Dominican Republic real estate: homes and villas for sale, bought from Florida with someone who knows both shores

Where to buy according to what you want

Punta Cana for vacation rental, direct flights and new villas, and Cap Cana for gated luxury with a marina and golf; Samaná for nature, a marina and a quieter life by the sea, with Las Terrenas as the international beach town; Puerto Plata for the North Coast, with lower entry prices and an international community in Sosúa and Cabarete; and Casa de Campo for one of the country’s highest-end private resort communities. Each area has its buyer and its return.

How buying from the United States works

• A foreigner can buy in their own name, with no residency or corporation required.
• A local attorney verifies the certificate of title, the absence of liens and the contract with the developer.
• The property transfer tax is paid when the property is registered in your name.
• Some projects approved under CONFOTUR offer temporary tax exemptions; it is verified project by project.
• The full process, with costs and taxes, is in the guide to buying property in the Dominican Republic.

What I check before you sign

Individual, clean title; a developer with delivered projects; a contract with clear deadlines and penalties; and rental management with a contract, not verbal promises. The images on this site are lifestyle renderings; before you decide, insist on real photos and a visit, in person or on video.

The same guidance on both shores

Many clients sell their home in South Florida and buy in the Caribbean. I coordinate both transactions, their timelines and their professionals so that one never puts the other at risk.

The purchase, step by step

• Area and property selection according to goal and budget, with an in-person or video visit.
• Offer, then a promise-of-sale or purchase agreement, reviewed by a Dominican attorney you trust.
• Verification of the certificate of title at the Real Estate Registry and of the absence of liens, mortgages or litigation.
• Payment on the agreed schedule, by transfer to verified accounts, never in cash.
• Payment of the transfer tax and registration of the property in your name.
• Handover, utilities and, if applicable, a rental management contract.

Purchase costs in the Dominican Republic

The main one is the real estate transfer tax, a percentage of the property value paid at registration; add attorney fees, notary and registry costs and, in new projects, initial community contributions. Some projects approved under CONFOTUR offer temporary exemptions from that tax and from the annual property tax; it is verified project by project with the attorney before counting on them.

Residency and stays

You do not need Dominican residency to buy. For long stays there are residency programs, including those designed for retirees and investors, that an immigration attorney can process. I guide you on which fits your plan without replacing that advice.

Vacation-rental income: how it is really managed

Rental income in the Caribbean works when there is serious local management: guest reception, cleaning, pool and garden maintenance and seasonal pricing. I work with trusted local operators and review their contract with you: commission, reporting, maintenance and guaranteed owner use.

Beachfront homes for sale in the Dominican Republic

“Beachfront” means three different things in listings: on the sand, across a road from the beach, or inside a community with beach access. They do not cost the same and they do not resell the same. The beach itself is never private: the first 60 meters from the high-tide line are public coastal domain, so no title can include the sand and nothing can be built on that strip. A beachfront home also costs more to keep, because of salt air, wind and insurance. Las Terrenas, Sosúa, Cap Cana and Casa de Campo all have real beachfront inventory; before you fly, I tell you which of the three kinds each listing really is.

Condos for sale in the Dominican Republic: where they make sense

A condo is the easiest property to buy from Florida and to rent out: shared security and maintenance, a pool you do not run yourself and a lower entry price. Condos concentrate in Punta Cana and Bávaro, around the Cap Cana marina, in Las Terrenas and in Sosúa. Before buying one, read three documents: the condominium bylaws, which decide whether you can rent by the night; the last year of the association’s accounts; and, in pre-construction, the payment schedule tied to construction milestones. Many new projects carry CONFOTUR benefits for the first buyer who buys from the developer; a resale never does.

Land for sale in the Dominican Republic: what to check before you buy

Land is where the most expensive mistakes happen. Buy only a lot with its own certificate of title, already surveyed and registered as an individual parcel, not a share of a larger property. Confirm legal access, water and power, the zoning and the permits you will need to build, and the coastal setback if it is near the sea. Ask the attorney how the annual property tax will apply before you sign. With those checks done, a view lot in Samaná, on the North Coast or on the outskirts of Punta Cana is still one of the most affordable ways to own in the Caribbean.

Homes and villas for sale now in the Dominican Republic

Frequently asked questions