Category: The Philippines

How to Buy Property in the Philippines: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 11 Comments

Suggestion: Watch the 5 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

Do you plan to buy property in The Philippines?
Click here to get in touch with an experienced agent

The Philippines has become a preferred destination when foreign investors buy real estate in Asia. It’s not strange as it has low living costs, cheap real estate, many long-term visas, and a quickly growing economy with preferable demographics.

Still, investing in real estate in a developing country like the Philippines always bring some risks. You must have a good knowledge of local regulations beforehand.

In this article, you’ll learn about foreign property ownership regulations, property taxes, visa options, and which places should be of interest when you buy real estate in the Philippines.

Can foreigners buy property in the Philippines?

The Philippines is similar to other Southeast Asian countries in terms of foreign property ownership. Here, individuals can buy and legally own condominiums and houses, but not the land that these structures are built on. Simple as that.

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The 3 Best Places to Live & Buy Real Estate in the Philippines

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 2 Comments

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Do you plan to buy property in The Philippines?
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The Philippines is big in terms of population. Still, there are not as many options available when buying property, compared to Thailand or Malaysia, for example.

Investors tend to go to the capital Manila, while other foreigners look for more relaxing places, located more towards the South. You’ll notice that the real estate market and prices differ much between different areas.

If you plan to buy property in the Philippines, but not sure where, this article is a must read, where I list the 3 best places to buy property.

1. Metro Manila

manila-property

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A Foreigner’s Guide to Property Loans & Financing in the Philippines

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 4 Comments

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Do you plan to buy property in The Philippines?
Click here to get in touch with an experienced agent

Philippines is one of the favorite spots among foreign retirees and investors who wish to buy property in Southeast Asia. It’s one of the fastest-growing countries with a young population, we’ve seen many foreign corporations move in over the years.

When many investors look for property, they also want to know what financing options they have. Even if some are able to afford to buy a property with cash, it can be a better option to leverage some of the money by applying for a loan.

In this guide, I explain what it takes to get a property loan in the Philippines as a foreigner.

Can foreigners get property loans in the Philippines?

It was virtually impossible for foreigners to get property loans in the Philippines previously. Similar stories have heard of in other developing countries like Vietnam and Cambodia, just to mention a few.

With an economy that’s growing with 7% yearly, and a property market that’s hot among foreign investors, banks have become a bit more relaxed and you have a handful of options to choose among in the Philippines. Unfortunately, many of the banks require that you have a visa status, where a tourist visa is not accepted.

Common visas (or residential status) accepted when applying for loans often include:

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Top Conveyancing Lawyers in the Philippines: A Complete Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in The Philippines?
Click here to get in touch with an experienced agent

There are a number of conveyancing lawyers who operate in the Philippines, I bet they are (and will be) busy in the coming years, as the Philippines continue to be a sought after place for foreign buyers.

But there are many pitfalls you can stumble upon, hiring a local conveyancing lawyer should one of your top priorities. You rarely find summarized information about the top conveyancing lawyers, therefore I decided to write this article where I list some of the most popular firms.

Let’s take a look.

Introductory remark

The firms are listed in a random order.

1. Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos

Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos is a full service law firm based in Manila. The law firm was founded 25 years ago, and considered as one of the most well established law firms in Manila.

The team at Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos consists of dozens of partners (31), special counsels, senior associates, and junior associates. In total, they have more than 50 lawyers.

The partners at Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos are senior bar members, with co-founder Mr. Antonio A. Picazo also a member of Philippines bar since 1964. He also co-founded other law firms like Cayetano Bautista and Reyes in 1983 and worked as General Counsel at Union Bank of Philippines.

The company provide legal services to mostly corporate clients, as many financial institutions, large banks, real estate developers, and many other multinational companies are on their client list.

Services offered

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Buying Property in Davao: The Definitive Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in The Philippines?
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The Philippines is on the rise and one of the fastest growing countries in Southeast Asia.

You’ve probably heard of Manila and Cebu, but there a number of other cities in the Philippines that grow even faster, where the real estate markets are pointing upwards.

A few people have heard about Davao, one of the biggest cities in the Philippines, where more and more investors and developers look for opportunities, maximizing yields and profits.

In this article, I explain the crucial information you need to know when buying property in Davao.

Davao real estate market

With an economic growth that’s been stretched to almost double digits, Davao is one of the fastest growing places in the Philippines, naturally, this has affected the property market positively.

Yes: the country’s economy is one of the regions fastest growing. And with much investment in infrastructure, the entry of foreign companies and a focus shifting from the capital Manila, smaller places like Davao, Iloilo and Bacolod will reap their gains.

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How to Buy Property in Palawan: By Jonabe V. Daquer

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 6 Comments

Suggestion: Watch the 5 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

Palawan is one of the most beautiful islands in the world, located in the Western parts of the Philippines.

As many retirees, especially from the US, decide to go to the Philippines, Palawan is definitely a point of interest.

Here, you’ll not only have the option to buy a house, condo or land, but also parts of islands (sounds amazing, right).

Today, I have Jonabe V. Daquer with me, the founder of Palawan Real Property, to explain the details you need to know before buying property in Palawan.

It’s one of the biggest real estate agencies in Palawan that helps both locals and foreigners.

Jonabe, can you tell us about yourself and your current business in Palawan?

Yes, I’m Jonabe V. Daquer, 32 years old, a licensed real estate broker and founder of Palawan Real Property. I was born and raised here in Palawan and I lived here my entire life. I’m in love in this place because it’s a paradise!

I started the business with my brother, Jeb and my common law husband, Voltaire. We built this Real Estate Agency to help clients get the property they need, reduce hassle, making the purchase headache free.

My mother is the one who thought me the real estate industry and she is part of the team as a consultant for property documentation. At the time we started, basically no one had an office to help clients not only to buy properties, but sellers who wanted to sell their property.

So, that’s how Palawan Real Property was born.

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Buying a Condo in Cebu: A How To Guide

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 2 Comments

Suggestion: Watch the 5 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

Do you plan to buy property in The Philippines?
Click here to get in touch with an experienced agent

If you ever plan to visit the Philippines, you’ll probably see that Manila, Palawan (El Nido), Cebu and Boracay are the most popular areas.

The 1st choice for many foreigners is Cebu.

Compared to Manila, Cebu has 167 islands located in the region, making it a great place for scuba diving, golf and other activities.

There are also many direct flights from countries like Korea and China.

Many cities in Cebu are urbanized, developed and caters locals and foreigners who are engaged in commercial trade and other businesses.

It’s “cleaner” and more relaxed, suitable for families, retirees and people who want to be close to the golf courses.

Not to neglect, Cebu has the biggest harbor after Manila and many travelers need to make a transit here, before continuing to any of the beautiful islands in the region.

Thanks to this, Cebu offers a great amount of condos to foreign buyers.

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