When Land Turns into Opportunity: My Unexpected Offer in the Dominican Republic
How an unexpected proposal reshaped the plans for my Dominican Republic property.
I was planning to write about something else for today, but this has been on my mind nonstop — and sometimes, that’s what needs to be shared.
Patience presents unexpected opportunities
As many of you know, I’m in the process of building a home here in the Dominican Republic. I’m keeping the exact location private for now — I’ve always valued a bit of personal privacy, especially with a project this close to the heart.
What I didn’t expect? That just getting permits would take nearly 8 weeks — and that’s with solid connections. I’ll be honest: I thought we’d be well into the build by now.
But you know that saying, “patience is a virtue”? Well, life has a funny way of turning delays into unexpected opportunities.
How it all might of started
To protect the privacy of others, I’m going to explain this the best way I can without revealing personal details. If the main people involved are ever comfortable with me sharing more behind-the-scenes logistics, I’ll revisit this story with more depth.
I believe it all started a little over a month ago. My lady and I were out at the land, marking the boundaries for the crew that was coming in to level the ground and clear a few trees. (By the way, this process is called Limpieza, Nivelación y Corte — it requires a permit that usually takes about 30 days to get approved.)
Somebody was watching
We met a guy who knows another guy that works in this field — and with a little extra, our permit wait turned from 30 days into just a few.
The trucks began early, clearing and levelling the lot from 8 AM until about 3 PM. Everything seemed to be going smoothly — but apparently, we were being watched.
The street is usually quiet. So quiet that you can actually notice when a few unfamiliar cars linger a little too long. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. Construction draws attention — people drive by, take a look, and move on.
But knowing what I know now, I don’t think it was just random curiosity. These weren’t just passersby. They were colleagues of a big developer.
At the present moment…
Our agent reaches out and tells us that someone out here—someone considered a pretty big deal—is interested in our land. I say it’s not for sale, of course.
The developer doesn’t want all of it—just about half. He’s offering to replace what he takes and throw in an extra 35% more land on top. But this isn’t really about the land itself. It’s about location.
He has a big vision for a beautiful project, and my land happens to be the exact piece he needs to complete it.
I turn down the offer. I know what I have. I bought this land knowing it was a prime location, and we’re only a few permits away from starting to build.
Even though the land he’s offering is right beside mine, that offer doesn’t interest me.
The gentleman becomes persistent. He keeps asking my agent for direct contact. I guess he wants to walk me through what he sees—explain the big picture.
A few days later, he comes back—with a better offer: 70% more land.
Now we’re talking
Now we’re talking! With this new offer, I could have more space—and possibly build another house.
But the biggest factor here is time.
We finally get on the phone, and he’s direct. If I decide to take the deal, he’s willing to reimburse me. His heart seems to be in the right place—he just wants to improve the area.
And honestly, if I make the deal, what he’s building could absolutely raise the value of my property. If I don’t, he’ll have to go back to the drawing board and figure out a new design.
You might be wondering: why didn’t he think about buying my land before I did?
Good question—I forgot to ask him that. Lol.
Still, if this deal is going to happen, I have my own requests.
I’d need to be reimbursed for everything:
Fees
Taxes
Permits
All the work that’s gone in so far.
Time is money, and I’ve already invested a lot of both. That’s going to cost him a pretty penny.
To me, time is more valuable than additional land.
So now we’re here: by this weekend, he needs to meet my terms.
Then it’s simple—deal or no deal.
And honestly? I’m good either way.
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