How would we know if a particular lot for sale in Cebu is worth buying? When planning to buy a lot in Cebu, or anywhere in general, there are different guidelines that can be followed. These are just a few of them:

Transfer Certificate Title

Make sure that the “Transfer Certificate of Title” is authentic. The simplest way to ensure its authenticity is to go to the Register of Deeds where the property is located and ask for a “Certified True Copy ” of the title. Afterwards, verify if the title is clean and not mortgaged. This can be seen at the back of the title under the heading “Encumbrances”. If it is clean, nothing should be written under it. In addition to that, the buyer also has to make sure that the land described in the title is really the land that he or she is intending to buy, that the sellers are the real owners, and that the yearly taxes were paid.

Water, Sewer Connections, and Other Services

The buyer has to find out the availability of the city or community water and sewer connections. If there are no sewer hookups, the buyer should offer to purchase land contingent with the capability to setup a septic system rated for the desired number of bedrooms. The readiness of other basic services, such as electricity, phone and/or cable must be determined as well.

Accessibility

The land intended to be bought must have access by a public road, if not, the buyer must confirm if a road maintenance agreement has been created. A deeded right-of-way should also be in place if the land is not accessible by a public road. This would give the buyer and future owners the constitutional right to get to the area.

Environmental Hazards

If there are old environmental hazards in the area, such as gas tanks, the buyer should decide if he or she wants to remove them or to ask the seller to take care of elimination and cleanup.