Hi guys

As soon as the "experts" see this , you will get a great relies. FIrst, Let me say welcome to the Forum. There are many treads to check out about all sorts of questions and issues as you will hear. Second, there is no such thing as a stupid question - no matter what anyone says... so ask away but look through the Forum threads....and be prepared to to do some research on the DR while thinking about where you want to live, what your budget is etc etc etc.....good luck!  and Merry Christmas

My prediction: that even after one year in the dr, you will consider Serbia more "NORMAL".

about 1 million out of 6 left Serbia in the last 5 years
I seriously doubt your claim, but please explain 

Welcome!

You will find that as long as you have a good internet provider with adequate upload/download speeds the DR is a great place to work remote. My wife and I have been doing it no going into our second year. Spent time in Punta Cana, then Juan Dolio on the south coast, now in Sosua (north coast) since February.

Welcome to the forums!!!  We are quite normal in many ways and different in others. If your Internet generated income is enough you can live here quite comfortably honey.

Start reading and asking questions!!! And none are stupid!

Thank you all for the encouragement, s let's start with questions 


1. What are the prices of cheap accommodation. I have no requirements for luxury, let's say I am satisfied with a clean place with running water and electricity and stable internet service  Some coastal town would be preferred. Googling got me nowhere and I heard and read a lot of stories about cheap housing, but I couldn't find anything on the net


2. What are the prices of stable internet connection-  minimum 20/20 and how stable is power supply Are there many blackouts ?


3. How trustworthy are the locals, What are the prices of hiring an assistant for doing basic housework.


4. Are there any local jobs available in case my freelancing goes wrong- I graduated university-master, speak a couple of languages, have experience in management, HR and public relations

5. How important is Spanish, be cause I do not speak it . Can you get around in DR with English only


Thanks in advance







T

1. Cheap housing depends where!  It can be anywhere from US 100 a month and up.  BUT when combined with 2 changes things.

2. If you need stable Internet and 24/7 electricity then that doesn't work well with number 1.  Cheap housing is almost always in the worst areas. You will need to find the balance of price and electricity.  Electricity is by zones or circuits. An A circuit has no scheduled outages but the electricity will go down on occasion. Internet of 20/20 is not easy to find.  And it's expensive.  Fiber optic will be the way to go and again that further limits where you can live.  Claro and Altice offer it but not everywhere.

3. Here for everyone not just locals, trust is earned it's not given freely or easily. An assistant to clean etc is relatively inexpensive. Price depends where you will live. Half time less than us 200 a month.

4.  For local jobs you will need residencia and a cedula to work legally. Under the table jobs are almost impossible to find.

5. You can get around in touristy places easily with no spanish. The best thing you can do is start learning!

It takes time to meet folks that can help you to network.  I've lived here a long time & have always with patience, found decent affordable places to live. I have a 1 bdm apt in a quiet conveniant (SP) location.  Rent, power, cable & wi-fi add up to $300 usd per month. It is possible to find reasonable places.  Best to walk the streets talking & asking people.   Not easy, but can be done. Good luck, you have a few hurdles to conquer first.

what hurdles, what am I missing

The first hurdle is your definitions.  Luxury for some.is regular electricity and good Internet and water supply!!! That doesn't come cheap.

You can have cheap or you can have good services.

Its easier to find cheaper rents if you have someone trustworthy that can translate on your behalf.

It´s very challenging to find low rents in tourist areas. Often there may be issues with the apartment. I´ve seen apartments for US$500 that look good though.

Milos.  Welcome to the forum.

Not only is the Dominican Republic expat friendly, there are many opportunities for internet gurus and people who speak several languages.

I for one, would be very interested to discuss your services for my new company I am getting ready to start in the Dominican Republic.

You will choose well, by moving to the Dominican Republic.

Welcome from one expat to another.

Big Bob from America

I know someone who had/has identical housing (low cost/elec/internet) and business requirements as you so and who is now VERY well networked and in a position to help you in the North Shore Cabrera area if interested PM me.

Thank you,

Jay

P. S.  Your experience and especially the languages you speak, including Chinese are of special interest to me.