It’s Friday, March 14th, and after being up since 5:00 AM, I’m finally ready to head out for a big day with the family. I spent my morning the way I usually do, with plenty of coffee. We were supposed to leave at 10:00 AM, but in true "Jessa time," we’re finally hitting the road at 11:00. She managed to get up at 10:00, though, which I guess is a victory in itself!
Today is a milestone for us: we’re heading to Ronda to pay land taxes and then to our property to have it officially surveyed. Jessa is being her usual secretive self about the exact tax amount—she doesn’t want everyone knowing exactly what she makes.
On the drive over, I was reflecting on the real estate market here. We bought this land for 350,000 pesos a while back, and looking at the prices in Moalboal now, I’m so glad we did. Some of the land being offered just 20 minutes away is going for 3 to 5 million pesos, and honestly, a lot of it isn't even as good as what we have. Renting is getting just as crazy; houses that used to be 7,000 pesos are being offered for 18,000 now. It’s supply and demand, I get it, but I’m happy to live just outside the tourist chaos.
When we finally got to the land, I was struck by how much it had overgrown since I was last here five months ago. We’re planning to start building in July or August, so we’ll bring some family in about a month before then to clear out the bushes. We’re keeping all the beautiful tropical trees, of course.
The survey itself brought some fantastic news. As the team started their computations and we walked the perimeter, it turned out our land is actually bigger than what was marked by the old fence! We have about 1,582 square meters, and the new landmarks show we even own a whole extra section with more coconut trees. The fence, which was damaged by Typhoon Odette, will need to be rebuilt, but at least we now know exactly where the lines are.
Walking through the property was a bit of a struggle for me today. I’m an allergic guy, and walking through all those bushes in the heat had me itching all over. I definitely should have worn proper shoes and socks! But seeing the potential of this place makes it worth it. We have a proper ocean view on one side and a beautiful valley view on the other. I’m already picturing the house with a balcony on each side so we can always enjoy the view in the shade.
I also spent some time scouting the best spot for our garage. With the steep hill leading up to the property, having a 4x4 is a non-negotiable for living here. We’ll set up a spot for the car and our motorbikes right at the top of the cemented road.
We’re debt-free and ready for this next chapter.
