Once upon a time, on a quiet December afternoon, just as the long holiday break was beginning, a broker received a call from a tenant. Foreign Tenant: “[Broker], the aircon in the second bedroom stopped working. The ones in the living room too. Three out of the four units are down. Please make sure this gets fixed as soon as possible. My son is arriving before Christmas.” Broker: (Already sensing the problem) “Yes sir. I’ll arrange it.” The broker immediately called their tru

Did you know that banks in the Philippines share credit information through systems commonly referred to as “Negative Databases” or “NDB”? In simple terms, banks don’t only look at your relationship with them. They also look at your overall financial behavior across the banking system. How does it work? If Juan applies for a loan or credit card, the bank may check: + Existing loans and credit card obligations + Payment history + Past defaults or restructurings + R

Broker: Juan, quick question. I’m about to close a deal tomorrow and the owner can’t find the original Tax Declaration. Is that a problem? Juan: Not necessarily. For title transfers, what’s usually required is a CERTIFIED TRUE COPY of the Tax Declaration from the City Assessor’s Office — not the owner’s physical copy. The reason is simple: assessment values get updated from time to time, and owners are often notified without being issued a new physical copy immediately. In ma

Obsolescence in real estate happens when a property loses value because its features, design, or functionality no longer match current standards or buyer preferences. This is different from a building’s economic life. A building may physically stand for another 50 years, yet parts of it may already feel outdated or inefficient compared to newer developments. Here are a few examples of condo features that gradually became obsolete: 1. Centralized Air-Conditioning Systems Many

Here’s a look at the long-term compounded annual growth rates (CAGR) of some of the country’s top villages based on 1990 to 2025 values. You can read these numbers in a few ways. First: If you already own property in these villages, this is an exceptional outcome. You’ve compounded wealth at roughly 10%–14% annually over 35 years. That’s difficult to replicate consistently, even in financial markets. For context, long-term equity returns like the PSEi tend to come in lower, a

Once upon a time, a broker leased out a condo unit. The process was smooth. Papers signed, unit turned over, everything in place. Then the call came. It was the building administration. They had flagged the tenant after finding online records linking him to estafa and fraud cases. Naturally, they were concerned. No building wants that kind of reputation inside its premises. The broker checked for himself. A quick search showed the same cases. So he confronted the tenant. The

On August 23, 2010, the Manila hostage crisis unfolded in full view of the world. A dismissed police officer, Rolando Mendoza, hijacked a tourist bus in Manila. The standoff lasted roughly 10 hours. He released several hostages during the ordeal, but the situation deteriorated after his brother was detained by authorities. By the end, 8 hostages were killed. It was a tragedy and a defining moment that damaged the country’s global image. But here’s the part that matters for th

Losing your property title sounds like a nightmare—but it happens more often than you think. Fires. Floods. Theft. Or simply misplaced over time. So what actually happens when your title is gone? -- First, understand this: Under the Torrens System (land registration system), every titled property has two copies: 1. The Original Certificate of Title (kept by the Registry of Deeds) 2. Owner’s Duplicate Certificate of Title (what you hold) This setup protects ownership even if o

Once upon a time, a lessor rented out a unit to a lessee. The lessee, in turn, subleased the unit on Airbnb. Then the pandemic hit—and the subleasing business collapsed. When the lessor tried to deposit the tenant’s checks, they bounced. Attempts to contact the lessee became increasingly difficult, with communication turning inconsistent. As the lease neared expiry, the lessor repeatedly reached out to ask whether the tenant intended to renew. There was no response—until a fe

Every cycle feels different when you’re inside it. The stories change. The headlines change. The reasons always sound new. But step back, and the pattern becomes familiar. Periods of easy money lead to rising prices. Rising prices lead to confidence. Confidence leads to leverage. And somewhere along the way, risk gets ignored. Until something shifts. — The Philippine market today is not facing the same structural risks as past crises. Banks are better regulated. Currency risk