Here is my original post from the new members forum. I wasn't able to read everyone's comments as they were deleted:
Hello everyone! I'm a Canadian gal in a relationship with a Dominican man. I am seriously considering buying some property in LA Romana within the next several months. Our plan would be to live in DR for 6 months and Canada for 6 months. He is in the process of opening a clothing boutique in Villa Hermosa which would support us while in the DR. I would resume my work as a nurse for the 6 months we are in Canada. The biggest risk for me is obviously financial; I would have to purchase the boutique and the home and of course give up my full time job to go casual. This is NOT an easy decision for me. As it stands now, I'm planning to visit DR in April, and am in the process of looking for agents/realtors for the urbanization Don Juan II gated community in Villa Hermosa to scope out prices, amenities and the legal process. My boyfriend is already selling merchandise without a storefront and my expectation of him is that he shows me he can manage money, keep track of expenses/profits and do his own research on store fronts to present to me. Anyways, im grateful this site exists and if anyone has some advice I'd be happy to hear from you.