Here for the child rearing long haul

You don’t say where you are living now. I’m outside the metro Manila area. It’s quite possible to rent a decent apartment for under 7000 pesos per month, if you look into the provinces. You can look in Imus, Bacoor, Dasmarinas, General Trias, GMA to the south for more affordable housing.

I realised after I posted I never mentioned I am in cagayan de oro. We would rather buy than rent, save the money!!!

reengardenglow wrote:

I realised after I posted I never mentioned I am in cagayan de oro. We would rather buy than rent, save the money!!!

I thought they have even  assembling of multicabs in CDO, but otherwice they have in Davao.

Why buy a house in a city??             (IF I ever would live in a crowded area again, I would rent an appartment or buy a condo.

NOTE. At rural land NOT classified as Residental nor Commersial, there building permit is NOT NEEDED  (if they havent changed it during the last years).

I’m in Dasmarinas, there’s a couple places here that sell brand new multi cabs, I’ve never checked the prices. If you’re planning to buy, a lot depends on your status here. Expats are very restricted on what they can legally buy here for a home. If you’re on a balikbayan, 13a or SRRV, you can buy in your name subject to the restrictions, like you can get a house and lot, or a condo, but you should check the BI or PRRV website for exactly what is allowed. Of course, if you are married, you can buy in your partner’s name. Lots of available houses in nice subdivisions in the provinces. If you want to build your own, most of the subdivisions can help you out with more information. Your gonna be looking at probably 4 million and up to buy new, you can probably buy someone else’s house for less. Lots of details to attend to. Several people here have built their own homes here, they would be much more qualified to give you advice on the subject.

blacksheepjuno wrote:

you can get a house and lot, or a condo.

Well. To clearify:

Foreigners can NOT:
/buy a house with land in own name, because foreigners can not own WHOLE land in any case (Except a short while by inheritance if the Filipina wife die, then the foreigner get some time to solve the legalities.)

but CAN:
/buy and SPLIT land from house, foreigner owning the house at LEASED land
BUT can NOT lease from wife.  I dont know what happen if make the lease deal BEFORE marriage and then marry.
/lif including land then foreigner CAN own INDIRECT a PART of land by owning max 40 % of a company, which own land.  (There are some demands to fullfil to make this legal.)
/condo can be whole in foreigner's name because then its up to the condo union to fullfil the max 40% land owning law.

Thanks for the replies
I would hate to spend money on a house that hasn't got a building permit. Because What could I do if a neighbour starts building all sorts of monstrosities up against my boundary. I would not have a leg to stand on if I hadn't a building permit myself

reengardenglow wrote:

Thanks for the replies
I would hate to spend money on a house that hasn't got a building permit. Because What could I do if a neighbour starts building all sorts of monstrosities up against my boundary. I would not have a leg to stand on if I hadn't a building permit myself

Thats no problem if you buy a big lot rural and put your house far from your boundries      
Big rural lots - except beach - often  just cost as a tiny "Residental" lot where its crowded, so people pay more to get a crap location    in my oppinion.

E g at Palawan you can get big titled lots at concreete road for less than 1k usd per hectare  (=300 usd per acre).

((My plan have been to build at at lot at least 100 x 300 meters with the short side at the road and the land around not in use for living (except perhaps at the concreete road).  When they have lot adjustend to concreete road, almost all Filipinos build just beside it some so close so if a lorry miss a few meters they get in into their house   
Then I build the living house 250 meters or more from the concreete road. But building "guard house" at the entrance and a small manufactory just behind it.  If forest or a hill in between the public road and the living house, then the distance can be shorter than if open.))

reengardenglow wrote:

Thanks for the replies
I would hate to spend money on a house that hasn't got a building permit. Because What could I do if a neighbour starts building all sorts of monstrosities up against my boundary. I would not have a leg to stand on if I hadn't a building permit myself

IMO, before you worry about what unsightly structure your neighbors might build in the future, you should first determine whether the property you are planning to buy is complying with rules and regulations. Do some research.

If my brother were planning to buy a property, I would suggest to him to do the following, but not construe them as legal advice:

1. Check if the property has a clean title.

2. Ask the seller for a copy of the survey of the property to determine the boundaries of the property.

3. Check if the house has a minimum setback of 2 meters from left, right and back, and a minimum setback of 4.5 meters from the front. If it doesn't satisfy the minimum measurements, there would be certain risks, especially if you don't get along with your neighbors. Also, check the thickness of the walls, floors, etc.

4. If the adjacent properties have a house / structure on them, then eyeball their setback. If it's encroaching on the property, do not buy. If their setback is less than 2 meters, decide if you can live with that or not. Other things to consider: number of residents, dogs, pigs, chickens, roosters, turkeys, pigeons, etc. in the neighbor's property.

5. Ask the seller if the house has a certificates for occupancy, fire, plumbing, etc. If it does not, then do some research on what you need to do to remedy the situation.

Other things I would tell my brother to consider:

1. Has anyone died in the house? If yes, then how did they die?

2. Does the area get flooded? How about landslides?

After he's bought the property, I would tell him to pray that the neighbors will not build a monstrosity next to his house. But I doubt they would build a 5-storey house since it's a rural area. The neighbors' leasing the property to a telco planning to erect a cellphone tower would be more likely. You can complain to your barangay or municipal hall and see if that gets.you somewhere.

FilAmericanMom wrote:

1. Has anyone died in the house? If yes, then how did they die?

Its common Filipinos are supersticious, so that can be a good haggling argument  (y) 
But very few ghosts are any problem, except places where many evil people/actions have been as e g executions and war crimes.
At places with only one bad ghost, then your own ancestor ghosts are normaly stong enough to solve that.
Although naughty joking ghosts can be annoying moving things to wrong places     or make disturbing noices.

When I were teenager we moved to where the mother to an international music star  (Harpo a Swede known mainly in Germany - and Japan!)  had died recently and I got that room and I had no problem with that.
((I cant see ghosts, but I can FEEL if there are good or bad such, which made I didnt buy a house, but bought an other - where the ghosts liked me, but they got angry and scared he, who bought from  me    because he missbehaved much.))
Its common ghosts are related to old houses - and neutral to normal behaving new people - or are ancestors to them who notice them anyway, there to check or protect their relatives.
(( I plan to come back as a ghost to check if they will handle good the business I will leave to them 

I wonder when you say "Building Permit", you meant "Title" of the land.

Coach53 hey, A person that has the belief can also bless the house and spirits will leave. It is really just the energy from the persons passing that remains in a certain place and once that energy is countered it becomes balanced and goes away. Thus, priests blessing houses and shamans cleansing dwellings, etc. Anyway peace and love

Michael P. Carter wrote:

Coach53 hey, A person that has the belief can also bless the house and spirits will leave. It is really just the energy from the persons passing that remains in a certain place and once that energy is countered it becomes balanced and goes away. Thus, priests blessing houses and shamans cleansing dwellings, etc. Anyway peace and love

Well. By how even Vatikan has acted and church supporting the RICH     I would get NEGATIVE energy   from such...  (Most likely.  But I can find SOME local priests ok enough to find it ok if wife want it.)

((So I dont even  want to get burried in s cemetary, I/my ash want to be placed at family land - perhaps with a stone looking as a real Viking stone. Its problem to age date stones so perhaps it can make future archeologes to believe a Viking went all the way to the Philipines around year 1000   

Thanks for the replies everyone, I don't worry too much about the ghosts though I am sure there is a few places that can't be lived in because of it. We are looking for a big plot cheaply. Lots of places are more expensive than the developed countries. I mean billions for little plots in around towns. God only knows when locals could get thier investment back with such a slow economy. I think we got to move to Palawan it sounds great value for money

reengardenglow wrote:

Thanks for the replies everyone, I don't worry too much about the ghosts though I am sure there is a few places that can't be lived in because of it. We are looking for a big plot cheaply. Lots of places are more expensive than the developed countries. I mean billions for little plots in around towns. God only knows when locals could get thier investment back with such a slow economy. I think we got to move to Palawan it sounds great value for money

I know two reliable brokers south of Puerto Princesa, who tell things straight, if you want I can put you in contact with them.   I didnt buy from them, but they have order of documents and giood prices NOT raising the price to get more to themselves.

And there is a good team of workers too if you want to get things done at your land. 

If you want with house I happened to see there is a nice one with 5 hectares for sale for 6 mill pesos direct from owner. The land is cionnected to the highway, but the house isnt to close

There are many ghost employees in the Government. . .how do I sign up?