DR Haters, I Took A Trip - Here's What I Learned...

In this edition of the Grubernation Weekly Newsletter:

• How Travelling to Peru Changed My DR Perspective

• The Jet Set Collapse & the Soul of the DR

• Dominican Republic Mass Deportations Will SHAKE Real Estate Prices

Need an attorney for your Dominican real estate investment? You can connect to mine by clicking this link and he’ll reach out. This is the same one I’m using for my investments. Hope it helps!

I’m writing this from Peru — and man, what a trip.

We’ve driven to tiny towns 5 hours outside of Lima, flown to Cusco, wandered around Urubamba, and tomorrow we hit Machu Picchu. It’s been wild, eye-opening, and unforgettable.

And it’s made one thing really clear: I love the Dominican Republic even more than I thought I did.

You’ve probably heard me rave about the DR over the last couple of years — how far it’s come, how good the lifestyle can be, how bullish I am on its future. And as my reach has grown, so have the voices telling me I’m wrong. That I’m blind. That I’m a fool.

They point to real estate scams. Police corruption. The Jet Set nightclub collapse. Infrastructure issues. “The market’s oversaturated!” “The roads are trash!” “It’s too expensive!” “Just leave!”

And honestly… yeah, there’s truth in some of those critiques. The DR has plenty of problems. But this trip to Peru gave me perspective. Three things stood out:

1. The Dominican Republic has come so far. I’ve been visiting for 15 years and living there for the last 3, and the progress is crazy. In Peru, I’ve seen towns that look like they’ve been through war — homes without roofs, streets completely blown out, infrastructure that’s barely hanging on.

2. The DR just looks and feels better. The greens and blues, the vibe, the climate, the organization — it’s next level. My wife said, “I’ll never complain about DR driving again.” If you think Cortecito roads are bad, try driving through some of these Peruvian towns.

3. The DR is safe — at least where we live. I don’t feel unsafe in Peru, but I’m definitely more on guard — about the same level I feel in the U.S. In the DR, yeah, there are places and times to be smart. But if you live in a so-called “bubble” — Punta Cana, Cabarete, central Santo Domingo — it’s amazing. Peru has those bubbles too, but they’re smaller and flanked by way more chaos. Even Medellín last year felt less tense than parts of Peru.

We’re traveling with 2 other Dominican famlies and one French - and they all agree with the above. We all have expressed TRUE admiration for DR after seeing life in Peru.

So yeah, I get the criticism. But this trip has only made me more certain about my love for the Dominican Republic. The trolls can keep trolling — I’m doubling down on DR.

The Jet Set Collapse & the Soul of the DR

The Dominican Republic went into three days of mourning last week after a roof collapsed at Jet Set, a beloved Santo Domingo nightclub, killing over 230 people — including the legendary merengue singer Rubby Pérez, a former MLB pitcher, and a local governor.

Six months ago, I was at that very club. It’s surreal.

When something like this happens, the country feels it — deeply. I felt it. We all did. Friends messaging me, people we know from the gym lost their lives. You walk around, and there’s a heaviness in the air that’s hard to describe unless you live here.

The messages started pouring in — most filled with grief, some with questions. What happened? Was it poor construction? Too much weight on the roof? Corruption? And sadly, some messages were smug. “See? This is what happens in the DR.” As if tragedy is proof of failure. As if it’s the smoking gun they’ve been waiting for.

To those people — respectfully — no. This isn’t a pattern. It’s a tragedy. One that deserves compassion, not confirmation bias.

The DR has been hit hard this year. Disappearances. Border tension. Protests. Now this. And yet… I’ve never felt more connected to the resilience of this place. I saw it after Hurricane Fiona — the way people showed up, cleaned up, helped one another. That same spirit is here again.

I’m not rushing to investigate or speculate. That will come. But right now, I want to focus on helping. I’ve donated to an amazing local org called Jompeame that’s supporting victims’ families and first responders. If you feel compelled to give, I trust them fully.

Haters will say this proves the DR is falling apart. But I’ve lived here long enough to know better.

When this country gets hit, it doesn’t crumble — it rises.

Dominican Republic Mass Deportations Will SHAKE Real Estate Prices

Hot off the presses my analysis of the new laws enacted by Abinader to strengthen border security and increase deportations and how they may impact Dominican real estate short and long term.

This is simply an analysis - not a statement on the policies but a take on how they impact investors.