It's who you know

Once upon a time, a lovely old lady purchased a modest pre-selling condo unit.

She worked hard her whole life and wanted a small piece of real estate. Something she could pass on to her children.

After a few years of religiously paying the monthly amortization, she finally accepted the unit.

The unit was okay when it was turned over.

A few weeks later, she revisited the unit to furnish the place. She was surprised that water leaks showed up. The wooden floors and built-in cabinets were warped.

She reported the leaks to the admin and waited patiently for them to repair them. Months passed, and no action was taken. She followed up on a weekly basis, each time waiting long periods on the phone, waiting for someone to pick up on the other side.

One day, the admin finally got back to her and said the damages weren't their problem since the unit was already turned over.

The poor old lady became hopeless...until she remembered one thing.

She worked for a company with a massive stock portfolio. The company was often courted by Investor Relations (IR) of publicly listed companies. So, she tried to report her story to the IR department of her unit’s developer.

Two days later, the admin called her up, trying to schedule the repairs.

End of story.

All developers succumb to construction-related problems. What differentiates them is how actively they try to resolve these problems with the least inconvenience to owners.

Of course, developers would prioritize influential people. It's just the way the world works. But there are also those who try to treat everyone equally regardless of their social stature.

For example, one developer fully shouldered the repair of all damages due to a construction defect–10 years after the project was turned over. The same developer housed the unit owner of another project in one of their suites while rectifying construction-related defects. And these were regular unit owners.

To know which is which, ask owners (not brokers) who have bought from them. Ask them about these matters:

1. Is it challenging to contact the admin (via phone or email)? Or is there always a line of people in the admin's office?

If projects share the same property management company, the same problems will likely pop up in the developer's other projects.

2. Does the condo/village have a group chat? If yes, what's the general sentiment of owners/tenants?

If the homeowners don't have a group chat, try searching for the project/developer on Facebook. People love to voice out their problems on these platforms.

For instance, I just learned from a Facebook post that a particular pre-selling project has severe water supply issues. That's undoubtedly something your broker wouldn't mention.

3. Finally, how quickly do they release the Titles AND TAX DECLARATION of their projects?

Remember, once you've signed the deed of absolute sale, you can't sell the property unless you have these two documents on hand. So, in case there are problems in the future, you'll be stuck with the property. In one horror story, a unit owner had to wait 12 years for the title to be issued. The ideal time for release is 3-6 months after full payment.

Good luck!