Real Estate Philippines News Blog

Eton Tower Makati is a New Makati Condominium launched by Eton Properties of Lucio Tan. It is a 40-storey prime property is located just a few meters from Ayala Avenue and is ideally located at the corner of De La Rosa and V.A. Rufino Sts. (formerly Herrera St.) in Legazpi Village, Makati City, right at the heart of the Makati CBD. (See Location Map Below…)

Eton Tower Makati is envisioned to be a Vertical Community with a mix of Executive Residences and SOHO (Small Office – Home Office) units, plus a 2-level retail mall at the ground floor that will feature shopping and dining options for residents, tenants and neighboring buildings. Indeed, it gives you a COMPLETE living package in the heart of Makati…

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I read an article recently in Global Property Guide (www.globalpropertyguide.com) about the state of Real Estate Philippines compared with the other property markets in Asia. Fortunately, we’re quite attractive to foreign investors, but not exactly the best. Take a look at the table they have given below…

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The year 2009 for the Real Estate Philippines industry was much better compared to 2008. In general, most of not all real estate developers saw a recovery on their balance sheets, as the U.S. and the rest of the world slowly gets back up on its feet after taking a big fall in the 2008 global financial crisis. This simply means that people now have more money to spend this year as opposed to last year, so more of us are able to invest in their dream homes.

We must always keep in mind that the Real Estate industry is a CYCLICAL business, meaning that it regularly experiences boom and bust cycles throughout the years and is very much reliant on the income spending power of people at a given time period. You should always observe the market on whether it’s a good time or a bad time to invest in a property. And how will you know? Here are some tips…

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A NEW Malate Condominium that has just launched for your choice investment- 8 Adriatico by Eton Properties of Lucio Tan.

This is a new exciting project where you as investors can get a chance to live/earn in the very prime Malate Manila location!

See the other features of this Malate Condominium by clicking the Read more link below…

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After Manny Pacquiao’s historic win in the recent Pacquiao Cotto fight, it seems that our Hero deserves more than just financial rewards and endless praises – a seat to immortality! Still, Pacquiao manages to be humble with all his enormous blessings. He even gave his father a ringside seat, even though he deserted them when Manny was still young to raise another family. Indeed, a true act of heroism for the Pac-man!

There were rumors about San Miguel Beer giving Pacquiao a Dasmarinas Village Makati house as part of their payments for his numerous SMB endorsements, as discussed in the previous blogpost here: http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/smb-gives-manny-pacquiao-a-dasmarinas-village-makati-house/. It seems that the truth behind these rumors has finally come out…

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To those of you who are planning to avail of a Pag Ibig Housing Loan and are first-timers at it, kindly take note that the maximum loanable amount for a Pag Ibig House Loan is P3 million pesos. Also, most of the applicants of Pag-Ibig are usually borrowing P400,000 to P700,000, and you will get the lowest interest rates of these amounts. Hence, Pag ibig housing loans are actually more ideal for middle-income earners.

Below is the Interest Rate table for the corresponding Pag-ibig Loan Amount (30 year maximum loan term):

In addition, take note of these guidelines when applying for a Pag ibig housing loans…

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As we have all seen and felt recently, both Ondoy and Pepeng have taken lots of lives and property while still leaving disease, garbage and wreckage in their tracks. As we still continue to do our part to rise up from these challenges, we must reflect on the hard and valuable lessons that Ondoy and Pepeng have taught us, so we can be prepared the next time storms like these hit us…

Below are some Philippine Property Lessons which you should take note especially after these two storms. It seems that due to Global Warming and Climate Change, more of these abnormal rains will hits us. So in turn, please do feel free to bookmark and share this page to other people as part of our social responsibility to one another:

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Just when we Filipinos thought that nature’s wrath was over, Typhoon Pepeng came back to devastate Northern Luzon, leaving an even worse mark than Ondoy did just weeks ago. Region 1 and Region 2 of the Philippines were the worst hit, including provinces such as Pangasinan, La Union, Pampanga, Tarlac, the Benguet Province, Cagayan Valley, Nueva Ecjia, Nueva Viscaya, and Ilocos.

Baguio City was one of the worst hit due to massive landslides which killed hundres of people and destroyed so many homes. To show you the aftermath of Typhoon Pepeng here are sample pictures from SM Rosales in Pangasinan, where 90% of the province is flooded (credits to Lindfred Yap): http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2810663&id=649558796&comments&alert#/album.php?aid=115965&id=649558796

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Due to the devastation brought about by tropical storm Ondoy, Eton Properties has surveyed the elevation of all their current projects above Mean Sea Level (MSL), and found that all their projects are virtually flood-free properties. This means that you as investors can feel safe, knowing that all Eton Projects will not be affected by any major-level floodings.

MSL is defined as the average height of the seawater surface including all tide levels. Thus, an elevation of 20 meters means the property is 20 meters above the average height of the sea, making it very safe against heavy floods.

As reported in a meeting yesterday with Eton President Danilo Ignacio, all Eton Projects did not encounter any major flooding. Please find below the summary list of the Elevation levels of all our current projects, showing that ALL our projects are above the Mean Sea Level:

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Indeed, the wrath of Typhoon Ondoy was felt all over the world, especially to us Filipinos. The worst flood and rainfall in 40 years brought about by this unusual storm devastated the lives of over 500,000 Filipinos and ensued property damage of almost P3 billion pesos! Quite a tragedy indeed. For those needing assistance, please visit this link for Emergency Numbers: http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/to-those-affected-by-floods-of-typhoon-ondoy-floods/

Since so many of us had our eyes opened by Ondoy, many are now looking for new homes to start with, and now they realize the importance of having an ELEVATED property. The landscape of the Real Estate Philippines World has now changed due to this monster flood: people will now be more conscious of the  property they will be investing in – particularly on whether it’s flood prone or not.

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To Typhoon Ondoy Victims: Here’s a borrowed article on How to Salvage a Flooded Home.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1668459/how_to_salvage_a_flood_damaged_home.html?cat=6

Here’s another one that’s more applicable to the current Philippine situation (credits to Newsbreak.com.ph) :

http://newsbreak.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6888

Please do pass this post around to everyone you know, especially the victims! And may God be with us all…

For people who need assistance for Typhoon Ondoy Floods: National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Emergency Numbers: 912-5668, 911-1406, 912-2665, 911-5061. Help hotlines: 734-2118, 734-2120. Please repost! Be safe everyone!

Addtl numbers for NDCC: 9414061-65 MMDA: 8820851/136 Meralco: 9416112 MV Numbers: 09178577481; 09172414864; 09276751981

PLEASE REPOST! Sen. Dick Gordon (text FULL ADDRESS for the rescue): 09178997898 or 0938444BOYS Sen. Villar rescue text hotline: 09174226800, 09172414864, 09276751981 Rubber boat requests: 838-3203, 838-3354 Rescue dumptrucks: 0917-422-6800, 0927-675-………1981 Bagyong Ondoy: 734-2118, 734-2120 PAGASA: 433-8526 NDCC: 912-5668, 911-1406, 912-2665, 911-5061 Red Cross: 0938-444-2697 and 0917-899-7898

NCRPO # 838-3854 – those who need rubber boats and trucks

Here are some pictures to show the damage of Typhoon Ondoy Floods so far… Let us pray for everyone’s safety! = http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/photo.php?pid=2773760&id=526117143

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/photo.php?pid=9189219&id=731015563

I sure hope our Government does something about our drainage system. And all of us must also help in our own way through donations and continue praying.. Godspeed to Everyone!

Eton Properties (of Lucio Tan) has just launched a new project called West Wing at Eton City. This new development will offer House and Lot packages for those who want to live / invest in the Santa Rosa Laguna area, and rightfully so because it seems that many people have been wanting affordable house and lots in this location.

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Scout Area Quezon City is considered to be one of the most prime areas in Metro Manila. Many of the residents here belong to the Upper A class income bracket, or in Lehman’s terms,  Rich . It’s not surprising to find that many Filipino-Chinese also live there, since many Tsinoys here in the Philippines happen to be wealthy as well. Because of this, many of the Filipino-Chinese newlyweds choose this area since they will be near their parents, and they buy townhouses here to live in. There are also many rich Filipinos there as well…

For those of you who are interested to live in this area and are open to a townhouse, you will find a simple comparison chart of the Scout Area Quezon City Townhouses you will see there. Think of it as a guide for you to help you out in your search …

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Sta Rosa Laguna, dubbed as the next major Central Business District in Luzon outside of Metro Manila, has just hit the Billion Peso Mark in terms of city government revenues. It was published just this August 21 at Inquirer (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20090821-221294/Sta._Rosa_now_part_of_billionaires%92_club), and it seems to be going full steam ahead with its development as a major city here in the Philippines.

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In light of the current “Green Revolution” where businessmen have become more environmentally-conscious, the Philippines is now offering “Green Roofs” and “Green Walls“, or environmentally-friendly roofs and walls to contractors and builders. With this new technology, Philippine Real Estate Developers can now contribute to saving our planet by using these non-harmful materials in constructing their buildings and houses.

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We have been talking about the legal and technical aspects of Real Estate Philippines investing for the longest time, but now let’s ask go into a more supernatural aspect of it: the possibility of your desired property of being a GHOST HOUSE. Not everybody believes in ghosts, and there has been no concrete scientific proof of their existence. Still, so much interest has been devoted to this topic. In fact, we Filipinos are the number 1 Google internet searchers for ghost house activities in the whole world! Perhaps it’s better for us to be wary of such paranormal possibilitie, and here’s why…

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We all know that the Philippine BPO sector is one of the key drivers of our growing economy in the recent years. Despite the global economic downturn, there is still evidence of growth in our local BPO industry. However, for this year of 2009, the construction of Business Process Outsouring office spaces have been trimmed down by half, according to a recent report from local stockbroker Citiseconline and Int’l Property Consultant Jones Lang Lasalle Leechiu.

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According to an Inquirer Off-the-shelf report (http://business.inquirer.net/money/features/view/20090708-214394/Off-the-shelves-off-the-air),  San Miguel Beer has handsomely paid Boxing Icon Manny Pacquiao for his services in their SMB commercials – with a 3,000 square meter property inside the very prestigious Dasmarinas Village Makati! What interesting gossip indeed!

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As a follow-up to my blogpost on Eton Properties’ 68 Roces Townhomes (http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/68-roces-townhomes/), I am showing you other Quezon City Townhouses for sale that are near the Scout QC area so that you can see what the competition looks like. These townhouses are made by smaller-scale developers who do the “Build-and-Sell” style of business, and have experience in doing so for many years now. Click below to see their pictures…

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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).

Now I don’t know if they put the word HIGHLAND in that commercial on purpose, but we can’t help but speculate again on Manny’s intentions of putting up a ” Manny Pacquiao Highlands” in General Santos, as I have discussed in my recent blogpost at http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/manny-pacquiao-highlands-to-be-built-in-general-santos/.

There are no official details or any confirmations yet on whether Manny Pacquiao Highlands will truly arise. But the HIGHLAND hint in this recent 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 to other 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…

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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 “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…

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Here are some nice brand-new, pre-selling Quezon City Townhouses at Eton West Wing Residences along Quirino Highway, Novaliches. When I first learned about this project, 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, it was quite impressive. This is indeed a very affordable House and Lot package for those who like the Novaliches area, and for those who really want a House and Lot over a condominium. Read the rest of this entry »

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. Read the rest of this entry »

In light of the great success of Eton Residences Greenbelt, Eton Properties has launched another Greenbelt Makati Condominium Project called Eton Parkview Greenbelt. 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 Greenbelt’s location is also very near Eton Residences Greenbelt, as it is situated in front of Legazpi Park along Gamboa Street.

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It is quite obvious that Philippine Real Estate Developers are not as robust now compared to the previous 3 years due to the global economic slowdown, and therefore need new fresh tactics to survive.The Inquirer Property section started a series of articles that stated “Asia is no longer insulated” from the financial crisis originating from the West (source: http://www.inquirer.net/propertyguide/aroundtown/view.php?db=1&article=20090314-194072).  Global Property Guide’s survey of publicly-available house-price time-series for 2008 showed that Philippine Property prices were declining steadily. Even until now, the slope is still going down as we brokers ourselves experience difficulty in selling. Most people we talked to our holding on to their money, or simply have hard times themselves in making it.According to the article, here is what Prince Christian Cruz, a Global Property Guide senior economist, suggests to Philippine Real Estate Developers to cope with the crisis:

• Provide cheaper properties by cutting back on certain amenities such as gyms, function halls and swimming pools. Location is more important to the working class Filipinos.

• Focus on accessibility to public transport as this is crucial to them

• Price properties according to the buying capacity of working and middle-class families. The international standard for affordable housing is three to five times the annual income. In other words, a Filipino worker who earns P10,000 a month can buy a Philippine Property between P360,000 and P600,000.

• Offer rent-to-own schemes for better affordability

In other words, Mr. Cruz is suggesting developers should shift their focus from Overseas Filipinos an enormous local demand from the locally employed middle-class and working-class sector.

The second part of the Inquirer article quotes Alejandro Mañalac, president of the National Real Estate Association, saying that the Economic Slowdown is a blessing in disguise since there will be a smaller glut or oversupply of Philippine condominiums due to developers slowing down in new projects.

Mañalac also said the Ifric 15 issue (see my previous blog entry about it on http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/breaking-news-new-rule-to-hamper-philippine-real-estate-developers/) also made developers rethink their plans to build high-rise buildings (which takes three to five years to complete) in favor of end-user projects which they could finish within a year, and thus recognize their income in their books. “It’s a good thing that the implementation of this new accounting reporting standard was deferred until 2012,” he said, or else all of them would look bad to investors of their stocks.

Mr. Manalac also agrees with Mr. Cruz in terms of adjusting the payment schemes of properties for sale so that end users and the Filipino workers can afford it more. He reiterates that even though most of the Philippine Pre-selling projects are 60% sold, which gives them enough money to complete construction, developers should adjust their investment terms accordingly and not necessarily bring down prices, so that the remaining inventories of pre-sellers can be taken.

If you ask me, this suggestion should also apply to secondary sellers of Philippine property. They should try selling rent-to-own style, where in they can earn from the interest they charge to their tenants as well. In that way, they can help more Filipinos in owning their dream home while doing business also – a Win-Win situation for both buyer and seller

68 Roces Townhomes is the latest High-End Quezon City townhouse project of Eton Properties by Lucio Tan. As stated in its name, 68 Roces is a 3.3 hectare Residential Enclave located along Roces Avenue, making it a very prime residential spot especially for young families and newly-wed couples who are used to the Sta Mesa Heights, New Manila, and Scout Areas.

See the 12 Reasons on why you should invest in 68 Roces below…

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Riverbend is a residential development in Eton City, Santa Rosa Laguna (more about Eton City and the boom of Sta Rosa in my previous blogpost at http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/investment-lots-future-makati city-in-santa-rosa-laguna/). Again it is another proud mid-scale vertical project made by Eton Properties by Lucio Tan.

This time, Riverbend offers a beautiful river as its main feature, as opposed to the higher-scale South Lake Village which offers a 35-hectare lake to residents (more on Eton South Lake Village at http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/south-lake-village-at-eton-city/).

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South Lake Village is located in Eton City, the 1000 hectare city development project of Eton Properties in Laguna. It is dubbed as “the Makati of the South” due to its ultra-prime location right in the quadrant of the Eton City – Greenfield City Exit. It has a better location that its nearest rivals, namely Greenfield City by the Campos Group and Nuvali by Ayala Land (read more about the next real estate boom in Santa Rosa Laguna in my previous blogpost: http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/investment-lots-future-makati-city-in-santa-rosa-laguna/). Indeed, this picture shows its beauty with more than a thousand words

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For businesses who are looking to rent a space in Office Philippines, especially those engaged in the  Philippine Business Process Outsourcing Sector, Philippine Call Center Industry or in the Shipping Philippines Industry, Times Plaza Manila offers some very nice office spaces to suit your needs.

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Serendra is one of most talked about Philippine Condominium projects nowadays. Its unique inner landscapes give it its edge over other developments. Many people have commented about Serendra, both good and bad. Some have marveled and praised its lush greenery and unique architecture, while some disagree and called Serendra’s design similar to low-end tenament housing. Nevertheless, I don’t think anyone would dare criticize its beautiful inside gardens as shown below…

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It looks like there’s another “Johnny Come Lately” player in the Real Estate Philippines scenario.

R-II Builders, led by Harbour Centre owners Michael Romero and Reghis Romero, have recently inked a p1-billion joint venture project in Taguig City with Taguig Mayor Freddie Tinga, according to Philippine Inquirer (http://www.inquirer.net/propertyguide/aroundtown/view.php?db=1&article=20090130-186399). It says that they plan to build two chubs, namely an 8.8 hectare mixed use development in Ususan called “Skyline City“, and a section of medium rise residential buidlings targeted toward the Taguig working employees.

Again, this new deal just shows the massive potential of Taguig City as the next force to be reckoned with in the Philippine Property landscape, as I have already mentioned in an earlier blogpost on how Taguig will eventually overtake Makati as the next Financial Capital of the Philippines (http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/the-fort-bonifacio-global-city-the-future-financial-capital-of-the-philippines/). Aside from all the major Philippine Property players such as Ayala Land, Greenfield Development, Megaworld, Century Properties, the Rufino Offices and Robinsons Land having projects already in Fort Bonifacio Global City, it seems that new property developers also want to join in the frey of the boom.

However, the REAL question here is will the Romeros develop this land properly? In terms of financial capacity, well we can certainly say that they are capable since they do own Harbour Center and have truckloads of money to invest (some rumors suggest them entering the Philippine Basketball Association very soon). But how about the know-how?

We have seen so many Philippine Real Estate developers fail, go bankrupt, and leave early investors in the dust with lost money in unfinished buildings, especially in the last decade of the Asian Financial Crisis last 1997. We Filipinos should have learned our lesson in choosing the right and dependable developer who will finish their projects on time right? I’m not saying that R-II Builders are bad developers, it’s just that they are unproven yet, and only time will tell if they do prove to be good developers or not. Be wary then! Let’s just hope and pray for the fair citizens of Taguig City that they do indeed turn out to be reliable after all and that the Skyline City proves to be beautiful and very livable…

A Philippine Condotel Investment Marketing Company sees sustained growth during 2009 in the Philippine Real Estate sector despite the Global financial crisis.

This worldwide financial catastrophe has affected the economic growth of emerging economies such as the Philippines, where growth slowed down from an outstanding GDP growth of 7.3 percent in 2007 to a lower than expected expansion within the vicinity of 4.5 percent according to economic experts.

Despite this, experts say it’s time to go to back to the basics for 2009 as the remaining liquid investors flock to traditional investment instruments such as direct investments and ownership of real estate. The way to go is revisiting investment opportunities from bricks and mortar businesses or companies which have a physical presence that offers face-to-face customer experiences, ” says Beth Collingz, overseas marketing director of PLC Global, lead marketing partners for the Lancaster Condotels in the Philippines.

Moreover, highly populated countries like the Philippines which, among other sources rely on export revenue; can fall back on its human resources to survive the global financial crisis. The law of
supply and demand tells us that if the Philippines’ export sector is on the downturn because of the recession in the global export market, it can shift to its huge internal market to compensate a shortfall in exports into manufacturing for domestic consumption.

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In light of the current global economic crisis, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has dedided to cut Philippine interest rates by 50 basis points (or .5 percent) to 5%, which they said was the same level of interest rates during the start of the US meltdown. In fact, they are signaling another .5% cut next month to further encourage consumer spending among Filipinos and keep our Philippine economy afloat amidst all this chaos.

In my previous blog post (see and read http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/part-2-of-inquirer-article-on-real-estate-philippines/ ), I mentioned there that our Economy grew more than what our government expected at 4.5% GDP, which is obviously good news since it proves we are resilient to the economic downturn. This current move by the BSP is precautionary because they’re “playing it safe” and making sure that there is still enough money to go around with and keep our country moving forward. Perhaps they were taking notice of the many multinationals here cutting jobs or decreasing working hours for Filipinos, so we definitely would experience a slowdown in growth. Still, HSBC analysts confirm that our monetary reserves remain adequate to keep us going (as also mentioned before in http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/hsbc-sees-asia-more-resilient-to-crisis/)

This of course has great implications for Real Estate Philippines investors and buyers. Lower interest rates mean that people will get encouraged to loan more in the bank to buy houses, lots and condominiums. It also implies lesser interest expense in loans for constructing a home or buildings. However, this can also turn out to be a sign that our fall is yet to come since the US had several straight rate cuts in a row, but still their economy fell into recession.

The main difference here is that their exposure to sub-prime mortgages are way too high, and they even had complicated debt instruments which were also exposed to bad debts from American homes which gave them more trouble. Here in the Philippines, such is not the case, because majority of home buyers here are not speculators but mostly end-users who really need a place to stay. As I mentioned before (in blogpost http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/philippine-properties-still-good-bargains/ ), population growth is our main demand driver for the Real Estate Philippines sector, so we should remain strong in the times ahead. In fact, Philippine banks here have made it more difficult to loan, since they do not want to emulate the disaster of the US banks, so this should put us in check.

If you ask me, we should definitely consider going to the bank for a housing loan, especially when they cut rates again next month, and maybe even the months after. Provided, of course, that the Philippines indeed proves to be healthy in these hard times.

So… continue to be watchful folks!

As a continuation on part 1 (http://www.realestatephilippinesblog.com/still-more-positive-philippine-real-estate-outlooks/), Part 2 of the Inquirer Article on Philippine Real Estate outlooks (found on http://www.inquirer.net/propertyguide/buildingblocks/view.php?db=1&article=20090123-185183) continues to emphasize the resilience of our property sector since OFW’s still need a home to go back to here and want properties to relax in. It features interviews with JAO Builders VP of Marketing Erlinda Tiozon and a continuing interview with EDGE Properties and Kawayan Cove president Jose Razon Puyat III.

To be honest, Part 2 of the article was not as good as the first one because half of it just advertised Kawayan Cove and JAO Builders. Well, it did talk about their strategies on how to overcome the slowdown of the world economy, but it was quite redundant considering that the first part of the article already did that with other developers. I was hoping they would come up with more figures or substantial proof that Philippine Real Estate is indeed in good shape.

Well, let me do that for you by sharing what I’ve come across lately… Bloomberg has reported that the Philippine Economy grew 4.5% last quarter of 2008, which is higher than what the Philippine Government had anticipated. Of course, this means good news to all of us Filipinos because it shows that we are indeed resilient to the crisis. Since OFW’s still continue to remit money to their relatives here, we will still be OK. Of course, we can’t help but cut our spending since even some multinationals such as Intel, Yazaki-Torres and Toshiba are cutting out employees to save out labor costs. But, as long as our Business Processing Outsource Industry is still growing, Pinoys can still find new jobs, so this should keep our economy afloat.

Other than that, let’s just continue working hard for our loved ones and praying… Godspeed to all!

Another new weekend article about the resilient and still robust Philippine Real Estate sector came out in the Philippine Inquirer last Saturday (http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20090117-183843/RP_property_sector_optimistic). In an interview with Alejandro Manalac, president of the National Real Estate Association, we found out very positive statements from him to support the claim that our property sector is still in good shape.

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Below is the Real Estate Philippines Developers Guide: a very informative comparative chart on the top Real Estate Philippines developers in the market today (no ranking order, purely opinionated and generally based on experiences and feedback of clients). This would give you investors from all over the world a guide, or a “cheat sheet” as some would say, to know exactly who the ideal Philippine Property developer is for you. Different people have different needs and capabilities, and this chart should help you a lot…

Most of the insights presented here are gathered from many clients with past experience. Please do comment or make any suggestions below, I’m sure you have much to imput as well. Again, these are just opinions based on market research, and should not be taken as actual facts.

Feel free to bookmark and share this Real Estate Philippines Developers Guide for your future reference. Thank you and I hope to have helped you! Godspeed to all!

This is VERY interesting news in the lights of these times: Banks actually LENDED MORE to Philippine Property Developers this quarter! Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reports that “exposures of universal and commercial banks to the real estate sector — mostly in the form of loans and investments — reached P223.9 billion in September, 5.1% higher compared to the previous quarter’s P213.1 billion.”

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