Norms of Condo Rentals

To minimize headaches and problems along the way I''d go directly to the building/condo admin and ask for their accredited brokers.  These ensures that the brokers they refer are familiar with the buildings' rules and regulations. 

As far as I know there is no minimum legal tenure.  It all depends on the building management.  Some buildings have a minimum of 6 months (e.g. Shangrila Properties) while others don't.   

Standard brokers' commission is usually 1 month for every year of lease.  If it's only 6 months then that is equivalent to half a month commission.  These are usually negotiable depending on the broker and length of stay (e.g. 1 month commission for 2 years rent)

For pre-owned cars I would stick to established sellers.  For me that would mean sellers that have a place of business and not online wherein you just set a place and time to meet up.  I'd stick with certified pre-owned from authorized dealers even though they may be more expensive.  Most cars here are seldom taken care of due to cost unless these are company (multinational or top 1000) issued.  The driving conditions here are also classified as extreme which make maintenance even more important.

Thanks much Vin

I'm a Phil-Am and have been living in MetroManila since forever (1967).

My cousin has several condos in Makati.  What's your budget and which part of the Philippines did you want to settle in?

I was raised and educated in northern IN, 2 hours from Chicago.  I went to school at Mundelein, now absorbed by Loyola University, where my brother had gone to school.

Let me know if I can be of help or if you have any questions.

Thanks! I'm looking at Quezon City and Eastwood City in particular. 1 or 2 bhk, full furnished.

I'd suggest you can  directly walk to the condo's lobby and ask the personnels if is there any vacancy  available for rent,definately they will help you out,otherwise,they will tell you some useful information about who you can contact or how much the average  rental price  for this condo.

My experience (Cebu) is as follows. Most larger condo units have rentals available and the admin people know which ones, as the previous poster mentioned. They can put you in touch with the owner. Also OLX is a great resource for rentals and vehicles.

Feel free to negotiate on the lease terms  - I can usually knock off a few thousand Php from the monthly and never agree to more than 6 months at a time, just in case. I usually stay longer though. Make sure it is clear who pays the association dues as that can be 5k/mo or more.

On the used car, definitely get a newer one and try to obtain service records. As mentioned, there is a tendency here to forget the maintenance, even oil changes. And the traffic conditions are very hard on fluids. I bought a 1 year old car from an expat who was leaving, and I always have it serviced at the dealer.