Know what to check
before you make an offer.

Guide 01

How the buying process usually works

The process differs by institution and sale method. Treat the directory as a way to find and compare candidates; the selling institution’s current notice, forms, and written instructions control the transaction.

1. 01Verify the current listing. Open the official source link, match the institution and listing reference, note the source document’s date or batch, and ask whether the property remains available.
2. 02Request the complete requirements. Ask for the current offer or bid form, eligibility documents, payment options, viewing procedure, deadlines, and the contact person handling the property.
3. 03Investigate the property. Check the title information, location, access, physical condition, occupancy, intended use, and buyer-assigned expenses before deciding what the property is worth to you.
4. 04Confirm your funding. If you need financing, ask whether the property and sale method qualify, what approval is required, and what happens if financing is delayed or declined.
5. 05Submit the offer correctly. Use the institution’s latest form and channel. Follow its rules for signatures, identification, bid security or reservation money, submission time, and supporting documents.
6. 06Document every next step. If accepted, obtain the notice and payment instructions through confirmed institutional channels. Keep receipts, acknowledgements, forms, and correspondence.

Never send money only because someone claims a listing will be reserved. Independently confirm the recipient, account, purpose, amount, and deadline with the institution using contact details from its official website.

Guide 02

What to check before making an offer

Due diligence means checking that the property, documents, risks, and expected costs match what you intend to buy. A listing summary cannot answer every question, so record what you verified, what remains unknown, and who supplied each answer.

• Property identity. Match the listing reference, title number, registered owner, address, lot or unit number, area, and property description across the listing and available documents.
• Title and annotations. Consider obtaining a recent Certified True Copy of the OCT, TCT, or CCT and have unfamiliar annotations explained. The Land Registration Authority identifies a Certified True Copy as a document used for property due diligence.
• Boundaries and access. Check the technical description, lot plan or condominium details when available. Confirm actual road access, rights of way, encroachments, and whether the visible boundaries agree with the documents.
• Taxes, dues, and balances. Ask for the latest real-property tax information and written clarification of association dues, utilities, penalties, and other balances—including who must settle each item.
• Physical inspection. Inspect the structure, roof, drainage, utilities, surroundings, hazards, and signs of unauthorized alterations. If access is limited, price that uncertainty into your decision.
• Use and restrictions. Check zoning, subdivision or condominium rules, building restrictions, and practical utility availability for your intended use.
• Professional review. Engage an appropriate lawyer, licensed geodetic engineer, engineer, architect, broker, accountant, or tax professional when a concern falls outside your expertise.

Official reference: The LRA eSerbisyo title-copy guide explains the information needed to request a Certified True Copy and the title types available.

A low advertised price may not outweigh unresolved title, boundary, access, possession, or structural problems.

Guide 03

What occupancy status means

Occupancy affects access, inspection, turnover, and whether a buyer can use the property after purchase. A status in a listing is a starting point, not a guarantee of possession.

• Unoccupied. Ask when the property was last inspected, who controls access, whether keys are available, and whether the institution will arrange a viewing. “Unoccupied” does not guarantee immediate or safe entry.
• Occupied. Ask who is believed to occupy the property, how the status was confirmed, whether there is a lease or dispute, and exactly what turnover or legal assistance—if any—the institution provides.
• Unknown. Treat missing, old, or conflicting information as unknown. Ask whether an exterior inspection is permitted and include the unresolved possession risk in your decision.
• Written clarification. Request the institution’s answers about occupancy, access, keys, turnover, and buyer responsibilities in writing. Save the response with the property reference and date.
• Local and professional help. A barangay or appropriate LGU office may provide information, mediation, or referrals. Consult a lawyer when possession, tenancy, court proceedings, or removal is unclear.

Arrange viewings through the institution. Do not enter without permission, confront occupants, disconnect services, change locks, or attempt removal yourself.

Guide 04

Plan for more than the advertised price

Use a working budget before comparing offers. Ask the institution for a written breakdown identifying which party is responsible for every tax, fee, balance, and document.

Working total: purchase price + transaction and transfer costs + property balances + repairs and holding costs + financing costs + contingency.

Do not apply a tax percentage or cost allocation from a generic article to a specific purchase. The seller, asset classification, transaction structure, location, and current rules can change the calculation and who pays it.

Official reference: The Bureau of Internal Revenue’s eONETT service covers one-time transactions involving the sale of real property. Confirm your transaction’s requirements with the institution and the appropriate Revenue District Office or tax professional.

Guide 05

Understand how the property is being sold

The sale stage affects how an offer is submitted, evaluated, and paid. It does not describe the property’s physical condition, title quality, occupancy, or overall risk.

Use the latest notice and instructions published by the selling institution. Older social-media posts, downloaded lists, and forwarded documents may no longer apply. Pag-IBIG Fund’s current acquired-assets portal, for example, publishes live sale stages and bidding guidance and reminds buyers that properties are sold on an “as is, where is” basis.

Official reference: Review Pag-IBIG Fund’s current Online Public Auction and acquired-assets portal for its active listings, sale stages, buyer instructions, and announcements.