Dominican Republic : Cabrera Beachfront apartments for sale in Cabarete. These apartments are of various sizes with prices starting from US$95,000/£48,000. email for more details
	Dominican Republic : Cabrera Affordable 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with good ocean views in the hills above Cabrera.There are a total of only eight homes being built on this small development. Each home has a floor area of 170 square meters, or 1829.2 square feet. The houses all have water, electricity, phone, internet access, cable TV, asphalt paved access roads and gardens, included in the asking price.All villas have a floor area of 170 m², 2 carports and a 50 m² swimming pool.The beach is just a short drive from the homes. Price : US$ 165,000/£82,500 . email for more details
	Dominican Republic : Sosua New construction. Three bedroom fully furnished villas with swimming pool, landscaped garden and parking lot at unbelievable prices !!.These homes have a floor area of 1,506 square feet The price for each villa includes: - the land - construction of the villa - house furnishings - kitchen including fixtures - swimming pool - landscaping & plants - parking lot. This villa is located in a private community between Sosua and Cabarete. It is the ideal choice for a Caribbean vacation home, with more than 50 successfully built and managed villas. Price : US$ 180,000/£60.000 email for more details
	Dominican Republic :Las Terrenas, Samana PeninsularBeautiful hillside villas with lovely views to the sea and easy access to Coson Beach. Owners may specify their own design for their villa.Almost all of the villas include a swimming pool and enjoy a panoramic view of the sea and surrounding countryside. Prices for ocean view villas start from US$300,000./£150.000 email for more details

Dominican Republic Property Buying Information
There are no restrictions on foreigners buying of property in the Dominican Republic. In 1998 the presidential decree 21-98 ruled that foreigners can buy all the property they want in the Dominican Republic, complete with the title of possession (proof of ownership). In addition, all the benefits gained from the ownership of these properties can be expatriated to any country in the world.

Steps To Buying Dominican Republic Property
1. Buyer and seller sign a "Contract of Sale" before a notary who authenticates it. (Notaries in the Dominican Republic are required to have a law degree.) The Contract of Sale contains the legal description of the property, the price, and conditions of sale.

2. The authenticated Contract is then taken to the nearest Internal Revenue Office for payment of the appropriate taxes.

3. The Contract of Sale and the Certificate of Title of the seller are deposited at the Title Registry Office for the jurisdiction where the property is located, and the sale is recorded.

4. The Title Registry Office issues a new Certificate of Title in the name of the buyer and cancels the old Certificate issued previously to the seller.

The time spent from filing the Contract of Sale to the issuing of the new Certificate of Title may vary from a few days to a few months, depending on the Title Registry Office where the sale was recorded.

Dominican Republic Property Closing Costs and Taxes:
Expect to pay approximately 5% of the sale price for taxes and closing costs. This amount includes a transfer tax of 4.48%, document taxes, special stamps for registration, and tips. Taxes must be paid before filing the purchase at the Title Registry Office. Many buyers, with the complicity of their attorneys or notaries, have been known to evade paying part of the transfer tax by lowering the true purchase price in the Contract of Sale. This is common practice in the Dominican Republic and it has become so blatant and widespread that the tax authorities have now set a minimum value for properties in some locations.

But, considering that property taxes here are extraordinarily low (1% per year of the declared value), unless you are buying a high-priced property, your annual taxes will be negligible. So, committing fraud to lower your annual rate may not be worth doing...especially if, when you go to resell, and 25% capital gains taxes are due, your property is assessed at its true worth.

For these reasons, you should probably do the right thing from the beginning and claim the true price of purchase in your purchase documents. Ask your attorney for advice...if you use a loophole in the law that allows you to buy property through a Dominican Republic corporation you have formed, you can lessen your tax burden considerably.

Inheritance of Dominican Republic Property:
There are no restrictions on foreigners inheriting title to property in the Dominican Republic. Inheritance taxes range from 17% to 32% of the appraised value of the estate depending on the relationship between the beneficiary and the deceased. If your beneficiary resides outside the Dominican Republic, inheritance taxes are subject to a 50% surcharge.

As in many Latin countries, inheritance of real property is governed by a law which provides for "forced heirship," meaning that part of the estate must go to certain heirs. For example, a foreigner with a child must reserve 50% of the estate to that child despite the existence of a will, or of the law of his country of residence. To avoid this application, you can own your property indirectly through a holding company. Again, ask your attorney to advise you of your options.

Perform Due Diligence:
Before purchasing a property, hire a real estate attorney to do the due diligence. To start this process, the seller should provide you and/or your attorney with:

1. Copy of the Certificate of Title to the property.
2. Copy of the survey to the property or plat plan.
3. Copy of his/her identification card (cédula) or passport.
4. Copy of the receipt showing the last property tax payment (IVSS) or copy of the certificate stating the property is exempted from the IVSS tax.

If The Seller Is A Corporation, It Should Provide:-
1. Copy of the corporate documentation, including by-laws and resolution authorizing the sale.
2. Certification from the Internal Revenue Office showing the corporation is current with its income tax filings.

If The Property Is Part Of A Condominium, You Need:-
1. Copy of the condominium declaration.
2. Copy of the condominium regulations.
3. Copy of the approved construction plans.
4. Certification from the condominium showing the seller is current with his condo dues.
5. Copies of the minutes of the last three condominium meetings.

If The Property Is A House, You Need:-
1. Copy of the approved construction plans.
2. Inventory of furniture, etc. (Many properties in the Dominican Republic are sold furnished and you want to be sure that, come closing time, you get the furnishings you originally agreed to purchase and not lower-cost substitutions. This should include bathroom and lighting fixtures, etc., right down to the kitchen sink. (Tip: take photos.)
3. Copies of the utilities contracts and receipts showing the seller is current with his payments.

Once all the above documentation is obtained, your attorney should go through this checklist:
Dominican Republic Property Title Search:
A certification should be obtained from the Dominican Republic Title Registry Office regarding the status of the property, whether any liens or encumbrances affect it, and you should insist that he/she confirms the results of the Registrar's search by personally investigating the appropriate files at the Title Registry Office.
Survey:
An independent surveyor should verify that the property being sold coincides with the one shown on the survey provided by the seller. (An exception can be made if the property is located in a previously inspected subdivision.) The survey should be checked even when the seller provides a government-approved plat. Inspection of improvements: A qualified builder or architect should examine any improvements to be made to any structures to confirm that the plans presented are correct and that the improvements are in good condition.
Permits:
Have your attorney confirm that the property may be used for the purposes you desire. Why? Because restrictions may exist that you are unaware of. For example, a 60-meter "maritime zone" exists along the entire Dominican coastline-from the high tide mark inland-designating all beaches as public property. No building is allowed within the maritime zone without a special permit. And in tourist zones, there are specific building restrictions.
Possession:
Your attorney should ensure that the seller is in possession of the property and that no squatters rights exist. Dominican Republic law is protective of the rights of any tenants on the property, and evicting someone who doesn't want to leave willingly is time consuming and expensive. Be especially careful with unfenced properties outside known subdivisions. Fencing them before closing is advisable.

Employees:
The seller should pay any employees working on the property their legal severance up to the time of the closing; otherwise you may find yourself liable for these costs later.

Property Taxes:
If you decide to purchase a property directly from the owner, there are some things that you should keep in mind. There is no real estate or governmental body that sends real estate and property tax reminders to owners if these fees have not been paid. If an owner does not pay these dues, the Dominican Republic government will ensure they collect any arrears at the time of sale, if not up to an additional 50% penalty on these arrears as well, before enabling the title of the property to be transferred. This could prevent the sale from happening if the seller does not have the money to pay these arrears (and any penalties), or, depending on what has already been transacted between the buyer and the seller, put the buyer in a position to pay any outstanding dues before obtaining title of the property. To prevent this from happening, ask the seller to provide proof of the previous tax payments that have been made on the property.

Dominican Republic Property Building Costs
Building costs will vary from area to area and are dependant upon the complexity of the construction and quality of the finishes required. However, as a guideline, a typical masonry house may be built for around US$550 to US$650 in Samana and around US$650 to US$850 per square metre in the Puerto Plata/Cabrera area of the Dominican Republic.