Buying a house in someone else's name...

It's a real irony that people who married a bar girl or a problematic woman act shocked by the outcome. They knew exactly where the story started, so did they really think getting married would completely change the plot?

Whether you buy or build, sign a 30 or 40 year lease at 500 pesos a year. When you buy, you can put a foreigner's name on the title, which gives you some rights. My name is on my house's title too. When your wife dies, it has to be transferred or sold to family within a set period.

This is a painful truth. I'm Filipino, and there are Filipino women who brag about how much they get from their foreign boyfriends. Sadly, most of them date for money. Not all, but they stand out.

It's generally a bad idea for foreigners to buy property in the Philippines. Even if you trust your partner, you're unlikely to see the property actually appreciate in value. It's different from the West, and there are many scams related to title deeds, so you need to research very carefully. The Philippines doesn't have an MLS (Multiple Listing Service) or standards that property sellers follow. You can at least buy a condo in your own name, but it's also unlikely to increase in value. Buildings age and the value is more likely to drop. The smart choice is to rent in the Philippines. If you want to buy property, buy it in a country where you can legally register it in your own name.

Thanks for the crappy AI picture.