Review of Sta Lucia Realty & Development, Inc. - Main Office

Foreign investors, be warned! Sta Lucia is quick only in getting your money. Once they do, you will wait months or years to even get the Absolute Deed of Sale signed by the smog owners. You will spend tons of money sending documents which they ask for one at a time, and 10 times that on overseas calls that gets nowhere as they are adept at dodging and giving the run around.
I was assured that papers will be processed locally but once they got the money, I was told everything has to be processed in Manila. They are so disorganized that they will make your representative go back to Manila several times. (It was expensive but most of all very inconvenient and risky for my brother who have to use his vacation hours waiting in their office for hours on end).
Their practice is also highly deceptive. I paid the principal upfront as well as the 10% tax, but they never disclosed that for them to sign the contract and process your paper as promised, they will want another extra 6.5%. As per the latest published rates by the Philippine government, notarization, documentation stamp etc totals to 3 % at most. I understand the company will try to recoup their expenses processing the paper but tripling the amount is unconscionable and plain greedy. I have asked for a breakdown of the 6.5 % but they refused to grant me that information. I have every right to know what I am paying for but all I was told was that it was company policy not to do so.
I can wax on and on about this nightmare of what I thought was a good investment. But there are just too many to mention.
I am at their mercy, I play by their rules, their every whim without choice (the buyer!). As of the writing of this review, I just stayed up till 3am trying to get hold of a manager that did not have the courtesy to speak with me after telling me to call back after 30 minutes multiple times. All I wanted to know is when they will sign the deed of Sale (Somebody help!)
Do take my advice and invest somewhere else- somewhere where the law and your rights are not trampled upon by the caprice of the monied few.