This June (following the International Real Estate Investment Forum seminar in Casa de Campo), discover the best real estate opportunities in the Dominican Republic.Beautiful beaches, warm sunshine, and turquoise seas…want to make this your permanent vacation in paradise?Dear International Real Estate Investment Forum attendee,I’d like to invite you to experience the Caribbean beach lifestyle this June…Strolling on white sand beaches washed by the sun-dappled sea…swaying in a hammock in the shade of palm trees…sipping a chilled beer as the sun goes down at the end of another relaxed day…And (of course) to explore the finest property options in this tropical paradise. Believe me, once you see the turquoise Caribbean, mile upon mile of coral beaches, and sample the island’s laid-back living you’ll want to make this your permanent vacation spot.We’re hosting the International Real Estate Investment Forum (June 7-9, 2012) in the luxurious setting of Casa de Campo. And we have arranged for the real estate developers and agents we work with in the Dominican Republic to offer special pre- and post-event real estate tours. Think of it as beachcombing – but not for pretty shells. Instead, you’re looking for your dream home.And we think you’ll like what you find on this treasure hunt…But first, why you should consider the Dominican Republic as a location for a second home:It’s quick and easy to get to. Flights take 2 hours 10 minutes from Miami, 3 hours 35 from Atlanta, and 3 hours 41 from New York. Low-cost airlines like Spirit and JetBlue help keep fares low.It’s got great beach weather. Temperatures along the coast hover in the 80s year-round.The Dominican Republic offers powder beaches and crystalline seas, and much, much more. A central mountain range forms the country’s backbone. It’s home to the Caribbean’s highest peak, Pico Duarte. The island’s landscape includes waterfalls, mountains, valleys, forest, and lakes. In Santo Domingo, the capital city, you’ll see colonial buildings and ancient forts.It’s easy to become a resident here.The economy is strong. The estimated growth rate for 2010 is 7.8%. Traditionally it focused on agriculture – the export of sugar, tobacco and coffee. Today, the big earners are tourism and Free Trade Zones.Property prices are still affordable in the Dominican Republic compared to other Caribbean island locations.But where should you look? We’ve scouted this island, coast to coast… found the best beaches, the best properties, and the locations with the best potential… met the developers and agents…ruled out the mediocre, and ruled in the top properties for investment. We have already done all the leg-work for you.The tours focus on three hot spots. They’re all very different from each other, but each has something to offer. One location boasts stunning beaches, excellent infrastructure and home comforts…in another, you’ll enjoy country club living at its finest…and the last is a unique mix of gorgeous beaches and a boutique village.Which one will suit you best? Read on to find out more.A Tourist Hot Spot with Amazing Beaches(For a map, click here).Bávaro, on the Coconut Coast, is the stuff of glossy travel magazines: A wide carpet of dazzling white sand, fringed with lofty coconut palms, and washed by glittering-turquoise ocean. It’s home to most of the country’s all-inclusive resorts. When friends or family tell you they’ve visited the Dominican Republic, chances are they spent their time at a big resort hotel here.The Coconut Coast stretches for 20 miles. The Dominican government selected the Coconut Coast as the country’s tourist hotspot, back when it was an undeveloped, wild coast.The government installed infrastructure, and developed this coast in the same way the Mexican government developed Cancun. Major hotel groups (mostly European) quickly snapped up prime beachfront parcels of land on the Coconut Coast and built huge resort hotels.A private company built Punta Cana international airport in 1984 (5.5 miles from Bávaro). That made getting here easy from Europe, the USA, and Canada. Tourist traffic through Punta Cana airport more than doubled from 2000-2009. In the early days, most of the island’s tourists came from Europe. In 2006, North American arrivals at Punta Cana airport outnumbered Europeans for the first time, and that trend continues today.Because this coast started as an empty strip of sand, it doesn’t have quaint beach towns or charming fishing villages. But it’s very convenient, with excellent infrastructure. The malls, plazas and shopping centers feature familiar brands.Bávaro’s nightlife is excellent. You won’t want for golf courses, either, with 12 along the Coconut Coast. Moreover, the little cafes and plazas dotted around Bávaro give the place an upscale feel. It’s the perfect playground for swimming, tanning, and relaxing in the sunThere’s a reason more tourists come here than anywhere else in the Dominican Republic. It’s stunning…the Caribbean beach and sea we all dream of.One drawback is the cost of beachfront land. Larger land parcels suitable for hotel development command premium prices these days. Smaller parcels rarely come onto the market (they just aren’t available), and when they do, the pricing reflects the premium paid for the large pieces.But off-beach properties, a short walk from the sand, come with much lower price tags.Here are just a couple of examples of the type of property you’ll see on Scott Medina’s tour of the Bavaro area.In the El Cortecito Beach neighborhood you’ll find restaurants, bars, pharmacies, shops, and banks. Two-bed, two-bath condos only a four-minute walk to a white sand beach and turquoise waters start from $125,000.Located just four blocks from El Coreicito Beach, two and three bedrooms condos with high-end finishings (marble floors, granite counter tops, precious woods) start from $147,000.In a gated community with private beach access and a golf course, luxury villas and condos from $165,000.On the Bavaro-Punta Cana tour, you’ll spend three days exploring communities along the Coconut Coast, including visits to those mentioned in the examples above. The pre-event tour runs from June 3 to June 6, while the post-event tour will start on June 10 and finish on June 13. To reserve your place on either of these tours and to receive further details, contact Scott Medina: medina.scott@gmail.com.The tours cost $550 for a single person and $750 for couples. The price includes transport, meals and accommodation.Reservations made before May 11 2012 will receive an early-bird discount, cutting the price to $495 for singles and $695 for doubles.Space is limited on each tour to 20 people, and on a first-come first-served basis. The Boutique Choice with Huge Rental PotentialThirty years ago, Las Terrenas was a rustic fishing village without paved roads or electricity. It was tough to get to. But today it only takes an hour and forty-five minutes to get to the island’s capital, Santo Domingo, and 25 minutes to drive El Catey international airport, thanks to a new road that opened in October 2011. It’s a total contrast to Bavaro. Las Terrenas isn’t a cookie-cutter, mass-market kind of place. It oozes charm. It boasts 19 miles of palm-lined beaches, brightly-painted stores, and a beach lifestyle that’s enviably relaxed. It’s free from crowds, high-rise condos, and sprawling resorts. It’s chic and low-key, a retreat for wealthy Dominicans and stylish Europeans. You won’t fight for space on the unspoiled beaches in Las TerrenasThe town’s 6000-8000 expats (mostly French and Italian) run little businesses: Boutique hotels, restaurants, cafes, bakeries and art galleries. The old wooden fishermen’s huts sitting on the beach are now trendy cafes and restaurants. They serve everything from wood-fired pizza to lobster ravioli (and that ravioli only costs $10) on outdoor decks on the sand, with the ocean a few steps away.The beach areas around Las Terrenas are some of the most pristine in the Dominican Republic. Playa Popy attracts kite and wind surfers. Playa Bonita’s soft sand beach wraps around a bay, lined with palm trees. A rocky outcrop pierces the shallow clear waters close to shore. Divers and snorkelers head to Isla Las Ballenas, which boasts an underwater wreck and coral flats.Surfers head to Playa Coson. Playa Coson is postcard material: pristine white sand flowing into the distance, clear water, and lofty palm trees. Luxury Living magazine voted Playa Coson one of their top 10 “Beaches to live on in Paradise”.Despite its chic charms, you can buy a home in Las Terrenas from $80,000. And there’s strong demand for rentals. And the cost of living is affordable here. You can live comfortably on $2000 a month.Rent out your second home when you’re not enjoying it yourself, and it could generate a healthy profit.Here are just a couple of examples of the type of property you’ll see on Toni Green’s tour of Las Terrenas and the beaches close by.New condos in the heart of Las Terrenas and just 10 minutes from the beach, with tastefully designed open-plan kitchen/living space and terraces overlooking the swimming pool. One bedroom, one bathroom units start at $71, 000.Two and three bedroom villas, and one and two bedroom condos, in a beachfront resort with restaurant and bar, gym, spa, mini market and deli. Many units boast views of the sea and mountains. Prices start from $294,000.New condos on the beach in one of the most beautiful natural bays of Las Terrenas, walking distance to restaurants and bars. The condos come with large covered terraces. Prices start from US$324,000.A re-sale home five minutes from the beach in a small private community with a communal pool surrounded by lush tropical gardens. This 1,226 square foot house has three bedrooms, two baths and plenty of covered outdoor living space – and an asking price of $195,000. On the Las Terrenas tour, you’ll spend a day exploring the charming town of Las Terrenas and surrounding beaches, including visits to several properties and developments. The next day will include a tour of the Ruta del Café and time for personalized property visits.The pre-event tour runs from June 4 to June 7. To reserve your place and receive further details, contact Ania Tomlinson: ania.tomlinson@gmail.com.The tours cost $450 for singles and $650 for couples. The price includes transport, most meals and accommodation.Space is limited to 20 people, and on a first-come first-served basis, so please make your reservation soon!The Resort Choice with Amenities on Your DoorstepOur third tour location is La Romana. It’s the location of our hotel for the seminar, Casa de Campo, which will give you a taste of luxury country club living in the Dominican Republic.Now, prices for a second home at Casa de Campo are beyond the reach of most. But what if could get a home in a country club setting just 25 minutes away…with a golf course, marina, beach club, tennis courts and casino…for significantly less?The Gran Bahia Principe group has 10 resorts in the Dominican Republic alone. They sell vacation packages through their own tour operators in Europe and Canada. They fly their guests on their own charter planes. Even their golf carts are made by a company they own.The Pinero family own and run the Gran Bahia group. He has big plans for his resort in La Romana.He plans to turn the 1,500 acres and 2 kilometers of beachfront into a self-contained Caribbean beach town. His plans call for: a new luxury hotel, a school, a 200 + slip marina, a hospital, commercial areas that include cafes and supermarkets, a golf course, beach clubs, condos, villas and townhouses.He’s already building the golf course…not waiting until he has sold enough lots to pay for it. It’s well advanced and looks great. He has built roads and infrastructure to areas where lots and condos will be sold.Some lots here have already sold. Mostly to insiders. Tennis star Rafa Nadal is building a beach house steps from the golf course. Stunning spec homes built to the highest standards with the best of materials range from $400,000 to $800,000.But it’s not all jet-set inventory. Condos have an entry point of $127,000…town homes with golf frontage and more than 2,100 square feet from less than $300,000…and villa lots from the $80,000s. Condo fees are reasonable for a resort with this planned level of amenities.This is a place where the rental yields from a condo or townhouse could be strong. And you get to buy early-in, picking the best inventory at the best price.If you’d like to check out the Gran Bahia…see the amenities…view the lots, condos and stylish houses on offer…contact Sonia Lee at sonialeediaz@gmail.com. Sonia can arrange for you to see the Gran Bahia either before or after the conference (it’s only a 20-minute drive from the conference hotel). You’ll Be Impressed by These Inviting Real Estate Opportunities…But HurryNo question about it… the Dominican Republic is the kind of place where you vacation for a week or two, then get on a plane with a fresh tan, a re-charged spirit – and an envy of those lucky ones who aren’t leaving.You’ll discover enticing beaches, seductive seas, and the relaxed lifestyle of the island if you sign-up for any of these tours…and see the finest properties, at the best prices.It’s definitely worth tacking on a few extra days to your trip this June–either before or after the seminar–and joining one of the tours.Spaces are strictly limited, and these tours fill fast. I always meet an attendee or two at the seminar that left it too late to book and couldn’t get a spot.I’d hate for you to be disappointed, so if you’re interested in any of the tours, please contact the real estate agent today.I look forward to meeting you at the event,Regards,Margaret Summerfield Pathfinder, Ltd.
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