Give Send Go Campaign

Hi, my name is David Winokur. I’m a septuagenarian expat from Northern Central California who’s been living in the Philippines for over 9 years. I live with my spouse, a retired elementary school teacher, and several of her adult children, adult and minor grandchildren in the house she and their father built about forty years ago.

Because of our need to have more peace and quiet and encourage the younger ones to fend for themselves before inheriting the house and property, we have decided to obtain and move into another house within fifteen minutes of the existing one.

Neither of us is wealthy, me having only my Social Security and a very tiny work pension, and her an even smaller pension from being an educator.

We have found a house in a safe and uncrowded spot very close to a small city. It has a few issues in that it is incomplete and needs a bit of work to be made livable. Because of my construction experience, I believe that can be done over several months while inhabiting a portion of the house. Still, outside workers will be required to do most of the work as I am no longer physically up to it.

By many standards, the house in consideration is a great deal financially, but still a bit out of our reach and, in the Philippines, seniors are not considered viable candidates for mortgage loans that might easily extend beyond their life span, even though reclaiming the property, should the loan go into default, protects the lender, and our desired loan term would only be ten years.

Here are some numbers prior to negotiating a final price for the house and most of the issues that need to be addressed.

1. The seller is asking for three million Philippine Pesos - $50,000 US Dollars
2. The house is 130 square meters – 1,400 square feet
3. The land is about 500 square meters – 5,300 square feet
4. The house and property need critical work to become livable
5. There is no access to the property from the paved road in front or the gravel road in the rear. Though there is one gate onto the property (in the rear), it does not allow a vehicle to enter. This needs to be fixed. Adding access to the front of the property requires bridging a culvert and changing some of the front fencing.
6. The electricity is not on – simple fix as it has been on before.
7. The water is not connected to the house, but available on the property.
8. A water tank on a small tower will be needed as well.
9. The bathroom has a toilet in place, but no incoming water plumbing, no shower, bath, sink units, hardware or other plumbing, only the floor drain.
10. There is no kitchen of any sort – just a really great place to put one.
11. There are no air conditioners or fans.
12. The doors are unfinished solid wood, and the elements have taken their toll on them. Some can be saved, others cannot.
13. The property outside the house is unfinished, unpaved and unlandscaped.
14. Some of the perimeter fence is missing and needs to be replaced.
15. The house has some great ‘bones’.
16. The windows are excellent with built-in steel security grids, but they need screens on the outside.
17. The floors are all tile and look great.
18. The walls all look great except for one section in the bathroom that needs to be furred out and tiled once plumbing is added.
19. The interior and exterior walls are smooth and well-constructed, but the exterior needs to be painted.
20. The ceilings are nice, coffered, have light fixtures and can lights that work when the electricity is connected. However, they are unfinished and need to be filled and painted.
21. I assume the switches and outlets work but I can’t check.
22. The roof looks solid and rust free (most roofs here are metal).
23. The toilet that is installed looks good.
24. The septic tank is accessible, and I assume it is functional.

The house has sat unoccupied for about five years. I plan to offer two million, five hundred thousand pesos for it ($42,000 US), but might have to pay more. Even at the full three million I think it’s a good price.

Also, it will likely take another one million pesos ($17,000 US) to complete the house.

My spouse and I need to depart the old house for the entire family’s benefit and, though we do have some funds available, we don’t have four million pesos ($67,000 US).

We’re asking for some help with this to retire in peace and quiet. Any contributions are greatly appreciated. We would even accept a private loan offer with reasonable terms. We would like to act on this plan in the next month if possible. FYI, my personal credit rating in the US is over 800.

I need to add that, at this time, the cataracts in my eyes have advanced to the degree where they both need to be removed and replaced with new lenses. About the time this campaign gets posted, I’ll be having those two surgeries over the course of a few weeks. This, too, is costly as my Medicare benefits do not extend to overseas treatments. The total expected cost is expected to be about 135,000 Philippine Pesos per eye (270,000 PHP) or $4,200 USD in total.

I sincerely ask you to consider and empathize with us and our situation and, in doing so, find it in your heart to assist us in this time of need. We pray God will open many hearts to help us peacefully retire and enjoy turning this fine house and property into a home. Also, to return clarity to my eyesight.

God bless you all and thank you, 

David Winokur