Planning my "scouting" trip

[Tstone]

10 minutes ago, scott h said:

Welcome to the forum

You will not stick out much more at 6-6 than I do at 6-1...…...It is sort of being a little pregnant, you either stick out or not . And I have not had any problems what so ever.  

Haha.  That's true to some extent but at the same time if I saw someone who's 6'11" - that guy would super stand out to me even though I already stand out at 6'6".  On the flip side, I tend not to notice most people's height as everyone is just kind of vaguely short to me and I could see it being that way in reverse in the Philippines for tall people I guess.  You're tall, I'm tall, maybe we're both just tall.  lol.

12 minutes ago, scott h said:

Just like Knoxville, I am sure there are places that you just DONT go to, same here.. 

This is true, but America is my culture and my "spider sense" is attuned to here.  In the Philippines I'm more likely to be oblivious to dangers I think and fail to recognize warning signs since the entire enterprise will be new to me.  Plus, here the issue is more a stray drug addict or petty criminal, whereas say...getting targeted by a terrorist is far, far scarier and worth taking extra steps to avoid.

15 minutes ago, scott h said:

But the one thing that no one has brought up yet is the big dog in the room. Will you have a steady income. This is not a place to be if you do not have sufficient resources. (the amount needed is a continuing debate) but a steady guaranteed income is a must in most cases. 

Honestly, I am not sure how to judge my money situation.  I think it's possible I could either be in good shape, or on shaky ground and I really am not sure which it is.  My money is mainly of the "nest egg" variety.  It's mostly in investments plus a portion in annuities.  The way I calculate it today, I think I could manage 2000/mo without dipping much into the nest egg (roughly the value I do actually have in annuities + a conservative 3% of investment totals) but if the market crashes or the USD loses a ton of value, my nest egg could take some hurt and suddenly that value changes.  I think if I retired today my social security amount down the road wouldn't be that impressive so I don't want to make any assumptions about how much that might add.  So, I'm not actually not completely sure how I'm looking on the finance front.  I wouldn't want to turn much more into guaranteed annuities because losing the growth income off of that would be a blow.  I feel like I have enough but like I said I'm not an expert on finances and don't feel confident in my intuitions.

[Dave Hounddriver]

3 hours ago, Tstone said:

Knowing what you know, what would YOUR "scouting" visit look like?

It would look pretty similar to what's on your list.  I may add a few cities but it depends if you like travelling and looking at different places or if you are looking to settle in a place that suits you.

If you check out the 4 on your list you will quite likely find a place that suits you.  If not, remember that there are areas near Manila that you may want to check out like Alabang, Subic, Angeles and on up to Baguio.  There are places on Cebu Island that are close to Cebu like Balamban or Moalboal.  Don't forget Dumaguete.  Then there are places like CDO and Tagbiliran to add to your list.  Along the way, you can add more places as time allows.

[robert k]

3 hours ago, Tstone said:

No health issues.  I probably utilize health care less than I should in fact.  Just never know when something may happen and you'll want a doctor.

 

Well that's the thing, I'm by no means limited to those 4 cities that's just an almost arbitrary starting point for me in terms of places I should visit.  Knowing what you know, what would YOUR "scouting" visit look like?  Where would you visit instead? What do you see as the best livable, but cost-effective options?

 

How would I even go about exploring this?  There's so many places outside of Cebu...I figure if I'm on a scouting trip for Cebu I'd spend time in Cebu proper, but how do I get a feel for the surrounding areas too? How would you spend your time in a "scouting trip"? 

If you haven't been at all yet, it's hard to advise on the best search parameters. For me, close proximity to cities of 300k to 500k seem to be the sweet spot for providing goods and services but still accessable. If that sounds interesting to you, you can search on the internet for cities in that range, or first class cities, then decide if any of those cities are close to points of particular interest to you. I wouldn't mind seeing more of Calapan, Bacolod/Iloilo. I have a 3k pesos a month place right now and I'm still searching for an up to 30k pesos per month place with the right amenities. Sometimes it's the little things that matter and to find the right place for you will require being there in person.

[Tstone]

13 minutes ago, robert k said:

If you haven't been at all yet, it's hard to advise on the best search parameters. For me, close proximity to cities of 300k to 500k seem to be the sweet spot for providing goods and services but still accessable. If that sounds interesting to you, you can search on the internet for cities in that range, or first class cities, then decide if any of those cities are close to points of particular interest to you. I wouldn't mind seeing more of Calapan, Bacolod/Iloilo. I have a 3k pesos a month place right now and I'm still searching for an up to 30k pesos per month place with the right amenities. Sometimes it's the little things that matter and to find the right place for you will require being there in person.

I suppose that's the beauty of renting, you can pick up and move if need be.  I just really want to make the best use of my time in one my scouting trip while I can and gain as much insight as possible.

[hk blues]

Iloilo is a good option provided you don't need/want a big expat community around you. It has enough of everything (except western-style bars IMO) and is seeing a lot of development. It's also relatively safe. I do feel it's a little sleepy and therefore not for everyone.

[Dave Hounddriver]

3 hours ago, robert k said:

I have a 3k pesos a month place right now

What area is that in.  I have found places that rent for 2 or 3K pesos in the sticks but its rare near: 

14 hours ago, Tstone said:

some basic "city" amenities.

That said, I rent a second home in the sticks of northern Cebu island for 2K pesos a month.  Cheaper than staying in a pension house when I am up that way.  But to get a deal like that I had to let the gf negotiate with her relatives.  Its only a half hour drive from the basic amenities or a couple hours from a major mall.

[robert k]

3 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

What area is that in.  I have found places that rent for 2 or 3K pesos in the sticks but its rare near: 

That said, I rent a second home in the sticks of northern Cebu island for 2K pesos a month.  Cheaper than staying in a pension house when I am up that way.  But to get a deal like that I had to let the gf negotiate with her relatives.  Its only a half hour drive from the basic amenities or a couple hours from a major mall.

It's in Pili Dave, about 12 km from Naga Camarines Sur. Pili is a bit limited, even the short distance to Naga has some impressive traffic at times. I'm looking closer to Naga. The Naga diversion road might be great. High speed and less traffic, let's out at Robinson's mall, less than 2 km from SM mall, Metro store, immigration and others. I'm anxious to find a place there.

[Rooster]

15 hours ago, Tstone said:

My tentative plan is to spend a little time each in Manila, Cebu, Davao (bad idea?), and was thinking I'd check out Tacloban too.  

1. Do you have the 40 SS Credits needed to be eligible for SS? If no, get to 40 first. You can find out right away here.

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/

2. You're young, (40), likely have relatives still alive and may require return trip visits. R/T tickets from the PI to Knoxville area now is around $2K. Figure that in your expenses. 

3.    Find sites like https://www.agoda.com/ to hunt for cheap hotels where you plan to stay in The PI. Sites like https://www.olx.ph/ to hunt for or price cars, motorcycles, or what ever means of travel you plan to purchase.  Trip Advisor can help you get an idea of what there is to do/see in each area. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g294245-Activities-Philippines.html

4. Many in the states are still using ATM cards without the embedded chip. Ensure you have a Debit/ATM card with an embedded chip so can easily use ATM Machines here. If you plan on bringing dollars, bring no more than $10k. The higher the denomination, the higher the exchange rate in most cases. Don't bring torn or old money.

5. Manila - Too congested but it has everything you mentioned. Davao, I have never ventured south of Surigao because I like having my head attached to my body. Tacloban - Boring. Cebu City - Has everything, thousands of beautiful Visayan Women (stunners) from the surrounding Islands who relocate there for work.

6.  Other locations you may want to consider with an Expat population is, Angeles City, Olongapo/Subic, Puerto Galera, Baguio, La Union (Bauang/San Fernando/San Juan) towns. All have what you mentioned, nightlife. Puerto Galera doesn't have a Movie Theater though in case you enjoy an occasional movie.

Good Luck.

[Snowy79]

2k per month to live on is very manageable in most places as long as you don't latch onto a Gold Digger, by that I mean a female who loves the Western lifestyle and wants to eat out and travel around a lot.

I'm guessing you will end up with some female company and finding the right one is as important as finding somewhere to stay. Be wary of those with more than one Facebook account with lots of foreign friends, multiple names etc.

Also pick an area where you like the view as you could spend a lot of time sitting outside watching the World go by or avoiding the rain in the wet season.

[Tukaram (Tim)]

4 hours ago, hk blues said:

Iloilo is a good option provided you don't need/want a big expat community around you. It has enough of everything (except western-style bars IMO) and is seeing a lot of development. It's also relatively safe. I do feel it's a little sleepy and therefore not for everyone.

Yeah... be careful with that ha ha.  I said, in a video, that Iloilo was a nice, but sleepy, town.  Oh I sure upset some locals!  They think this is a thriving metropolis.

When I did my scouting trip in 2011 I only went to Cebu.  My plan at the time was to start in Cebu because it is big, but not Manila big.  Then branch out from there. Maybe Bohol, Dumaguete... whatever.  Of course that never happened. I met a girl from Iloilo and here I am.  I like it, but if I were single I would go someplace with more nightlife.  I am fairly young still so medical is not yet a major concern. Iloilo is ok on medical but I have heard Cebu is better, Manila is best.  I like the shopping in Cebu. It is not as good as Manila but better than most other places.  I never been to Davao, and my wife will not go to any part of Mindanao.I hear it is not *that* bad, but she knows we will both be killed at the airport ha ha. 

As for sticking out - don't worry about it. You will stick out no matter what. I am only 5' 8" (172 cm) and I stick out as much as a 6 footer.  Just rely on your situational awareness and it is really no worries.