FAQ

Yes, as long as you follow an orderly process. Plenty of people in the diaspora buy without any trouble. The real risks, such as titles with liens, land without an official boundary survey, or sellers who aren't the true owners, can be avoided by checking before you pay.

The golden rule: no payment until your own lawyer has reviewed the Certificate of Title and the Certificación de Estado Jurídico (the legal-status certificate). Work with vetted agents, always pay by bank transfer and be wary of anyone rushing you. Our guide to avoiding scams walks you through the most common red flags.

Before we label a property as verified, we check seven things: the Certificate of Title and the legal-status certificate (to see if there are mortgages or liens), that the land has a "deslinde" (official boundary survey), that the seller's ID matches the title, an in-person visit or live video walkthrough, that the agent has passed our vetting, our own dated photos, and that the price makes sense against zone data.

We re-verify every 90 days (example data). It's a serious filter, but it doesn't replace your lawyer's review. Full details are on our Methodology page.

Our directory is not an open registry, and nobody can sign themselves up. We interview every agent or professional, verify their identity and track record, ask for references from past clients (ideally buyers from abroad) and review how they document their deals. We also check for known complaints.

If someone stops meeting our criteria or we receive well-founded complaints, they come off the directory. Once the real-estate intermediation bill becomes law, we'll also require the official licence. Browse the directory at Verified agents.

The key document is the Certificate of Title, which proves who owns the property according to the Title Registry. With it, your lawyer can request a Certificación de Estado Jurídico del Inmueble, a certificate showing any mortgages, liens, claims or other encumbrances. Make sure it's recent, issued just days before you sign.

Also confirm the property has a "deslinde", meaning its boundaries have been surveyed and approved, and that the seller's name matches their ID or passport. We walk you through it step by step in Verifying a property title.

The most common ones: a price far below the zone average, pressure ("there's another buyer, decide today"), being asked for a deposit before you've seen the title, cash payments or payments into an intermediary's personal account, a seller who never shows up or "signs for a relative" without a power of attorney, and documents you only ever see as phone photos.

If you spot any of these, stop and talk to your lawyer. A good property can wait a few days for proper checks. More in our guide to avoiding scams.

Yes, most purchases can be completed without you being in the DR. You see the property on a live video call, your lawyer reviews the paperwork, and you sign through an apostilled power of attorney, or sign before a notary where you live and send the documents over.

Communication happens by email and video call, and payments by bank transfer. What matters is having a reliable team on the ground: a lawyer who works only for you and a verified agent. Read Buying as a foreigner to see the full process.

It's not required. With an apostilled power of attorney, someone you trust can sign for you. Still, if you can make at least one trip, it's worth it: getting to know the neighborhood, checking the roads at different times of day and chatting with neighbors tells you things no photo can.

Some steps may require you in person, such as opening certain bank accounts or parts of the residency process. Ask your lawyer early on what you can delegate and what you can't. More in Buying as a foreigner.

It's a document that authorizes someone else, usually your lawyer or a relative, to act on your behalf: signing the promise of sale, the final contract or handling filings at the Title Registry. You sign it before a notary in the country where you live and then get it apostilled, an official stamp that makes it valid in the DR. If your country isn't part of the Apostille Convention, it's legalized at the Dominican consulate instead.

Tip: keep it specific (which property, which acts and until what date). More in our guide for foreign buyers.

It depends on the type of property. A resale with its paperwork in order can close in 30 to 60 days (example data) from signing the promise of sale. Issuing the new title in your name at the Title Registry can take another 30 to 90 days (example data).

If you're buying off-plan, construction sets the pace, often 18 to 36 months (example data). If you need financing or an apostilled power of attorney, add a few weeks. Your lawyer can give you a realistic timeline for your situation.

Yes, you can rent it out long-term or seasonally. If you live abroad, most owners hire a property management company to handle guests, cleaning, maintenance and collections in exchange for a share of the income, often 15% to 25% (example data) for vacation rentals.

Before buying, confirm the condo rules allow short-term rentals, and keep in mind that rental income is taxable. The yields we show for each zone are estimates, not promises. Check the zones and use our tools to run the numbers.

It means the figure next to it, whether a price, percentage, timeframe or amount, is illustrative. We use it to help you understand orders of magnitude while we complete and confirm information against official sources. Please don't base decisions on it without checking.

We also flag tax rates and legal requirements this way until we've confirmed them against current regulations. You'll see the same label on property and zone pages. Learn how we handle data on our Methodology page.

Your money never goes through HomeDominican; we don't receive or hold payments. You pay directly by bank transfer into the account named in the contract, usually in the seller's or developer's name, or into an escrow-type arrangement such as a trust (fideicomiso) or escrow account, which only releases the funds once the agreed conditions are met.

Ground rules: never cash, never into an agent's personal account, and no payment before your lawyer has reviewed the title. Keep every receipt. More in our guide to avoiding scams.

On top of the price, budget roughly an extra 4% to 5% (example data). The biggest item is the property transfer tax, 3% (example data), paid to the DGII on whichever is higher: the price or the official appraisal. Add lawyer fees, typically 1% to 1.5% (example data), plus notary and registry fees.

If the project has Confotur approval, you may be exempt from the transfer tax. Full breakdown in Taxes and closing costs.

Yes, it's possible. Several Dominican banks, such as Banreservas, BHD and Banco Popular, offer mortgages for Dominicans living abroad, and some also consider foreign buyers. They usually ask for a larger down payment than for residents, often 20% to 30% (example data), plus proof of income in your home country, credit history and apostilled documents.

Terms vary by bank and by your profile, so compare several offers. For off-plan projects, a direct payment plan with the developer is another option. More in Financing for non-residents.

The main one is IPI (Impuesto al Patrimonio Inmobiliario), an annual property tax of 1% (example data) on the value above an exemption threshold that the DGII adjusts each year for inflation. If your total real-estate holdings are below that threshold, you pay nothing.

If you rent the property out, the rental income is taxable too. And if your project has Confotur status, you may be exempt from IPI for a period. Your lawyer or an accountant can register you with the DGII. Details in Taxes and closing costs.

Not to buy: you can pay by international wire from your own bank. But if you'll be renting out, paying condo fees, utilities and IPI, or taking a local loan, a Dominican account makes life much easier.

Some banks let you open one from abroad, though they usually ask for your passport, bank references and sometimes an in-person visit. Ask about requirements early. Also keep in mind that large international transfers may require proof of where the funds came from, so have your paperwork ready. More in Financing for non-residents.

Yes. In the Dominican Republic, foreigners can buy and hold property in their own name with the same rights as Dominicans, without needing residency or a local partner. A valid passport is all you need to sign.

You can also buy through a company, which some buyers choose for inheritance or tax reasons; talk that through with your lawyer. If you're Dominican with another nationality, you can buy using either your cédula (Dominican ID) or your foreign passport. More in Buying as a foreigner.

Confotur is the Tourism Development Council that applies Law 158-01. Tourism projects it approves receive tax benefits that pass on to buyers: typically an exemption from transfer tax on the first purchase and from IPI property tax for a period, often 15 years (example data) counted from the project's approval.

Watch out: the benefit belongs to the project, not the area, and the clock starts when the project is approved, not when you buy. Ask for the Confotur resolution and check that it's still valid. More in our Confotur guide.

Buying doesn't give you residency automatically, but it can help you get it. Residency by investment lets you apply if you invest above a minimum amount, which has been around US$200,000 (example data); the application goes through the Dirección General de Migración (immigration authority) with support from ProDominicana. There's also a path for retirees and people with passive income under Law 171-07.

Requirements change, so confirm them with an immigration lawyer. We explain it all in Residency by investment.

A "deslinde" is the process in which a licensed surveyor measures a plot and the land courts (Jurisdicción Inmobiliaria) officially approve its exact boundaries. Under Law 108-05 on Real Estate Registration, each property should have its own Certificate of Title with those boundaries defined.

A property without a deslinde, for example one held under a "constancia anotada" that only recognizes a share of a larger plot, is harder to sell, finance and defend. It's not always a deal-breaker, but your lawyer should examine it very closely. More in Verifying a property title.

Yes. They are businesses such as lawyers, insurers, property managers and movers that pay to appear in that section. It helps us keep the site running.

They must pass the same vetting as our agents and are always labelled as sponsored. Paying changes nothing else: it doesn't buy verifications, a better spot in the listings or opinions in our guides. Whether you contact them is entirely up to you. Our full policy is on the Methodology page.

No. HomeDominican is an informational website. We are not a licensed real-estate agent or intermediary, we don't negotiate on your behalf, and we never receive or hold money. We publish guides, zone data and verified properties, and connect you with professionals we have vetted; the relationship and contract are between you, the seller and those professionals.

A bill pending in the Dominican Congress would regulate real-estate intermediation, with licences, an official agent registry and renewal every two years. We're following it closely and will adapt our criteria once it passes. More in our Terms of use.