How to Buy a Lot in the Philippines

• Subdivision / residential lot — inside a titled subdivision with roads and utilities; easiest to buy and finance.
• Raw / agricultural-turned-residential — cheaper but may need conversion, utilities, and access work.
• Commercial / industrial lot — priced and zoned differently (see our commercial guide).
• Beachfront / hillside / farm lot — special rules on foreshore, easements, and agrarian reform.

Decide whether you'll build now or hold the land as an investment.

Land fraud is most common with lots. Insist on:

• A Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) in the seller's name — get a Certified True Copy from the Registry of Deeds and check for liens or adverse claims.
• The lot survey / relocation by a licensed geodetic engineer so the boundaries match the title and the fence.
• Updated Tax Declaration and paid real property tax.

Be very cautious with "Rights only" or Tax-Declaration-only land (no TCT) — high risk, hard to finance or resell.

• Zoning: confirm the lot is zoned residential (or your intended use) at the local Zoning/Planning office.
• Right of way & access: verify legal road access — a landlocked lot is hard to develop and sell.
• Utilities: availability of water and electricity connections.
• Deed of Restrictions: subdivisions limit setbacks, height, fencing, and time-to-build.
• Hazards: flood, fault lines, and (near volcanoes/coast) hazard advisories.

Costs mirror other purchases — Documentary Stamp Tax 1.5%, Transfer Tax, registration, and notarial fees (~5–8% total), plus the reservation fee and down payment.

Financing note: banks and Pag-IBIG finance titled residential lots more readily than raw or agricultural land. A lot-only loan usually has a shorter term than a house-and-lot loan. Developer in-house financing is common for subdivision lots.