[Quiniacab]

Thank you both for your replies. I'll have to get down into that area on my next trip.

I didn't care for the POP/Sosua area at all. Too crowded, too noisy. too much... Same with Santa Domingo.

Samana was real nice (particularly around Las Terenas), but it's being "discovered" and I suspect I can get more bang for my real estate buck somewhere less touristy.

[eliniaguilefp7m]

Barahona area also known as a target for at least one hurricane per season.

[Quiniacab]

Hello, all!

I'm from Alaska, but hope to move to the DR in the next few years, at least on a seasonal basis. I've visited off and on and like the country, the people and even the general chaos. I've been lurking on the message board for quite a while.

My trips to DR have been mostly along the North Coast and Samana simply because as a tourist, that's where the accomodations are.
I can't help but be curious about the SW part of the country though. That area around Barahona/Cabo Beata/Pedernales. I haven't been there, but (on paper) it looks to be very undeveloped and unspoiled. Nobody ever talks about that part of the country... is there some reason for that?

If some Gringo (me) can't stand cities and wants to buy a property near the beach, where should he go for the best deal?

How widely do property prices vary around the country?

Is there a reputable realtor who could help me on a nationwide basis instead of representing just one small area?

Keith in Kodiak

[Adamanta]

Keith,

I love Alaska. Drove from Anchorage to Seward last year. Very friendly people and incredible scenic beauty.

The Southwest is beautiful and unspoiled. It is also the poorest part of the country.

Barahona is the main tourist center for the Southwest. It has a real Dominican feel, and many fine early to mid 20th century buildings. It also has a number of reasonable hotels. However, the beach in front of Barahona was destroyed in the 1940s in a beautification project (I kid you not). Therefore, the swimming beaches are now further south, along the east facing coast of the Baoruco peninsula.

The coast south of Barahona is spectacularly beautiful - with mountains coming right down to the sea and numerous mountain streams falling down into the ocean. However, the beaches are of pebble and the surf rough, so swimming is difficult. For this reason, most people swim in the streams in front of the beaches at San Rafael and Los Patos.

If you're looking for cheap beach real estate, the Southwest may be a good place for you. There are currently housing developments in Azua and Barahona. More rustic properties are available on the coast south of Barahona. The sand beach at Bahia Las Aguilas, near Pedernales, is supposed to be a fantastic swimming beach and is marked for future tourism development, though I've never been there.

But you won't be among very many foreigners here and accomodations are mainly designed for vacationing Dominicans.

Let me know if you want any hotel or business references.