Buying an Ecopark home: 7 steps and a legal checklist

Buying a home in a large township like Ecopark is often the biggest purchase of a lifetime, so take the paperwork slowly and carefully. This guide sets out how to buy an Ecopark home in seven steps that apply to every project: Van Giang, Eco Central Park, Eco Retreat, Ecovillage Saigon River and Ecorivers. It is general information, not a substitute for a lawyer.

Steps 1–2: Choose a project and visit the show home

Compare location, home types and the amenities that are actually open. Then book a show-home visit and walk the site. Take three things home to read: the unit floor plan, a detailed price breakdown (before and after VAT, plus the maintenance fund) and the draft sale contract.

Step 3: Check the project and unit paperwork

On resale, also check the original certificate or contract, confirmation that there is no mortgage, and a contract-transfer document endorsed by the developer.

Steps 4–5: Deposit and contract

Under Vietnam's 2023 Real Estate Business Law (in force from 1 August 2024), a developer may take a deposit of no more than 5% of the price for off-plan housing, and only once the project meets the legal conditions. The deposit agreement must state the sale price. When you sign the sale contract, read these clauses closely:

• The handover date and penalties for delay.
• The list of finishes and fittings.
• Whether area is measured inside walls (net) or wall-centre, and how differences are settled.
• Management fees and the 2% maintenance fund (for apartments).

Step 6: Pay in stages

• The first instalment, deposit included, may not exceed 30% of the contract value.
• Later instalments follow construction progress; before handover the total may not exceed 70% (50% if the seller is a foreign-invested company).
• Until the ownership certificate is issued the total may not exceed 95%; the last 5% is paid when you receive it.

If you need a loan, read our Ecopark mortgage guide.

Step 7: Handover and certificate

At handover, inspect every room, note defects in the handover record and ask for repairs before you sign. When the certificate is issued, buyers usually pay a 0.5% registration fee on the assessed value. Once you move in, storage and shelves and sockets and bulbs are the first things most people buy.

For the price list and legal file of the release that is open, get the Ecopark price list on Zalo.

Foreign buyers and overseas Vietnamese

Under Vietnam's 2023 Housing Law, foreign individuals who are permitted to enter Vietnam may buy commercial housing in approved projects (outside defence and security zones). Ownership lasts up to 50 years from the date the certificate is issued and can be extended. Overseas Vietnamese who still hold Vietnamese citizenship have the same rights as local buyers. Ask the developer whether your specific unit is on the list that may be sold to foreigners, and have a lawyer review the contract in a language you read fluently.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Paying a "booking fee" to an individual broker rather than into the developer's account.
• Signing a deposit agreement before the sale-eligibility letter exists.
• Relying on verbal promises about views, discounts or buy-back schemes that are not in the contract.

Note: ecoparkvn.com is not the developer's official website. Information is compiled from public sources; prices and sales terms are published by the developer or its appointed agents. Check the legal status before any transaction.