New members of the Dominican Republic forum, introduce yourself here — 2nd quarter of 2015

Your link is to first quarter, and says topic closed.  Please help!

Heading I am looking at says second quarter???

Bob K

Hello, I'm an Italian man 52 years old planning a 3 weeks journey to DR. I would be interested in finding out a bit about the local fruit plants business there. I used to be a qualified nursery worker but I have no experience on tropical fruit plants and flowers production. All I have been able to find out so far, is that there are some nurseries in the neighbourhood of Baní and in the Constanza region. Any preliminary info would be appreciated like links, addresses, info about particular districts, anything that caught your eye in the young plants or flower production business.
Thank you in advance.

Welcome to the forums!    First you should go scan and read the forums as there is some info on plants etc.  THEN create a thread specific to your needs.  This thread is to welcome new members, no worries,  we are here to help walk you through this.

Pammy - looks like they moved your post to 2nd quarter.... welcome as well!

Natale welcome.  Yes do start your own thread on this subject.

The Constanza area is the major veggie and fruit growing region here.

Bob K

Ok folks, I hadn't considered using the search tool nor starting a new thread either; not that much of a blogger I'm afraid LOL. Thank you for showing me the ropes!

My name is Pam, my SO and I are planning to retire in the DR, probably this August, starting with a temporary 3-6 month stay, looking at north coast at this point, say around Samana, Las Terrenas, Sosua, and Cabarete areas. I am a former Spanish teacher, but originally learned Spanish fron Colombians.  Jim was born in San Juan, PR, and is comfortablecomfortable with Spanish and expanding on his langzuage skills.  He is an airline employee, and so we fly free , which makes rhis idea even more attractive.  We both love and are familiar with latin cultures overalloverall

Thanks for the info Pam,  welcome!!!!

Pammy welcome.  Lots of good information here so do read the multiple threads.  Feel free to ask questions as you get them.  The north coast is a great region to retire to. WE did so almos 10 years ago.

Bob K

thank you Bob!  I've been reading a lot of the other threads on here.  there is a lot of really good information.  I'm trying to find a thread about purchasing a home in that area.  I've heard people say that dealing with a foreigner is different than dealing with a native Dominican, and that there's often a tremendous price disparity.  Jim has two separate pensions, and we will both be getting Social Security benefits, and with out any real credit established, we are considering purchasing in cash.  any thoughts on that?

Cash is the only way to go.  Interest rates -if you can get financing- are really high.

Make sure to rent in the area for several months first!!!

Until recently almost all real estate was purchased with cash and if you can do it that way it is the best.  When we first got here we sold real estate for a major agency here for 6 years so do have some knowledge of the area and the real estate market as well as the ins and outs.  So feel free to ask.  We built a villa between Cabarete and Sosua and monitored building for many clients so have some experience in building as well.

Yes you do need to be careful on who you deal with and you should rent for 6 months (mas o menos) before you purchase anything.

Bob K

thankyou planner!  I had read about the interest rates and they are ridiculously high.  something like 15 to 16 percent?   

after reading your saga about moving to I think it was the Santo Domingo area?   I'm really even more interested in using solar energy if possible, and we have been researching using solar energy.  hopefully we will be able to find a company there that is dependable and not too terribly expensive.  jim has a little bit of background in electronics

thanks Bob!  we are also considering building a new villa as well, preferably one that is electric sustainable  i.e., solar powered with storage batteries.  perhaps hurricane proof as well haha!  it's good to know someone like yourself and your wife have been in the real estate business in that area!

You can get reasonably reliable and good quality solar set ups here in our area.  We are only solar for hot water and probably will add the pool next year as well.  Some folks are totally off the grid with solar but depending on the size of your house and how much you use (TVs, Air conditioning, extra frig or freezer, electronics) it may require a large number of panels as well as numerous batteries, but it can be done.  Just getting your pool and hot water off the grid will save you HUGE.  Many then will just use and inverter for when the power is out.

Bob K

Very cool, Bob K

Thanks for your input!  Not certain how we'll do without AC.... We probably won't need it too much, but still, it'd be good to have just in case, since we're northerners used to winters.... a freezer?  Now, that's a thought!  I hear the food there is pretty much organic and un-messed-with.  Which was a big selling point for us.  It'd be nice to stock up on some good quality beef or chicken or pork.  We've done that here.

We do the same and use the freezer when chicken goes on sale as the house staff eats it all week

Bob K

Forget the beef unless its imported.

And hurricane proof - not needed on the north coast!

Pammy, the DR is the worlds biggest exporter of organic produce.  The pork & chicken are the best.   They don't feed-lot the beef so very little fat.  It is usually tough & not much flavor.  The ground beef is good however.   Buy your fruit, &produce off of the vendor trucks & from the local camados, same with your meats.  The best bacon that I've ever had was from Productos in Sosua.  Tell them how much you want & how thick you desire.  They cut it to order for you.  A smile & patience is all it takes.   Do your best to meet as many locals & ex-pats as you can.  It will grease the skids for you in the long run.  Take your time & see & learn, never rush to make the big decisions.   Don't pay any attention to the holier than thou folks or the nay-sayers.   It's your life, live it the way you want to.     By the way, welcome!

Gypsy great post and great information

Bob K

Hi!  My name is Kara and I live in Tennessee (USA).  I am a teacher here and also love business, as that is what my undergrad degree is.  I have decided to move to Dominican Republic and hopefully teach or work for a business.  I appreciate this forum and hope to make some new contacts and friends.  Thanks.

Kara  - welcome to the forums!  Lots of great info, read read read and then choose the right thread and start asking questions!   

Gypsy - great post honey.

Kara welcome.  We actually had a condo in Maryville TN until we sold it recently.  We made the move to the DR (north coast) over 9 years ago. Where in TN are you?

Have you been here before?

There is lots of good information on this forum and you need to read the various posts.  Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Bob K

Thank you for the new info, Gypsy!  And for the welcome, too.  I'll keep that in mind.   

Thanks, Planner!  I'll keep that  in mind about the beef.  Although I do hunt down the grass fed varieties here in the states right now.  I know the amount of fat may be lacking, but it beats the hell out of the beef fed from GMO corn and soy feedlots  in the CAFOs stateside here, no matter how good it tastes!   

And I have read that the hurricanes come through the south part of the island, so not too much to worry about, I guess, on PP.

Bob K wrote:

Until recently almost all real estate was purchased with cash and if you can do it that way it is the best.  When we first got here we sold real estate for a major agency here for 6 years so do have some knowledge of the area and the real estate market as well as the ins and outs.  So feel free to ask.  We built a villa between Cabarete and Sosua and monitored building for many clients so have some experience in building as well.

Yes you do need to be careful on who you deal with and you should rent for 6 months (mas o menos) before you purchase anything.

Bob K

Just  wondering in a ball park kind of way, Bob....... If we were to build say a 3 br, 2 ba villa on a decent size lot..... it'd be nice to have a small garden and some fruit trees.....  in the area of Cabarete/Sosua (which is where we've been setting our preliminary sights anyway) what price range  do you think we may be looking at?

Price will vary depending on location, and finishes.  A good current figure to look at for a quality build will be about $100 a square foot. Plus remember this may not include price of pool or gardens.

Cement and rebar have gone up a lot in the last few years.

Bob K

Oh and the one thing locally that I cannot eat is the beef. We do buy imported beef when we eat it.  Not including hamburger which I doctor up enough that the local chopped meat works.


Bob K

Pammy,  a thing to contemplate is the size of the interior foot print.   Bedrooms are for sleeping, bathrooms are for using, so those rooms can be quite small.  Depending on how much you enjoy cooking, that will predicate its size.  Don't scrimp on it if you plan to cook a lot. Because of the climate, outdoor living is the cheapest space to have.  A simple roof and decking , ie. tile laid in sand or a poured slab is fine. screen it in if need be.  A summer kiychen is great to have.  Stov, fridge, a sink & a B-BQ will give you a cooler place to cook & is more condusive for casual fun.   An outdoor shower is grat too.  open to the sky & no tracking sand and grundge inside.   Consider a small (1500 to 2000 gallon) cistern for garden use, Use too for drought times also.   Further east there is a fine custom builder who will built to suit your design.  price includes interior trim, cabinets, countere etc. It comes with water & power to the property plus the deselinda.  Price per square foot $75 to $85.  Of course fancy upgrades up the cost.  this price contingent upon purchasing the land from him.  I am not shilling for him, just another option to the $100 a foot cost.  I said it often,  "life ain't a dress rehearsal".   Life is like driving too fast, sooner or later an accident.  Slow down & enjoy the view.

What a small world.  I live in Nashville, TN, but I actually opened one of the car rental companies in the Knoxville airport a few years back.  I am very familiar with Maryville.  What area of the DR did you move to?  Any advice for me?  So many questions. Hahaha..

Bob (I meant to address you on my earlier post.. I'm new.. Haha)  What a small world.  I live in Nashville, TN, but I actually opened one of the car rental companies in the Knoxville airport a few years back.  I am very familiar with Maryville.  What area of the DR did you move to?  Any advice for me?  So many questions. Hahaha..

Karabrooke we moved to the  north coast area between Sosua and Cabarete over 9 years ago full time.

I would tell you to read the multiple threads here as there is tons of good information.  Second you need to come for an extended visit (not at an all inclusive resort) renting a villa or condo and see what living here is all about.  The DR is not for everyone.

If you have specific questions please feel free to ask.

Our condo in Maryville was very close to the hospital.  We finally sold it 18 months ago..

Bob K

Or in the interest of saving $$, rent an apartment instead of a villa or condo.  apts. are usually less expensive.  Use the money you've saved for what you decide upon.   be wise, minimize.   Remember: pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.   Take plenty of time & explore all your options & smile.  Your are signing up for an exciting ride through life.   Unbeknownest  to many, you don't have to be rich to be happy.  Sit back & watch the garden of life grow.  The ground here is very fertile if you let it.   There are some good schools around too.    There is no such thing as a mistake,  only if you repeat it!!

Actually here many use the term condo and apt interchangeably.  In the cities there may be a big difference but here on the north coast they are basically the same.

Bob K

Thank you, Bob, for the info!  Not too bad.  Of course first step is to come down and spend a few months, right?  hey I was looking at some places around Perla Marina  - gated type communities to stay in while we're here.  I did write to Hispaniola Residencia to see what long  term rents were running.  Any thoughts on good places?  and maybe a place to rent a vehicle so we can get around --- gotta check things out!  And, of course we'll be getting there probably in the middle of hurricane season, too.  But I think perhaps that's not a bad choice, because we'll get to see how storms act there, too.  Hey, you gotta take the good with the not-so-good, right?


You know, it doesn't necessarily HAVE to be a gated place.  But since we're new in the area, I'm thinking maybe it'd just be better until we get our DR "sea-legs" so to speak!

Thank you soooo much, Gypsy!  I DO love to cook, and know what?  Outdoor kitchen'd be the BOMB!  That, and a glass or two of wine, and we'll be set!  LOL  Crank up the merengue and the salsa, and I'm ON....... hehe.  Jim would love it.  Thanks so much for the referral, too.  We're open!  the cistern is a very practical thought, too.  We're so grateful to have people like all of you to bug and read about and talk to on line!

Perla Marina has some true gated communities with in it and  some not so gated.   Hispaniola is gated and a walk to town.  Newer homes and some are very nice. We have many friends and clients who live there.  Another to look at is Casa Linda and we have a client who may do a longer term rental for you. PM me if interested. We also have two rental places we deal with for clients on rental cars.

As to hurricane season that is not a big deal here, especially on the north coast, as we have not had a major storm in over 40 years.  The area is pretty much "hurricane proof".  That is not to say that it can't happen but he odds are pretty slim.

Bob K

I am going to ask that we keep this as the WELCOME THREAD,  we need to  move "discussions" to other threads please.............

I know how easy it is to jump into conversation.............  I do this too..............    lets be aware of moving conversations to appropriate threads OR start a new thread..............  thanks everyone....

Gotcha on that, Planner!      I'll use a different thread, or start another.  Sorry!

No worries honey, you didn't know.............  we all do it.....