The Part of DR Life NOBODY Warns You About

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There’s a version of life in the Dominican Republic that exists online.

It’s palm trees.
It’s blue water.
It’s “living the dream.”

And then there’s the version you experience once you actually live here.

That version is still amazing — but it comes with friction. And nobody really prepares you for that part.

Recently, we had a landlord tell us — confidently — that we were not entitled to our security deposit back. Not because we damaged anything. Not because we owed money. Just… because.

Now, to be clear: not all landlords here are like this. Plenty are fair, professional, and by the book.
But unfortunately, both of the landlords we’ve personally dealt with handled deposits the same way — and that experience is more common than many people realize.

That moment wasn’t unique. It was familiar.

And it perfectly summed up something I’ve learned after years of living here:

That single idea explains a lot.

It’s Not That Things Are “Broken”

This is important.

Most of the frustrations people experience here aren’t because there are no rules, or because the country is chaotic, or because people are dishonest.

It’s because:

• systems are looser

• processes are less rigid

• relationships matter more than paperwork

That can feel refreshing… until it doesn’t.

Landlords.
Shipping.
Online shopping.
Refunds.

All of them fall under the same umbrella:
you’re expected to know how things really work, even if nobody explains it to you.

The Hidden Skill of Living Well Here

The people who thrive long-term in the DR tend to develop a specific mindset:

• They document everything

• They ask questions they didn’t know they needed to ask

• They don’t assume “normal” rules apply the same way

• They build relationships instead of relying on systems

And honestly?
They learn to pick their battles.

Sometimes it’s worth pushing back on principle.
Other times, the smarter move is to protect your time, energy, and sanity.

That balance is something you only learn by being here.

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Why I Still Choose This Life (Despite the Frustrations)

Here’s the part that often gets lost:

The cost of frustration is dramatically lower here.

A plumbing issue that costs $200–$300 just to diagnose in the U.S.?
Here, it’s often a $20–$30 fix.

A home renovation that would easily hit $250k+ in the States?
We did it for a fraction of that.

And beyond the economics, there’s something else that’s harder to quantify:

Community.
Flexibility.
Human interaction that isn’t purely transactional.

It’s not perfect — but it’s real.

🛋️ Quick Recommendation: InPlace Furniture (Huge Win for Us)

While we’re on the topic of learning the hard way…

As we’ve been furnishing our house, we’ve been to a lot of furniture stores in Punta Cana. Some good. Some overpriced. Some with hidden fees that only show up at checkout.

Then we found InPlace Furniture.

And honestly? They’ve been one of the best experiences we’ve had.

Here’s why they stood out:

• Great quality pieces

• Better pricing than most stores we visited

• 20% OFF right now

• FREE delivery AND assembly

That last part matters.

Before discovering InPlace, we bought a bedroom set from another store and:

• Paid a $60 delivery fee

• Then had to hire someone separately to assemble it

With InPlace?
Delivered. Assembled. Done.

If you’re furnishing a place in Punta Cana (or about to), this is absolutely worth checking out.

👉 Ask about the 20% off + free delivery & assembly at InPlace Furniture

📺 I Broke All of This Down in a New Video

In the video, I walk through 5 real frustrations of living in the Dominican Republic — including landlords, deposits, shipping costs, refunds, and more — and how we’ve learned to manage each one.

👉 Just click here to watch

If you’re considering moving here, investing here, or just trying to understand what daily life actually looks like beyond the Instagram version, this one will save you a lot of trial and error.

Final Thought

Living in the Dominican Republic isn’t about avoiding friction.

It’s about understanding where it exists, why it exists, and how to move through it intelligently.

If you expect paradise with zero inconvenience, you’ll be disappointed.
If you expect a real country with real trade-offs, you’ll probably love it here.

And that’s the reality nobody really talks about.

PS:
A lot of these “frictions” become much easier to navigate when you have the right people around you.

That’s why I started DR Inner Circle — a private community of people who live here, invest here, or are planning a move, where members share real experiences, trusted referrals, and practical advice you won’t find in YouTube comments.

If you want fewer surprises and better decisions in the DR, you can check it out here:
👉 www.jamiegruber.com

No hype. Just real people helping each other figure this place out.

— Jamie

(If you read this far .. reply to this email with EMPANADAS .. because I’m hungry as I type this and couldn’t think of anything else more clever than that 🤷🏻‍♂️ .. and I want empanadas .. if you couldn’t tell)