Once upon a time, a property sale was finally nearing completion. The sale was financed by a bank. Although the Deed of Absolute Sale had already been signed, the seller would receive the balance only after the title and tax declaration had been transferred to the buyer’s name and submitted to the bank. After several weeks, everything was finally done. The title and tax dec had been transferred and the docs had been submitted to the bank. Only one task remained: collect the s

Here’s an interesting bit of Quezon City road trivia. Most people know Katipunan Ave as the major road that begins near White Plains Avenue, passes Santolan and Aurora, then continues past Ateneo, Miriam, UP Town, and UP Diliman. But Katipunan was also intended to extend farther northeast. QC’s land-use plan identifies a proposed Katipunan Ave. extension running northward from Pansol toward Payatas. The road was envisioned as an alternative route toward Batasan, particularly

You know how a buyer or seller suddenly includes their lawyer in a real estate transaction, and what used to be a straightforward closing suddenly becomes a hostage situation? To be clear, I generally welcome lawyers. Good lawyers help. They see risks we may miss. And yes, they usually know more about the law than brokers do. But every now and then, you encounter the other kind. The kind who does not just make the transaction difficult...but impossible. I have seen a lawyer d

Here’s a simple but useful tip for managing rental properties more efficiently: Before a tenant moves in, take clear photos of the model numbers and serial numbers of all major appliances. Why? Because when an appliance stops working, the repair process often looks like this: The tenant reports the problem. The broker or property manager contacts the service center. The service center asks for the model number. The broker asks the tenant to send a photo of the sticker or labe

The Philippines may not have a formal caste system, but class distinctions are often built directly into our homes. Consider household staff uniforms. Some employers prefer them because they create a clear visual distinction between the family and the help. To be fair, some household workers also appreciate receiving uniforms because it saves them from having to buy or decide what to wear. So perhaps uniforms are not the strongest example. Here is a more revealing question: W

Once upon a time, a buyer purchased a pre-selling lot from a developer. Years later, the property was finally turned over. Before building anything, the buyer hired a geodetic engineer to verify the boundaries and actual land area. The survey results came back. The lot was several square meters smaller than what the buyer had paid for. The end. JPRE: Yes, this happens. Never assume that the area written in the contract or title perfectly matches what is actually on the ground

Just throwing out an idea… I was once told that during the Asian Financial Crisis, some office landlords offered extremely long rent-free periods—possibly as much as one year—just to get their vacant units leased. At first, that sounds desperate. But when you think about it, it may actually solve one of the biggest problems in the office-leasing market. Many office units are delivered as bare shells. The tenant still has to design and construct the interiors, install the fan-

Imagine selling a property and losing 25% of the gross proceeds to tax. That can happen when Philippine real property is legally owned and sold by a foreign corporation incorporated outside the Philippines that is not engaged in business here. Under Section 28(B)(1) of the Philippine Tax Code, a nonresident foreign corporation is generally subject to a 25% final income tax on gross income from Philippine sources. On the gross amount received from the sale. So if a property is

If you've been in real estate long enough, you've probably encountered this rule: "No digital door locks." The explanation I've heard from PMOs is that all main door locks should look uniform. I never really understood that. The only people who regularly see your door lock are your neighbors on the same floor and building staff. It's not exactly a design feature that defines the entire building. To be fair, some buildings may also have legitimate concerns about fire safety, e

The EDSA rally yesterday — and apparently today — made me think about something I had never really priced into real estate before. For decades, EDSA has been a political stage. When people are angry at government, one of the symbolic gathering points is the EDSA Shrine / People Power Monument area. That is part of its history. If this happens once every 20 years, maybe it does not matter much from a real estate perspective. But what if it happens more often? What if “EDSA pro