Seriously considering moving to the Philippines - Need More Info

[Tommy T.]

I think that, as somebody said at the beginning of this thread (or another - there have been many with the same message), consider flying out here and stay as long as possible to check out locations, real estate, lifestyle - all of it.

Try to stay in condos or apartments or even resorts during a long holiday weekend to get a feel for how things go then. Check out some malls on Saturday or Sundays around noon when they tend to be crowded. Be tourists, but do some research too.

If you change your mind as a result, you still will likely have enjoyed a nice vacation and won't regret it. If you continue down your intended path, then you will have some information and experience so that future visits or moving here might go a bit easier for you.There are also several other threads in this forum regarding real estate prices and offerings, health care, finances, taxis, cars and on and on... I encourage you to take some time and look around here - there is really a wealth of information, along with a few opinions along the way...

[Arizona Kid]

5 hours ago, "P2" said:

So what would you guys say is the average rent on a 3 bedroom 2 bath house that is over 1700 sq. ft. and near the water and with enough yard to have fruit trees...? Or is that asking too much?

In the Cavite area where I live the nicer houses are inland. The shorelines of Manila bay and the ocean beaches further south in Batangas are usually occupied by fishermen with banka boats. Mostly squatter like conditions.

[Balisidar]

On 8/21/2019 at 11:04 AM, "P2" said:

My wife is a green card holder (18 yrs now) and we are working to get her a US citizenship before moving. Is this wise?

Hi P2 and welcome.  I haven't read this whole thread yet so I'm not sure what others have said on this particular statement but here's my suggestion.

If she gets her US citizenship (a wise choice for a number of various reasons) then have her immediately file for Philippines citizenship thereby making her a dual citizen.  It's a win win since she won't have to pay Philippine taxes on income she may receive from US sources and she can still buy property in the Philippines.

Now on to the rest of this thread...

[Mike J]

22 hours ago, "P2" said:

So what would you guys say is the average rent on a 3 bedroom 2 bath house that is over 1700 sq. ft. and near the water and with enough yard to have fruit trees...? Or is that asking too much?

We live just outside of Moalboal in a small gated compound of five houses.  The house right next to us is 3 BR, 2CR, on a nice size lot (maybe 400-500 meters?).  It overlooks the water and has direct access to the beach.  It also has a swimming pool.  He changed tenants the first of this month.  The rent is 45,000 per month.  So yes they can be found, but it is quite rare as others have posted.  Your best bet would be to find one for sale, and offer to rent while the owner is looking for a buyer.  These types of properties often stay on the market a long time and the seller may not want it to set empty and/or wants some kind of return instead of sitting vacant.

["P2"]

$45000 peso... is that considered high for average rent for a 3BR 2bath house? What would you guys say is the normal cost for rent?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to figure this stuff out....

[Balisidar]

3 minutes ago, "P2" said:

$45000 peso... is that considered high for average rent for a 3BR 2bath house? What would you guys say is the normal cost for rent?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to figure this stuff out....

45000 pesos is about 900 dollars a month. For a house with a view of and access to the water and a swimming pool?  Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.😀

[hk blues]

Just now, Balisidar said:

45000 pesos is about 900 dollars a month. For a house with a view of and access to the water and a swimming pool?  Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.😀

Seems pricey to me to be honest!  A lot of unknowns though so hard to say for sure but in my community we can rent a 4BR / 3 bath house for around 20K - swimming pool and security etc etc included.  No beach or ocean view though!  

[Dave Hounddriver]

18 minutes ago, hk blues said:

in my community we can rent a 4BR / 3 bath house for around 20K

You mean your community in Iloilo?

The op said:

On 8/22/2019 at 2:04 AM, "P2" said:

I am considering retiring early and moving to Cebu, Philippines. Not in the city but, somewhere on the out skirts,

That said, I could show you a house with a pool in Maria Luisa subdivision that rents for 120K pesos a month and verify that an Aussie fellow was renting it for 2 years.  His company was paying the bill.

How much will your rent be?  Whatever the market will bear.

[hk blues]

20 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

You mean your community in Iloilo?

The op said:

That said, I could show you a house with a pool in Maria Luisa subdivision that rents for 120K pesos a month and verify that an Aussie fellow was renting it for 2 years.  His company was paying the bill.

How much will your rent be?  Whatever the market will bear.

Well, i did say there were variables - location is obviously a big one!  I was merely giving an indication as to why I think 45k is expensive. 

As for what the rent will be - I hardly think that the OP will be helped by a comment that your rent will be whatever the market will bear.  It's helpful for posters to give some general idea based on their own experiences and knowledge, I'd imagine. 

[Tukaram (Tim)]

On 8/24/2019 at 12:58 PM, Clermont said:

Hi Tim, we visit just up the road a bit each year. We'll be there again in November, this year we're having a good look around and will be staying in Iloilo for a night or two, if you like we might be able to catch up with each other. 

Sure. Contact me when you are coming.