AboutBill and Lorna Collings Expertise Feel FREE to ask us about traveling, living, relocating, retiring and investing in the Philippines. Guests from 83 countries make our place in Manila an incredible meeting place for world travelers who exchange travel stories and information. We understand both the joys and the hardships of living and traveling in the Philippines.
Experience I arrived in the Philippines in January 1980 to travel for 2 months; I stayed 4 months before reluctantly leaving. I met my Filipina wife, Lorna. an incredible stellar, "one in a million" individual in 1983 in Seoul and we moved to the Philippines in 1986 and opened our 3BR house to world travelers on a budget. After welcoming thousands of guests from 83 nations our place has grown to 30 bedrooms but will never lose its "Home away from Home" atmosphere. Almost everyday at The Townhouse Hotel there's a party-like social scene with vibrant, almost magical energetic conversations between our guests who have the pleasure to meet each other and share their life's many experiences. Sometimes. three groups with conversations in different langauges are going on at the same time.
So we've been exposed to every kind of person from all over the world and shared their experiences.
Publications Suite101.com, eDreams.com, expertcentral.com ( who asked me to apply with allexperts.com since About.com has bought both companies and are in the process of integrating them)
Education/Credentials some college 2-1/2 years - no degree - I've been traveling since I was 18, almost 30 years.
Awards and Honors Luckily, my wife and I have been semi-retired since we were 30 years old, more than 15 years.
Question I want to buy a lot in cagayan de oro (a nice subdivision) and will receive 5 percent off if paid within 30 days. My problem is that my cash is in the U.S. Can I use a check from the U.S., debit card, money order, etc... I'm going to pay 1.5 million pesos. Do you know the best way to transfer large or small amounts of money,transfer from U.S. bank to PI bank, how? thanks jim.
Answer Hi JIM, A word to the wise; You might want to hold back a significant part of the payment until it's transferred into your Filipina wife's name. Open a peso and U$ bank account HERE, it's EASY then fax / tel instructions to your bank to make an electronic transfer to your account. ASK your USA bank what is their "sister bank" here in the Philippines or Philippines bank with some sort of closer affiliation so the transfer is FASTER. We bank with MetroBank in New York and we get transfers in 24 hours to our MetroBank Bayview Branch here in Manila. Also don't forget you can NOT trust realtors nor sellers in most cases which attempt to make buying such a property URGENT as the U$ is gaining in value making your purchase possibly U$1000 cheaper if exchange rate at present P43=U$ likely moves to P44.5=U$ in the next month or two.
You May need to give the bank here your ADDRESS of resident whcih can be a relative/ in-law. OPR if you want to come to Manila we have helped our Townhouse Hotel Manila guests for 20+ years by allowing them to list our Manila Address as their resident address so they open bakl accounts at our Bank until they choose where they like to settle down. email me: bill_lorna@yahoo.com
