Philippine Property Guides: Renting, Buying & Ownership

Calculator and house-key keychain on top of real estate finance documents, representing the tax computation for classifying a Philippine property as a capital or ordinary asset

Buying 17 min read

Capital Asset vs Ordinary Asset: Which Philippine Property Tax Rules Apply?

Whether a Philippine property is a capital or ordinary asset decides everything: a flat 6% capital gains tax, or regular income tax plus possible…

Close-up of a hand using a calculator beside paperwork, representing the computation of the 6% Philippine estate tax on an inherited house, condo, or land before filing BIR Form 1801

Buying 17 min read

Estate Tax When Property Is Inherited in the Philippines: What Heirs Need to Pay

Estate tax on inherited Philippine property is a flat 6% of the net taxable estate, due within one year of death via BIR Form…

Two family members signing a notarized Deed of Donation document at a desk, the legal step that triggers donor's tax on a Philippine property gift

Buying 16 min read

Donor’s Tax on Real Property in the Philippines: Giving a House or Condo to Family

Donor's tax on Philippine real property is a flat 6% on gifts over ₱250,000 a year, filed via BIR Form 1800 within 30 days…

A "checked" stamp on tax office paperwork, representing the local transfer tax clearance a Philippine city or provincial treasurer issues before a property title can be registered

Buying 16 min read

Local Transfer Tax in the Philippines: Who Pays and How Much?

Local transfer tax is a one-time local government tax on selling or donating Philippine real property — up to 0.5% in provinces or 0.75%…

Prospective buyer closely reviewing a Contract to Sell and Statement of Account before agreeing to a pasalo (assignment of rights) purchase in the Philippines

Buying 13 min read

Pasalo Property Risks: What Buyers Must Verify Before Taking Over Payments

A pasalo buyer only inherits what the assignor actually had — an unpaid balance, a lapsed DHSUD license, or a double assignment becomes the…

Keys, cash, and a signed real estate deed representing the taxes and fees split between a Philippine property buyer and seller at closing

Buying 15 min read

Who Pays Which Closing Costs When Property Is Sold in the Philippines?

By law, only capital gains tax is fixed to the seller. Everything else -- DST, transfer tax, registration fees, broker commission, and notarial fees…

Official document stamped "checked," representing verification of a Philippine property title's memorandum of encumbrances for an existing mortgage before buying

Buying 15 min read

How to Check if a Philippine Property Has an Existing Mortgage or Encumbrance

A property still has a mortgage until the bank's cancellation is actually registered with the Registry of Deeds — full payment alone doesn't clear…

Manila skyline of high-rise condominium towers, representing the developer-sold condo units whose contract prices often exclude taxes and miscellaneous fees

Buying 16 min read

Hidden Charges When Buying a Condo in the Philippines: Beyond the Advertised Price

A condo's advertised price rarely covers taxes, developer processing fees, VAT, and turnover costs. Here's the full list of what buyers actually pay beyond…

Unfinished high-rise condominium building still under construction with a crane, illustrating a delayed turnover past the developer's completion deadline

Buying 14 min read

Property Turnover Delays: What Can a Condo Buyer Do When the Developer Is Late?

When a developer misses its DHSUD-approved completion date, PD 957 lets a buyer suspend payments or desist and demand a full refund with legal…

Buyer signing a notarized Deed of Assignment of Rights to transfer a pre-selling condo Contract to Sell in a pasalo transaction

Buying 14 min read

Assignment of Rights in a Pre-Selling Condo: How Pasalo Property Sales Work

Pasalo is the Maceda Law-protected right to assign an unpaid Contract to Sell to a new buyer. Here is how the legal process, developer…