07/03/2026
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ค ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง
A simple guide to help you avoid scams and costly mistakes when buying land or a house.
Buying property is a major investment. Before making any payment, it is important to verify that the title is legitimate, clean, and legally transferable.
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐พ๐ก๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ก๐?
A clean title means the property has:
โข No unpaid loans or mortgages
โข No legal disputes or pending court cases
โข No ownership conflicts
โข No restrictions preventing transfer
โข No third parties claiming ownership
In simple terms, a clean title means the property is safe to purchase and legally transferable.
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ง๐๐ซโ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฅ๐ (๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐)
Request a copy of the Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) or Condominium Certificate of Title (CCT) from the seller and verify the following details:
โข Title Number
โข Registered Ownerโs Name
โข Lot, Block, or Unit Details
โข Land Area in square meters
Red flags include:
โข Blurry or incomplete copies
โข Missing pages
โข Altered or stitched documents
โข Cropped or unclear information
๐. ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ
The back page of the title contains the Memorandum of Encumbrances. This section shows if the property has legal obligations such as:
โข Mortgages or bank loans
โข Pending court cases (Lis Pendens)
โข Right of way issues
โข Claims from heirs
โข Agrarian reform restrictions
โข Tax liens
If the page is blank, it usually indicates no encumbrances. If there are entries, make sure you fully understand them before proceeding.
๐. ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ
Always visit the Registry of Deeds where the property is located and request a Certified True Copy of the Title.
This is the most accurate and updated version of the title. Some sellers may present outdated copies, but the Registry of Deeds will show the latest annotations and encumbrances.
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฑ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฑ๐๐ฌ
Request the latest:
โข Tax Declaration
โข Real Property Tax Clearance
Verify the following:
โข The ownerโs name matches the title
โข Property taxes are fully paid
โข There are no tax arrears
Possible red flags include tax declarations under a different name or several years of unpaid property taxes.
๐. ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ
A licensed Geodetic Engineer can verify:
โข The correct property location
โข Accurate boundaries
โข No overlapping lots
โข The lot size matches the title
Many buyers skip this step, but it is crucial to prevent buying the wrong property.
๐. ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
Always confirm the identity of the seller.
โข Request valid government identification
โข If the seller is a representative or relative, require a notarized Special Power of Attorney (SPA)
If there is no SPA, it is best not to proceed with the transaction.
๐. ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ฌ
Exercise caution if you encounter the following situations:
โข The property is priced far below market value
โข The seller is rushing the transaction
โข The seller refuses to provide a copy of the title
โข The seller avoids verification at the Registry of Deeds
โข The seller pressures you to make an immediate payment
Transparent sellers are usually more willing to provide documentation and allow proper verification.
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ง๐
Agricultural properties may have restrictions under agrarian reform laws such as:
โข EP or CLOA titles
โข Transfer limitations
โข Restrictions on selling
If the title indicates that the property cannot be sold or transferred except through hereditary succession, it may not be legally transferable.
๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ๐น๐ถ๐๐
๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป:
โข ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐
โข ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐น ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฝ๐๐๐ฒ๐
โข ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐
โข ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
โข ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
โข ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ
โข ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟโ๐ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ
๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐น๐ฎ๐ด, ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐, ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.