For those of you who have not seen the new San Miguel Beer commercial which features Pinoy boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, Billiards legend Efren “Bata” Reyes, Funny man Michael V. and Matinee idol Derek Ramsay, notice the order of Pacquiao when he orders “Roasted HIGHLAND Legumes” and it turns out to be isang platitong mani (a small plate of peanuts).
There are no official details or any confirmations yet on whether Pacquiao Higlands will truly arise. But the HIGHLAND hint in this recent Pacquiao San Miguel Beer Commercial should serve as a clue. Maybe “the Pacman” himself wanted the word HIGHLAND there to convey his purposes of going through with this project, because I don’t think there are “Highland legumes” being served in restaurants right now. Let’s just wait and see if “Manny Pacquiao Highlands” becomes a dream come true…
Those with experience in real estate investments say that there is only ONE RULE in property buying summarized in three words: LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!
Indeed, the location of the property itself is very crucial because it must be accessible toother places which serve your other basic needs and wants. Let’s break down these important factors of choosing YOUR ideal location one-by-one to help you decide…
Recently, pound-for-pound boxing champ and Philippine national sports hero Manny Pacquiao mentioned that he wants to develop a “Pacquiao Highlands” in one of his big properties in General Santos. In other words, he wants to make a high-end leisure type of village there similar to Tagaytay Highlands, probably offering a cool climate, golf courses, log cabins, state-of-the-art clubhouses with complete facilities, and beautiful parks and gardens. This is very interesting and intruiging indeed…
Of course, with the recent Forbes Magazine reports of Manny Pacquiao’s net worth to be at $40 million US dollars (which translates to about P1.92 BILLION pesos), he certainly has the money to do it. However, the more crucial question here is - where will the real estate development expertise come from?
This expertise certainly won’t come from him obviously. If Pacquiao wants to pursue this, he has to partner with leading developers who have great experience in developing Philippine leisure developments, such as Highlands Prime (makers of Tagaytay Highlands), Landco Pacific (makers of Punta Fuego), and Ayala Land (makers of Anvaya Cove). Perhaps the synergy of his widespread ‘popularity, his partner’s property development skills, and their finances combined may prove to be a superior “knock-out combination” :-p
Who among these developers will take up the challenge? And will “Manny Pacquiao Highlands“ be just another fantasy or a become a definite reality? With his numerous business ventures already in place, Let’s see if Pacquiao proves to be enterprising again by pushing through with this grand Philippine leisure project and give the people of General Santos a truly beautiful sight worth seeing and experiencing…
Eton Baypark Manila is a new Roxas Boulevard Condominium made by Eton Properties, and it is due to be finished by Christmas of 2010. It’s tagline says “Views Truly Majestic”, because one of its main features is that the Property itself offers majestic views of the Manila Bay and the famous Manila Bay Sunset. Such a breathtaking view is indeed priceless. Also, Eton Baypark is unique because it has FULLY-FURNISHED UNITS, as indicated and listed below…
Given a particular location, many Filipino buyers contemplate on whether to buy land (this includes House & Lots and Townhouses), or a condominium for which to live in or invest in. Allow me to enumerate the advantages and disadvantages of each below…
LAND - ADVANTAGES
Your Living Space tends to be BIGGER
You have more privacy for your family
Land will always remain present no matter how many houses you build on it, so it can be passed on to future generations of your family
Land values appreciate over time (since they don’t make new land)
You can have your own garden, garage, and even a swimming pool if it’s big enough and if you’re rich enough
LAND - DISADVANTAGES
More expensive especially if you want to live in highly developed areas - these prime lands are usually high-end private villages with large lots and hefty prices
All the repairs and maintenance of the house will be shouldered by you
Cheaper Lands are usually farther from highly developed areas and offices
CONDOMINIUMS - ADVANTAGES
Locations are usually very near the highly developed areas which house offices and malls, making it very convenient in terms of travel expenses
Available in small sizes, which allow small families and individuals to live in highly-urbanized areas as well
Enjoy the Amenities like the Swimming Pool, the Gym, and Function Rooms
Commands higher Rental Revenues and Income to Investors
Repairs and maintenance of the Condominium will be taken care by the Condominium Administration like the electricity, water piping, maintenance of the amenities, building facade and interiors
CONDOMINIUMS - DISADVANTAGES
Living Spaces tend to be smaller
Monthly dues can be burdensome especially for big-sized condominium units
Building itself depreciates over time, although the land value increases
High density - you have plenty of neighbors sharing the same building and amenities
Know what you’re investing into - Think about these given observations first before choosing between a land or a condominium in your desired Philippine Property location. Depending on your available finances, your preferences and your dislakes, you should be able to discern whether a landed property or a condominium suits you and your family better.
I just came from the site of some nice Quezon City Townhouses at Eton West Wing Residences along Quirino Highway, Novaliches. At first, I had some hesitation for its location, since Novaliches is considered to be part of the farther parts of Quezon City. But when I saw it for myself, Frankly I was quite impressed
What does that mean? It means that you don’t have to pass through the narrow-laned Tandang Sora Avenue in order to get there. You can pass the much-wider Mindanao Avenue and go through less traffic light intersections to get to West Wing Residences, making it faster and more convenient to go to. Eton West Wing not as far as you think
Aside from its great location, West Wing Residences are composed of Townhouses and Single Detached Houses. The advantage? So many people who prefer a house and lot or a townhouse over a condominium because of the simple reason that they want LAND. For them, there is a better sense of security when you own a landed property. I’ll be discussing about Land vs Condominiums in one of my future blog posts soon…
Sizes of Eton West Wing range from 80 to 120 square meters of Floor Areas, with 2 to 3 bedroom cuts. Land cuts are at 50 to 80 square meters, and price ranges are from p2.9 to 5.1 million only for the first phase, which will be finished in a year and half from now at January 2011 (very fast). Of course, since this is again a pre-selling projects, investment terms are very flexible For more information of these best value Quezon City Townhouses by a quality developer in Eton Properties, just contact me at the details listed below my signature…
Last week saw a big surge on Philippine Property Stocks. Of course, most of the stocks did rise due to a recent rally of the worldwide stock market, but the ones that outperformed the others here in the Philippines were mostly property stocks.
Why is this so? Analysts have attributed this to the recent cut in interest rates and further cuts in the near future, meaning loan interests will go down and more people will be applying for housing loans to buy houses and condominiums. (Read more about how interest rates affect the property sector on my previous post here at Bangko Sentral hints at Further Interest Cuts).
Ayala Land (Stock Symbol: ALI), Megaworld (MEG), and Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) were among the Property Issues that gained significantly. From the start of the week on May 4 to the end on May 8, Ayala Land went from to 6.2 to 7.4 for a 15% jump, Filinvest from .64 to .74 for a 17% increase, and Megaworld from .71 to .95 for a whopping 35% increase (Megaworld has a stock rights option which accounted for its strength).
However, stock analysts also say that this will be a temporary rally. Let’s just wait and see. Meanwhile, based on my research, I’m sticking to my belief that Philippine Property will continue to be strong in these times
If you will notice the Philippine Real Estate market today, seldom will you find any Metro Manila Commercial Spaces for Sale. What you will see mostly are residential spaces for sale, whether they’re condominiums, residential lots, townhouses, etc etc. Why is that so?
Of course, one can argue that the primary reason for this is that our rapidly growing Filipino population needs to fulfill their basic need of having shelter (See my previous blog post here). But there is another reason – Commercial Spaces, when owned, can yield great profits for you especially in the long-term.
A Metro Manila mall normally commands more than P1,000 per square meter of rental revenue. That, my friends, is relatively high especially here in the Philippines. Most residential areas cannot charge as much, with some exceptions coming from a few high-end condominiums like Rockwell. Also, if the mall is particularly strong, like Glorietta or SM North Edsa for instance, commercial spaces go for as high as p2,000 to even 4,000/sqm! That is the reason why you will never see SM or Ayala Land sell any of their commercial spaces – simply because the revenue they generate is VERY VERY high.
Meanwhile, Eton Properties has decided to pre-sell some of its Metro Manila commercial spaces in their respective residential condominium projects for cash flow purposes. Among them are Eton Baypark Manila, Belton Place Makati, Eton Parkview Greenbelt and Eton Emerald Lofts Ortigas Center. Only a few of these commercial units remain available for investment, as keen investors have snatched up most of them in lieu of the great long-term profits that they will earn in the near future.
However, it is not too late. Perhaps the best Eton commercial properties are now being offered at Green Podium Mall in One Archers Place along Taft Avenue and beside De La Salle University. Just look at its location and you know that this one’s a winner! The foot traffic in that area mainly comes from the DLSU students themselves since One Archers is virtually inside the DLSU Taft campus, hence making it VERY prime property indeed.
The Green Podium promises to be a very prime property with high overall quality since Eton’s very reputation is at stake with this mall. Have a look at the layouts below…
Notice that each space is zoned into a particular use, which ensures that Green Podium will be well-balanced to serve all the needs and wants of its target market – De La Salle University students and those who pass by the DLSU area. Also, the spaces which face the outside roads of Taft Avenue, Castro Street and Fidel Reyes “Agno” Street can operate more than 24 hours since their entrances are facing the road. This also applies to some of the spaces on the 2nd floor like Unit 17, which have their own stairway access and can therefore operate beyond the usual 9am to 9pm mall hours.
Just like its predecessor, all units of Eton Parkview Greenbelt are Loft-Type. This gives a more modern, relaxed, spacious, and homey feel to your condominium unit as compared to the usual flat-type condo which sometimes cramped. Also, Eton Parkview’s location is also very near Eton Residences Greenbelt, as it is situated in front of Legazpi Park along Gamboa Street.
Since only large penthouse units are the only ones available in Eton Residences Greenbelt, investors who want smaller 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units can invest in Eton Parkview Greenbelt. Also, prices here are not as high as Eton Residences Greenbelt yet since it is not yet sold out. Here are its other features… Land Area : 890 sqm
34-storeys & 1 basement
230 loft units
137 parking slots
Delivery on Dec 2011
Features & Amenities
Makati
Swimming Pool
Landscaped Garden
Children’s Playground
Fitness Center
Function Room
Internet & Cable TV Ready
BUILDING FEATURES
Two(2) high-speed elevators
Air-conditioned Main Lobby
Administration Office
Mail Room
CCTV system for common areas and elevator cars
24-hour security
Fully automated Fire & Smoke Detection System
Water reservoir & separate fire reserves
100% Standby emergency power
Centralized garbage room
Guest audio annunciator for all units
Cable TV provision
Provision for portable water heater in bathrooms
Filipino investors reluctant to put their money in financial instruments are instead investing in Real Estate Philippines, according to Philippine Daily Inquirer article that came out this Monday (click here for the article).
The statement comes from Eton Properties president Danilo Ignacio, who added that confidence in the property sector had bounced back in the first quarter. As proof of this, Eton Properties posted a very encouraging p400 million in sales during this past quarter, which was higher than the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2008.
Mr. Ignacio has attributed the strength of this quarter’s sales to the fact that Philippine Property prices have held up well despite the times, unlike other portfolio instruments which have lost money recently like stocks and derivatives. In fact, he says, Eton was even able to increase prices by “suppressing the supply” of properties, just like what other developers did.
Also, there was an increase in the number of buyers willing to give a higher cash down payment for their property purchases, and so they get higher discounts as an incentive for these higher downpayments. I believe this is so because investors are simply transferring their money from losing investments to more lucrative ones, making sure that their money still works and earns for them.
It looks like that previous articles I posted (click here to read related article) have proven to be true – that Real Estate Philippines is indeed a safe and resilient investment in these trying times. Indeed, even if the Philippine economy would slow down to 1-3 percent, this is still better than other countries since they are experiencing negative growth or recession.
Because of this, Eton Properties has launched new projects slowly but surely. First, they launched West Wing Residences in North Belton Novaliches Q.C. and the One Archers West Tower in DLSU Taft (click here). Now, they are planning to open an 8.6-hectare subdivision project in San Bartolome, Fairview, Quezon City. They also plan to release the 20-hectare third phase of Eton City, a 1000-hectare township development in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
So, for those investors who still don’t know where to put their hard earned money, it’s time to put it into Real Estate Philippines. Inquire and earn now!
Recently, pound-for-pound boxing champ and Philippine national sports hero Manny Pacquiao mentioned that he wants to develop a “Pacquiao Highlands” in one of his big properties in General Santos. In other words, he wants to make a high-end leisure type of village there similar to Tagaytay Highlands, probably offering a cool climate, golf courses, log cabins, state-of-the-art clubhouses with complete facilities, and beautiful parks and gardens. This is very interesting and intruiging indeed…
