It seems like the guy either thinks he knows too much or is just too naive. To try to contact a local lawyer for assistance in property purchase through the internet sounds pretty foolish to me. It's hard enough to trust a Filipino lawyer when you are in front of them let alone through email. Unless you had a great referral, I wouldn't trust any Attorney in the Philippines. To have your 44 mph game fishing boat in the Philippines I imagine there must be custom issues. There are many things that go more than 44 mph. I think in the range of 1000-3000 mph. One thing that everyone needs to keep in mind, Filipinos are generally envious. That's why everyone always recommends that foreigners maintain a low profile. A 100 acre lifestyle block in New Zealand sounds nice and safe. In a small town in the province in the Philippines someone can disappear easily and get minimal support from the local authorities.