Honest notes from the north coast.
Buying guides, process explainers, yield math, and the real tradeoffs of life in Sosúa, Cabarete, and Puerto Plata — written for foreign buyers who want the unvarnished version.
The 2026 North Coast Market: Inventory, Prices, and What's Changing
Where does the north coast market stand entering 2026? Here's the honest snapshot — inventory, price trends by town, and the shifts that matter for buyers right now.
Read the post →Off-Market Deals on the North Coast: How Serious Buyers Actually Find Them
Some of the best properties on the north coast never make it to Idealista or the MLS. Here's how off-market inventory actually works, and how buyers access it.
Read the post →Dominican Republic vs Mexico: Where Does Your Retirement Dollar Actually Stretch Further?
Both offer affordable Caribbean-ish retirement, but the math and lifestyle diverge in ways that aren't obvious from a brochure. Here's the honest comparison.
Read the post →North Coast DR vs Puerto Rico: A Side-by-Side Comparison for Buyers
Both offer English-friendly Caribbean living, but the economics and lifestyle diverge sharply. Here's the honest side-by-side for foreign buyers weighing DR north coast against Puerto Rico.
Read the post →Year-Round Living: The Monthly Rhythm of North Coast Weather
The north coast doesn't have seasons in the continental sense, but it has a rhythm. Here's what each month actually feels like if you're living here year-round.
Read the post →Hurricane Season Reality: Why North Coast DR Is Different
Hurricane season matters, but the north coast of the DR has a different exposure pattern than many Caribbean islands. Here's the honest picture without the doom or the denial.
Read the post →Bilingual Schools in Sosúa: The Real Cost of K-12 as an Expat Family
Sosúa has multiple bilingual and international K-12 options, with tuition a fraction of U.S. private school costs. Here's the honest picture for families moving with kids.
Read the post →Healthcare on the North Coast: What Retirees Need to Know Before Moving
Healthcare on the north coast is better than most North Americans expect and different from what they're used to. Here's the honest picture — hospitals, insurance, and what it actually costs.
Read the post →Should You Buy as an Individual, Corporation, or Trust? The DR Ownership Question
Individual. Dominican SRL. U.S. LLC. Foreign trust. The right ownership structure depends on your situation, and the wrong one costs real money. Here's the honest framework.
Read the post →IPI Property Tax Explained: The 1% That Most Foreigners Miscalculate
IPI is 1% of your property's assessed value above a threshold — but the threshold, the assessed value, and the exemptions aren't what most buyers assume. Here's the actual math.
Read the post →The Annual Cost of Owning a DR North Coast Home (A Line-by-Line Breakdown)
HOA, taxes, utilities, insurance, maintenance, and the small items everyone forgets. Here's the honest annual carrying cost on a typical north coast home.
Read the post →Real Rental Yield Math: What an Average Cabarete Condo Actually Earns on Airbnb
Let's walk through the actual numbers on an average one-bedroom condo a short walk from Kite Beach. Revenue, expenses, and what lands in your account after twelve months.
Read the post →Cash, Wire, or Local Financing? How Foreign Buyers Actually Pay
Most foreign buyers pay cash. Local mortgages exist but rarely make sense. Here's how the money actually moves, and the financing options that are real rather than theoretical.
Read the post →Finding a Dominican Real Estate Attorney: Questions to Ask Before You Hire
Your attorney matters more than your broker, your bank, or your inspector. Here are the exact questions to ask before you hire one, and the honest red flags that mean keep looking.
Read the post →Your 90-Day Timeline from Offer to Keys: What Each Week Looks Like
From accepted offer to keys in hand, plan on 60 to 90 days. Here's the honest week-by-week so nothing surprises you, and so you know when to push and when to wait.
Read the post →How Dominican Republic Closing Costs Actually Break Down
Plan on 3% to 4% of the purchase price for closing costs, plus a few smaller items buyers often forget. Here's the honest line-by-line so you're not surprised at signing.
Read the post →The Deslinde: The One Document Every DR Buyer Must Understand
If you take one thing away from Dominican real estate research, make it this. The deslinde is the modern surveyed title, and buying a property without it is buying a future problem.
Read the post →Can Foreigners Own Beachfront Property in the Dominican Republic? Yes — Here's How
The short answer is yes. Foreigners enjoy the same property rights as Dominican citizens, no residency needed. Here's how ownership actually works, including the beachfront nuance most buyers don't know.
Read the post →Playa Dorada, Costa Dorada, Costambar: The Three Flavors of Gated Puerto Plata
Not all Puerto Plata gated communities are the same. Playa Dorada, Costa Dorada, Costambar, and Cofresi each attract a different buyer. Here's how to choose.
Read the post →The Complete Guide to Buying in Puerto Plata
Puerto Plata is the most complete town on the north coast — historic, connected, with prices spanning $100k to $3M+. Here's how to find your place inside that wide range.
Read the post →Why Cabarete Rental Yields Outperform the Rest of the North Coast
Gross rental yields of 8% to 12% aren't normal for Caribbean beach condos. Cabarete hits them consistently because of structural reasons most investors miss. Here's the breakdown.
Read the post →Kite Beach vs Encuentro vs Pro-Cab: Picking Your Cabarete Sub-Neighborhood
The Cabarete you picture depends on which stretch of coast you mean. Kite Beach, Encuentro, Pro-Cab, and Perla Marina produce four different homes at four different prices. Here's how to choose.
Read the post →The Complete Guide to Buying in Cabarete
Cabarete is wind, water, and a 300-day-a-year outdoor rhythm. It's also one of the best rental-yield markets on the north coast. Here's how to think about buying in.
Read the post →Inside Sosúa's Expat Community: The Hidden Advantages of 80 Years of Settlement
A Jewish refugee settlement in 1940, then Europeans, then North Americans. Sosúa's 80-year layering created an expat community with depth most Caribbean towns don't have. Here's what that means for you.
Read the post →Sosúa's Protected Beaches: Why Playa Alicia Changes the Math for Families
Two protected coves inside Sosúa's town limits make this one of the few Caribbean markets where families can swim every day without a drive. That single fact reshapes the home search.
Read the post →The Complete Guide to Buying in Sosúa: Who Thrives Here
Sosúa is not for everyone, and that's the honest starting point. If you want walkability, bilingual neighbors, and two protected swimming beaches within ten minutes of home, read on.
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