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Philippines: E:
We live in the northern provinces of Mindanao, been here 15 years. Yes, we've had earthquakes but non as bad as California.
It's imperative to engineer and build (we scaled our plans to an intensity 7.0) Don't build with their common cement blocks, rather ask the brick maker to use a 1-2-3 mix this will give you a more rigid CHB (concrete hollow block), though it will cost more. Secondly, use the appropriate rebar, weld rather than tie wire, and lead primer all steel before use.
All of this will add to your cost but you must remember that most costs are considerably cheaper. Our 5BR 3Bath two-storey home (approx 3000sq.ft.), here, this is considered a mansion, cost us a total of P2M, about $50k, and that's complete from breaking ground to moving in!
Our main pillars (columns) are based in a Cubic Meter 40" x 40" x 40" of concrete two meters below the finished floor! Foundation beams "zocalo's" are 14" x 16", horizontal beams 10" x 14" and a "ribbon beam" of 6" x 6" running continuously at header level. All welded rebar then poured and vibrated with a 1-2-3 mix (portland-sand-3/4"aggregate).
This design was suggested to me by an architect friend who had experience building in Japan and it has worked great!
Of course I had to fight the masons..... being constantly told "that's too expensive", "it's over-built", "that's not how we do it here", I just reminded them who was the one with the pesos come Friday!
I was lucky as a retired General Contractor I was able to be onsite and manage the process personally! By the end of a few years I was referring to my masons as my "sons"!
It was a great learning experience for all of us, but, I don't ever want to do it again! It was 700 days of hair pulling and more than a few arguments and sleepless nights, but we did end up with a beautiful, and beautifully strong home!
Philippines: Earth quakes:
We live in the northern provinces of Mindanao, been here 15 years. Yes, we've had earthquakes but non as bad as California.
It's imperative to engineer and build (we scaled our plans to an intensity 7.0) Don't build with their common cement blocks, rather ask the brick maker to use a 1-2-3 mix this will give you a more rigid CHB (concrete hollow block), though it will cost more. Secondly, use the appropriate rebar, weld rather than tie wire, and lead primer all steel before use.
All of this will add to your cost but you must remember that most costs are considerably cheaper. Our 5BR 3Bath two-storey home (approx 3000sq.ft.), here, this is considered a mansion, cost us a total of P2M, about $50k, and that's complete from breaking ground to moving in!
Our main pillars (columns) are based in a Cubic Meter 40" x 40" x 40" of concrete two meters below the finished floor! Foundation beams "zocalo's" are 14" x 16", horizontal beams 10" x 14" and a "ribbon beam" of 6" x 6" running continuously at header level. All welded rebar then poured and vibrated with a 1-2-3 mix (portland-sand-3/4"aggregate).
This design was suggested to me by an architect friend who had experience building in Japan and it has worked great!
Of course I had to fight the masons..... being constantly told "that's too expensive", "it's over-built", "that's not how we do it here", I just reminded them who was the one with the pesos come Friday!
I was lucky as a retired General Contractor I was able to be onsite and manage the process personally! By the end of a few years I was referring to my masons as my "sons"!
It was a great learning experience for all of us, but, I don't ever want to do it again! It was 700 days of hair pulling and more than a few arguments and sleepless nights, but we did end up with a beautiful, and beautifully strong home!
Philippines: Foreign spouse as a beneficiary for estate planning:
I was lucky enough to marry my Filipina wife 15 years ago and was awarded my residency 18 months later.
In trying to set up our "financial plan" and name her as my beneficiary I've been told that unless she is a US citizen (or a green card holder) I am not able to name her as beneficiary of my estate!
My wife is a tenured professor and it is not possible for her to travel to the States and wait for two to three years for her citizenship.
I have found through my research that a waiver is available from the Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and Naturalization Service if I am stationed on government service in the Philippines, but, nothing is available if I am retired and now claim the Philippines as my residency.
My financial planner in the States said that the major reason is that according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) there is NO spousal exemption for foreign spouses and therefor my estate would be subject to a 65% tax upon my death!
Just posting this topic for the community for comments and suggestions.....
Philippines: US INCOME TAX RETURN:
I've used TurboTax since they started electronic filing. Depending upon your income it is probably free. I have all my 1099's emailed, you just have to enter the amounts from them, the IRS will cross-reference w/ their files.
If you are like most expats you will be able to file free. Just visit their site.... they have a quick tool that will be able to tell you!
If you're married to a Filipina your wife will need a social security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). You will need that number if you file "married filing jointly" or "married filing separately".
Married Filing Jointly means you will have to claim and report her income and the Philippine taxes she paid as well as your income, but, you will be able to claim the "Married Standard Deduction".
Married Filing Separately means you will simply file as though you were single, though you will only be able to claim your own "Standard Deduction". This is how we file, she reports and pays hers to the Philippines and I report mine to the States.
Remember that if you have over $10,000.00 total in any "foreign" bank you must report it!
Also, if you have a business of any kind those proceeds must be reported and are subject to tax! But, if you are just retired and enjoying life with your wife it's the easy and painless way to file!
Philippines: Hunter or Hampton Bay Ceiling fans...... Where can I buy them in the Philippines?:
We are looking for Hunter Douglas or Hampton Bay ceiling fans (pref. 220v) for our new house on Mindanao (Agusan del Sur) any suggestions on where I can find them?
Philippines: Proxy server suggestions:
Have never tried one before and would be interested in hearing suggestions and experiences.
I've noticed many sites are blocked because of my Philippine server location, would prefer to find one stateside.
Philippines: post office:
tcircy:
I really wish that i could say positive things here, but my 12 years here say firstly NEVER send anything of any importance through the postal service, all of my parcels have arrived damaged/open and with missing contents, i even went so far as to include a "bill of lading" not only in a plastic envelope pasted outside, but a duplicate on the inside, my package was opened, items taken along with the bill of contents, i received everything that had no value!!
So courier is the way to go, of course then you have customs to deal with. I had my parents send me a replacement set of electric brushes for my KitchenAid mixer (retail value $12.00), customs charged me $42.00 for the package!!
I've been told that this is one major reason that many e-tailers will not ship to the Philippines. I've had good luck with FedEx, as long as it is just a "document envelope" but when it comes to parcels I've never had one that was not opened, inspected and charged "additional fees"!!
A friend suggested that i should send things using "filipino" names as those items seem to not get a second look so i will try that on my next one!!
Philippines: Broadband internet and satellite/cable tv in Danao:
jimmyjjj
If you are talking Davao on Mindanao you can check out Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) just google it, they have just run fiber-optics in selected villiages look under their "FIBR" programs.
Other than that, we use Cignal.tv for their HiDef Satellite cable.
Hope that helps
Philippines: Which one is best option?:
Queenangel:
You've opened up a subject that is the bane of my existence here in the Islands. As with most "laws" in the Philippines, it all depends on who you ask!
In general here is what I've gathered in the last ten years..
1) Foreigners are not allowed to own land in the Philippines (unless you are the surviving spouse and therefor inherit it)
2) Land transactions, even when done through an atty which I highly recommend, are fraught with pitfalls. My wife bought a residential lot, being represented by a real estate atty, and come to find out that the original owners of the property who inherited it and decided to sell, never paid the inheritance taxes! Now my wife is being told that if she wants clear title to her lot she must pay all back taxes on the total inheritance (approx 12 lots) after she has already paid the "owners" their asking price! My question to the atty: Isn't that fraud? Selling property which has a tax lien on it? Anyway, it's been 4 years and the original owners have taken the money from selling the lots AND NEVER PAID THE INHERITANCE TAX and now say they have spent all the money! This example is closer to the standard rather than the exception!
3) When it comes to Condo/Townhouse vs. Lot & House, generally the condo is a better fit for most foreigners. Be warned however that building practices are NOT what they are in the western world, which is why I chose to build my own, built to American codes and engineered for intensity 7.0 earthquakes!
Philippines: Quick poll:
I guess the decision of where or how to live depends upon what you are looking for.
If you are an urban style-ista that's definitely available, if your budget allows. You can find anything you would in any large city in the west, and live virtually the same life in cities like Manila, Cebu City, Davao.
As for me, I chose to be a bit more adventurous and opted for the provinces of north central Mindanao. We were able to build a solid "American" house, surrounded by carabao and rice fields and now live on about $300USD/mo.
A warning, if you make this decision be prepared to be very inventive because odds are if you want something like a "tongue-and-groove" hardwood floor you will have to make it yourself! You will have to build your own road (most likely) and all your lumber will be straight from the chainsaw! No Home Depots here!!
Even though it is farm country, quiet it IS NOT, but that is true EVERYWHERE in the Philippines. If the stereo is on, its at FULL VOLUME, I really don't think they know what a volume control knob is for! And then you have the videoke token machines (the bane of my existance) because every Filipino thinks they are in the top three of "American Idol" and the louder they scream into the microphone the better their voice will sound, mix in Tanduay Rum and you better have a house with 6 inch cement walls and a good 5.1 surround system or you won't be able to hear your television!!
Police and medical response in the provinces are virtually non-existant so be prepared to spend some money and get properly licensed and armed, and we keep a full EMT bag at the house, but that's a small price to pay!
A few trips to Cebu on occasion to stock up the freezer, stay in a nice four star hotel, and have a good steak, just as a reminder of the world I left behind is enough for me!!
As the old tv series "Green Acres" used to say.... "farm livin' is the life for me"!!
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