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Cap Cana real estate · Properties chosen one by one

Real Estate Advisor · Cap Cana

Projects

Most of what will change hands in Cap Cana over the next five years has not been built yet. This is what is going up, who is building it, and what to check before you put money down.

See what is being built
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43

Developments I follow

29

Open in pre-sale

US$ 128K

Lowest entry price today

13

With CONFOTUR approved

Under construction

Buying before it is built

A large part of what is sold in Cap Cana today does not exist yet. Buying off plan usually means a better price and a payment plan spread over the construction period, in exchange for waiting and for taking on the developer’s risk.

That trade is worth making when the developer is solid and the contract is clear. It is a bad trade when either one is not, and no rendering will tell you which of the two you are looking at.

See what is still off plan

I have turned down developments that would have paid me well. If I cannot get a straight answer about where your money sits until handover, it does not go on this site.

Luz Ducós · Real Estate Advisor

Due diligence

Four answers to get before you reserve

These are the four I ask for on your behalf, and the ones that decide whether a development ends up listed here:

Who is building it

What the developer has finished before, and whether it was delivered on time and to the standard promised. A first-time developer is not automatically a bad bet, but the contract has to work harder.

What the contract says

Delivery date, penalties if it slips, what happens to your money if the build stops, and exactly which finishes are included. Ask for the specification as a signed annex, not as a brochure.

Where your payments sit

Whether instalments go into an escrow arrangement or straight to the developer. It changes your risk completely, and it is the question that gets dodged most often.

What it really costs to hold

Community charges, maintenance and management fees once it is delivered, not just the purchase price. In some buildings this changes the maths entirely.

The list

What is being built right now

Forty-three developments, from pre-sale to already delivered. Open one to see the stage, the unit types, the payment terms and what I know about the developer.

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Price US$ 125K
US$ 14M US$ 125K – US$ 14M

Incentives

CONFOTUR and what it saves you

CONFOTUR is the Dominican tourism development incentive scheme. Buildings that qualify carry tax benefits that pass to the buyer, most notably on the property transfer tax and on the annual property tax for a fixed period after the purchase. Thirteen of the developments on this site have it approved.

Worth knowing: the benefit belongs to the approved development, not to the buyer. Ask for the CONFOTUR resolution number and check it is still in force for the unit you are buying. I request that document before listing anything here, and your lawyer should confirm it independently.

The alternative

Or buy something that already exists

Finished units, handed over and habitable. You see exactly what you are buying, you can rent it from the first month, and there is no construction risk. The trade-off is price: delivered stock costs more than the same unit did off plan.

See finished properties

Before you commit

What buyers ask me about off plan

What if the developer does not finish?

That is the real risk, and nobody can remove it entirely. What you can do is ask where the instalments are held, whether there is an escrow arrangement, and what the contract says happens if the build stops. I do not list a development where I cannot get those three answers.

How do the payments usually work?

A reservation, a down payment, instalments through the construction period, and the balance at delivery. The split varies a great deal between developers. Get it in writing before you reserve, not after.

Can I resell before delivery?

Often yes, but the contract decides. Some developers charge a transfer fee, some require their approval, and a few do not allow it at all. Check it before you sign, not the day you want to sell.

Do the renderings match what gets built?

Not always. Ask for the technical specification of finishes as a signed annex to the contract. That document, not the render, is what you can hold them to.

Is off plan really cheaper?

Usually, and the payment plan spreads the cost over the build. You are paying with time and risk instead of cash. Whether that is a good deal depends entirely on the two answers above.

When do community charges start?

From delivery, not from the reservation. Ask for the estimated figure early: in a managed building with a lot of amenities it can change what the property really costs you every year.

Have a specific one in mind?

Send me the name and I will tell you what I know about the developer, the stage it is at, what the contract looks like — and whether I would buy it.

Ask me about it
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