Ideal place where to buy lot in the Philippines?

[Crispy]

I've been searching high and low for the ideal place to live in the Philippines for a number of years and am now at a complete standstill.

I had my heart set on Mactan and bought there 20+ years ago, but have now seen it become over crowded, poorly developed, lack of

basic infrastructure i.e. decent roads, drainage, water and reliable electric supply. Not to mention traffic jams and the length of time it

takes to commute from the CDB in Cebu to Pajac in Mactan. Plus, the thieving druggies who keep stealing my electric cable to buy shabu.

I had my heart set on Valencia near Dumaguete City, but there's been a huge influx of rich local and foreign buyers who have pushed the

land price up by 2,000 per sqm in just a number of years making it expensive now to buy a 500 to 1,000 sqm lot there. The problem is,

the sellers and the agents smell a foreigner and the price immediately goes up immensely.

So, to cut a long story short, I've been actively looking elsewhere to no vail.

I liked Samal Island, after having visted there some years ago, but with bridge construction commencing there, land prices have started to

sky rocket. Plus, there were no good lots left near the sea, most were 15 minutes drive and had unmade roads.

I've looked at a few other places in Cebu, like Oslob, Dalaguete and Alcoy, which have nice beaches, but you're klms away from everything.

Similar with Moalboal, Medillin and Bantayan Island, lovely place, but that ferry ride is daunting.

So, I'm in search of my ideal place to live and I'm open to suggestions from everyone.

I do have a list of must have requirements though;

Must be near a hospital, or good medical facilities

Must be near public transport (for when I get too old or drunk to drive)

Must be near a public market, decent grocery store, chemist and banking facility

Must not be too isolated i.e. at least near other Expat's

Must not be near a tourist mecca

Should be more or less 100klms to the nearest airtport.

I've travelled around 50% of the Philippines and seen some fantastic places for a visit, a swim, or sigh seeing, but not all of these make great

retirement locations.

 

 

[Old55]

Welcome to the forum Crispy.

Being near to a competent medical facillity will limit you to a small number of larger cites. This is an issue we older folks are all very aware of.

You said; 

"I've looked at a few other places in Cebu, like Oslob, Dalaguete and Alcoy, which have nice beaches, but you're klms away from everything.

Similar with Moalboal, Medillin and Bantayan Island, lovely place, but that ferry ride is daunting." 

What you say of those locations is true. On the other hand Moalboal, Oslob, Alcoy and Bantayan Island are nice places and at least somewhat affordable today. Something about Bantayan Island I like very much but the remote location and ferry connection is a consideration. 

[Kingpin]

In the Philippines there is cheap, and there is convenient. There is not both, not for over a decade.

The best you can do with a compromise is (DELETED) subdivided lots.  They're small, they will take a year or three to develop, and good luck with your neighbors. But they are relatively cheap, and they are at least bordering developed cities.

Hi Kingpin, I deleted that real estate product name due to it's highly speculative and risky nature. 

Edited July 24, 2022 by Old55

[Jollygoodfellow]

3 hours ago, Crispy said:

I had my heart set on Mactan and bought there 20+ years ago,

I assume you have a Filipina wife whose name is on the land deeds? 

[scott h]

Maybe a different approach, find a nice quiet gated sub division in a larger city and travel to the destinations which interest you  

[Kingpin]

22 minutes ago, scott h said:

Maybe a different approach, find a nice quiet gated sub division in a larger city and travel to the destinations which interest you  

Satisfies every requirement, except costing more than the US etc

[JJReyes]

Old55 recommendation about finding a property near a medical complex is a good one.  

[Possum]

You might consider the island of Luzon. That is a huge area to choose from. Subic, Bulacan, Cavite and other locations are not far from airports. The NLEX and SLEX are expanding making travel to. airports and medical facilities easier. I would prefer land in a subdivision developed by a reputable developer with restrictions on what can be built. Ask the developer for an approved site plan showing streetlights, drainage etc before buying. If they don't want to give you a copy run away. In the areas I mentioned you can find land for 7000-8000/mt2. If you want to find land in the country side you can find land for much less but you need to do a lot of research before buying and good roads are less likely. Buying land here is just like anywhere else. You pay for location and convenience. You also need a good attorney as there is no title insurance. If you are not Filipino expect to pay the foreigner premium which can be 10-25% over actual value. This is my experience only.

[Mike J]

Welcome Crispy.   A reasonably large plot of land with that has the characteristics on your list is going to be in great demand and thus command a very high price.  That is just kind of true anywhere, not just in the Philippines.  You will have better luck if you can reduce the number of desirable items on the list.  Good luck.

[scott h]

10 hours ago, Kingpin said:

Satisfies every requirement, except costing more than the US etc

Here is the Deal King. After living here for 10 years what you are looking for is not impossible at all, just very very hard to find without extensive leg work and a lot of luck. Take my brother in laws house. Older gated subdivision, older 4 bedroom house. Backs onto one of the exclusive subdivisions with a foot gate where you can either walk or take a trike to some of the best restaurants in the area along with pubs etc. etc. Easy access to SLEX/NLEX, 30 minutes to the airport (depending on traffic ) Same distance to Asian Hospital. He has immigrated to the states and is basically waiting for someone to offer him 10 million pesos for it.  ((((Dont ask for details,,,my rule is never sell a used car to friends or relatives, guaranteed to cause problems lololol)

My point is, again in my opinion, most good deals here are word of mouth or the relatives grapevine. Your best bet is to find an area you like, get a B@B, short term rental for a period of time and hit the bricks, no such thing as letting your fingers do the walking in this country