Owning a Vacation Home in Caribbean

The Future Ok, so the ink is dry or drying on our casa purchase.  I've put off writing about the details of the whole process of buying property in the Caribbean.  I didn't want to jinx anything. But, now that we have finalized the purchase I feel it's safe to document our trials and tribulations. I outlined our desire to live on a tropical island in earlier posts. Both my husband and I would like to make this happen before the 'traditional' retirement age. We want to simplify our lives, live slower-paced and not rush around like the proverbial 'rats in the maze'.  We are willing to throw the dice, move to an island paradise and try to make it work on much less income than we do now. We had a five year plan.  We had rented places on Eleuthera, one of the 'out islands' in the Bahamas. The proximity to the mainland but non-touristy feel seemed like a good mix.  A few things worked against us however. 1) To avoid a hefty 10% or more transf...

So, as many people who have spent time in the Caribbean know, a washing machine is quite an electric hog.  My high efficiency washer here in the States would be impossible to run in DR.  It may be water efficient and mostly energy efficient, but the cycle is so long that it would use twice the energy than the old version washers use. There she sits...unfortunately in the middle of the kitchen Until we create a utility room on top of a future larger cistern we're planning to build on the back of the house,  (front? The slope leading up to our house on the opposite side of the view...I consider it the back... Hubby calls it the front... we'll agree to disagree) we will have to keep the washer in the kitchen, European style! Many of the expats we've met in DR have a love/hate relationship with island washers. They are simply a spinner that you use a hose to fill and drain and then hang your clothes to dry in the sun and wind.  (a dryer is even more of a luxury a...