Celebrities Push Dominican Republic Resort Project
Oscar de la Renta, Julio Iglesias and Mikhail Baryshnikov invite you to be their new neighbor at the Puntacana Resort
De La Renta, who was born in the Dominican Republic, reportedly recruited his singing and dancing pals to buy in the Puntacana Resort and Club, a 15,000-acre beachfront development built around two golf courses with a third on the way. Golfweek named it No. 1 among golf courses in the Caribbean and Mexico. Corales Country Club may be one of the most expensive golf courses ever built, leading the charge for some very expensive but spectacular real estate and scenery.
While luring celebrities with sweetheart deals is a time-honored tradition, the celeb trio is actively lending their names to support the Punta Cana project. De la Renta and Iglesias became involved in 1997 and their presence at the exclusive community is a selling point for many.
"Julio loves to ride through the course, directly from his property, in his boxer shorts," course pro Jay Overton recently told AOL's Housing Watch. "It is because he is Julio Iglesias that he can do this. And he is the only member who I allow to do this." The trio own houses in Corales, which includes about 159 home sites. A 10,764-square-foot, five-bedroom house in the development is priced at $6.2 million.
Home sites in Corales, where de la Renta hosts the likes of Bill and Hillary Clinton, range from about $1.8 million to $5 million.
Special perks of estate ownership include access to golf courses, spa and resort amenities and a VIP service that speeds owners through customs upon arrival at Punta Cana International Airport, according to the project's Web site.
If you're ready to play with the big boys, this is the place.