Denise
@ddmcghee
American expat in Dominican Republic
Forum posts
1872
Contacts
37
About me
American, Married
Lives in Las Terrenas, Samaná
Speaks English
Registration: 15 May 2017
Activity
Moving to Las Terrenas or Semana by Steverino7777
Hello,As I approach my 10th anniversary living seasonally in La Romana and Casa de Campo, I am seriously considering moving to a new winter home in the Las Terrenas / Semana area. I have only been to the cities of Semana and Las Terrenas but I am ...
@Steverino7777 I'm not sure what apartments are currently renting for. I have a friend with an apartment that is very reasonable. We used one of her apartments for a recent clothing swap, and it looked nice. I'll PM you a link to a listing. She ... Read More
Moving to Las Terrenas or Semana by Steverino7777
Hello,As I approach my 10th anniversary living seasonally in La Romana and Casa de Campo, I am seriously considering moving to a new winter home in the Las Terrenas / Semana area. I have only been to the cities of Semana and Las Terrenas but I am ...
The new Marriott hotel here has had its opening delayed several times. I know for sure that the first delay (of the March 2025 opening) was because a planned update to the sewage system on Playa Ballenas was never done. The city provided pipes for ... Read More
Best ant killer available in the DR? by wondering9
I'm suddenly getting a lot of ants, despite being pretty religious about not leaving food out & washing up right after eating. My landlady says they do this every fall and recommends something called Baygon. I looked it up and it looks pretty ...
@wondering9 I was a certifiable arachnophobe when we moved here 5+ years ago! They can still startle me, especially the speedy Huntsman spiders, but my appreciation for them has grown and converted me into an arachnophile! I've even said that if I ... Read More
Cost of Living for º£½ÇÂÒÂ×s – Housing, Utilities, and Daily Expenses by Mical Jhon
Hello everyone,I’m currently researching the cost of living for expats and would love to hear from those who have first-hand experience. While online data gives a general idea, real-life insights from people living abroad are always more ...
As SimCityAT says, there is a lot of good info on this topic in the thread shared.Some things are much cheaper - like healthcare. We pay about $130/month for good health insurance for two of us. In the US, that would be $1500 or more. We have both ... Read More
Moving to Las Terrenas or Semana by Steverino7777
Hello,As I approach my 10th anniversary living seasonally in La Romana and Casa de Campo, I am seriously considering moving to a new winter home in the Las Terrenas / Semana area. I have only been to the cities of Semana and Las Terrenas but I am ...
@DRVisitor Using existing! So more homes, apartments, and hotels with the same electricity, water supply, and roads. Read More
Best ant killer available in the DR? by wondering9
I'm suddenly getting a lot of ants, despite being pretty religious about not leaving food out & washing up right after eating. My landlady says they do this every fall and recommends something called Baygon. I looked it up and it looks pretty ...
If you can find Borax, mix it with a little sugar and water in a bottle cap. The sugar attracts the ants, and they carry the Borax back to the nest to kill the colony. It's not immediate, but it will take care of the ones you can't see either.We ... Read More
Moving to Las Terrenas or Semana by Steverino7777
Hello,As I approach my 10th anniversary living seasonally in La Romana and Casa de Campo, I am seriously considering moving to a new winter home in the Las Terrenas / Semana area. I have only been to the cities of Semana and Las Terrenas but I am ...
@Steverino7777 I don't know much about the areas in Samana outside of Las Terrenas. I have heard from folks in Samana town and Las Galleras that they have to come to Las Terrenas for shopping. There are colmados and small grocery stores elsewhere, ... Read More
Moving to Las Terrenas or Semana by Steverino7777
Hello,As I approach my 10th anniversary living seasonally in La Romana and Casa de Campo, I am seriously considering moving to a new winter home in the Las Terrenas / Semana area. I have only been to the cities of Semana and Las Terrenas but I am ...
@DRVisitor And infrastructure has not kept pace! LT has major issues with electricity, water supply, and traffic. Read More
Managing mailboxes or PO boxes in Dominican Republic by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Something as simple as receiving mail can become a whole new experience when you settle in Dominican Republic as an expat. Mailing management can indeed be different from what you are used to. In order to help other expats and ...
There is no postal service, at least not in Las Terrenas! There is a post office, but those who have tried to have things mailed here have either experienced tremendous delays or had the items disappear. I'm not sure how mail delivery would even ... Read More
Medical Insurance for over 65 by carlvelas
Does anyone know of a private company offering medical insurance for persons over the age of 65?
@ryzik68 I'd suggest starting a new thread. By asking this question in this thread, only people reading the medical insurance thread will see it Read More
Shipping pallets OUT of DR by ddmcghee
Does anyone have experience shipping pallets out of DR? I'm looking for a reliable freight company.
@TippjThanks, but Awilda only ships out to New York. I need to ship to Panama. Read More
Residency - updates and changes 2024 by planner
We are seeing changes in processes here and it's time for a new thread with updates.LIshali had agreed to update us here on those changes and to clarify a number of issues as we go along!First let's talk the basics: how you start and which type you ...
With Pensionada Residency, you get one year to start, then each renewal gives you two more years. This was our third two-year renewal. Not sure when it gets longer than two years. Read More
Residency - updates and changes 2024 by planner
We are seeing changes in processes here and it's time for a new thread with updates.LIshali had agreed to update us here on those changes and to clarify a number of issues as we go along!First let's talk the basics: how you start and which type you ...
We renewed our residency this morning and the process was much more efficient than in years past! Our appointment at Migración was at 9:00. We were walking out the door with our new Residencia cards just before 10:00. We then drove across ... Read More
Managing retirement savings in Dominican Republic by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Saving for retirement as an expat in Dominican Republic can be challenging. With different options, rules or even taxation, expats have to understand how it works to make informed decisions. We invite you to share your insights in ...
We retired prior to becoming expats, so our days of contributing to retirement savings are behind us!We maintain bank accounts in the US and use those for accepting pension payments. We’ve had no issues accessing our accounts from here. Read More
Residency - updates and changes 2024 by planner
We are seeing changes in processes here and it's time for a new thread with updates.LIshali had agreed to update us here on those changes and to clarify a number of issues as we go along!First let's talk the basics: how you start and which type you ...
Update on renewal timing!Current Pensionado residency expires on 9/15/25Application for renewal submitted on 8/13/25Application approved on 8/20/25Appointment at Migración scheduled for 8/26/25We are working with Lishali, so she made sure ... Read More