Buying Land Property and Safely Living in Negros Oriental

I thought I would move this Question from (Any business success stories in negros) to a Thread of its own as I have several questions but first, I will broach the topic of buying a small parcel of Land...

I have an opportunity to buy a small piece of Land. 200 small square metres of land... Close to Zamboanguita... On the Highway... It does have a small Nipa Hut on it currently Rented out but in need of much repair. It also has clear title so I am told...

I am thinking of buying it (in asawa and anaks names so as to help with their future) then fixing the Nipa Roof and allowing the Tenants to stay in there for another year or so whilst I save to buy materials to build a small (read; very small) 'A-Frame' style house on the lot.

Do you need Government approval to build a small house on a very small piece of land?

I have been reading through other posts (I searched for "Buying Property") but my unanswered question is;
"Is 300,000 Pesos a reasonable amount to pay for 200 square metres with a clear title?"



View attachment 11430 To give you an idea of the side of the lot; 200 square metres is roughly the size (I think) of a Tennis Court...


And the style of A-Frame House;
View attachment 11431 I plan on building an A-Frame with an upstairs Bedroom and a small Bedroom downstairs. In this picture, the Deck would face the rear of the property so that the other side of the Roof faces the Ocean so that in the event of strong winds coming in from the Ocean side, hopefully the wind would hit the flat roof and deflect up and over, and I could eventually fit sealed Solar Panels to the flat side of the Roof above the Deck.

View attachment 11433 This is a knock up of the Ground Plan with a raised CarPort, raised Deck, Stairs and a Ramp for when I MUST resort to using one of those silly looking Electric Buggy things... Small but comfortable for a Couple with one or two children I think... The idea of raising the House is to minimise the likelihood of Snakes, Scorpions and other 8-Legged demons from Hell just wandering in through the Door at ground level as well as affording some protection should heavy rains raise the ground water by a metre or more.

 

Living Safely in Negros Oriental

Concern #02 Living Safely in Negros Oriental;

Now as some are aware; I will be living with my Wife's Family in their small Nipa Hut. Some I have spoken to have encouraged me to making a Post regards safety, the Do's and the Don'ts...

I have chosen to move to the Philippines to live with my Wife and Daughter, one of my beliefs here in Australia is; when someone moves to a Country, it is they who should adapt, not the Country cater especially for them, so I am moving to the Philippines...

I can relate to certain ways of life, I grew up dirt poor, and today I am still dirt poor, and cannot afford to live in a gated community, but more so; I have no wish to live there as I do here, I wish to embrace the Filipino lifestyle, the people, their Culture, when I leave my Western Bubble my plan is to close that chapter in my life and begin the new chapter that awaits me.

I am not a Womaniser so will NEVER be attending the 'Bars', am not one for 'Live Entertainment' Bands etc, do not Gamble so will not be out with the Boys playing 8-Ball etc, do not drink to get Drunk, on occasions I may partake in 1 to 3 nips max of a Spirit or 1 Beer (was an Alcoholic for more years than I care to remember)

I am not a violent person, however I do believe there is nothing more dangerous than a cornered coward, I will do whatever it takes to ensure my own safety as well as that of my Wife and Daughter. I will not be frequenting any seedy establishments except I would like to take my Wife out for our Anniversary Dinner each year, but no need for 5-Star Dining and Wining, I am not a person who clicks with the upper crust so to speak...

Some have expressed concerns that I might be placing myself in danger by living with the Family with a no Gated 24 hour security Estate. My only real concern to danger is IF someone THINKS I have money, which I do not, nor does my Family here, nor the means to raise any amount demanded, and threaten to harm my Wife or Daughter, or members of her Family, I just plain do not have any money, and to try and buy a small house will take me 2 to 3 years of earnest saving to achieve.

I have read here and elsewhere how some foreigners are targeted randomly for attack, sometimes fatally, I can only pray that the locals accept me for who I am and for my intentions, I am not there to take away work from them, to rob them of any entitlement, to run around and mistreat their women, I am there to live with my wife and daughter as both a Husband and a Father, that is it...

So; to the older, the wiser, the better established, the wary, those here with the knowledge of living in Negros Oriental, what would you advise as to the "Do's and the Don'ts" of living safely in the Philippines.

 

"Is 300,000 Pesos a reasonable amount to pay for 200 square metres with a clear title?"

My first thoughts are: Exact location? and Access?

My second thoughts are: Flooding? Pollution? Neighbors?

I'm sure there are other thoughts but a 200 sq m lot in the jungle with no road, flooding in the rain with a garbage dump on one side and a piggery on the other is worth nowhere near 300,000 pesos. On the other hand, I would JUMP at the chance to get 200 meters near central Duma with all the other conditions favorable.

 

Close to the Zamboanguita on the Dumaguete side... No Ocean Views... Neighbours one side, empty lot the other which I would like to buy also, but the Owner lives in America, and apparently plenty have tried contacting her to no avail. Nice neighbours the other side, they are long time friends of my Wife and Family. Peaceful setting albeit overgrown with trees and a Mosquito Trap, my biggest pet hate!

The Good:
What I like is that the land is below road level which will afford me a fairly decent amount of protection from the Typhoon/ Cyclonic winds that sweep in from off the Ocean. No flooding in the past 14 years while they have lived there...

The Bad;
No pollution from Industry, apart from the Ceres Busses, Trucks, Jeepneys and Tricycles pottering past at all hours of the day and night as it is smack bang on the Highway...

A Filipino friend of mine has told me he could wrangle the price down by starting with an offer half the asking price, I do not feel right with that as I do not want to appear rude in my approach or make an enemy of someone... I have until mid next year to decide so will be looking at other options when I am back to weigh up the pro's and cons, but for me this one has the location I want and ticks the GOOD boxes, for all the bad things it doesn't have that could be wrong with it...

Until I gain more knowledge, I am not sure if 300K was asking too much as my Brother In-law had Bank Finance approved to buy it a year ago to buy for 300K and here it is a year later, still asking 300K... :(

 

Brian, make sure you enquire about use, is it Residential or Agricultural? if it is the latter, you will need a DAR clearance, to build, this will have a direct impact, on your BIR taxation band. to me. 300.000 seems high, have you checked out Access?

 

Brian , I believe that you will be quite safe and happy living there , because you have got the right attitude to be-friend the people near to you . And if your neighbours are happy with you , they will look out for you also . I would say that it is a hell of a lot safer there than going to the local train station here .

You may want to introduce yourself to the local barangay captain and tanod (2nd in charge) just as a courtesy , and I am sure they will be onside quicksmart as well . If you keep your greetings in order the local folk will be pretty happy as well ie; if you are walking past people in the barangay don't be shy to say good morning , good afternoon , good evening etc. better if you say it in bisaya , they will appreciate you taking time to converse , although it being minimally , in their dialect . (get used to them repeating what you say in regards to the greetings with "pud" on the end of it) .

If by chance you happen to have an issue with some thing or some one , let your wife sort it out . Don't get personally involved in any surrounding conflicts or contentious issues , but I am sure that you are savvy enough to already realise this. You appear to be quite a large fella , and this could be imposing to some Filipino's , so by being cordial with your expressions as I previously mentioned this will diffuse their fears "about the big white foreigner man". (ikaw dako kaayu) get your wife to translate.

As for the lot that you are interested in , take your time amigo , if it has been for sale for that long already it doe's not appear to be going anywhere . Get boots on the ground , and you will have a much better feel for things. Wish you all the best with your plans and if you ever need a word about something contact me anytime .

Regards Tony

 

Hello Jack, the land is directly on the Highway, so road frontage property and currently has a Nip Hut with Fruit Trees around it.

It is very tiny by Western comparison but when you are older less is better, less maintenance, I am sure less in Rates or Taxes however they work it in the Philippines?

What I am looking at is eventually I will need a Car. I was going to save for one when I returned, but where I live I would have to pay for Five x Right of Ways. Someone said something about 40K so that reasoning leaves me assuming if that is what one will ask then the other Four will also ask the same if not more so as to not be left behind, 200K for Right of Way? I think not... :(

That is what makes the Land more appealing, still close to Family which is what we want, good location I like, fantastic location for being sheltered from Typhoons! But still; separate from the Family, and all I need to do is make a raised Car Park space to drive from the Highway directly onto to the Property which many houses along the Highway have similar Car Park spaces beside the House in such a way.

I will be bartering, I am told (by a Filipino friend who lives in the States) that Filipino expect that and respect that, counter offers are to be expected from Buyer and Seller alike, he has advised I go in with an offer of half what he is asking, he has offered to help me as he says smooth words go a long way, I feel that is a tad rude and may put the Seller off-side, so I am thinking of offering 240K as my first offer, then seeing how I go from there. I just know if ANYONE offered me half my asking price for anything I had For Sale, bartering after that would go Pear shape for the Buyer, as each amount above half that they counter offered after that, my original Price would rise by that amount until they realised they are not buying from me. Done it before, I am more than fair but find dealing with idiots intolerable... :(

PS:
When I buy, I will be putting the House and Land into asawa's name Only, not my name, I have my reasons and should anything go Pear shaped for me 99% chance I would return to Australia anyways, so I am not worried if I arrive with nothing to my name and leave the same way, Such is Life... So I am not sure how this will affect BIR? Also it is Residential and has had a Nipa Hut on the property now for the past 14 years that asawa has known them...

 

PS: You cannot put it in your name anyway, so no difference whatsoever with the BIR.

Larry

 

That I certainly will do thanking you mate.

Last Christmas, the local barangay turned out "To see the White guy who lived in the Nipa Hut" and from the feedback I was told, they were surprised, 01) I appeared to be happy and well mannered and fitted in, and 02) I ate THEIR foods!
Strangely; #02 seems to have been the real clincher, as I ate salted Dilis, boiled Octopus, Maize and boiled Vegetables, Milkfish (Bleh! Boney lil buggers they are lol) and Dried Fish, even Bagoong on asawa's bitter Green Mango! lol I had it all thrown at me and I ate it... :D

I am hoping to be back in December, asawa has told the Guy that I am poor, and it may take until May to save enough money to make an offer to him, I never get into "Hard Sell" as that always rings alarm bells for me.

I actually bought clothes from ukay ukay there as honestly the clothes I bought with me were a bit long in the tooth and a few had blow outs, like my Jeans which tore from my hip to below the knee, that was when I was propositioned by the (I think bakla?) Prostitute with no teeth outside of ukay :D LOL When I told asawa she frizzed up like a pissed Alley Cat asking which way 'she/he' went, thankfully it had already made a hasty retreat after I flashed my Wedding Ring :p hehe

One of the first things I did when I landed was began greeting the locals, the first week we spent living in one of the slums in Paranaque, each evening when we would retire to to our room, on our walk to the room which was in the middle of one of the slums, I did notice many suspicious side glances, when I smiled and said "Evening Po" I saw looks change to a smile and replies instead of suspicion, I even had to pose with some, they insisted, swearing I was a "Movie Star" and they had seen me before, I guess all Joes look alike for some? :DLOL

But; I would like to know more of the Do's and Don'ts of Living in the Philippines; even just to help me stay on the right side of the locals, I do plan on becoming one of the locals just as they would do here in Australia when they adapt to our lifestyle, I am slowly learning Bisayan and really hope I can hold a real conversation in a year or two, which is difficult with my short term memory problem from when I received my (major) head knock back in '84, not counting all the others in 20+ major accidents as a passenger in my youth, it is a wonder I am alive!

 

I knew I could not put it solely in my Name, but 'thought' I could put claim to around 40% with asawa 60% or thereabouts?

My main aim is to have somewhere secure to live, with minimal maintenance, and something I can leave to my Wife and Daughter for their future Security.

Thank you for the info Larry, so regardless there will be a Yearly Tax/ Rates to be paid for the Land, or the Land and the House? How do they calculate the amount that needs to be paid?

Cheers, Brian