retiring to the caribbean?

for those interested in the boom in the caribbean real estate market, check out this article:

http://biz.yahoo.com/special/luxurytravel06_article3.html

it talks about the growing appetite of americans for second homes and how that demand has resulted in many luxury developments being built throughout the caribbean. it also talks about why people are seeking out these developments. they gotta throw stuff in there about hurricanes of course. wish they wouldn't generalize that so much, given that the north coast of the DR is not very prone to having severe hurricanes.

i do love the comment about the guy from boston about how he doesn't need all those things in the malls back in the states. watching movies on sheets strung between palm trees suits him fine. sometimes i feel the same way, but i have to admit i did enjoy my shopping day in boston. that's maybe the crux of the quandry right now.

here in the DR, we are definitely in the lower end of the market from a luxury point of view. so, sure you can get a condo in DR for $40K. however, it is not going to be your ideal of one with an ocean view and tiles/fixtures etc. that are up to american standards. v and i live that false perception every day with clients looking for just that and then being disappointed at what $40K buys you here. it is still very inexpensive here, but one has to realize how much this market and others within the caribbean has taken off. you can be in a condo on the ocean here for $110K. pretty sweet, people!