How to Avoid Real Estate Scams in San Pedro, Laguna
In the Philippines, real estate as a business is booming. Along with its success, con artists are also finding new ways to deceive other people. Scammers are hard to detect at first glance. Sometimes even on the second glance, you wouldn’t find anything suspicious from them until finally, you’ve closed the deal.
That’s when everything hits you—you’ve fallen for the most regretful moment in your life. No matter which role you are—whether the homeowner or the investor, no one is exempted from the devilish plots of scammers. However, if you are vigilant enough, you’ll be able to detect these mischievous folks even before they can execute their magic tricks on your hard-earned possessions—may it be the house in San Pedro, Laguna you are selling or the money you are investing.
A valid evidence of a fraud can be reflected through the documents that are produced. In San Pedro, Laguna real estate, there will always be documents to support the authenticity and legality of the transaction. So if your land title is fake, then there’s a 100% chance that you’ve been scammed. However, at first glance, these fake land titles are not easy to detect, especially if you do not know how these papers look like or how they are created.
First thing to check is whether there are two copies of the land title—the original and the duplicate copy. If there are two copies, cross check with the actual records in the Registry of Deeds if your land title exists in their database. Both copies must be identical, which means that the serial number and signatures must be a match between the original and duplicate. Be keen to any inconsistencies.
Since the duplicate copy is the one which can be easily faked, double check if the stamp and text do not blot when wet. If held contrary to the light, a watermark from government offices responsible for issuing land titles should be visible. Notice also the quality of paper that’s used—is it made up of ordinary paper, low-quality sheets? Well then, open your eyes as these kinds of paper are not suitable for legal documents. You are holding a land title for a San Pedro, Laguna property and not a grade school project.