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THIS IS MY LAST PRICE
Question: If your client — the property owner — tells you, “Juan, this is my absolute last price. Nothing lower.” Should you still transmit offers below that number? Last Thursday, I was one of the panelists in our office coaching session. A fellow panelist shared a story about an owner who eventually agreed to close at a price lower than what she had previously declared as her “final” price. That caught my attention. Because in practice, we’ve all heard it before: “This is m
Mar 22 min read
NOTARIAL FEE HACK
Here’s a practical tip I picked up from a fellow broker on how to minimize notarial costs when closing a sale — without cutting corners. The situation When you submit a Deed of Absolute Sale (DOAS) to the BIR, many RDOs require a separate document called an Acknowledgment Receipt (AR) stating that the seller has received the full consideration indicated in the DOAS. Technically, most DOAS templates already contain a clause like: “Receipt of which is hereby acknowledged by the
Feb 272 min read
CHOOSING THE RIGHT RE LAWYER
If you ask most lawyers whether they’re knowledgeable in real estate transactions, they’ll likely say yes. But in practice, not all lawyers operate at the same depth. Real estate is one of the most regulation-heavy areas of law in the Philippines. Tax rules evolve. BIR issuances change. Court rulings reinterpret old principles. What worked five years ago may already be outdated. That’s why I prefer lawyers who specialize in real estate — not those who just “handle” it occasio
Feb 262 min read
PRICING A GROUND LEASE
Client: Juan, how do you price a land lease? JPRE: What exactly is being leased? Client: It’s a portion of land inside a larger commercial compound we developed in XXX. There’s already an existing commercial building in the compound, but this specific tenant wants to lease an undeveloped section and construct their own structure. How should we price it? JPRE: There isn’t a single, market-standard formula for pricing land leases like this. Unlike condos or office spaces, where
Feb 262 min read
WHO PAYS THE DAMAGE?
In 2017, a condo unit in BGC caught fire. By midday, photos of thick smoke billowing from the unit were already circulating on Facebook. Firefighters forced the door open and contained the blaze before it spread to adjacent units. The unit itself, however, was a total loss—almost everything inside was reduced to ashes. According to the firefighters, the likely cause was the air-conditioning unit, which had been left running while the tenant was away. They noted that the AC ap
Feb 242 min read
ESTATE TAX AMNESTY ROUND 3?
Good news for families with unsettled estates. On Feb. 18, 2026, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri filed Senate Bill No. 1865 seeking to extend the Estate Tax Amnesty until Dec. 31, 2028. The previous extension expired on June 14, 2025. If passed, this would reopen the window once again. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the real bottleneck in estate settlement isn’t the tax. Two years ago, we invited Atty. Jojo Mejia to speak on Estate Settlement Taxation and Planning under TRAIN
Feb 232 min read
JEDI MIND TRICKS
On Feb. 8, a photo went viral showing a broken MRT-3 escalator with a sign that read: “Each step you climb is a gift to your heart, lungs, and muscles.” Predictably, netizens lost it. Many called it “gaslighting,” saying MRT-3 management was being tone-deaf and unsympathetic to commuters who were already exhausted, late, and just trying to survive daily life. While not that malicious, it's probably an overly creative attempt to spin a bad situation into something positive — t
Feb 202 min read
8 YEARS LATER
In 2023, the government reported that the BIR offices in Pampanga filed criminal charges against both the SELLER and the BUYER of several parcels of land — for allegedly using a FAKE BIR Certificate Authorizing Registration (CAR). If proven, both parties may face: + up to 10 years imprisonment for tax-related offenses, and + up to 6 years for falsification of documents. What makes this case extra disturbing? Interesting facts: + The case was filed around 8 years after the tra
Feb 192 min read
FROZEN BY ASSOCIATION - PART 2
Remember last week’s Horror Story post? Someone reached out to share an even worse follow-up: their transaction is now stuck in limbo because the buyer’s bank account was frozen mid-deal. I can’t share the details for privacy, but here’s the structure: + It was a multi-step transaction + Payments were staggered + The seller already received the initial payments + The final balance was supposed to be released later …and then the buyer’s account got frozen. So now, the deal is
Feb 172 min read
MAKATI SMV SHOCKWAVE
On Feb. 15, Bilyonaryo published an article reporting that the Dasmariñas Village Association (DVA) warned of a possible up to 16x increase in real property taxes (RPT) once the proposed SMV is implemented. Highlights from the article: + DVA is CONCERNED about a staggering increase in RPT. + DVA said they were told the Makati LGU does NOT INTEND to use the SMV to sharply raise taxes. + DVA will propose revisions in assessment levels and tax rates, and a cap to limit future in
Feb 162 min read
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