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Buying Property in the Philippines

Plan the financing, verify the property and seller, understand the contract, then close and transfer with fewer surprises.

Start with due diligence How to Verify a Clean Property Title The essential checks to make before paying a reservation fee, deposit or purchase price.

1. Budget and finance

2. Verify the property

3. Compare the contract

4. Close and transfer

Latest in this guide desk

Updates and supporting guides

Hand signing a notarized cancellation notice document with a pen, illustrating the formal cancellation process for a Philippine contract to sell after a buyer defaults on installment payments

Buying 14 min read

Contract to Sell Cancellation in the Philippines: What Happens When the Buyer Stops Paying?

A contract to sell cannot be cancelled the moment a buyer misses a payment. Here is the grace period, notarized notice, and cash surrender…

Buyer signing a condo reservation agreement, the document whose non-refundable clause determines whether a reservation fee can be recovered

Buying 13 min read

Can You Get a Condo Reservation Fee Back? Cancellation and Refund Rules Explained

A condo reservation fee is almost always non-refundable if you simply change your mind, but PD 957 and your own reservation form can still…

Metro Manila skyline for the Apartments.ph foreclosed property weekly report, September 14 to 20, 2026

Buying 9 min read

Metro Manila Foreclosed Properties Weekly Watch: Sep 14-20, 2026

A dated Apartments.ph comparison of 12 currently verifiable Metro Manila bank-acquired, ROPA, repossessed, auction and Buena Mano properties checked on September 14, 2026.

A couple signs a reservation agreement and down payment paperwork at a Philippine condo developer's sales desk

Buying 14 min read

Reservation Fee vs Earnest Money vs Down Payment: What Is Refundable?

A reservation fee is usually non-refundable, earnest money legally binds the buyer to complete the sale, and a down payment is refundable only under…

Charred, burned paper documents, illustrating how a fire that destroys a Registry of Deeds' original certificates of title triggers judicial or administrative reconstitution under RA 26 and RA 6732

Buying 16 min read

Lost Land Title in the Philippines: Reconstitution and Replacement Process

Losing your own copy of a land title calls for a Section 109 "replacement" petition — full reconstitution under RA 26 or RA 6732…

A judge's gavel resting beside an open law book, representing an active pending court case that a notice of lis pendens annotates on a Philippine property title

Buying 16 min read

Notice of Lis Pendens in the Philippines: Why This Title Annotation Should Never Be Ignored

A notice of lis pendens means an actual court case affecting a property's title or possession is already pending — and a buyer who…

Close-up of a hand signing a sworn written document with a pen, illustrating how a Philippine adverse claim is registered by filing a signed, notarized sworn statement with the Registry of Deeds

Buying 13 min read

Adverse Claim on a Land Title in the Philippines: What Buyers Should Do Before Purchasing

An adverse claim on a Philippine title doesn't expire after 30 days like many sellers claim — the Supreme Court says it stays effective…

Official document stamped "checked" during processing, representing the Registry of Deeds fee assessment and registration stamp on a Philippine property title transfer

Buying 14 min read

Registry of Deeds Fees and Registration Process After Buying Property in the Philippines

Registering a deed at the Registry of Deeds means a separate LRA fee on top of BIR and local taxes. Here's how that fee…

Official tax document stamped "checked" at a Philippine tax office, representing the BIR certification process behind an eCAR

Buying 15 min read

eCAR Explained: How the BIR Electronic Certificate Authorizing Registration Works

An eCAR is the BIR certificate proving property transfer taxes have been paid — the Registry of Deeds will not register a new title…

Two property buyers signing the deed of sale at a desk, the paperwork step that starts the Philippine title transfer process at the BIR and Registry of Deeds

Buying 14 min read

How to Transfer a Property Title in the Philippines: Complete Buyer Checklist

Transferring a Philippine property title means clearing BIR taxes, paying local transfer tax, and registering with the Registry of Deeds, in that exact order.…

1. Budget and finance

2. Verify the property

3. Compare the contract

4. Close and transfer

Updates and supporting guides

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