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Gord, Dee Dee, Giggsy, Rich (Wildefire Properties)

Meet our neighbours, expats Gord Cameron and his lovely wife Dee Dee, and of course, their little dog Giggsy (or, as I was told, Perro Locco). He really is a cute little guy, but sometimes …well, you just have to watch your toes.

I asked the Camerons recently why they chose Sosua as their Caribbean retirement home, and here is what they had to say.

 

 

 

Our Journey – Retirement in the Caribbean

Hi to all you prospective retirees looking to spend your well-earned rest in the sun.

My name is Gord Cameron and my wife Diane (aka Dee Dee) and I are from Keswick, Ontario, Canada. Since I retired at the end of last year we have moved to Sosua on the north end of the Dominican Republic where we live full time.

The decision to move here was not on a sudden whim as we are sun seekers and spent many hours researching not only the DR but everywhere else in the Caribbean and also parts of South America.

We focused on these things:

  • Property prices and availability.
  • Cost of living.
  • Climate
  • Places to eat out
  • Shipping our belongings.

We narrowed it down to Sosua as the place that had it all, so we came on vacation just to take a look around and fell in love with this little town and the friendly local people.

We were very lucky as we bumped into Richard Regan, who I have known and worked with for over 15 years. Richard, owner of Wildfire Properties, introduced us to Residencial Casa Linda, which is a great gated community between Sosua and Cabarete.

We have been here for six months and have never regretted our decision.

Pros and Cons of Retiring in the North Coast of the Dominican

Pros:

  • There are 2 large supermarkets that cater to visitors from every country in the world. You can also find plenty of fresh fruit vendors parked along the side of the road selling organic fruits and vegetables. Prices are very reasonable all year round. 
  • The weather is hot which we love (high humidity during the summer months)
  • There are so many restaurants large and small that cater to everyone’s tastes and the prices are excellent. Two can dine with drinks for under $20!!
  • We shipped our personal belongings in barrels which was very cheap.
  • Large Ex Pat community from Canada, USA and Europe.
  • Drinks (domestic beer and spirits) are very cheap compared to Canada.
  • No hurricanes on the north end of the island due to a mountain range that blocks it off.
  • Beautiful beaches.

Cons:

  • The convenience of running to a larger shopping mall is not available in Sosua & Cabarete. Here you will find smaller boutique shops, cafes, grocery stores, furniture stores, etc.  However, within twenty minutes, you can find larger stores in Puerto Plata and an hours drive great shopping in Santiago. In Santo Domingo, they have several larger gallerias similar to ones found in North America. Santo Domingo is approximately a 4 hour drive.
  • Cars in general are very expensive here as they are all imports.
  • Driving here can be interesting as rules of the road are almost non-existent!! Taking your time and defensive driving is recommended. 
  • It is advisable to live in a reputable “gated community” that will provide 24/7 security for absentee home owners  and to avoid any petty theft that may occur. 
  • Leave the “I need it now” mentality because this country runs at a very slow speed.
  • We didn’t ship our furniture as it was very expensive to do so, but managed to buy what we needed for a reasonable price. Also, furniture from Canada is not always suitable for the Caribbean climate. 

We would recommend this destination to anyone who wants to live here full time or be a “snowbird” for the colder months.

Looking forward to seeing you in the DR.

Gord & Dee Dee Cameron

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