Much Ado About Nothing!

-
Phew!  After weeks and weeks of e-mailing with our DR lawyer and haggling with getting our down payment funds liquid. our signing happens today! Yay!  I'm starting with this fact because as I give you the "Play by Play" I want you to know it all works out in the end.  Sorry, for those Schadenfreudians out there!

So here's what the house actually looks like.  But, if you remember from previous (photoshopped) pictures there is now a small 200 square foot addition.

casa de los sueños!
This home was originally built as the first in a 10 house vacation home development in the hills overlooking Cabrera. The other homes were never built. The lots are small and originally had wooden fences running on top of the short coral rock walls you see here. For reasons unknown...but probably due to the Great Recession...the other homes were not built and the lots have since been sold in pairs. One family bought the two lots adjacent to our three and have since begun building a large three-story house.  My husband was just down in the Dominican Republic to inspect the house.  We had been waiting on pins and needles for a couple months, hoping all the little delays and lawyer clarifications wouldn't endanger our little dream house in the hills.  As it would happen, the week that my husband flew down was also
 our two adjacent lots from the bedroom...and yucky pool

The week leading up to Halloween and two nights of Parent-Teacher Conferences for me at my job.  So excited that the closing planned for October 29th was going to happen, I drove Thomas to the airport Tuesday after work (and had to arrange yet a third night of hanging out at a friends for my eight year old daughter! Conferences were 4-7 pm on that Wednesday and Thursday...)  So off he flew, leaving a jealous wife to dream of our little Caribbean home from afar.  The weather was gray and cold, typical Autumn day...the kind that reminds you Winter's around the corner.

Wednesday morning, I leave the house at 6:45 AM ...er, rather 7:00 AM because while getting into my new car I pour a whole cup of coffee all over myself and the driver's side of the car! YAY!  After a quick change of clothes (remember I have conferences after school for three hours...so none of my fashion-shirking allowed!...) I'm finally heading into work and BAM! I hit an SUV stopped at an intersection...my first ever fender bender in a car that's two weeks old!  OUCH!  But, you know what? It's OK...because were getting a Caribbean Vacation House!







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Episode of HGTV's Caribbean Life!

-
Image
All photos courtesy of HGTV Our casa! We were on Caribbean Life!  It was sooooooo much fun.  I'm sure you have read elsewhere online that it's somewhat staged...and you kind of already need to own a place to even go on the show to pretend your looking for a place, but it was a great experience and one that Thomas and I will never forget...mostly because HGTV sent us a DVD copy...but, we don't acutally have cable TV. So, we had to watch our episode at friends' house.  I have to tell you, as someone who doesn't even like pictures of herself...a whole filmed episode is torture.  But, in 10-15 years, I'll probably think I looked fabulous! HAHAHA. Interview from on our pool deck! So, as an avid watcher of Caribbean Life/Beachfront Bargain Hunt/House Hunters International I ran across a link on HGTV to apply to be on one of these shows. I was absolutely CONVINCED we were going to be on the show.  I think my husband thought it was a long shot.  But, they pum
Read more

Buying appliances and what kind of stores to expect in Dominican Republic.

-
Image
If you go on to IKEA.com you will be surprised (at least I was) to find one country in the Caribbean listed there.  The Dominican Republic!  They actually have one store in Santo Domingo and then 'distribution centers' in the East and one in Santiago which is closest to the North Coast.  Basically, you order online at the SD store and they ship it for free to a distribution center, or ship it to your door for not too much (I have not done this yet...but plan to).  The prices seemed at first to be WAY too high...but, upon further inspection it would seem it depends on the item.  Appliances at IKEA-DR no way!  They are ridiculously expensive...mattresses too...but, some things are about the same. So, we drive down to our IKEA check out some of the items we see available at the Santo Domingo IKEA and then go from there.  The website is great...since you most likely have to order online. Haven't been here...but, here's a photo...looks the same as the one here  in Michig
Read more

Shopping in the Dominican Republic and Money Transfers

-
Image
There is a beautiful ocean view from the parking lot... but no one seems to notice! La Sirena (the Mermaid) is a chain store much like Walmart. It has fresh produce, groceries, appliances, mattresses, etc. The prices are also very good. There are more La Sirenas around than the other stores mentioned earlier. We were also able to pay by credit card here without any additional charge on goods.  So, that is an option for those not wanting to carry loads of cash.  There have been some violent muggings and even murder in the Puerto Plata La Sirena parking lot recently. Thomas has been there three times and I was with him once. There wasn't any parking lot security that I could see, but the lot is barricaded off from the street so there could be security.  I would suggest  going there in midday and not carrying obvious amounts of cash.  Super Pola store front...they all look the same Inside a La Sirena Also, owned by the same company as La Sirena is Super Pola.  It'
Read more