Dominican Republic Villas

Country Villa in Puerto Plata with vintage style

2011-01-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

After a long pause in the blog due to lots of work at the office, we`re back to show you a very special featured villa with a country flavor rarely seen in the North coast. Built by a Spanish designer and entrepreneur for his own personal use, this Dominican Republic villa was conceived as a fine retreat in a mountain side community near Playa Dorada. The following description was taken from the listing of it at http://www.goldenkeymanagement.com/spc0794.htm

Country house in a private community of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and surrounded by green mountain views, not far from Playa Dorada and its excellent beaches and entertainment. Featuring 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room, master suite as a mezzanine with en-suite bathroom and a panoramic veranda in the second level.

A swimming pool and BBQ grill in the right side complement the Orchid garden in the front, with ornamental country-like wooden fences and bamboo trees in the left perimeter wall. The flooring of the house is a specially polished cement with decorative tiles and small sized stone beads, creating a perfect Mediterranean touch to the entire house, and matching the stucco walls and French-inspired porch and garden at the entrance.

A vintage feeling of antiquity follows an open style with Mexican-style furnishings made of oak wood, including tables, guests suites and standalone cabinets. The second level veranda has the best views of surrounding mountain landscape, and in the other end there's a built-in cement lounge area and a hammock area. This house is fit for a true connoisseur of great taste, perfect as a private Caribbean retreat for family and friends.

This house has a tag price of $300,000.00 and can also be rented for about US$400.00 per day. For a quiet country side vacation, it`s worth the buck.

WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY DOMINICAN REPUBLIC VILLAS

2010-09-07T20:38:00.001-04:00

Dominican Republic Wheelchair friendly villas.

Wheelchair users are now enjoying the full advantages of universal access homes and villas in the Dominican Republic, thanks to Golden Treasures real estate. Wheelchair access houses designed for persons with disabilities from top to bottom, meeting the ADA specifications. The agency is also offering disabled and handicap friendly oceanfront luxury condos with elevator and full wheelchair accessibility.

Most vacation rental villas and condos claiming to be wheelchair-friendly just offer a small access ramp at the entrance, but in reality having a lodging for a disabled person takes more than that. Lower cabinets, roll-in showers, bathroom vanities, sliding doors, shower chairs, among many other details.

One of the villas that are included in the program for custom-designed homes for people with special needs is the Villa Ultima. Born out of the feedback from many travelers from Sosua, Cabarete, Cofresi, Puerto Plata and Cabrera.

The handicap-friendly vacation rentals page offers a chance to enjoy a nice Caribbean trip for people with special mobility needs. This new approach opens the Dominican Republic to all travelers, making it one of the best barrier-free travel destinations in the Caribbean.

Complete details on the wheelchair-friendly Caribbean real estate is found in the website. Feel free to contact Edward Rivas for a free quote based on your specific needs.

Dominican Republic Title Guarantee Cash Back

2010-08-04T00:02:00.003-04:00

Since many buyers of real estate prefer to use title insurance ( called title guarantee in the DR ) Golden Treasures is in talks with two North American companies that provide those services, in order to include that as part of a title guarantee cash back program.

What this means is, when you buy a Dominican Republic villa or house from Golden Treasures, you could be getting back the title insurance fees and also the lawyer`s fees if the property you are buying is within the promotion. As of today, there is no other real estate agency offering such direct support in title insurance and legal fees.

Starting on August 1st, 2010 we will be implementing the new promotion that offers our clients the benefit of title insurance and also a separate promotion for luxury villa buyers that can get you a complimentary one year of property management services for villas purchased through us in the North coast. The first year we will handle the maid services, pool cleaning, gardening, bills payment and taxes, while you enjoy your villa. Contact us for more information, see the villa listings at www.goldenkeymanagement.com

Luxury Villa Kitchens

2010-07-24T22:53:00.000-04:00

A well designed kitchen can make a big difference in terms of enjoying a villa in the Dominican Republic, and about 90% of property buyers will take a close look at the kitchen before making a purchase decision.

Having seen hundreds of luxury villa kitchens over the years, we decided to write an article on some of the various styles implemented in the villas at Sea Horse Ranch.

The article should involve other villas from Cabrera, Cabarete, Sosua and Cofresi, but timing can sometimes leave us publishing a few at a time. Designing a fabulous kitchen can be easier if you have some references, this article is intended to be more informational to those who are investing in villa construction or renovation and need some ideas of top class kitchen design before making decisions. Read the luxury villas kitchen article here.

Videos of Dominican Republic Villas

2010-06-30T20:56:00.000-04:00

A new video page has been launched by Golden Treasures Luxury Villas where we will be posting videos of the villas for sale in the Dominican Republic with information on the locations and nearby amenities. Seeing pictures in a listing is very convenient as you can fix your eyes in a non moving image, but video captures the essence in a more natural way.

Some of villa videos are made of still shots, with a more dynamic effect that makes it more appealing to the eye. We have a plan to shoot videos in every villa we represent, though the logistics suggest it will be some time before we can film hundreds of villas spanning Sosua, Cabarete, Cabrera and the other cities. Dominican Republic Villa owners in the North Coast have the option to make an appointment with us to have a video of their villas done, and also aerial photography and panorama 360 degree virtual tours. For those who want to sell their luxury villas, one important aspect is to have aerial shots done, since it places the villa in a larger context, showing the surroundings and swimming pool in beautiful detail. The Dominican Republic villa videos page can be visited in the villa resources page.

Use of pergolas in Dominican Republic Villas

2010-06-27T20:17:00.001-04:00

Pergolas are garden overhead structures used to create a shaded area or walkway, with cross beams and open lattice usually supported by pillars in wood or stone. It is believed that the origin of the pergola started in Italy, though this structure can be seen in several Mediterranean countries since long ago. Even in ancient times, the pergolas were widely used by the Romans, to take advantage of shade and coolness, but also to guide their vines and allow the fruit to receive more sun.

Pergolas add a special touch to your villa, providing comfort, shade and a special spot to enjoy your home. Widely used by the Romans, There is no specific form for pergolas, they can be square, round, rectangular, octagonal, and we also decide the space, aesthetics and use of it. The circular arbors, which are covered with the typical roof of dried leaves of palm, straw or similar materials, assembled near the pools, give a tropical touch to the garden. Several Dominican Republic villas use pergolas as a decorative element that provides natural beauty and added functionality. See the Golden Treasures guide on Pergolas for your villa in our luxury villa resources page. We will be publishing a guide on gazebos next week, so stay tuned for more and visit this blog everytime you need updated news on luxury villas in the DR.

Help with designing a villa in the Dominican Republic

2010-06-26T15:19:00.000-04:00

Building your own villa or remodeling an existing property will require that you get some information about the options to make it better and one of them is how columns affect how the villa will look like in the end. We have published a detailed guide in PDF on Luxury villa design in the Dominican Republic.

The guide shows the main three types, or orders of Greek and Roman columns ( or pillars as some say ) that define the neo classic and modern architecture. Also we have included some variations such as Tuscan and the composite of Corinthian and Ionic which is a beautiful mix that can impress the most demanding interior designer. While villas built with these standards will look fantastic, it is also a case that many modern builders have adapted their own versions of these styles, creating variations that can be seen throughout the world in villas, buildings and other constructions. We are planning on releasing several articles on villa construction, design and materials, as part of the ongoing process of providing clients and new villa buyers with useful information.

The top ten list of luxury villas in the Dominican Republic

2010-06-21T21:31:00.002-04:00

We finally decided to post a Top ten list of luxury villas after so much debate on classification. The pdf file is available online and will be updated every summer with the freshest information on the new ultra luxurious properties in the North Coast.

It is a convenient tool for some people planning to buy a villa or rent it for vacations, saving a lot of time. Soon we will be doing a second list of three star villas too, the classification is our own, based on the value, design, location and services provided by each property. The number one this year goes to a Sea Horse Ranch giant, Lions Gate. In second follows Balaji Palace in Rio San Juan, and right on three we have the beautiful Castellamonte del Mare in Cabrera. With so many high end villas in the area we should have a longer list, not a bad idea...

Guide on Buying villas in the Dominican Republic

2010-06-20T19:40:00.001-04:00

A few day ago we started publishing a series of articles with information on luxury villas for sale and rent in the island, and the first one was the Practical Guide on buying villas in the Dominican Republic. it is merely a collection of ideas based on our experience, in the form of advice that most buyers will find interesting because of the market tips and insight. It could be the difference between a savvy investment or just another purchase of a million plus dollars. The guide explains some variables in pricing, location and situation of the properties for sale in the local areas of Sosua, Cabarete, Cabrera and Puerto Plata - Cofresi. We will update the guide every year, with a wider selection of oceanfront and beach villas in the sale and rental market of the Dominican Republic.

Our commitment to bring you the best villas in the North Coast

2010-06-17T14:39:00.001-04:00

Today we initiate this blog to share the latest news on villas for sale in the Dominican Republic, we already have a blog you might have seen before mostly focused on houses for sale in the Puerto Plata and nearby areas. The market for luxury vacation villas is changing rapidly with the new projects taking shape along the coast, and the economic situation is forcing prices down like never before. Still, the Dominican Republic remains one of the best countries for investing in real estate, specially for foreigners. One of the latest villas we added to the catalog is located in Sosua, with a very high standard of construction, design, distribution and decoration. It was a special project built by a Canadian designer with a reputation for quality, and it really shows. The listing code of this villa is http://www.goldenkeymanagement.com/dominican-republic/villa/spc0733.htm

Perfection seems to be the driving force behind the mind of the builders of this luxury home, because every single square foot is carefully covered with fine materials and workmanship. Its two main suites in the upper level are comfortable, the master suite is generously large with its own ensuite Jacuzzi and direct view to the swimming pool. As you can see in the pictures, the floors are all expensive marble squares all around the house and outside, and the high ceiling were put together by master hands with an exquisite precision.

One of the best advantages of this villa is that it offers a lot of additional extra rooms that we can categorize as wine cellar, cleaning/gardening storage and house supplies room. At the lower level we have the roomy visitors house with 2 more suites with direct views of the garden area ( the house lot size is 10,000 square meters ) which is more than enough for a vacation villa in Sosua.

Dark painted mahogany wooden cabinets and doors are combined with luxury furnishings, bringing harmony to the architecture and overall design of the house. A special water purifying system is an added extra, and a set of pumps below in the pool house were installed with a water softener to make the water even better for your skin. The kitchen area is fantastic, with high cabinets and lovely tops and working areas. The bathrooms have luxury fixtures of the best quality and the master bath is something you ought to see yourself. Buying this villa with green views and about 10 mins from the beach is not that hard but you need to sign a check for about US$1.5 mm which is not bad if you think the benefits for your health and quality of life outweigh the cost. The number to call is 829-477-2038.