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caribbeancounseldr.com / real estate

Buying property in the DR

is not hard. Doing it alone is.

Last week I found a foreign buyer standing in the title registry, paperwork in hand, with no idea which step came next. She had not done anything wrong. No one had told her the order, the offices, or the documents. That is the real risk for international buyers here. Not the price, not the property. The process.
Have Esteban guide your purchase →

The Foreign Buyer's Legal Guide to the Dominican Republic

A plain-English walk through buying property in the Dominican Republic, including the pre signature checklist. Yours to read before you commit to anything.

You did not get lost. The system was never built for you to navigate alone.

A property purchase in the Dominican Republic runs through a chain of offices that assume you already know how it works: the Registro de Títulos, the DGII, Hacienda, a notary, sometimes a surveyor. Each one expects a specific document in a specific order. Miss one and the next will not move. Local buyers learned this by repetition. You are expected to learn it on your first and largest transaction, in a language and a legal system that are not yours. That is not a flaw in you. It is the gap we close. Under Dominican law, a foreign buyer generally holds the same right to own titled real estate as a Dominican citizen, and Caribbean Counsel represents that buyer, not the seller and not the developer, at every office in the chain.
The whole process · § 01

From the first title search to your name on the certificate.

1.

Before you commit

Title investigation, contract review, and the conditions that decide whether the property is really clean and really the seller's to sell. Under Dominican law, ownership of registered land is proven by the Certificado de Título issued by the Registro de Títulos, and Caribbean Counsel confirms that document actually belongs to the seller before a buyer commits money.
2.

While you buy

Promesa negotiation, powers of attorney if you cannot be present, escrow when needed, and the closing itself.
3.

After you sign

RNC registration, CONFOTUR filing where the property qualifies, recording at the DGII and the Registro de Títulos, and delivery of your certificate of title. You do not walk into a single one of those offices. I do.
Where it turns · § 02

Three points where the process turns against you.

Each one has its own page
Before you sign.
The contract was written by the developer's lawyer, to protect the developer. Someone has to read it for you.
Due diligence & contract review →
When the developer fails.
Late delivery, a stalled project, a deposit held against the contract. The longer it sits, the more it belongs to them.
Developer disputes →
When the tax benefit slips away.
CONFOTUR is not automatic. If no one files, fifteen years of exemption never reach your title.
CONFOTUR →
Esteban A. Sánchez · Counsel
Esteban A. Sánchez · Counsel
Who handles it · § 03

You talk to the lawyer. Every time.

I'm Esteban A. Sánchez, a Dominican attorney based in Punta Cana. International buyers reach me directly. When something in a transaction needs a decision, you hear it from me, not from an assistant after the fact. The point of working with me is simple: you stop navigating the system, and I navigate it for you. Caribbean Counsel represents buyers only in property purchases, so the same attorney never sits on both sides of a transaction, and Caribbean Counsel's analysis of more than 3,000 Dominican court decisions is what shows which contract clauses local courts have actually rejected.
What it prevents · § 04

What handling the whole process actually prevents.

Names redacted · outcomes factual
Contract Outcome
A cancellation clause let the developer keep 40% of a buyer's deposit. Flagged before signing, renegotiated out of the contract entirely.
Renegotiated out
Recovery Outcome
A buyer waited two years for a project that never broke ground. A formal demand rescinded the contract and returned the full $50,000 this month, without a courtroom.
$50,000 returned
Questions · § 05

Before you reach out.

The questions international buyers ask before a Dominican purchase. Plain answers.
01.

Can a foreigner buy property in the Dominican Republic?

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Yes. Foreign buyers have effectively the same property rights as Dominican citizens. There is no special restriction on owning real estate. The difficulty is not your right to buy. It is navigating the process that comes with it.
02.

Do I need a Dominican attorney, or is the developer's notary enough?

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The developer's notary represents the developer. Independent counsel represents you. Buying without it is the most common way international buyers lose money here.
03.

Do I have to be in the country for the purchase?

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No. Through a power of attorney, the entire transaction can be handled while you are abroad. You do not need to fly in for each step.
04.

What are the main costs beyond the purchase price?

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Typically the 3% transfer tax (unless CONFOTUR applies), legal fees, and registration costs. We give you the full picture before you commit, so nothing surprises you at closing.
05.

How long does a purchase take?

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Most straightforward transactions move within a few weeks once due diligence clears. Problems, when they exist, surface during due diligence, which is exactly why it comes first.
06.

Does Caribbean Counsel work with developers?

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No. Caribbean Counsel represents buyers only in Dominican property transactions. Esteban A. Sánchez does not act for developers, sellers, or brokers in a purchase where the buyer is the client, because the same attorney cannot protect both sides of the same deal. That independence is what allows a buyer to receive candid advice about a contract.
07.

How are fees structured?

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Caribbean Counsel sets out legal fees in writing before any work begins, so a buyer knows the scope of the engagement and what it will cost before committing. Fees are tied to the specific work involved, such as title investigation, contract review, or closing support, and a buyer is told in advance about registry and government costs that are paid separately.
08.

How fast do they respond?

+
International buyers reach Esteban A. Sánchez directly rather than through an assistant, by email or WhatsApp. Caribbean Counsel keeps office hours Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time, and messages that arrive outside those hours are picked up when the office reopens. When a transaction needs a decision, the buyer hears it from the attorney.

You found the property.

Let someone else find the path.

You should not have to learn the Dominican title system to buy one piece of it. Tell me what you are buying, or what you are considering, and I will tell you exactly what the process looks like from here. Then I will handle it.
Have Esteban guide your purchase →
WhatsApp · +1 (809) 484-8889 · info@caribbeancounseldr.com
Verified Google reviews

What real clients say about working with Esteban.

5.0 · 5 reviews on Google

If you are looking for the best attorneys in Punta Cana, give Esteban and team a call at Guzman Ariza. We've used them multiple times for various real estate related issues and we could not have asked for a better outcomes. If we ever need an attorney in the DR again, it will definitely be with Esteban!

Jeffrey Hill · Google review

Esteban Sanchez was a great help to my case regarding a lease issue in Vista Cana. If you're looking for someone who has great communication and a great work ethic I would definitely recommend Esteban as your lawyer in Punta Cana.

Jaay Bond · Google review

I had a really great experience with attorney Esteban Sanchez and the rest of the staff at Guzman Ariza! I needed some documents in a rush for the sale of a property back home and they got everything done perfectly and expeditiously! I highly recommend Esteban and the rest of the staff at Guzman Ariza!

Rodney Montoya · Google review

Estaban is great, communicative and attentive lawyer. He had our best interest at heart and we were pleased with the overall experience.

Tianna Ashley · Google review

Absolutely amazing! Such a professional and well rounded Attorney. So many talents from law to personal connection that helped so much! In good hands with this man!

Albert Riibe · Google review
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