# Where to live?



## SRM69 (Dec 17, 2013)

I am looking into apartments in Salcedo Village, Fort Bonifacio, Alabang, Ortigas or in a secure gated community close to these areas.

Any recommendations?
75,000-120,000 is my budget...

Cheers, Bill.


----------



## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

SRM69 said:


> Any recommendations?
> 
> 75,000-120,000 is my budget....


Move to Florida USA? Haha


----------



## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

cvgtpc1 said:


> Move to Florida USA? Haha


Bill,
Just saw your other post...good for you! Many people's dream to have a company post them in the PI.


----------



## SRM69 (Dec 17, 2013)

I work over there 6 months of the year anyway.


----------



## ALSI (Dec 18, 2013)

are you looking another option?

like purchasing one?

with your monthly rental fee you can purchase an apartment..


----------



## SRM69 (Dec 17, 2013)

Possibly why?


----------



## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

It was my understanding that foreigners are not legally able to actually purchase real estate in the Philippines. Is this incorrect information?

I have heard that if you are married, your Filipina spouse can buy the land in her name and then both the spouse and foreigner can build a house and make improvements on the land but that the foreigner cannot actually purchase or own the property.


Can someone shed some light on this?


----------



## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Cebu Citizen said:


> It was my understanding that foreigners are not legally able to actually purchase real estate in the Philippines. Is this incorrect information?
> 
> I have heard that if you are married, your Filipina spouse can buy the land in her name and then both the spouse and foreigner can build a house and make improvements on the land but that the foreigner cannot actually purchase or own the property.
> 
> ...


That is correct, you can not own land here. however you may own a condo or home. Just not the land that it sits on.

You can buy the land in your wife's name or any Filipino citizen. However, doing so puts you in an extreme disadvantage if the marriage/relationship fails.
Also, it makes you worth far more dead than alive. Not a good position to be in here...


----------



## Scoot65 (Jan 5, 2014)

With regard to buying condos, doesn't the whole condo unit have to be majority owned by Filipinos? I forget the exact percentage


----------



## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Scoot65 said:


> With regard to buying condos, doesn't the whole condo unit have to be majority owned by Filipinos? I forget the exact percentage


So far as I know, you as the foreign resident CAN own the condo unit outright 100%. Now if you are talking about owing a building full of condos I would have no idea on legalities..


----------



## Bill C (Dec 22, 2011)

"The Condominium Act of the Philippines, R.A. 4726, expressly allows foreigners to acquire condominium units and shares in condominium corporations up to 40 % of the total and outstanding capital stock of a Filipino owned or controlled condominium corporation."


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

SRM69 said:


> I work over there 6 months of the year anyway.


I once had a large budget for housing and worked out a deal with the rental company to also include free phone, cable, laundry, maid service and here you could probably get a driver and ? the extra's could be many.


----------



## Aussie Pete (Jan 9, 2014)

Jet Lag said:


> So far as I know, you as the foreign resident CAN own the condo unit outright 100%. Now if you are talking about owing a building full of condos I would have no idea on legalities..


as I understand it a foreigner can own a Condo as long as the Condo complex has no more than 40% of the Condo's owned by foreigners. If there are 100 Condo's in the Building no more 40 can be owned by foreigners for you to be a "legal" owner.

I'm just going through the process of possibly buying a property in B Global City now. Any input would be greatly appreciated as to - legal issues, contracts, titles, ROI etc.


----------



## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

As stated in an above post, any and all land has to be 100% Filipino owned. The building which sits on that land, if it is a condo building, that building could be 100% owned by a foreigner but the land itself cannot. A condo inside a condo building can be 100% owned by a foreigner. If a foreigner is married to a Filipino and he or she owns the land, the building, house, apartment, farmhouse can be owned by the foreigner AND the landowner but should the foreigner pass away, the building goes back into the family name of his or her spouse.


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Aussie Pete said:


> as I understand it a foreigner can own a Condo as long as the Condo complex has no more than 40% of the Condo's owned by foreigners. If there are 100 Condo's in the Building no more 40 can be owned by foreigners for you to be a "legal" owner.
> 
> I'm just going through the process of possibly buying a property in B Global City now. Any input would be greatly appreciated as to - legal issues, contracts, titles, ROI etc.


Consult a lawyer or professional (licensed) on this. When you purchase your condo I would make sure you have it filmed signing the documents, pictures. Also there could be all sorts of fee's unpaid real estate tax, condo fee's way behind, who knows? Best to hire someone who will check all aspects of the purchase, especially if your buying from a private owner "Buyer beware".


----------



## amcan13 (Sep 28, 2021)

We just bought some land. My wife as a citizen of Philippines is only allowed on the title. I am as her foreign husband allowed on the purchase contract. The lawyer said I had rights from her selling it without my agreement and in case of her death I do get time to dispose of the land according to the law. If I do nothing the land will go to relatives. In our case our child is going to get everything so I don't have any issues. I think the age of maturity is 21 in Philippines so the parents get to handle the legal stuff a while.
There is a law about if there is no will that allows a foreign person to inherit land but only if there is no one else in line to inherit i assume and not a spouse.
If you think your wife is going to wait until you buy land and build a house to kick you to the curb I guess you should rent


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

amcan13 said:


> We just bought some land. My wife as a citizen of Philippines is only allowed on the title. I am as her foreign husband allowed on the purchase contract. The lawyer said I had rights from her selling it without my agreement and in case of her death I do get time to dispose of the land according to the law. If I do nothing the land will go to relatives. In our case our child is going to get everything so I don't have any issues. I think the age of maturity is 21 in Philippines so the parents get to handle the legal stuff a while.
> There is a law about if there is no will that allows a foreign person to inherit land but only if there is no one else in line to inherit i assume and not a spouse.
> If you think your wife is going to wait until you buy land and build a house to kick you to the curb I guess you should rent


It does sometimes happen but you can take her to court, I watched a Raffy Tulfo show where the woman took everything and kicked the foreigner out or accused him wrongly of abuse but it was all lies anyway he brought the situation to light and the lady was shamed on TV because she also was still married to a Philippine man to make matters worse so she was accused of Estafa ( *the legal term for the criminal offense of swindling) *and so the only thing she could do was either make payments to the foreigner or go to jail through a trial, she worked out a deal on TV but I haven't heard of the follow-up.


----------



## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

amcan13 said:


> We just bought some land. My wife as a citizen of Philippines is only allowed on the title. I am as her foreign husband allowed on the purchase contract. The lawyer said I had rights from her selling it without my agreement and in case of her death I do get time to dispose of the land according to the law. If I do nothing the land will go to relatives. In our case our child is going to get everything so I don't have any issues. I think the age of maturity is 21 in Philippines so the parents get to handle the legal stuff a while.
> There is a law about if there is no will that allows a foreign person to inherit land but only if there is no one else in line to inherit i assume and not a spouse.
> If you think your wife is going to wait until you buy land and build a house to kick you to the curb I guess you should rent


 Concernning maturity age I know some is 18, some is 25. I dont know concernning real estate.

I am not 100 % sure, but 98 
As often Filipino lawyers are WRONG... (If it isnt changed since a friend of mine bought a land many years ago.)
His - scammer type - Filipina wife is the main but *he is at the title too.* She want to sell - and put all in own pocket I suppouse  - but she cant by he has to sign too when its about SELLING by he is at the title too so buyers know.. . 
(An other biger land he put in eldest daughter's name, child then, grown up now, so the wife has no right to that at all


----------



## art1946 (Nov 30, 2017)

how dumb are the laws in the Philippines. I can't own the land under the house, but i can buy a condo that sits on land. hahahaha

art


----------



## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

art1946 said:


> how dumb are the laws in the Philippines. I can't own the land under the house, but i can buy a condo that sits on land. hahahaha


 Actualy in difference from many other things, thats LOGIC 
because foreigners CAN own max 40 % in a business, which own land (if fullfil some demands).
Its SAME max as the 40 % foreigners are allowed to be in a condo union, which can own the land the condos are at.


----------



## amcan13 (Sep 28, 2021)

If you look at condominiums in the USA you will also find the same thing. You don't own the land, it is common area that all owners have to maintain, thus dues. The twist in the Philippines is the 40% for foreigners. That might be changing. A bill was signed to open up business ownership for foreigners to increase foreigner investment. PRRD signs law amending Foreign Investments Act But it might allow you to become a business and buy land for said business. The investment threshold is pretty low.


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

I guess one advantage of no foreigners owning land is the Chinese can't buy your country out from under you.


----------



## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

Gary D said:


> I guess one advantage of no foreigners owning land is the Chinese can't buy your country out from under you.


 Yes, that make sence,
but the Philippines has fallen behind development compared to other SE Asian countries by NOT allowing foreigners to own majority even in business foreigners START - and NOT allowing foreigner KNOWLEDGE to dominate in own business!!! That have been realy stupid - until now. The new law amcan told SOLVE that :


amcan13 said:


> If you look at condominiums in the USA you will also find the same thing. You don't own the land, it is common area that all owners have to maintain, thus dues. The twist in the Philippines is the 40% for foreigners. That might be changing. A bill was signed to open up business ownership for foreigners to increase foreigner investment. PRRD signs law amending Foreign Investments Act But it might allow you to become a business and buy land for said business. The investment threshold is pretty low.


   
Now I dont have that to complain about anymore 🤣 
Its even better than I hoped by they improve Visas for some such business people too


----------

