Review the legal eligibility, actual unit, recipient and reservation terms before paying. A short deadline is not a substitute for independent verification.
What exactly am I reserving?
Identify the project, building, unit, parking arrangements, price inclusions and completion status. For pre-selling property, distinguish the model unit and marketing material from the contracted deliverable. Confirm what can change and what the contract says about delivery and cancellation.
Am I eligible for this transaction?
Ask independent counsel to verify the project’s ownership structure and your eligibility. Confirm seller authority, relevant title records, foreign participation restrictions and applicable approvals. The condo label alone cannot answer those questions.
What happens to the reservation fee?
Read whether it is refundable, credited to the purchase, subject to a deadline or lost under stated conditions. Understand the next payment obligation before signing. Obtain the actual terms in writing rather than treating a verbal explanation as the contract.
Who receives my payment?
Verify the receiving account and its authority separately from the sales pitch. Confirm the account holder and payment purpose using a trusted independent channel. Any claimed escrow protection must be verified for the specific arrangement. Unexpected changed payment instructions deserve a fresh check.
What would make me decline?
Define your essential conditions before the sales meeting: ownership eligibility, acceptable documents, inspection, full acquisition cost and practical usability. Record unresolved questions. If a material condition cannot be established, a reasoned pause is better than turning uncertainty into an optimistic assumption.
Official references
Philippine Condominium Act ↗1987 Philippine Constitution ↗PRA: retirement visa ↗Medicare outside the U.S. ↗IRS: Americans abroad ↗DHSUD: project verification ↗U.S. State Department: Philippines ↗Turn your research into a property buyer brief.
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Build my buyer brief →General education only. Official requirements and your individual circumstances must be verified before acting.