⌛ Dumaguete Info :

Info :

Daffs,

Thank you for your input. Will keep it in mind.

 

Rev. Robinson,

Thank you so much. Do you have a website or e-address I can reach you at?

PCE704 Jim

 

Hi Daffs, I have to ask. I am assuming when you say subdivision you mean one of the gated communities, if so, are there many restrictions on what type of house you put in and what you are allowed to do? Do they have a variety of monthly or annual fees for various services? Would you tell us what some of those fees are and what to expect.

 

Beachfront property between Bacong and Siaton (I haven't looked in Sibulan) varies from P500/square meter to P2,000 per square meter. Biggest factors are distance from Dumaguete, whether it is a sandy or rocky beach and size of the lot. (By the way, those are actual sales prices. Some people have asked as much as P7,000 per square meter...and that was an American who didn't even own the land and all of which was in the 20-meter from high tide "no-build" zone!) Caveat emptor!

In addition to the Supreme Court decision, most properties have disputes in that area.

In terms of cost of living, our family of 3 spends only P25,000 to P30,000 per month in DGT living expenses (excluding the cost of our rent). Having lived previously in Cebu City and Makati, I can tell you those costs are about 35% less than in Cebu and about 60% less than in Makati. I did not include travel and vacation expenses, or expenses for my office. We live very comfortably on that.

If you have any more specific questions, shoot!

 

Info :

Derivative Guru,

Thanks for your info.

In regards to beachfront property, aside from the recent Supreme Court ruling, (Boracay will dictate the outcome/results of that ruling) What does your mention of beach property "disputes" around the Dumaguete area relate to? (not being able to get clear title/deed? right of way issues? or other problems/issues?).
If I read you correctly, no building is permitted closer to the beach than approx. 65 "feet" from the high water/tide point. Is that correct? Would you happen to know if there are any particular elevations involved in regards to foundations?
In regards to rent prices, (monthly) what might your ball park guess be for a nice, clean, fairly modern, 3 bedroom house, in a nice, safe subdivision, or area be?, (with subdivision/area or house having a community or private pool).
Hope you, or someone will provide some input. Thanks

 

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D - Guru,

Are you living in Zambo? My wife has been there before. She liked the area.
If you are living there, how long does it take you to get to Silliman U. in Duma. ?

 

I'm too polite to ask if want a pool with or without water in your subdivision...just make sure first....

 

Pool (with water)

Hello Garbonzo,

After discussing it with my wife, we decided we would prefer a pool "with" water as we're not much into "air" swimming anymore. If we are lucky enough to find, and can afford, a rental place that happens to have a pool, we'll make it a point to check to see if the pool comes with water in it. If the pool is empty, well, guess we'll just have to pray for a good rain storm !!!

By the way, have been to Austraila before, beautiful country.
Spent time in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Noosa. Primary stay was on Manley Beach. Great place.

Thanks,

 

As I understand the Supreme Court case it should not effect this area (only Boracay and places like Moalboal in Cebu) but, goes to show you the risks of this market in general.

Yes, the disputes are over who has title to the property or whether a title is legitimate; also boundary/surveying disputes (their seems to be few "firm" boundaries to work from making surveying very difficult); right of way issues become big issues if you are building a nice home and locals can ask for "tolls", etc. I lived briefly on the beach in Dauin and ALL the foreigner property owners in my area had some sort of boundary or title dispute in the courts. (And the issues take years to resolve.)

I am not an authority on the no building zone. Maybe someone else here has an authoritative source. My understanding is nothing is supposed to be built within 20 meters of the high water line, but you will find MANY structures that are built within that zone. Maybe these builders have waivers? Maybe not. The gov't of Cebu bulldozed hundreds of illegal structures in Malapascua Island about a year ago as they were eating up the beach.

I don't live in Zamboanguita, but I would if was high-speed internet was available. A real estate agent told me that PLDT DSL was available there--on a separate thread I am attempting to verify this although I suspect it was an agent stretching the truth.

Rental prices depend largely on the area. If you don't require fast internet, and don't mind being a bit out of town, you can find some very nice places for P20,000 to P25,000 per month. Most prices you find on the internet are inflated (often by double) and all prices in the Philippines are negotiable. I suggest having your wife do all the calling and negotiating. We have gotten discounts as much as 40% off the original rental asking price.

 

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D-Guru,

Thank you, I really appreciated all the good info you supplied. And thanks to all the others on this forum that have been helpful too.