Looking For Lapu Lapu Apt

[joe57777]

Hi, 

 

I am Joe 55 years old. I have a women in Cebu, Philippines that I want to visit. But I am looking to get as inexpensive a 2 bedroom furnished apartment as I can. I may be able to afford something better after 6 months but I am looking for a short term lease of 6 months or month to month. The most I can afford right now is about 7000-10,000p per month including all utilities. I am looking for it to be in the Lapu-Lapu area.  I am also trying to get a roundtrip ticket to Cebu from Upstate NY for at or under $1000 USD.

 

I am looking to maybe try to get in touch with a real estate agent here in the USA or in the Philippines that I can text or email or call if I have to who can find me such a deal on a 2 bedroom furnished apartment in that price range I mention here.

 

Can anyone help? And I would like to say it's a real pleasure to join this forum.

 

Thanks,

Joe

[MikeB]

I moved your post to a more appropriate category. Welcome to the forum.

[sjp52]

Hi, 

 

I am Joe 55 years old. I have a women in Cebu, Philippines that I want to visit. But I am looking to get as inexpensive a 2 bedroom furnished apartment as I can. I may be able to afford something better after 6 months but I am looking for a short term lease of 6 months or month to month. The most I can afford right now is about 7000-10,000p per month including all utilities. I am looking for it to be in the Lapu-Lapu area.  I am also trying to get a roundtrip ticket to Cebu from Upstate NY for at or under $1000 USD.

 

I am looking to maybe try to get in touch with a real estate agent here in the USA or in the Philippines that I can text or email or call if I have to who can find me such a deal on a 2 bedroom furnished apartment in that price range I mention here.

 

Can anyone help? And I would like to say it's a real pleasure to join this forum.

 

Thanks,

Joe

New york to Manila round trip $1050 departure April 2 or 3  (  http://www.kayak.com/ ). Going straight to Cebu will probably be more.  You can find a good deal on an apartment when you get there ( ask your girl to check around ). Dont forget air conditioning is expensive there so it might blow your budget . I used real estate once and they got me a house and I found out after that every one else renting on my street paid half of what I was paying for the same size house. Here are apartments online in Cebu ( http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+category/id/25/q/Apartment/province/Cebu/Apartment+and+Condominium ). Like I said much cheaper if you look with boots on the ground. 

 

Here is Lapu Lapu City     http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+category/id/25/q/Apartment/province/Cebu+-+Lapu-Lapu+City/Apartment+and+Condominium

[GregZ]

The most I can afford right now is about 7000-10,000p per month including all utilities. I am looking for it to be in the Lapu-Lapu area. I am also trying to get a roundtrip ticket to Cebu from Upstate NY for at or under $1000 USD.

 

Welcome Joe!

Quite frankly, I don't think you can find what you are looking for.  Never say never though, so maybe.  Happy hunting.  Here is information based on my experience.  I moved to Cebu City in April 2012 and lived there until December when I was forced to move to Manila temporarily.  While in Cebu I was always on the look out for something better &/or cheaper to get through on and I continue to watch the airlines prices as I DO plan on going back to the USA.

 

You can probably find a 'decent' 1 bedroom place for 8000 php.  Utilities EXTRA 2000 if you use NO AIR CONditioning.  This is an estimate and depends on how many 'things' you have plugged in of course.  I'm considering running some lights, a computer and a TV for a few hours every day, but not cooking with a microwave.  Cheapest cooking is done on gas here, 1000 / tank that will last 3 months normally (included in the 2k).  I looked at the sulit links; 1 br furnished for 8500 php, picture has electric burner in it - DON"T use that!!!

 

You wanted 2 Bedroom?  Maybe for 12,000 php + utilities...

 

Round trip is going to cost $1200 on the best deal from there.  You didn't provide a departing airport or dates of travel...  I found that priceline.com consistently gives ME the best rates from Savannah, Georgia & Jacksonville, Florida.  Your airport & search provider may differ.  Try them ALL and go direct to the airline sights.  JFK to Cebu, April 4 to Oct 2 2013 = $1344 right now.  Length of stay may require you to get an exit ticket (throw away), add $50, to avoid any problems with the airlines and immigration, unless you are getting a visa to cover your entire stay somehow.  Go look at the visa and immigration topics where all that is discussed at length.

 

Back on the ticket itself: Get your dates and departure location and do some searches.  Use different dates if you have flexibility.  Keep checking every few days and see if the prices drop.  I was doing that, looking at $1900 round trip and one day $1200 came up so I bought and moved my planned trip from October to April.  The prices are normally higher when the USA schools are out of session (from the places I normally check anyway).

 

If on such a tight budget make sure you are counting visa costs too.  Figure that into your budget at 3000 / month average.  Read around the forum topics on that for actual costs; they vary each time you go to the immigration office.  Assuming you haven't been in the Philippines yet, things always end up costing more than the plan so add some cushion just for NOT understanding all the process yet.  That is called the cost of learning (example: ACR-I card = not included in the visa cost chart).

 

Hope this is helpful.  Best of luck in all your endeavors.  :999:  Greg

Edited February 25, 2013 by GregZ