What’s the usual due diligence process—and why wouldn’t it have caught this mess? 1. Secure certified copies of the Title and Tax Dec. a. Everything matched perfectly. The names appeared consistently across the CCT, Tax Dec, and passports. b. No liens or mortgages were annotated. Title was clean. 2. Verify the TINs. a. The TINs matched the numbers provided. 3. No CENOMAR was required. They already submitted a Canadian marriage certificate, meaning they weren’t claiming to be

ALERT: Here’s a red flag your due diligence process probably won’t catch. (We would’ve missed it too if this were our transaction.) A Filipino couple was set to buy a condo from a foreigner and a Filipina partner. No brokers involved. On paper, everything looked clean. Facts: Sellers disclosed: “We got married in Canada.” They presented a Canadian marriage certificate. Title: shows John Doe (foreigner) and Luz B. Reyes — both listed as single. Luz’s passport: Luz Borromeo Rey

Dear LGUs, Paying real property taxes shouldn’t feel like an obstacle course—but right now it does. Here’s why: Taxpayers must personally visit city hall just to get a billing. For those with properties outside Metro Manila, that means entire days lost to travel. Parking is a nightmare, forcing taxpayers to bring a driver just so they can attempt the errand. Cash or Manager’s Check only—except for Taguig and Pasig—means people are literally withdrawing stacks of money just to

“Can’t you just lease a condo and use it as an office?” People quietly do the math—especially when office rents sit at Php900–2,400/sqm, with the Php900/sqm options usually bare shells that require expensive fit-outs. Add the usual 2–3 year lock-in, and the commitment feels heavy for a small or early-stage team. So the next question becomes: why not get a residential unit instead? A 30-sqm studio rents for Php20k–25k/month, already usable, airconditioned, and realistically fi

How much income do you really need to buy that property and bank finance 80% of the purchase price? Banks quietly follow a simple rule: Your monthly amortization shouldn’t exceed 40% of your gross household income. So the question becomes—given a certain condo price, how big should your income be for a bank to say yes? Here’s the Excel formula that does the math: =PMT(7.5%/12, 180, -0.8*C2) / 0.40 What each part means: 0.8 × Price → Banks typically lend 80% of the property va

Once upon a time, a tenant called in a panic: water was overflowing in his basement backyard. (Day 0) Day 1. Broker booked the owner’s trusted plumber (Plumber 1). Diagnosis: water pump + backup pump probably died. They agreed on a Day 4 visit. Day 2. Plumber 1 suddenly asked the owner to send P9K for a submersible pump—plus another P9K to siphon the tanks. Broker checked online and found the exact same pump at 50% off, so he bought it himself. He also learned the siphoning s

Broker: “Juan, quick one. I was checking something on ChatGPT. My lessor-client wants to lease out his unit, but then he wouldn't be able to get a Certificate of Non-Tenancy. And that would mean the future sale will be VAT-able…but then ChatGPT said this: ✅ 1. VAT on Rent Depends on the Lessor — Not the Condo Corp. VAT is based on the lessor’s tax status (seller/landlord), NOT the condo corporation. VAT applies when the lessor: A. Is VAT-registered, OR B. Earns > P3,000,000/y

Php 970,000 per sqm. Yes, you read that right. We just got wind of a property sale that closed at that jaw-dropping price. I can’t reveal the specifics, but here are your clues: Not inside any ultra–high-end village Not a commercial lot Supply is tightly regulated and extremely scarce This property type even performs well during economic downturns Still guessing? The total area is just slightly bigger than a parking slot (dead giveaway) At this rate… I’m seriously considering

Do you really still need witnesses for a Deed of Absolute Sale? Short answer: No… but also yes. Maybe. You’ve probably seen those two blank witness lines at the end of contracts—right before the Acknowledgment Page where the notary signs. Naturally, the question pops up: “For a Deed of Absolute Sale, is it still needed?” Technically, no. Under the law, once a contract is notarized, it becomes a public document. And a public document does not require instrumental witnesses—unl

I Lost My Title! What Now? Think of it this way: if you lose your credit card, you don’t wait for someone to go on a shopping spree under your name. You immediately call the bank and have it blocked. Losing your land title works the same way—except the “bank” you call is the Registry of Deeds. The moment you're certain the title is gone, you prepare an Affidavit of Loss and have it annotated on the RD’s copy of the title. That small annotation becomes a big red flag for anyon