Introduce yourself HERE!

Well ,hi. My DR adventure has finished a week ago. Lost the job.Had to leave Santo Domingo. So i only made 2months İ am back in Mexico. Take good care of you all there.
By the way i still suffer the chikungunya effects:)
i send you all my best wishes.

So sorry to hear this! Good luck to you with everything!

Sorry to hear.  Lots of luck to you.

Bob K

Hello everyone I stumbled across you while doing some research on renting a condo this Dec 20th to Jan 3rd for my 21 year old son and I.  This will mark my tenth trip to the D.R. and for once outside the all inclusive resorts.  My last stay was at Casa Reef and although not pleased with the resort I was thrilled to go outside and explore.  Little things like going to a grocery store buying bacon and paying the chef to cook it for me.  Baileys became a daily routine for me just sipping a coffee and watching the variety of bikes, cars, scooters and people watch.  At night I would head over to my fav pub Jolly Rogers, they let stray dogs in and being an animal lover I felt at home.

I live and work in Toronto I also have a small cleaning company.  My goal is to retire in 8 years in the D.R. but I did not realise the almost insurmountable research that I would have to do.  I am very happy to have found you folks it's almost like one stop shopping instead of searching multiple sites constantly for tidbits of information.

I am looking to spend 100k on a cheap condo but I have no clue as to living expenses?  Food, water, electricity etc etc etc.  Can anyone give me a ballpark figure on which to live a modest life?

I look forward to getting to know you and I thank you in advance for any help. 

Scott.

Welcome to the forums!!!! You are doing this right, taking your time, doing the research!  There is huge amounts of info in the various forum threads! Depending where you settle costs will change.

Check out the other threads, ask questions and dont hesitate to start your own thread when needed!

This kind of depends on what you call a modest life. A $100,000 condo is not any sort of modest dwelling for most Dominicans. If you take public transportation (guaguas and motoconchos) and live on typical Dominican food, which involves a lot of rice and many beans and gandules (pigeon peas) you could get along quite well on RD$20,000 a month, or US$465.

If you want to drive a car and have air conditioning, then, perhaps you might need a bit more.

A 100,000 condo is reasonable by EXPAT standards.  Most expats do not come here to live like a Dominican of very modest means.

I am thinking a scooter not a car I hear you can get insurance although many do not.  I wanna be able to zip around live close to say sosua and relax.  The 100k for a condo is to ensure my own security, I want to live comfortly (from a Canadian perspective) in a place that at the very least has a guard.  I love the Country and I love the people but just like here in Canada crime does exist and given my new label as gringo till I find my way I would feel that much more secure.  I believe you need to prove you have $20k a year in income, I am hoping that amount will tide me over.  The odd meal out the odd drink out and maybe hit the casino once a month.  It is very simple to me, buckle down buy the condo and top up my rrsp's.  If I retire @ 57 I have ten years before my official retirement government pension kicks in although I will  be prorated for every year I am out of the country.  That alone will give me roughly 1000 a month, if I live off of savings and do not touch my rrsp's for ten years then I should be in good shape come age 67.  The cost of living alone being in the beautiful D.R. gives me much more flexibility financially then I would ever have in Canada.  My retirement will include a metal detector for the beaches and other areas.....after all everyone needs a hobby

Thank you for the warm welcome it seems I have a lot of reading to do.....

Scott.

It sure sounds like you have a plan!!! Good for you.

Financially yes logistically no, but that will come together I am so looking forward to Xmas and New years (2nd time) in the D.R. on a side note I am also extremely pleased the Jolly Roger is being rebuilt I will be able to visit them once again I am plodding along plotting a course and I have the time to do it in I am not making any rash decisions.

Planner thanks for your kind words if you are around between Dec 20th and Jan 3rd it would be a pleasure for my son and I to take you out to dinner.  I may invite Bob too once he says Hi that is 


Scott.

Hopeful welcome and please feel free to ask away.
$100,000 will get you a basic one bedroom condo in a secure building near all that is going on.  As to your monthly expenses your budget sounds reasonable if you don't party too much and remember that is in TODAY'S dollars.  The cost of living here is definitely on an upward slope.  We are probably spending 20% more today that we did 8 years ago for the same lifestyle.  So do keep inflation in mind.

Again welcome

Bob K

Yayyyyy to dinner. LOL. Please just for the record note we are joking. 

Speaking for most of the regulars,  we love to help, we love to share what we know!   We don't do it for a paycheck or for dinners or drinks, we do it because we love living here and hope to help others experience what we have!

now carry on......LOL

Ahem from where I was brought up respect is most often mutual.  I would appreciate you and Bob perhaps swallowing your pride to meet with us at my expense.  You help many yet reap no rewards a dinner out will not bankrupt me.  Since I will be in your area from Dec 20th to Jan 3rd you folks lemme know what works for you in a pm.  If it doesn't that's cool perhaps another time?  That said dinner is indeed on me get over it

Love your attitude and will definitely take you up on the offer!  Thank you!

Count me in as well.

Bob K

Sent you a PM with my contact info.

Bob K

Hello to forum.  Have posted just a bit here before.  I've been to the DR 4 times, but not for a while.  I have rented an apt (condo) in El Cortecito (Punta Cana) and will be there from Sep 7 thru Oct 3.  I have a somewhat odd request.  Does anyone know of an expat (probable US, Canada or Brit) who plays keyboards/synths well and likes older pop music?  If he/she knows what Korg M1 or Roland D50 means, we're way in the ballpark.  I have not visited the Punta Cana area before but am exploring viability of a couple of business ideas.

Thanks so much,  Karlos  (Have changed my DR spelling to "K")

P.S. to any keyboard players:  I recently picked 2 early 90's keyboards, a Korg O1/W Pro 76 key and a Roland JV 80. Both are in great shape.  New Wave anyone?  Note: this does not mean go for a swim. 

Official welcome to the forums Carl / Karl................  When it comes to music, you might want to start your own thread. I think it is likely you will get better response that way!

See you soon!

Welcome,
I know a keyboard player here on the north coast but none in the PC area...sorry

Bob K

Thanks Bob, appreciate it.

I'll get that thread started Darlene.

Oh and hey.  I called and talked to the Dominican Consulate in Los Angeles today.  Fly out red eye to JFK late Sat eve.  Big business & foreign investment, gov't ministries conference at the Santo Domingo Marriott Fri & Sat.  Wow, wish I'd thought of calling them a month ago.  Checked with Jet Blue & it woulda cost the round trip ticket over again to change.  Well, as my Huguenot predecessors might have said, "C'est la vie."   Boy the brochure for the conference sure makes it sound wonderful to start doing business in the DR.  Are you guys sure you're describing the same place?   It's okay, I wasn't born yesterday.  Been just a bit longer.  Gotta be if I'm looking for a keyboardist for Whitney Houston and Tears for Fears.

Best wishes all,

Karlos

There are few countries that do not hype how great they are for outside money. I am pretty sure that the DR has Moldova and Belarus beat.  Playing music could be a good career for a few talented people, though. At the present moment, I'd say the US is the best place in which to invest, if you know a bit about ETFs and mutual funds.

And a ticket to that even is US 500 big ones honey!  It is a lot of hype, my friend will be attending and i will post some feedback after.

Wow Darlene,

$500 to get pitched?  Definitely too high roller a game for me.  I'm just a working-class, little guy looking to be innovative.  Would like to hear about it though.  I'm way looking forward to meeting you on my exploratory "business"  trip.  I do wanna hear in person what your friend thought about the DR tourism ministry's current emphases and any streamlining in application processes on anything, including free zones.

Xavier,

Yes, I think you are "on target" all around.  DR might be ahead of Moldova (like to visit there sometime) and Belarus, but they're giving Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cuba, and Sint Maarten a run for their money as well.  Or should I say a run for other people's money.    2 million discrete visits last year through an int'l airport built by a private consortium "ain't hay".  (American slang lingo.)  And I've got a little with Vanguad Mutual funds who are trustworthy.  Don't know if I can trust Chase bank to have my share of the physical gold in their ETF vaults if the time comes though.  I'm hoping.

And yeah, for a few talented expats, or Dominicanos with both a good voice and good Ingles, who have the energy to reliably crank out an entertainment product that's unique, I believe it might be a good way to make some money.  Nobody getting rich, but an income stream.  And having some fun in the process.  We shall see.

Karlos de California.

Hi my name is david I was born in new york city to dominican immigrants I have a wife and three cHildren ages 3, 1, and 3 weeks we  planning to move to the la vega area we are not  im 37 years old I,m a roofer by trade but in dr I understand I might have to expand or make a carrier  we arent rich and we dont have  nest. But we are exited on leaving the us.

Welcome David!    Thanks for introducing yourself.  Do you have family in La vega?

Well im sure I do but I dont know any of them most of the family I know are from santiago ,licey al medio

Ok, so why la Vega???

[Moderated: Off topic]

Welcome David,

Have you been to the DR before? Are you fluent in Spanish.  Do some homework before you uproot.

Bob K

Hi, My name is Stephanie, Im Dominican and i have 25 years old. Im very Happy to be part of this blog!!

I speak fluent spanish I was born to dominican immigrants ive been back and forth threw out the years I know it will be difficult im just worried on how to support my family I know in dr im going  be making significantly less

Steph welcome and we look forward to your contributions.

Bob K

Ddelgrace   it is going to be very difficult for you to support yourself and family here.  You might want to rethink this adventure.

Bob K

Welcome Steph!!! Tell us a bit more about you - where do you live, which city?

Hi, My name is Bev and I will be moving to The Dominican Republic and living in Punta Cana by the end of 2014.We have never been to the DR before although I did spend a year in Trinidad as a teenager so the culture would not be that strange to me. We are relocating with my husbands job and I must say very excited about it. Housing will be provided in the interim along with Spanish lessons. I am reading up all that I can find on Punta Cana and the DR in general and would like to say that this site is an excellent forum for information. As we are coming from the Southern Hemisphere we know that our electrical goods will not work, could someone please let me know how easy it is to buy white ware, general household goods, furniture , bedding etc.Any tips would be so greatly appreciated.Best wishes.

Hi and welcome to the forums!!! Pretty much everything is available these days.  Best price and selection will be in Santo Domingo.  Punta Cana is just over 2 hours away.  When you are here let me know i can suggest where to shop for just about anything! I live and work in Santo Domingo.

Bev welcome,
Like Planner said your best shopping will be in Santo Domingo and yes you can get just about anything you need here.  The best thing you can bring is a good attitude because things here do not always go as planned. So a good attitude and the ability to adapt is very important.

There are lots of terrific folks here on the forum with lots of good information.  So please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Bob K

Hi, thank you that will be fabulous. We will be staying in Punta Cana and also Santo Domingo, very excited.

Hi Bob, thank you for your lovely words of welcome. We are New Zealanders and very much looking forward to meeting Expats and locals alike. Adaptability and a good attitude takes you far I agree.