Research will save you a world of hurt. The picture you are looking at is of customs in the Dominican Republic. My wife and I honeymooned there for 7 days last year. Probably the coolest attraction was the “Hoyo Azul” which you see below. It is a fresh water pool that is crystal clear and somewhat inside a cave.

We also went snorkeling which was something that I had never done. I can say honestly that I am hooked and I can’t wait to do that again. Parasaling on the other hand I could go the rest of my life without doing again.

Back to customs…

You get off of your plane and step out into the warm tropical air. You are ushered into this building with massive fans. As you get closer to the counter you notice that the customs agents are collecting a “tourist fee” of $10.00 per person. The problem is I didn’t have any cash on me what so ever. Stupid right? As I start stressing out wondering what I’m going to do an elderly couple behind me hears my hushed words to my wife. She slips me a $20 bill and said I can pay them back after clearing customs because there is an ATM. I have never felt more relieved in my entire life to have $20.00.

Real Estate is a lot like traveling abroad. You are doing something new, exciting, and stressful. The big difference though is that you aren’t going to have a sweet little old lady bail you out when you screw up. That is the point of this blog. To give you ideas and a place to ask questions before you’re in hot water. Had I done more research I would have found out that it’s a common practice for a tourist fee to be collected. I still wonder what happens if you can’t pay when you get to the front of the line…