We have been house-hunting for a while now, using all methods possible.
We tried the local agencies, the locals, the endless driving around, etc...
I have assembled a couple of usefull tips:
- whoever you are talking to, tell him the exact opposite of what you are looking for. If you tell him you are looking for a 3 bedroom house, with a large garden and a pool, completely fenced, and not in a gated community, you will be shown either a 10 bedroom mansion or a 1 bedroom shack, with no garden, pool or fence, and it will be in a gated community. They just do not listen to you.
- do not tell them your real budget. Strangely enough all houses shown will be just above your budget.
- almost all real estate agents are so poor they do not own a car, and insist on you driving them around. Whilst you are doing this, they happen to pass several other properties where they just need 5 minutes to measure something, or to talk to someone. In other words they are using your gasoline and time to their own work.
- a real estate agent gets tired very easily, as after showing you 3 worthless properties, and you not biting, they give up. I assume they need to lay down.
- in all the areas around Cabarete and Sabaneta they have very good electricity, and almost no outages!!! Edenorte has improved!!! I am just joking of course, but that is what they tell you, even if you are in an area where you know this is not the case.
- the owner of a house is always prepared to repair everything, after you pay the deposit.
- the presence of a switch for a water-heater does not mean there is actually one.
- if you want to buy or rent from a Dominican owner, let a Dominican friend ask for the price.
- owners who rented to Russians are convinced that the renters will leave on the agreed date. The Russian renters are convinced they will not leave.
Ok, I vented my frustration. Back to the hunt.
We tried the local agencies, the locals, the endless driving around, etc...
I have assembled a couple of usefull tips:
- whoever you are talking to, tell him the exact opposite of what you are looking for. If you tell him you are looking for a 3 bedroom house, with a large garden and a pool, completely fenced, and not in a gated community, you will be shown either a 10 bedroom mansion or a 1 bedroom shack, with no garden, pool or fence, and it will be in a gated community. They just do not listen to you.
- do not tell them your real budget. Strangely enough all houses shown will be just above your budget.
- almost all real estate agents are so poor they do not own a car, and insist on you driving them around. Whilst you are doing this, they happen to pass several other properties where they just need 5 minutes to measure something, or to talk to someone. In other words they are using your gasoline and time to their own work.
- a real estate agent gets tired very easily, as after showing you 3 worthless properties, and you not biting, they give up. I assume they need to lay down.
- in all the areas around Cabarete and Sabaneta they have very good electricity, and almost no outages!!! Edenorte has improved!!! I am just joking of course, but that is what they tell you, even if you are in an area where you know this is not the case.
- the owner of a house is always prepared to repair everything, after you pay the deposit.
- the presence of a switch for a water-heater does not mean there is actually one.
- if you want to buy or rent from a Dominican owner, let a Dominican friend ask for the price.
- owners who rented to Russians are convinced that the renters will leave on the agreed date. The Russian renters are convinced they will not leave.
Ok, I vented my frustration. Back to the hunt.