Avoid Real Estate Sellers that has Special Power of Attorneys..
One of the most common problems of property litigation in the Philippines often involves those with special power of attorneys. It is a legal instrument that authorizes a party to deal with the property of another, for the purpose of selling the property to prospective buyers. You could say its another form of brokering but usually done by your relatives or your kin.
Oftentimes, devious individuals get a special power of attorney covertly from the ignorant owner who is duped into believing that the said document being signed is something else. Unbelievably, majority of the land owners in the Philippines are illiterate and cannot understand English documents.
So should you deal with someone whose property is being sold through an SPA, verify the SPA first by questioning the notary public who executed said document, and meet the property owner himself. That way, any clarifications will be answered accordingly.