnations & criticisms that befall such people.
As the old expression goes: 'No good deed shall go unpunished!'
P.P.S A disclaimer:I am not, never have and never will be a member of the APC board, nor am I related to any present or past members.

 

[ffritz]

Buzzard's right after 2 months you can't judge definitively but here is my experience of the APC board .....

Their first act was to print & distribute a rule book which outlined the obligations of the property owners in Costambar. Nothing wrong with that, but there was no mention anywhere of APCs' obligations - it was all "you must do this, you cannot do that". That got a lot of peoples' dander up.
They then threatened to put a lien on the property of anyone who doesn't pay their fees. We're all waiting with bated breath on that!

Now my pet hobbyhorse ....

In the rules it says all vehicles must be in working order - lights exhausts (mufflers) etc. Now anyone who lives here knows what a racket some motos make so I suggested that the guards at the gate not let in any over-loud motos, this would surely have a direct & immediate effect on the quality of life in Costambar.I was told the guards would need "training" to do this & in the next sentence was told they want to buy a radar speed gun. APC have no money we're told. And when they buy the gun they will need to buy a new Pursuit Motorcycle ...... I'll let you draw your own conclusions

 

[ffritz]

Somebody asked about bars/shops etc ..... here's a map of Costambar

Google Maps

 

[Lambada]

Thanks to both buzzard & ffritz for their views - I don't want to start a confrontation between those who pay their APC dues & those who don't, but I think those posts are most helpful in giving a flavour of what is/has been going down in Costambar so aspiring owners can now make up their own minds.

Glad you saw this thread buzzard, you & POP Bad Boy have got to be the longest living Costambar residents who post here, I would think, so very helpful for potential residents to learn from your experience. Thanks again to both you & ffritz.

 

[Reidy620]

Moving to Costambar

Hiya people,

Have been sitting back & enjoying the posts (after being a wimp earlier!)

So (deep breath) - You haven't managed to put us off looking & possibly purchasing.

Thanks to all that have contributed, your comments have been absorbed & digested. - Has anybody any views about security - prices at the local shops - changing money - keeping your place safe whilst it is not being rented - all the usual newbie questions?

Over to you folks
Cheers
Ian & Ellie
Blackburn
UK

 

[ffritz]

It's cheaper than England!

Jennys Supermarket changes money at Rusa rates minus 5 centavos - saves a trip into town.

Most condo buildings have private watchmen who, if you're lucky, are awake more than they sleep at night ....

We've put railings all around our place - better safe than sorry.

 

[Reidy620]

It's cheaper than England!

Ffritz,

Of late : everything is cheaper than the UK

 

[kjt96]

reidy620
My husband and I visited friends in Costambar about 3-4 years ago and fell in love!! We were lucky enough to find a house on the ocean with a fabulous view for a song and proceeded to fix it up from there. #1, though, we could not have done it without knowing good people who could get is in touch with an honest contractor, lawyer, etc there already.
Costambar is definitely NOT a "touristy" area as is Playa Dorada and Cofresi, so that could factor into your decision. That is what WE like but may not be what you like. The village has EVERYTHING you need and some fantastic food at the local restaurants!! Yes, the road definitely has been a problem, but is being tarmacked (sp?) as we speak ! Personally, if it keeps the village as quaint as it is, I wouldn't care about the road ! I wouldn't want to see it turn into a tourist town with all the noise and bright lights.
The APC has had changes in their officers within the last 3-5 months. I won't go into detail further, but the new Pres is a very wonderful, intelligent, rational person and I expect we will see a lot of good results from her !
We just started trying to rent our home and have had pretty good luck with it (with some bad luck smattered in....but I think that will happen).
If you like lots of people, bright lights, loud music, night life, then Costambar may not be for you. But if you like quiet, knowing people when you walk down the streets (and yes, as a female I DO walk ALONE in Costambar quite comfortably), good food, and a small town-authentic DR feel, then this IS the place. It truly is our HOME away from home.
If you would like to PM me for more details, I would be happy to talk to you more.
Kathie

 

[ffritz]

Just a quick point of order Kathie - the president of APC is a man - dominican I believe.

The lady who you speak of, if it's the same one I'm thinking of, is indeed very bright & has a good reputation in the town. Quite what she's doing associating herself with APC is beyond me, she must have time on her hands lol

 

[yogibear]

its nice to see some positive post on costambar

 

[Reidy620]

Was thinking the same thing Yogi!!

 

[yogibear]

hi reidy have a look at this site www.costambermonthly.com you may find it interesting if you are thinking of buying in costambar like me

 

[sueeng3]

Hi Ian and Ellie
Costambar or Blackburn no contest,we moved here in August of last year and just love it,we also moved from the north of England very near to you Burnley,so hope your not a football fan lol.I can only think that there are 2 Costambars on the north coast of the DR the one i live in is fantastic,the beach is good and i swim in the sea here,we also have a fantastic social life here. As for renting we have a studio app with our house and we have no trouble renting it out,we could rent it 10 times over.if you want to visit when over on your holidays please feel free to contact me,we will gladly show you round then you can judge it for yourself

 

[sueeng3]

Hi Ian and Ellie
hope i have sent you a message private but not sure,not good with new things lol if not let me know and i will try try again
Sue

 

[Adam Spenser]

Reidy 620
My friend who lives in the US like I do owns property in Costambar, but does not use DR 1. Give me your e mail address or phone # and if she is interested in selling I will put her in touch with you. When I lived in the DR I heard that Costambar was on the uptick.

Adam

 

[samana66]

Don't

How much clearer can I be?
There is only one real estate agent here who has an office and we went through her.
I would NEVER reccomend her to anyone.
Any one who has had dealings with her will tell you the same

 

[Reidy620]

Don't?

Not quite sure what you mean by don't ~ Don't invest in a property in Costambar or don't deal with the real estate agent? We are in contact, at the moment, with Century 21 and they seem to be quite professional (unless somebody knows different aranoid.

How much clearer can I be?
There is only one real estate agent here who has an office and we went through her.
I would NEVER reccomend her to anyone.
Any one who has had dealings with her will tell you the same

 

[samana66]

century 21

They are good with a good reputation unlike the only real estate agent in Costambar.
There is also Claudia Docker who is a lovely woman and genuine.
Dont take my word about the Estate agent in Costambar, just come here and ask as many people you can.
Please invest here in Costambar but becareful who you buy from.

 

[Reidy620]

Hiya all,

Thanks to all that contributed to the thread. We have just returned from three weeks in the DR & have ended up purchasing in Sosua. Once again thanks

Ian & Ellie
UK

 

[peaceseeker]

Hi all! I have just finished reading a lot of comments about living in Costambar, and I'm left a little less optimistic than I was from checking out all of the nice looking, decent priced real estate listings I've found.

Right now my family and I live in Juan Dolio. We own here and love it, but have to move closer to Santiago for my husband's work. I DON'T want to move to Santiago if I can help it. I love the beach and can't imagine not living near one now.

Does anybody have intimate experience with both Costambar and Juan Dolio (and can make an honest comparison)? We have prostitution, occasional petty thievery and a lot of tourists down here, and I am hoping for less of that. We have seen this place improve and grow tremendously in the past 3 years that we've been here and even though there are draw backs, we are very comfortable and happy. I'd love to hear from someone with kids who lives in Costambar to see what life's really like, i.e. schools, safety, privacy, etc.

I literally have not left my own little section of the beach in 3 years, because I hate being hassled by construction workers, peddlers, drunks and that type and I would love to live someplace where you can pass somebody by and smile or say a simple hello without them taking it as some kind of "invitation".

I've lived here in DR for nearly 6 years now, 3 of which were in a small Dominican city with very few Gringos and had a few really bad experiences including being the victim of a home invasion crime that left me a bit traumatized. I feel quite safe here in Juan Dolio, though I always keep my guard up.

I noticed that even though Costambar is touted as a "gated community", all of the properties have horrible bars all over the windows and doors. I read that as a bad sign. Is crime bad up there? Or is it just a case of 'better safe than sorry'?

Also, some say that the drive time from Costambar to Santiago is one hour, others say 30-40 minutes. Any input? My husband would be driving this twice daily, so I have to take this into account.

I hope I haven't written too much. Any input from people who live full-time in Costambar will be welcome.

Thanks!