½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Our fees for buying three properties was around 1700.  They were all from the same owner...so it was essentially a single purchase.  So, sounds about right.  I paid my real estate lawyer here in states 13K for help with legal crap to sell my old house...so, I think it's a deal.

Bob will have a better idea, on the surface ot seems reasonable.

Land transfer taxes will be 3% of the value of the property.  A higher end lawyer will charge you 1% for legal fees in a purchase.  You can get a lawyer for much less but it depends on your situation and if you are knowledgeable and comfortable with the lawyer you choose.  POA generally costs around $60 to process depending upon whether your Notary is local or not.  If your lawyer is charging more than $100 for the POA, be careful that he\she is not just interested in your money.  That sometimes translates into them not doing their job, which should include a complete title search, a guarantee of no liens or encumbrances (a letter from the  land registry office showing there are no liens or encumbrances). Since this is an older development, there should be no liens.  Be sure the maintenance fees have been paid up to date as well as utilities.  Inquire as to what the maintenance fees cost and what is included as well as the financial status of the development.  Also whether there is a Home Owner's Association or who is running the Condo Association.  Do they have a current Financial statement and minutes from their last Condo Meeting (General Assembly).

Very sound advice...are there reputable attorneys that guide you through the process..or is this luck of the draw as well..also are there attorneys fluent in English..my Spanish is ok but not enough to start sighing contracts written in spanish...I plan on being there in 3 weeks on the north coast and if I see something I like I'm ready to proceed as soon as possible.....thanks in advance

Yes, there are good lawyers but they are few and far between.  I am in the Punta Cana area and have used several lawyers here for different purposes. Up until recently, the previous lawyers I was using were pretty much useless.  I have a very good lawyer now that speaks English and Spanish.  It's part luck of the draw and part experience.  Having been to court several times you get to know the lawyers and how they behave.  I think someone here on the forum should be able to recommend a decent lawyer on the North Coast. Keep in mind what I mentioned above and "interview" the lawyer before making any agreement with them.  Be sure to know what you will be getting for your $$$.  Do your homework and be sure that you really want to buy.  There is a lot of red tape in purchasing property in this country that you may not be ready for.  Make sure that you understand the inheritance laws here as well as they can present other very complicated problems for survivors in the event of death of one of the owners.  Feel free to send me a private message if you want further advise.

Great advice and info Mike

Thanks Mike..I will get in touch I'll be down in 3 weeks will contact you when I touch ground..thanks for your advice...I'm sure I'll need more in the future...take care

Mike good advice and info.  Most lawyers charge 1% of the purchase price for their fee and then you have the taxes and other fees.  $1700 Does not seem out of line to me but that will also depend on the purchase price

Bob K

We're paying about $2700 for our attorney to represent us in a real estate purchase.  We did some research and that was in line with what we found - also close to the 1% that others have mentioned..

@DominicanadaMike

Can you tell me who the lawyer in Punta Cana you recommend?  We are looking at a condo in a small town on southern coast but think it will be more efficient to use an attorney in Punta Cana vs Santo Domingo.

@unforgettableescapes My wife and I made an offer on a condo in Bavaro last May and immediately left the country and have not returned yet. My attorney and Real Estate Agent closed the deal in July, everything went perfect and it was a pleasure to deal with them. Both speak perfect English and gave me no reason to worry. The legal fees were 1.5% which included most costs except land transfer tax. I don't know if it would be appropriate to post their info here but I will provide if I am contacted. Gary

@unforgettableescapes:  I sent you a private message.

Who was the attorney you used?

I’m on the north coast in PP and my attorney charged 1% for my closing , and he speaks

fluent English having gone to college for four years in New Jersey, He took care of all the

paperwork , looking up all the documents pertaining to the house and going down to pay the taxes…….. he seems to be one that knows everyone in the court system and government offices ……

@unforgettableescapes

We are developers in Punta Cana and many of our Canadian buyers have chosen this firm, and I must say they are detailed, diligent, very professional, and best of all bilingual.

Guzmán Ariza | Abogados y Consultores

Andrea Nina

Abogada | Attorney

[link moderated] | *

Let them know Alba from Caney recommended.

And congrats on your purchase!

First clue: Developers in general cannot be trusted in PC...so that includes their referrals...in my experience here.  Since this is an expat forum, looks like trolling...

It's really bad form when your first post is to say you are a developer and then recommend a lawyer!  It's just not allowed.

That said, Guzman Ariza is a well known, large law firm in the country.  Are they good?  Probably. Some lawyers may be excellent, others are not. 

There are good and bad lawyers in every law firm.  Keep in mind the Guzman name is a company...

We've used Guzman in Las Terrenas for all our real estate purchases. They handled all these transactions well, and at what I think was not too outrageous a price.

They did gouge us on a simple Power of Attorney (2-2.5 times the normal rate in DR) and wanted to charge us $900 to pull one piece of paper out of our files and do a title search when we sold one of the properties. The Title search has a fee of 1000 DOP or so and takes just a few minutes to submit online. Needless to say, we did not engage them for that!

@DominicanadaMike

Just for the record, I am an EXpat, and we are associated with developments in Punta Cana but our company headquarters are in NJ.

as an ex-pat myself, I like to have knowledge of the trends and needs of the housing market and just wanted to recommend a firm that works with the same quality standards, Americans and Canadians are used to, because as you all know attorneys can be very sketchy in the Dominican flawed legal system.

@planner as I answered above I am an ex-pat that has integrated into the investment side like every other ex-pat in this forum, only I happen to be on the development side since I'm An Architect. I actually have a 2-year-old account that I just didn't recall the password from my phone. and i very seldom comment unless I feel I can give High Value to a conversation. And as proven by others' experience it seems my recommendation was not a bad one. Happy holidays!

Thank you for introducing yourself!  That always goes a long way here!  Welcome to the forums.  Please feel free to contribute to the forums.

Understand that we get a lot of people who jump in to promote "someone" or "something" and then disappear again. 

Who you recommended are well known here and we appreciate your comments!

@Alba Tejada:  that would have been a better lead-in...but that doesn't change my opinion of developers here.  To change that will require developers delivering on their promises supported by affidavits or trusted referrals.  Developers have caused this problem and they are the ones that need to fix it.   

Sorry, this has gone a bit off topic but as far as lawyers are concerned, I am happy to share my lawyer's name in a private message for anyone looking for an english\spanish speaking lawyer specializing in Land acquisitions, real estate and associated law.  I have used a few lawyers in the PC area for various issues but none come close to the one I have now.

Hi, can anyone recommend OCC or cana law. Looking to purchase a property in PC. Thanks

@DominicanadaMike  which lawyer you recommend in punta cana   i am try to buy a piece of land

Are you still looking for an attorney? if so let me know as I have experience with two @ Guzman both in PC.

@feroz01 I'll send you a private message.

@gwallace1952

Hi,

I would like the contact information, please. I am interested in purchasing a property.

Thanks

Hi,

In general it is 3% tax (But it is possible to make 2 acts to reduce taxes) and 1% (lawyer/notary) also negotiable (everything depends on the total value of the purchase because 1000 sqm or 10 000 sqm it is the same work but not the same price).

Regards

@Tippjis this in puerta Plata? if so can you please give me his information. thanks

@Tippj

hi,

are you located in Puerta plata? if so, can you please send me the informationof your real estate lawyer?

@anotherchance

Hi. I am looking to purchase a property in Punta Cana and have been reading here in the forum. I am considering OCC for representation. Do you think that's a good choice? ***

Please don't post personal contact info on a public forum

@Luxeus I am not familiar with this firm, I can recommend my real estate attorney but the only issue is she only speaks spanish, she is a retired judge focus now in real estate law, I can tell you I have seen her turn away business because clients insist in buying in a project that legally does not check out after the initial search, that is quite telling as many would take the money and keep it moving. She also can help establish companies, she helped a few years back for me to legalize my real estate business in the country and guided me in the right direction to stay current with my Registro Mercantil and obligations with the DGII (DR department of taxation). Hope this helps, feel free to reach out privately and best of luck in your journey!

I would never rely on the sellers lawyer. They are in a position of conflict.  Get your own lawyer and make sure you understand it totally!