Foreigners Owning Land

[Tukaram (Tim)]

......  Does anyone have a story about a lease that worked for the 25 or 50 years it was supposed to go for.  I don`t know of any so its why I am asking....

 

Well I am 3 months into a 12 month lease... we shall see how it goes!  That is about as long term as I care to go.

 

My girlfriend wants to build a house, on her uncles property, down the road from us.  We had a good discussion on land ownership and building on someone else's property.  I told her I would rather build on land in her name than her uncles name - I may still lose it but we could both lose it on someone else's land.    

 

But she doesn't quite understand the idea of ownership.  When I got here she was living in Antique in a house she shared with her brother, 2 brothers in law, and 3 kids (not hers).  The wives are all OFW's.  She said she owns the land and houses.  So I asked what about the others.  Oh...they own it too.  They all inherited it when mom died.   Ok... on paper whose name is it in?  Well...  moms, I guess, she says.   So far they are all just sharing the land.  and that may work for Filipinos but I ain't building a house on it either!         :tiphat:

[kkurtt]

It seems the primary problem in¨owning land is finding an honest competent lawyer to help form the corporation making it virtually impossible for the foreigner to lose it, but as you all say the lawyers are a bunch of crooks.

I dont believe that all corporation lawyers there are dishonest . On boracay i havent read about any foreigner problems and look at the fancy hotels there! Any suggestions?

[robert k]

It seems the primary problem in¨owning land is finding an honest competent lawyer to help form the corporation making it virtually impossible for the foreigner to lose it, but as you all say the lawyers are a bunch of crooks.

I dont believe that all corporation lawyers there are dishonest . On boracay i havent read about any foreigner problems and look at the fancy hotels there! Any suggestions?

The problem as I see it is that it is against the law to try to circumvent the law against the foreigner owning more than 40%. If you found the perfect legal way to circumvent the law, you would still lose because it's against the law to circumvent the law. How would you get around that part?

Edited August 2, 2013 by robert k

[lmetrucking]

I have seen many foreigners get burned with real estate in PI. This is what worked for us in Zambales. After the Spanish American war the US Army corp. of engineers did a full survey of most of the province. This land was then offered to filipinos by the Philippine Govt. The records for the title transfer {for Zambales} are in Iba, the provincial capitol.

Our lot was surveyed in 1917. It was occupied at the time as it was already a residential area. In 1946 it was titled. When the owner passed away in 1999 we bought the place from her only living heir, her daughter.The land had already been titled in her name. We drew up a legal agreement that covered all aspects of the sale, down to the bamboo kubo and trees that were on it. We went to Iba and did a records search to verify the legitimacy of the documents as well. After the sale we were able to title the property in our names in Iba, ourselves, within a couple of months, for about $100. In our area there are a handful of older Pilipino guys whose families have been in the area for many generations that are legal 1st owners of land that goes back to the original survey and when land was first "owned" in the western sense. I would only buy under this set of circumstances myself. There is some land available in our area. Most of it I wouldnt touch with a ten foot pole. There are also a few gems, although they are getting pricy now.

[Americano]

The lot that I listed recently in the Classifies on this forum was titled in 1924 when the Philippines was an American colony and it has remained in the same family since then. That's why its safe to buy now. Anyone interested in buying a lot on Cebu should consider it.

[joeatmanila]

Ok, I will not give an answer on the law alternatives as a foreigner buying land in Philippines. I will only raise a few questions.

 

I am not going to talk about business projects, if you are so clever, having money coming to Philippines to invest them on business by just knowing a few friends or so...you know everything else and you do not need help :) If you are one of the expats long time living here and you want to invest on business, you know your way and you have all the "university degrees" needed to go by the law etc.

 

A. People who want to buy a house and lot. Why you want to buy it, instead of renting it? When you buy you stuck at the area, get a neighbor after two years who loves karaoke every night, loves raising roosters and all his dirt around you...(and that is the average provincial Filipino, rather the standard than the exception) and you are f*cked and not happy!!!!

B. Buying a house and lot if you have a wife or a kid (Filipino citizens), then you buy it under their name and they cannot sell without your signature, after you meet heaven, they inherit it as they would anywhere in the world. So what is the problem...??

C. Selling any property here is not that easy not unless is a major prime one. Are you sure you can wait 2-3-4-5 years before you sell a property you have at your or around there desired price? Or you are willing to kill it on a bargain price so to get whatever you can from it and good luck to your new adventures?

D. To all the rookies in the land of smiles, be careful where you put your money. Even us expats here will see an opportunity to make money out of nothing to a rookie who is just full of hope and expectations to live the dream. Rent for a few (would say at least 5) years and then you can decide where to place your "pork barrel" heheheh

E. To pensioners who earn enough to pass by month to month basis and they just want to buy something now that they have the lumpsum so they do not have to worry in the future...sorry to say so but you need to look on another country, here becomes more and more expensive everyday, electricity is ridiculously expensive and so other needed amenities, living country style is not so easy either. The 800$-1000$ per month living here is a myth, surviving on this amount, can be. living and surviving are two different things though.

[i am bob]

Joe, I agree with almost everything you said!

 

I too wish to buy a large section of land in my dreams.  And then, thankfully, once I wake up, I realize I was dreaming.  Someday, if my Special Someone and I eventually marry, I will probably buy her some property where she wants to live after I am gone.  But not for a few years.  I would recommend she rent still as well - same as her mother does.

 

Yeah, you know I disagree with "The 800$-1000$ per month living here is a myth..."  Some people do very well on that amount and are much happier than where they were before.  Now if you had said "living like a KING" on that amount, I would agree!  And I wouldn't be surprised if someone still came back and honestly told us they lived "like a KING" on less!  It's all relative to what a person needs and wants.  Instead, if we made people aware of the average costs and what the bottom line costs are, that would give a better description to people to decide if they can afford to live in the Philippines or not!

[joeatmanila]

Joe, I agree with almost everything you said!

 

I too wish to buy a large section of land in my dreams.  And then, thankfully, once I wake up, I realize I was dreaming.  Someday, if my Special Someone and I eventually marry, I will probably buy her some property where she wants to live after I am gone.  But not for a few years.  I would recommend she rent still as well - same as her mother does.

 

Yeah, you know I disagree with "The 800$-1000$ per month living here is a myth..."  Some people do very well on that amount and are much happier than where they were before.  Now if you had said "living like a KING" on that amount, I would agree!  And I wouldn't be surprised if someone still came back and honestly told us they lived "like a KING" on less!  It's all relative to what a person needs and wants.  Instead, if we made people aware of the average costs and what the bottom line costs are, that would give a better description to people to decide if they can afford to live in the Philippines or not!

I do not doubt that one can live happy on less, not all of us need or want the same things. A few years ago I heard about a Dutch man who was living the natives Ifugao life for quite a few years and the government gave him Filipino citizenship just for the sake of it. The bottom line is he is living on less than 100$/month and he is happy, his choice!!!! I bet he can own land now!!!

And by the way, if you become a Filipino citizen (meaning trashing your passport and ofcourse all your rights from back home) you can still buy land :)

[Bill Smith]

Does anybody know what the difference would be between a foreigner doing a rent to "own" purchase versus a long term lease in the Philippines? Since owning land really isn't possible for a foreigner here, I'm thinking of looking for long term lease terms...... as opposed to simply renting.

[Old55]

Does anybody know what the difference would be between a foreigner doing a rent to "own" purchase versus a long term lease in the Philippines? Since owning land really isn't possible for a foreigner here, I'm thinking of looking for long term lease terms...... as opposed to simply renting.

Foreigners are not allowed to own land in Philippines. You can rent, lease or under certain circumstances own a condo.