Considering Las Terrenas for snow bird lifestyle

Welcome to DR.

The thread indicates you have already set your sights on Las Terrenas and frankly I think this is a great choice for someone with a European upbringing. In fact the whole Samana Province and Peninisula should be considered and is rather unique to the country with a lot of history. I lived there for two years before moving to the capital and still go back often including last week.

http://www.godominicanrepublic.com/samana/

It is still undeveloped in large part and there are few large hotels but rather smaller hotels and villas catering to a diverse tourist and owner expat community in Las Terrenas, Las Galeras and Samana town. I can think of a few small villa complexes where the owner has a number of bedrooms and caters to their visitors so your idea definitely fits and is working already. It feels like many smaller non-commercialized European resorts, a sort of resort you might find in the Greek islands, Aegean or South of France, with a Latin twist are comparisons.

It is an excellent eco tourist area and with so many superb virtually unpopulated beaches you can feel at home with nature in this location. you have tree houses in tropical forests with zip lines, whales, waterfalls, coral reefs, lovely rolling forested hills as a back drop, swaying huge coconut palms hanging over beaches and the DR gem in the Haitises National Park.

Property tends to be on the high side in Las Terrenas because it is very popular with Dominicans too from Santo Domingo and so inflates the cost of living. Apart from that and now that the electric cost has reduced and with the arrival of a Super Pola supermarket, living costs are now more on a par with the rest of the country. You can find all the fresh produce you want at typical low Dominican prices and then the extras you want in the French supermarket and patisseries.

Incidentally many expats living in Las Terrenas choose a quad as their daily means of transport around town.

Please investigate more (see link) and ask more, and definitely go visit and see if you like it first.

I would also add that you have an airport close by at El Catey with flights from Canada.