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 Hi,
I am semiretired and wanted to move to the Philippines. I wanted some beach property and build my own small home but don't have alot of money.
If I move out to the suburbs a bit could I find some place still or do the big realators own it all?
Also,I wanted to have a small seasonal business on the beach,any room there?
Thanks
Answer Hi Jim, Take a few months or even a couple of years traveling around staying at the various dozen or more popular beach destinations around the Philippines for a few days or weeks in each , both during the high season months of Dec. to June and the low season months of June through November. Land is rarely acquired at a good price during high season; in the past June and September seem to be the months we always got our best land deals. Forget about using realtors anywhere and almost none of them purchase land or speculate on it but just offer it at very high prices attempting to "win the lottery" with a one time deal / sale. Generally speaking land at LOCAL prices is sold or leased gossip or grapevine style rarely advertised in anyway, at most a small sign with a cell phone # attached. So you won't find what you're looking for sitting around or allowing others to find it for you ( otherwise you will pay double or more ). There are budding foreign expat communities in Negros south of Dumaguete, in northern Samar, in Siquijor and in various areas of Palawan ( 1200 islands )where you could start your search. Locating in a place where there are already a few expats and tourist arrivals makes for a better investment and richer social life. We have have a real estate webpage where we list ADS for free and will be adding content in the next few weeks as my wife, Lorna and I have decided to focus on real estate and property management in the next few years. EXPLORE PHILIPPINES -Real Estate http://asiabill.pages.web.com/id17.html
We own a beach front resort ( our 2nd )Casa Camilla on Boracay Island's famous white sand beach and have a "Beach Bum" special yearly discount ( from less than U$2200 to U$3800 yearly ) should you be interested in a "homebase". http://asiabill.pages.web.com/id24.html
That's about it for my first round of advice other than reminding you how much I ABSOLUTELY LOVE life here in the Philippines, a dreamlike lifestyle if you don't rush into it and can learn to adapt and adopt the local culture. Good Luck! Mabuhay Philippines! Bill
