Guides & insights
Buying from abroad, rent-to-own, financing and avoiding scams — practical help for Philippine real estate.
Building a House in the Philippines From Abroad: Costs, Contractor Scams & Remote Management
Building back home is the OFW dream that burns the most people. What construction really costs per square metre in 2026, the permits you can't skip, how OFWs get defrauded, and the safeguards — PCAB-licensed contractor, fixed-price contract, staged payments tied to inspection — that keep you in control.
Jun 11, 2026
Affordability calculator
Turn your USD/EUR budget into a peso budget.
Buying from abroad (OFW)
Prices in your currency, verified listings.
OFW & Diaspora Corner
Buying property in the Philippines from abroad.
Building a House in the Philippines From Abroad: Costs, Contractor Scams & Remote Management
Building back home is the OFW dream that burns the most people. What construction really costs per square metre in 2026, the permits you can't skip, how OFWs get defrauded, and the safeguards — PCAB-licensed contractor, fixed-price contract, staged payments tied to inspection — that keep you in control.
Paying Your Philippine Mortgage From Abroad: Remittances, FX & Fees (OFW Guide)
How OFWs quietly lose money paying a home loan from overseas — and how to stop it. Paying a Pag-IBIG or bank amortization from abroad, why the exchange-rate spread (not the fee) is the real cost, late-payment penalties, and managing currency risk on a peso loan.
Can Foreigners Buy Property in the Philippines? Condos, Land & the 40% Rule
Foreigners can own a condo outright but generally cannot own land. The full rules: the 40% condominium cap, long-term land leases, the corporation route, buying through a Filipino spouse, inheritance, the special rights of former Filipinos and dual citizens, and the Anti-Dummy Law you must not cross.
Money & Financing
Pag-IBIG, home loans and affordability.
How Much Down Payment Do You Really Need to Buy Property in the Philippines?
'No down payment' almost never means zero cash. A breakdown of the three upfront buckets — reservation fee, down payment, and closing costs — what 'no spot DP' really means, and exactly how much real cash a ₱3,000,000 unit needs.
Pag-IBIG Housing Loan Computation 2026: Rates, Loanable Amount & Monthly Amortization
How Pag-IBIG works out your loan — the 2026 rate tiers (5.75% to 9.75% by fixing period), the four factors that cap your loanable amount, and the amortization factor that sets your monthly payment, with a full worked example on a ₱4.5M loan.
How Much Salary Do You Need to Buy a Condo in the Philippines? (2026)
Lenders cap your monthly amortization at about 35% of gross income — so the salary you need depends on the price, rate and term. Worked income figures for ₱2M, ₱3M and ₱5M units at 2026 rates, plus the levers (down payment, term, co-borrower) that change the answer.
Rent-to-Own
How rent-to-own works in the Philippines.
Pasalo / Assume Balance in the Philippines: The Complete 2026 Guide
Pasalo lets you take over someone's existing Pag-IBIG or bank housing loan — pay the seller's equity, then continue the monthly amortization. How it works, what you really pay, Pag-IBIG and bank loan assumption, the documents and taxes, and the scams to avoid before you hand over a peso.
Rent-to-Own Condos in the Philippines With No Down Payment (2026 Guide)
How rent-to-own and 'no spot down payment' condo deals really work in the Philippines — what gets credited to the price, the balloon payment at the end, your rights under the Maceda Law, and the fine print to check before you sign.
City & Area Guides
Where to buy, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Where to Buy a Condo in Metro Manila: Makati, BGC, Ortigas & QC Compared (2026)
Where you buy changes both your lifestyle and your returns. Makati, BGC, Ortigas and Quezon City compared on price per square metre, rental yield and who each suits — set against a 2026 buyer's market of ~78,000 unsold units and softening prices.
Best Cities to Live in the Philippines: Top 10 for 2026
Ranked list of the top 10 Philippine cities to live in 2026 — covering jobs, cost of living, lifestyle, infrastructure, and real-estate growth.
Cost of Living: Manila vs Cebu vs Davao in 2026 (Real Numbers)
Side-by-side cost-of-living comparison for the three biggest Philippine cities. Rent, utilities, groceries, transport, schools — real 2026 numbers.
Buying & Renting Tips
Avoid scams, verify listings, buy smart.
Condo Turnover Checklist: What to Inspect Before You Accept the Unit (Philippines)
The turnover inspection is your moment of maximum leverage. How to sign the acceptance form without waiving your rights, a room-by-room punch-list checklist, the developer's defect-repair obligation, your three warranty layers, and the tools to bring.
How to Verify a Land Title in the Philippines Before You Buy (TCT/CCT Due Diligence)
The most expensive mistake in Philippine real estate is paying for land the seller doesn't really own. A step-by-step guide: getting a Certified True Copy from the Registry of Deeds, reading the encumbrances, checking the Tax Declaration and amilyar, verifying the seller's authority, and spotting fake titles.
Earthquakes and Philippine Real Estate: Safer Areas, Construction, and What to Check Before Buying (2026)
After the magnitude-7.8 Mindanao earthquake of 8 June 2026, a calm, practical guide to earthquake risk for buyers and renters — which areas carry higher and lower risk, how Filipino homes resist shaking, and what to check before you sign.
Tools & Forms
Calculators, checklists and templates.
Q&A and Glossary
Answers to common property questions.
Contract to Sell vs Deed of Absolute Sale in the Philippines (and Why It Matters)
Two documents decide whether you actually own a property or merely have the right to own it later — and buyers sign them without grasping the difference. A plain-language explainer of the Contract to Sell vs the Deed of Absolute Sale, the risk to the buyer, and how the Maceda Law fits in.
Philippine Real Estate Glossary: 40+ Terms Every Buyer Must Know (TCT, CCT, DST, RFO, Maceda…)
TCT, CCT, DST, eCAR, RFO, amilyar, pasalo — Philippine property runs on acronyms, and misreading one can cost you. A plain-language glossary of 40-plus terms every buyer meets, grouped by titles, taxes, the buying process, financing, and the laws and agencies behind it all.