How we evaluate property,
price and risk
A structured framework for decisions that should not depend on emotion. Every property is examined through predefined criteria, evidence standards and decision rules — so the same evidence leads to the same assessment, whoever is selling.
Property decisions are rarely made in a neutral environment
Attractive renders, projected returns, limited availability and sales pressure all influence how an opportunity is perceived.
DominicanVest uses a structured, deterministic assessment framework designed to reduce that influence. Every property is examined through predefined criteria, evidence standards and decision rules.
The objective is simple: the same evidence should lead to the same assessment, regardless of who is selling the property or how compelling the opportunity appears.
Evidence first. Conclusion last.
We do not begin by deciding whether a property is attractive and then search for information that supports that view. The process works in the opposite direction.
We establish the relevant facts, identify what cannot be verified, test the assumptions behind the investment case — and only then form a conclusion.
Where evidence is incomplete, the uncertainty remains visible. Where an assumption materially affects the outcome, it is tested. Where a risk cannot be resolved, it is not averaged away.
The same evidence should lead to the same assessment
Evidence enters, is classified, passes predefined gates and is tested. The conclusion is what comes out — never where we started.
- Property information
- Developer information
- Pricing
- Comparable properties
- Location data
- Costs
- Rental assumptions
- Ownership information
- Documentation
- Verified
Supported by evidence we consider sufficiently reliable for the purpose of the assessment.
- Supported
Reasonable and supported by available information, but not independently established to the same standard as a verified fact.
- Assumption
Required to evaluate the investment case, but dependent on an uncertain future outcome or incomplete evidence.
- Unknown
Material information that could not be established during the analysis.
- 01Property fundamentals
- 02Developer and execution risk
- 03Pricing and market comparables
- 04Location fundamentals
- 05Cost of ownership
- 06Rental economics
- 07Risk assessment
- 08Conclusion and reporting
- Evidence quality
- Pricing position
- Economic viability
- Risk exposure
- Sensitivity to assumptions
- Unresolved information
A structured, evidence-based investment assessment
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Material risks
- Critical assumptions
- Unresolved questions
- Overall conclusion
A missing fact does not become an assumption, and an assumption does not become a fact. That distinction stays visible from the first page to the conclusion.
Every property passes through the same eight gates
- 01
Property fundamentals
We establish what is actually being purchased: type, configuration, usable space, specification, delivery status, furnishing, title structure and payment terms — documented before the investment case is assessed.
- 02
Developer and execution risk
The developer is assessed separately from the project being marketed. Track record, completed developments, delivery history, corporate structure and the evidence available on execution.
- 03
Market and comparables
The asking price is not treated as evidence of market value. Pricing is compared with relevant alternatives on location, product type, size, specification and delivery stage.
- 04
Location fundamentals
Location is evaluated on measurable investment factors, not marketing descriptions: accessibility, surrounding development, infrastructure, demand, nearby supply, amenities and environmental exposure.
- 05
Cost of ownership
The purchase price is one component. We identify acquisition costs, taxes, legal costs, furnishing, maintenance, condominium fees, management and other recurring expenses.
- 06
Rental economics
Rental projections are treated as assumptions until supported. Nightly rates, occupancy, seasonality, management costs and operating expenses are evaluated separately, so the economics behind a projected return stay visible.
- 07
Risk assessment
Material risks are identified before the conclusion is written. Each is considered against likelihood, potential impact, available mitigation and the strength of the supporting evidence.
- 08
Decision conclusion
Only after the previous stages are complete do we form the final view — bringing together valuation, economics, evidence quality, unresolved questions and material risks.
Rules every analysis follows
Every material figure must have a source
Numbers that influence the investment case are traceable to their origin, their calculation or the assumption underneath them.
Assumptions must remain visible
Projected occupancy, rental rates, future appreciation and other uncertain inputs are identified as assumptions rather than presented as established outcomes.
Comparable means comparable
A property is not a meaningful comparable simply because it is nearby. Material differences in product, location, delivery stage, specification and positioning have to be considered.
Uncertainty is not hidden
Where evidence is incomplete, contradictory or unavailable, that limitation stays part of the assessment.
Risk is evaluated separately from return
An attractive projected return does not eliminate execution, legal, liquidity, developer, market or ownership risk.
The conclusion follows the framework
We do not alter the framework to produce a preferred answer.
Not all information receives equal weight
Information is assessed on its source, its relevance and its reliability. Official records, contractual documentation, direct evidence, independent market information, developer-supplied information and marketing claims are not treated as equivalent.
Where sources conflict, the conflict is recorded — not silently resolved in favour of the investment case.
A conclusion must survive its assumptions
Before a final assessment is issued, the investment case is tested against the assumptions that matter most — occupancy, rental rates, operating costs, acquisition costs, delivery timing or exit conditions.
The objective is not to predict every possible outcome. It is to understand which assumptions the investment depends on, and how quickly the case changes when those assumptions move.
Sales material presents a case. Independent analysis tests it.
Support the transaction
Evaluate the decision
The opportunity
The evidence
Asking price and selected comparisons
Relevant market context and comparables
Projected headline figures
Assumptions, costs and sensitivity
Selling points
Measurable investment factors
Often secondary
An explicit part of the framework
May remain outside the presentation
Identified as uncertainty
Designed to support interest
Determined by the analysis
Typical Sales material | Independent DominicanVest analysis | |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Support the transaction | ✓Evaluate the decision |
| Starting point | The opportunity | ✓The evidence |
| Pricing | Asking price and selected comparisons | ✓Relevant market context and comparables |
| Returns | Projected headline figures | ✓Assumptions, costs and sensitivity |
| Location | Selling points | ✓Measurable investment factors |
| Risk | Often secondary | ✓An explicit part of the framework |
| Missing information | May remain outside the presentation | ✓Identified as uncertainty |
| Conclusion | Designed to support interest | ✓Determined by the analysis |
What the methodology does not do
We do not predict markets
Future prices, rental demand and economic conditions cannot be known with certainty.
We do not replace legal or tax advice
Our work identifies issues that deserve further investigation. Specialist legal and tax advice should be obtained where appropriate.
We do not present estimates as facts
Where reliable information is unavailable, the limitation stays visible.
We do not recommend a property because someone wants to sell it
DominicanVest does not depend on a transaction completing for its analysis fee.
Reduce the role of persuasion in an investment decision
The purpose of the framework is not to remove judgement entirely. It is to constrain it.
By defining the questions, the evidence standards and the decision rules before reaching a conclusion, we reduce the room available for sales pressure, selective information and emotional preference to influence the outcome.
The result is not certainty. It is a more disciplined decision.
Have a property you want examined properly?
Send us the property, project or opportunity you are considering. We will determine what can be established, what needs to be tested and which uncertainties deserve your attention before you commit capital.
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