Archive for July, 2009

News that will impact on Philippine real estate

new-pnr finalOld news: The government’s comprehensive and integrated mass transport and  infrastructure program is envisioned “to decongest the National Capital Region and to stimulate economic growth in the countryside especially in Bicol and Mindanao.” Progress has been slow.

Good news! On July 14, 2009 the government announced that -

(more…)

How many Filipinos live in their own house and why

Filipinos-OutdoorA survey titled Citi Fin-Q Report (warning: this report is in PDF format and I’m warned that it may contain virus; kindly proceed with caution) published by Citibank on September 2008 tried to determine the financial IQ  (Intelligence Quotient) of respondents from Australia and ten Asian nations, including Filipinos, in terms of managing their personal finances.

This post will focus on a small but interesting portion of that study: home ownership, particularly in China and the Philippines.

A staggering 81% of Chinese respondents live in their own home that’s either already fully-paid for or mortgaged. Compare that with only 42% of Filipinos. (more…)

Why condominiums and townhouses appeal to developers

Senta CondominiumThis post is related to my previous one. So please read it if you haven’t yet. Note that this is an oversimplified explanation of the issue on hand and is by no means complete.

Done right, condominium development is the most profitable residential project to undertake in the Philippines. With a minimum of one thousand square meters of land, a developer can build a mid-rise condominium building of five to ten stories high (note that the number of stories is subject to the city’s or municipality’s building restrictions). For argument’s sake, with just, say, a very conservative number of six units per floor, that translates to 30 to 60 units per building.

The more stories or horizontal levels a residential project has, the less its cost per square meter becomes. This is true not just for condominiums but also for townhouses and single houses. Savings, ergo profit, is realized because of the following basic reasons: (more…)

Perfect type of housing, part 2

In part 1 of this article, it was pointed out that no one type of housing can provide all the benefits you may wish for in a home. Thus, you have to compromise and choose the type of housing that possesses the unique inherent advantages that you value most.

Now that you are sure of the type of home that you want, be certain that these inherent advantages do exist! (more…)

Perfect type of housing, part 1

house w heart by xymonauThis post is based on my article that was published by the Inquirer.net on June 8, 2009.

When you plan on owning a home, you have three choices: a single-detached house, a duplex/quadruplex/townhouse or a condominium unit.

It’s crucial, especially for a first-time home buyer, to make the right choice for it can spell the difference between having the house of your dreams and having the house that you will hate or worse, wasting your money on a home that will never be finished. (more…)

Free T-Mobile phones on sale | Thanks to Best Savings Accounts, Conveyancing Fees and Used Cars