Philippine Real Estate and Construction

Standards and best practices in building a house

Posted by Jun on August 4th, 2010

Building a house is an undertaking that should never be taken lightly; it requires sound project management skills.

ITToolkit.com, a technology website, defines Project Management as a set of principles, methodologies, procedures and practices used to ensure that a project will be built on time, on budget and as required. Just like any project, building a house must have specific goals, a clear beginning and end, assigned resources, and an organized sequence of activities, tasks and events. Read the rest of this entry »

Fault certification for Nuvali

Posted by Jun on June 27th, 2010

Last Friday, I was finally told to pick up at Phivolcs the fault certification that I applied for Nuvali. But first, let me tell you about a blunder that I made in my last post, I hinted that the Valley Fault System appears distant from Nuvali based on the last image that I attached. I was wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

Is there really a fault line in Sta. Rosa, Laguna?

Posted by Jun on June 18th, 2010

October of last year, upon a tip of a friend, I wrote in this site that there may be an active fault line that traverses part of Sta. Rosa. The image on the left below was released by the online version of ABS-CBN News showing the so-called Valley Fault System.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lack of a master plan: What made Metro Manila into what it is today

Posted by Jun on May 4th, 2010

Please note that I have not forgotten about Nuvali’s master plan. But if we are to fully appreciate its master plan, it’s better that we look first at the National Capital Region and see what made it become what it is today.

I said previously that Nuvali’s master plan is geared towards achieving sustainability which is defined as forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future to meet their needs.

True sustainability can only be achieved by simultaneously addressing and enhancing three factors: environmental, social and economic. It’s a fine balancing act which Metro Manila failed to achieve. Read the rest of this entry »

Assess your financial readiness to own your dream house

Posted by Jun on April 16th, 2010

In my last post, I promised to write more about Nuvali. Sadly, these past few weeks has seen me suffer from “Nuvali fatigue.” For those who are waiting for my follow up feature on Nuvali, its draft is already half done and it shall be published. To ease the fatigue, I’ll write about something that I hope some will find worthwhile.

It’s true that it’s every Filipino’s dream to own a house. But more than dreaming, it’s imperative that you make a thorough examination of your financial position before you take the plunge. Read the rest of this entry »

Nuvali’s best natural assets toward sustainability: location and topography

Posted by Jun on April 5th, 2010

Before going into Nuvali’s master plan, I think it’s important to study its location and topography first. Knowing these will indicate why Nuvali was master planned the way it was.

The following are Google Earth images that I edited to represent Nuvali. They are far from being complete and accurate and are only meant to facilitate the succeeding discussion. The outlines were based on available materials about Nuvali and plotted according to the visible images in Google Earth. Read the rest of this entry »

What local governments can learn from the Ayalas’ Nuvali

Posted by Jun on March 31st, 2010

Nuvali, Ayala Land Inc.’s flagship project encompasses 1,840 hectares stretching from Sta. Rosa Laguna all the way to Calamba. It is the most ambitious project in Philippine real estate history which the Ayalas themselves dub as the next Makati Central Business District.

Not that they will leave the Makati CBD, but they admitted that with Nuvali, they can start with a bigger canvass (it’s eight times the size the Makati CBD), where they intend not repeat whatever mistakes they committed in their Makati development. Read the rest of this entry »

Philippine real estate will only thrive if promises are delivered

Posted by Jun on March 24th, 2010

The most common way developers sell their projects is through pre-selling. It’s a process by which a project, while still on paper, is actually sold to prospective buyers. Many agents actually call this process selling “air.”

Prospective buyers are gathered in the property where the project will be built and are told: “On this land will rise a residential project that will consist of this and that amenities, with so and so open spaces and more.” It’s like telling prospective buyers to close their eyes and imagine what the future development will be like and are then told to buy what the developer promises to deliver in the future. Read the rest of this entry »

Frequently asked questions about land ownership and titles

Posted by Jun on March 21st, 2010

1. What are the main classifications of lands as to ownership?

2. What are Public Lands?

3. What are the modes of disposition? How can one acquire title over Alienable and Disposable lands?

by Homestead Patent
by Sales Patent
by Lease
by Free Patent or Administrative legalization

4. What are the evidences or proof of ownership over a parcel of land?

5. What is a Title?

6. How can one acquire a title?

7. In subsequent registration of title, what are necessary to effect the same?

8. In case the registered owner dies, how can ownership be transferred to the heirs?

9. Is possession the same as ownership? Who are informal settlers?

10. In cases where there are conflicting claims, who shall have a better right?

For answers to these questions please click here and here.

Thanks a lot

Building your own house

Posted by Jun on March 15th, 2010

There are two ways of owning a house – it’s either you build it or you buy one. This article focuses on the former.

The option to build your own house is the only way that you can truly get the house that you like. It’s often the most demanding and stressful way of owning a house (consider also that a lot will have to be bought if you have none yet). However, if done right, this process can offer the home owner very substantial savings. Read the rest of this entry »

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