After helping 170+ Americans move to the Philippines, I have noticed something. The people who struggle are rarely the ones who picked the wrong condo. They are the ones who never answered a few honest questions before they left.

We can sort out the visa, the rental, and the banking. These five questions only you can answer.

1. Can Your Income Follow You?

The exchange rate only works if your income keeps arriving in dollars. Remote salary, a business, Social Security, investments: all of these can follow you, but some need to be set up before you leave, not after.

Do your employer or clients know you are moving? Are your US bank cards extended and your expat CPA lined up? Ralph learned the hard way that a small task like an expiring card becomes a big problem from the other side of the world.

2. Which Life Do You Want: BGC, Makati, or Rockwell?

Don't ask which city is better. Ask which life you want to wake up in.

• BGC: Modern, walkable, and the easiest landing.

• Makati: More character, more space, and better variety in food and nightlife.

• Rockwell: Gated, quiet, and private. A lot of our long term clients end up here.

Do a scouting trip before you commit. I have never had a client scout properly and then decide not to move.

3. Are You Moving Toward Something, or Away From Something?

Almost nobody moves here for the exchange rate alone. I hear it on every call: I feel invisible back home.

Leaving something behind is fine. But the people who thrive here are moving toward something specific, like community, a slower pace, or time with their kids. Can you finish this sentence? "I am moving to the Philippines so that I can ___."

4. Is Your Family In?

If you have a partner, are they excited or just agreeing? If you have kids, have you thought about what a normal week looks like for them? Anthony moved to Cebu with his two children and now takes painting classes with his daughter. It works when everyone had a say.

5. Who Is on Your Side When It Goes Wrong?

It will go wrong at some point. Ryan lost $7,000 in his first two months trying to do it alone, and he was days from flying home before he called us.

When something breaks at 11pm, who do you call? If the honest answer is nobody, fix that first.

If You Answered Yes to All Five

You are probably more ready than you think. We handle the sequence, the negotiation, and the logistics, so you can spend your first week living in the Philippines instead of administrating it.

Click here to start your move to the Philippines the right way.

Travel Well,

Evan Lorezca

The Savvy Expat