Metro Manila offers a myriad of possibilities. High- & low-rise condos, townhouses, brand new house & lots, foreclosed properties, etc. But here's how our decision-making went.
It was lunch time at work when we got stuck at Paseo Center Makati because it suddenly rained. We didn't have umbrellas. Right beside it was a showroom for Salcedo Skysuites by condo developer Megaworld. Not having much to do as we've already eaten, husband-then-boyfriend suggested we visit the showroom. This was 2013.
Ohhs & ahhs
“The model unit screamed quality and luxury. From the floor tiles to the faucet, husband was in love.”
I don't think it was my husband's first time to see a condo model unit, but he was at awe with everything. It screamed quality and luxury. From the floor tiles to the faucet, husband fell in love once again. Good thing my rivals were sink, door knobs, and the likes.
The agent that assisted us must be very good, because we found ourselves paying reservation fee for a pre-selling studio unit the same week. We've never had adult plans of this level ever. So I though to myself, "This guy is thinking long-term with me! Can't wait to hear what's next!" Spoiler alert: We got married three years after. I had to hold my horses quite longer than I expected.
Reality sets in
When people are in their early 20's, most think life would be chill. Except for the negatron that I am. Our agent gave us affordable payment terms for the next three years. We knew the monthly downpayment fee for the next three years was feasible within our salaries at that time. The fourth and fifth years were a different ball game, though.
What if our salaries do not catch-up in time? We'll be throwing almost every cent away. What if we can't find jobs abroad to afford it? My major is not in-demand and certainly not a high-paying one. It's a small box, how do we start a family in that size? The street is so corporate, there's not much room for kids to play around. (Yep, I dared mention this! Feeling wife already, huh.) He caved into my fears. My negativity won.
Game face still on
“We enjoyed this problem. We loved the research property hunting entails. So Oplan Invest Together was still ongoing.
The first evidence that all stars aligned for us was when our agent agreed to return our non-refundable deposit after we explained our financial reservations. We were back to square one.
Hubby and I were persistent. We enjoyed this problem. We loved the research property hunting entails. So Oplan Invest Together was still ongoing.
Decision-making
1. Focus on the location
Hubby and I apparently both liked the south area. We've always thought of it as classy, more commercial, and full of potential. And I've always sworn I will leave Tondo and Manila when I grow old. I felt I've had enough of its dynamics already.
After checking out other pre-selling condos in Makati (pre-selling are obviously cheaper), we looked into a low-rise ready for occupancy property by DMCI.
Artista Place was a gem inside Paranaque. The agent said you needed to ride a tricycle to find it, though. That was the only fault it had. Apart from a being a few thousand pesos more expensive (still affordable). It was not along the main road, and we had no car at that time. We were both reluctant about the safety as there's just too many horror stories on women riding tricycles alone in dark-lit areas. (I studied in De La Salle University Taft, and I know of the horrible things some tricycle drivers do to powerless students who have no choice but to ride. Go ahead and judge. Yes, I lived in Tondo. Still not riding.)
Props to DMCI, Arista Place was so hard to let go for us in terms of aesthetics, unit size and the community feel inside. I get it why they sell really well: they make you feel at home even when in reality you are also in a box, much like in stiff high-rise condos.
2. Same price, a lot better community
I had an idea: what if we search further south and get a better community for the same price? So on our bf-gf anniversary, husband and I went on a free site tripping by an agent of Amaia Steps Nuvali. Agent and his driver picked us up at SM Makati and we drove for an hour to Nuvali, Laguna.
The agent didn't have to do anything else. The love at first sight was 10 times stronger than what we had for Salcedo Skysuites. It was affordable, a much more kid-friendly environment, exclusive community, packed with potential as it's by Ayala Land, lovely siesta breeze, clear skies -- I could go on and on and it will all just boil down to being PERFECT.
We paid the reservation fee and started our affordable monthly dues for the stretched downpayment since it was also pre-selling.
3. Property type: box or box with a backyard and inheritance potentials?
Wait, you're in a house and lot now, right? I'm confoosed
Yes we are! And still in Nuvali. Fast forward to almost a year after, an Avida *secret* Nuvali booth agent approached us, asking us to sign their guest list. I said no since we were already paying for the Amaia low-rise condo, but husband agreed. After all, it's just a sign and a mobile number. No big deal.
Months after, we got a text from that Avida agent, telling us that there's a reopened house and lot unit in Nuvali for almost the same price as our Amaia unit. I was shookt. Are you telling me that for a few thousand pesos more, we will have an actual 110-sqm property? We never inquired for Nuvali H&Ls because they were too expensive online. This agent also confirmed we can transfer all our current payments with Amaia to Avida since they are both under Ayala Land.
We wasted no time. We visited the house model, the potential lot we could get and got all the answers we needed. It was a simple decision. Moving from condo to house and lot is always a no-brainer when investing and building families.
4. What could we have done better?
I'd say that we lacked research on actual customer reviews. It's not like it will make us retreat from Avida *secret* Nuvali if we knew beforehand that they were notorious for delays in turnovers, but at least we would have managed expectations better and avoided four months of frustrations.
Hope you could give us a break, we were not even 25 years old when we were deciding on these things. Some kids our age would have been dealing with parties and traveling, and we chose to invest, so please cut us some slack. Lol! But seriously, whether you are a millennial like us finding your first property, or a full-fledged adult who wants a better nest for your kids, reading reviews on Skyscrapercity.com could help you not just decide, but also be realistic.
In summary, our decision-making revolved around:
1. Location
2. Price
3. Community exclusivity and safety
4. Potential market value
5. Property type
7. Faith in the developer
8. Sentimental reasons
All photos, except the first one, are sourced from Google Images. No developer paid us to publish this content.
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