Considering making the move to the D.R.

Welcome to Expat-blog, Islandjive

Hope that members soon reply back to you.

Regards,
Sheetul

My first question is have you been here before and if so what part of the country.
We relocated to the north coast because of a mix of tourist, locals and a large expat community. Not to mention some great beaches, restaurants and such.  There is a terrific international school here as well.
What are you going to do for work?

Ask away

Bobb K

Thank you Bob for taking the time to respond to my post! We have not been to the DR before, but are planning to come for an extended visit in December to get a feel for the country and look for a rental home, etc, prior to making a decision. We definitely would like to be in an area where there is a large and welcoming expat community, I also believe that the north coast has a consistent be it small)wave break.

Of course school is important, however I am not certain if we will do homeschool or have the kids in a traditional school.  Those are decisions that will be made down the line, but it's nice to know that there is a great school in the area.

My husband has several licensing agreements for his artwork, and is also a contractor for a couple of other companies. We also have our own business (we design and print t-shirts for surf shops in the states to sell). We'd be able to conduct the majority of our business online.  We'd also like to find a way to earn some income in the DR, maybe with the t-shirt business or through a fine art medium? Not sure yet, but it would be nice to be a part of the economy of the DR also, maybe be able to conduct some of our product sourcing locally, but then we have to consider shipping costs back to the US.

Here is what we are hoping to experience (keep in mind I grew up in the rural/country/farming part of South Carolina, so I understand the lack of convenience, although my kids don't):

Less materialistic lifestyle
Simply happy people
Warm year-round
Less hectic days
I want to play on the beach with my kids and not feel like I should be somewhere else doing something else just to keep up with my neighbors, etc.

I know this stuff seems silly to some, but my children are growing up before my eyes, and I really want them to know that there are other ways to enjoy life (than malls and PS3, etc) and to slow down a bit.

Now here I know (because we live in a tourist area) that living is not like a vacation every day, so I am not completely starry eyed.

So, with all that, any recommendations on towns to be sure to visit in December? Where would you recommend we stay for the month? I have been looking around Sosua and Cabarete areas. Are there any other areas that you'd suggest to look into?


Thanks again!

I sent you a pm

Bob K

Hi I am also looking to retire in DR..I am still looking to find info on becoming a resident of DR .. If someone can point me to a link where I can find this info I wil be grateful ..
Looking at the map the northern coast seems idea away from the big city ..is it possible to rent an apt/condo with in $1000/mo?  Also what would it cost to live on a monthly basis for 2.

You can email me or pl post the info here ...


Thank you

Vin

Hi Vin,
  I don't live in DR, but have been doing research like many others. From what I have seen you can definitely rent a nice Apt/Condo for less than $1000 a month (unfurnished w/o utilities). Apts/Condos seem to be pretty reasonable and a good bit less than a house/villa. Also, depends on where specifically you are looking. I'm assuming the Sosua/Puerto Plata area when you say "North Coast". Prices vary a lot form town to town, but that area is probably one of the pricier areas on the North Coast.

As far as cost of living for 2 people...I can't help you there. Bob K. will probably respond with some good info on those costs. He has said before that their monthly living costs are about 40% of what they were in the US. 

Good luck...

Thanks creosote  I am also trying to find some links/forums where they may provide some info on these topics. You are right Bob K seems very knowledgable about living in DR and I hope he will add some info/comments on this.
is there other links that you know of which provide info on DR..

Regards

Vin

We picked the north coast because it had a very good mix of locals, tourists and a large Expat community.  Not to mention some terrific beaches. Santiago a major city of 1.5 million people is about an hour and a half away and Santo Domingo is 4 hours away.

In the Sosua/Cabarete area (where most of the Expats are) you can rent a condor villa for between $500 - $1500 a month depending on your needs.

The cost of living is about 40% less then in the US for us here especially if you buy local brands.  It is now at the point where we prefer the local bands over the US brands for most items.

If you have other questions please ask away or feel free to PM me.


Bob K

I am currently living in US near Boston. I am building a condo in San Juan de la Maguana 
I highly recommend this book. "How to retire overseas"  Kathleen Peddicord.  It was very helpful for me.
Take Care,

Marc

Apartment rental  costs and cost of living  depends on many criteria. For example -  where &  what  type?  North coast costs can vary from  100 US a month for  typical Dominican  accommodations to 2000 US  a month for a villa in a really  nice  area.

Cost of living - what are the criteria?   I  live a modified  ex pat / Dominican lifestyle for under  US1,000 a month. 

Eat more like a local and save money - fresh food is abundant here and less expensive. Imported  food products are expensive.

Electricity is very  expensive here as is  gasoline for your car!  But  bottled water is very inexpensive and  rent is much less expensive for  a comparable  place.  I have a  2 bedroom apartment that  costs  me 200US per month!

It will be all about  choices!

Welcome to the forum planner

Expat.com team thank you for your wonderful contributions, keep going

Regards

Thanks, I hope to continue  contributing and I hope it is useful!

planner wrote:

Thanks, I hope to continue  contributing and I hope it is useful!

I will say very useful