Need Real Estate Agent and Lawyer near Santa Rosa, Calamba, Los Banos

[mrmichaelrb]

Hello, I am a United States citizen who is currently living in the U.S., but would like to purchase/lease a house and move to the Philippines in the next year.

I’ve already visited Calamba City several times and feel that this is a place that I would like to live. In particular, I’m looking at places between Calamba and Los Banos, Mount Makiling and Laguna Lake. I am not interested in a townhouse or a condominium.

I need a buyer’s agent, real estate lawyer, and other assistance to help me with the process of acquiring and moving into a home near Calamba. I am already aware that directly owning property in the Philippines as a foreigner is not really possible, although there are alternatives such as long-term leases and forming corporations with minority ownership. I do not speak Tagalog, and will need help dealing with the legal, logistical, and local cultural issues.

I would appreciate a referral to someone who might be able to help me in these matters.

Thank you,
Michael

[scott h]

41 minutes ago, mrmichaelrb said:

I would appreciate a referral to someone

First, welcome to the forum. We will help in any way possible.

Second,,,,,,,,,Not on your life would I give you a referral in a matter as large as this , there really is not Better Business Bureau here and if I gave a referral and they screwed you over bad, well you get the idea. An example, our contractor built our house, did a great job and we had no complaints, our neighbor hired him and he absconded with he payroll 

I take it you have no connections in the area that can give you a hand?

[mrmichaelrb]

I did have a semi-retired friend in the area who was willing and ready to help me get setup. He spoke fluent English and had dual-citizenship (U.S. and Filipino), and owns a beautiful place on a golf course which he had built himself. But just as we began moving forward, my mother had a massive stroke and broke her hip, which necessitated me delaying my move by more than a year while she recovered. Now, I'm ready to begin again (I'm bringing her with me), and he is not available. It is a real setback for me, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Any other connections that I have in the area would not be trustworthy enough to help me, nor would they have the necessary experience in real estate.

It looks like I may have to hire some giant law firm in Manilla, but I was hoping to get something closer to the area and willing to handle dealing with some of the little things. It's the little things that sometimes really make getting things done difficult in the Philippines.

[scott h]

41 minutes ago, mrmichaelrb said:

little things that sometimes really make getting things done difficult in the Philippines.

If you already understand this, then you are more than half way to being acclimated to life in the Philippines 

Now if it is free advise your after (and its worth exactly what your paying for it). Reading between the lines it seems you will have a fairly hefty budget. So I would take it a few steps at a time.

1st stay at a hotel near the airport (oyster plaza comes to mind, not far from the airport, right off a main road so your mom will be able to get in and out ok and is reasonable in prise) This will enable you to get your legs under you.

2nd, It looks to me that you want to locate along the SLEK corridor south of Manila. Take a couple of days to find a suitable hotel say in Santa Rosa or Calamba and expand your search from there.

Again, reading between the lines, seems like your more in the market to rent a house in a sub division. (sounds like your friend lives in a place like Canyon wood near Tagaytay). What I would do is drive to the gated communities, ask for the HOA headquarter to see if any houses there are for rent.  

Anyway,,,,,,,,,,food for thought

Oh, are medical facilities for your mom in the picture? If so we can research which area hospitals might take what ever insurance you have. Not all hospitals take international insurance 

[Jollygoodfellow]

4 hours ago, mrmichaelrb said:

I need a buyer’s agent, real estate lawyer, and other assistance to help me with the process of acquiring and moving into a home near Calamba.

Hopefully your not considering buying while in the US ? Wouldn't it be better to come here and rent for a while and look yourself. 

[mrmichaelrb]

Yes, I may have a larger budget than some. I'm not going to buy a golf course mansion, but I also don't want one of those tiny cookie-cutter houses in lowland subdivisions that remain perpetually under development either.

Finding hotel rooms and properties are not a concern. I'm already familiar with several of the hotels in the area and their amenities. And, I already have a few properties in mind. As I stated before, I've spent many weeks (more than a dozen, many of them over three weeks at a time) in the Philippines. I did not stay at fancy isolated resorts during those times. I stayed in rented houses among the general public (although, obviously not in a tin shack in the slums). Those trips were in preparation for my move.

I understand that a primary function of forums like these are to offer advice to the naive foreigners who do not understand what they are getting themselves into. I am not looking for advice of this nature. If you want to tell me what to do and how to do it, I will certainly read your messages and take them into consideration, but this is not what I need.

I need a buyer's agent, a real estate lawyer, and possibly a liaison/facilitator to ensure that all the little things are done properly for my purchase/lease. Ideally, I would like to find people or an organization that someone else has already used successfully. I'm aware that past performance is not a guarantee of future results. However, having a recommendation or referral is certainly better than picking at random. I'd rather find someone with at least one satisfied customer. If you'd rather see me choose blindly, then I guess it is your prerogative to withhold information.

Also, I do not plan to move my mother until the property is ready. I am not going to subject my 80 year old mother with speech and mobility issues to the vagaries and struggles of everyday Philippine living. I'm aware that I will need to visit the Philippines at various times during this process, and during those times, a nurse or health aide can stay with her here in the United States. However, I would like to reduce the number of 17 hour flights and their associated costs (airline fare, lost wages, care for my mother, aggravation with bureaucracy, etc...) by attempting to hire reasonably competent (and possibly well connected) real estate services.

Surely this is not something you all object to?

[Jollygoodfellow]

3 minutes ago, mrmichaelrb said:

Surely this is not something you all object to?

Do you really see any objection? 

[Mike J]

Now you are sounding a bit arrogant for someone seeking assistance.  Just my opinion of course. 

[Jack Peterson]

11 minutes ago, Mike J said:

Now you are sounding a bit arrogant for someone seeking assistance.  Just my opinion of course. 

 Mike Tongue in cheek My Friend, as there is no Previous post shown, I hope that is meant for the OP and not our Illustrious Leader? 

[Old55]

34 minutes ago, Mike J said:

Now you are sounding a bit arrogant for someone seeking assistance.  Just my opinion of course. 

"A bit arrogant"?  

 

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by Old55