buying vs building

It is very difficult to find the selling price.  I believe there is a registry somewhere but I have never found it.  Even when we sold real estate years ago.

As to building usually you will get more for your $$ and you get exactly what you want.  We did it this way and are very happy with the result.

Bob K

yes I would build new. better choices in material now. We rebuilt are existing home and ended up having to replace the foundations under the slab. big headache Might have well torn house down and started over. but land has been in family for generations so we rebuilt.

One additional comment -  if you are building you need to be here, be watching all the time!   You can't just trust a builder, an engineer, a foreman -  anyone.

Planner that is an excellent point either you need to be here or have someone you trust watching the build. We used to do this for our clients who were building.

During our construction I was on 3-4 times a week and during the last 3 months when the interior finish work was being done I was there every day from 8am till 5pm.  I was amazed at how many "wrong" things I was able to correct on the spot.

Bob K

And you stop the pilfering of materials,  you stop the downgrading of the quality......

That advice is applicable anywhere no matter the builder.  It also helps to have at least a modicum of basic construction knowledge, otherwise you will just get in the way, slow the progress & piss off the workers & builder.  You are better off having someone else oversee the build.   Whom ever it may be must have U.S. codes in mind to ensure a safe & quality structure. Good luck.  I may be available to assist you,...... maybe.

When I was building Spec homes in USA one of the thieves the police caught was an Optometrist and he owned the local Pearl vision center. he was stealing from many builders in the area.

if you use Los Angelis building codes. they are the finest in USA. you can pass any state, county,or city inspection in USA

I only had a south east US residential & light commercial (3 story Max ).  But passed the 2 day exam 1st try. The nomenclature might have changed, but the principles still apply.  Physics haven't changed. When I was 18 I hitched across country. In less than 24 hours presence in Calif., the ground shook & I vowed never to return.  I observed that vow to this day. I lost a fiance & step daughter to the quake in '89, in Fremont. They were visiting her sister, she died also.  It occurred 2 weeks after the cat 5 hurricane "Hugo" in St. Croix where we were living. A personal pain that lives to this day.  Another option is to find an existing home that can be renovated to meet your needs.  Same advice, get someone to supervise or at least oversee the job.  You will be glad that you did.     Planner, please forgive the brief interjection of off topic thoughts. Thanks.

No worries - brief off topic isn;t a big issue.  Its all connected to building.  SO building needs to withstand tropical storms and possible earthquakes here, we get em both.

Sorry for your loss Gypsy,  that pain never goes away!

People have to understand that most structures here were created completely wrong from the gringo point of view.

Unless it's a higher end house done right, it will be total garbage and you will find yourself wasting time and money fixing a million things. Much better to start from scratch and build your own.

If you use local builders you will most likely be pulling your hair out as nothing will be straight, square, level, and nothing will be built to something like US building codes.  That means the bottom of the stairway to the next level will be below your head level and its made of concrete and in your walkway. Everything else will also be done wrong too.

They put the circular barbed wire on the side of my place. I walked out and some of it was below my head level and leaning in to my enclosed walkway. HELLO!? Is anyone home in that head of yours?! NOPE! VACANT! LOL.

So expect a royal pain in the A!@#!@#S and prepare for it.

There are good workers here. some work in the USA also. I know several plumbers who are licensed in USA and work both places. Some of the work on our house here is better then what I had in the USA. You have to check with other people for references. My wife worked for Kuky Silverio for years so she knows who is a good contractor and who is not.

Texasdonkey, when you say "good workers here", where exactly do you mean? In your city?

yes in Puerto Plata. They have good workers here. I know a lot of them and I have been in construction over 40 years with Bechtel, Fluor, CBI  and others. I know some cabinet makers that would be the envy of some American workers.

I am retired and I still build at 64 in the 98 degree heat and 90 humidity

Yes some of the trade workers are quite good, but you have to look for them. We are quite happy with our plumber (Swiss), cabinet maker (Dominican), furniture maker (Dominican),, tile guy (Dominican), house painter (Dominican) and more.

Bob K

Texas, good for you.  I'm 75 & do the same. Here we average in the mid 90's w/ high humidity also.  It ain't easy, but must be done.  Carry on!

That's good. I will keep that in mind.  I plan a visit up North within a few days to check out that area.