Would like to move to Sosua to buy a villa. US pays disability in DR?

Cheri welcome to the forum

Lots of your questions have been discussed here and do a search plus read the threads on living, visa, moving, working, residency and such.  Come back and feel free to ask away.

Here are some quick answers to your questons (my wife and I have lived in the Sosua area full time for over 9 years)

1.  Do rent before you buy anything.  There are some very good gated communities in the area.

2.  If he is getting SS disability or really any other just have the checks deposited into your US account and transfer the money as needed here.  My SS goes right into my bank back in the US...no problem

3. There are several good private schools in the area

4.  Working here is very hard to do and you will need your residency and Cedula (national ID card much like a green card back in the US) to work here legally

Hope this helps and again welcome

Bok K

Welcome Bob has said it all.

Thankyou SO much for the quick reply. I JUST found this forum so I haven't searched formuch info YET.......BUT I will. I have talked to a few people who live there and also have a book on Moving to the DR....so I have some knowledge. Ummmmmmm


My Husband gets the SSDI not SSI  and we would definitly rent our house and leave an address here back in the states and TRY the DR for 6 months before really moving...plus Im sure it will take us a while to take care of all that is needed to do between here in the US and there.

Thanks Bob for your help
As far as Sosua I We cant wait to visit.

Have you been to the Sosua area before?

Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have on the area or anything else concerning your new "adventure"

Bob K

NO Never been there before....we have been the The Bahamas and to St John and St Thomas.

As in the Bahamas locals would pedal jewelry andwaresn such......Would I be able to pedal to the tourists.....once I become a local of course !
Do homes have a heating system?......I know the weather is always warm But I was wondering......

Getting a job peddling jewelry and such would not be a good idea.  First off the locals will not tolerate your competition and secondly you would not earn very much (maybe a $100-200 a month if you were good)

If you have never been here before what made you pick the DR and Sosua in particular and where did you establish " I have a few contacts in DR to help along the way"????

No homes here have no heating system.  Never cold enough here on the coast for heat.  The coldest temp at night might reach 65F or so one or two nights a year. Otherwise days are 85-95 year round (higher in the summer months) and Upper 60s- mid upper 70s at night.  Again warmer temps will be found in the summer months.

Have a great day

Bob K

Thanks for all the info.....I chose the DR because of the cost of living the people the weather and the hurricane status.
I spent 4 months in Vieques  P.R. and know how important the "Locals are" and your relations with them.
I have made friends through rental property research etc. Both being Expats who spend a lot of time over the years Ummmm  we hope to visit for 6 months and rent there and rent our house out in Myrtle Beach;
Our rental of our home will pay for our rental in the DR . seeing we own our home in MB outright with no mortgage. We re very blessed. We owned a Septic Business up in Massachusetts and sold it before moving to MB. My husband  is bored seeing he has been a business man most of his adult life. He is now no onger able to work the hard labor like he used to and is like I said disabled so He is in a miserable state in a way ....... Im loving this forum so far and thanks for all the help.


Imlooking into the casa Linda or the Hermosa I think neighborhoods........walking distance from town n such




QUESTION ( I could probably read) If I were to bring my vehicle and a pair of jet skis what would be they way we were taxed. If the  price were right we would rather bring them then sell them before moving there. I would love to jetski in crystal waters.

Speaking of Jetskiis how do the locals feel about Jetskiis and paddle boards. I know Cabarete is a big Water Sports area but what goes on in Sosua?????????

I see Coffee shops on Craigslist Too....... I would love that being in th food and beverage industry for 30 years I can run a small shop but NOT a restaurant or bar......Babble Babble I can go on

Thanks

Ok some more info for you

Casa Linda though a good gated community is not walking distance to town or shopping.  However Hspaniola   is
http://www.hispaniolarealestate.com/res … r-rent.php

Bringing a car in with out your residency will be very very expensive.  The cost will come to at least 50% of the value of the car including shipping. Much better to rent a car or buy one here.

How is  your Spanish ??????

Bob K

At  to jet skies they are banned on most beaches including Sosua beaches and Cabarete beaches.

Coffee shops are a dime a dozen here and most do not make it.  Again you need your residency and Cedula to work here. Either for some one else or your selves.

You need to do lots more research before you buy or commit to ANYTHING!.

Social Security does pay to your Bank Account in the US. Dominican Banks don't have standard  routing numbers and Bank information for US Gov and US Banks to send money to. If you open an account with ScotiaBank you can make transfers with ease. And as far as moving to Sosua you might as well stay in the States if you just want to live where Americans are and pay a lot of money for a house when there's other places with Fabulous Villa's for !/3 the price. I live in Mao City and paid only 60,000 for a great place and a lot of people speak English and are more gracious than the People in the Gated for God 's Coubtry people Only jerks in the American Communities.

Gee Army  tell us how you really feel!   Sorry it seems you have had some bad experiences.   Please do not lump everyone together.  What works for one does not work for others.

Bob lives in a gated expat community and he and his wife are great people. He devotes hours and hours to this site.

Army101  someone pee in your corn flakes this morning

If that is how you really feel then you have a very narrow view on life and other Expats.  I feel sorry for you but I am glad  you found your slice of heaven or hell for some of us.  And it is good to know that you found someplace with no jerks.  Must be nice to be better than everyone????


Bob K

No shortage of jerks no matter where you go. Some wear better disquises than others.

I saw something about Casa Linda in one of the earlier posts. Casa Linda has a shuttle bus, runs to Sosua and Cabarete starting around 10 am, stops around 6 pm if I remember.  Driver will drop you off at grocery stores etc if you ask. Then pick you up later.  Works well if you don't want to drive.

Dinner out? Shuttle to Sosua or Cabarete late in the day then cab back to Casa Linda after dinner.  Cabs cheap, if I remember correctly, $10 US goes a long way.

S.S.Can be sent to Scotia Bank. Take the money in dollars & exchange it else where. They give less than the official rate. My bank (Santa Cruz) gave a good rate, usually only 1/2 peso below the street rate.  The U.S. will send your S.S. anywhere in the world that you may be. Sometimes better to have it deposited in your U.S. bank & use a debit or credit card at your local bank here.  The U.S. Does NOT pay disability outside of the continental U.S..  There are no exceptions to this rule.  I think perhaps you have aliegned ((sp I know)   yourself with the very folks you dislike, or so it appears to me.  Relax, sit back and look at the skies through the bottom of a rum & cke glass while calling for una mas, por favor.  If incapable of such a movement, then remove thy self from what brought you to such an opinion.  f we can perceive of something, we then are that something.   The mirror only shows what is presented, nothing else.  About jerks,  the definition is a sudden movement, a pulling to offset balance etc.  Perhaps you would be happier hieing yourself off to the nearest airport & moving on to your next disappointment.  I do hope you find the nirvana you seek.  Good luck in your travails..

Bmrdrver your information is correct.

Bob K

Ya all Have been SO helpful. I hope I didn't cause a"Ruckus"

Not at all, glad we can be of help!