Real Estate Investment 101: Strategies to Use in Selling Your Condo in the Philippines

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“Real estate is an imperishable asset, ever increasing in value. It is the most solid security that human ingenuity had devised. It is the basis of all security and about the only indestructible security.” -Russel Sage

With the condo housing market at an all-time high, it would be readily apparent that condominium towers would be proliferating almost every corner in any major city in the Philippines. After all, condo living affords a unique lifestyle option that allows for convenience and maximum accessibility. Most real estate developers would build their condominium towers in proximity to major offices, schools, and entertainment hubs–making it a premier housing option for young professionals, newlyweds, and families.

Considering how competitive the housing market for condominiums is, it would be no question that selling your condo unit might be a bit difficult—even in places where the demand for them is the highest such as in Arbor Lanes. However, there are a few tips and techniques to help you sell your condo a bit faster and to make your transactions a lot easier. Do not be mistaken though, the logistics in the sale of a condo unit would involve a great deal of patience (Do not expect to a close a deal right away). Do your research, be prepared to compromise and negotiate, otherwise here are some useful tips to make your condo selling endeavor a smooth-sailing one.

1.) Know when the best time to sell your condo is

When it comes to selling any kind of real estate, timing is a pivotal factor that contributes to the quickness or delay of a sale. Additionally, it would also play a crucial factor in how much you could actually profit from selling your property. Before selling your unit, have an understanding of how property cycles move. In this way, you can determine how far along the property clock would yield more and much better profit. Recurrent events such as rising prices (also known as the boom phase), fall of prices which is the (slump phase) and stabilization phase (essentially known as the recovery period) would comprise a property cycle. Familiarize yourself with this and put your condo up for sale during the market peak where the boom phase occurs.

2.) Determine your property’s market value

Apart from knowing how to time your sale, it is also vital that you know how to price your condo unit appropriately. If you price it too low and you may end up losing profit, and if you price it too high, it will take you longer to close a deal. Consult a professional and have them give you advice as regards the price of your property, or you can try a different tack by looking at online listings that are similar to your property.

3.) Look for potential buyers

More often than not, the sale of a real estate property would be significantly faster with the assistance of a professional such as a real estate broker who would serve as the middle person between you and the buyers. However, this would come at an added cost, and if you do not wish to make that monetary expense, you can always put your condo up in the housing market in online listings. There are websites that would offer free listing where you can list your property. However, do not limit yourself there, advertise wherever you can and go beyond free listing websites. Put up your listings on social media platforms and encourage your friends to share it themselves too.

4.) Secure the necessary documents

Before finally putting your condo up for sale, make sure you are in possession of all the legal documents required to sell it. This will expedite the process of ownership transfer and would make the transaction a lot smoother. Some of the documents you would need areas listed below:

*Certified True Copy of Condominium Certificate of Title from the Register of Deeds
*Certified True Copy of Tax Declaration and Real Estate Tax Clearance for the present year from the City Assessor Office
*Certificate Authorizing Registration and Tax Clearance from the Bureau of Internal Revenue

 

Five Steps to Turn Your Flat into an Elegant home

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“Do you know what elegance is? It is not only what you are wearing, it is how you wear it, who you are inside. It is the way you decorate your house, what you surround yourself with, what books you read and what your interests are.” -Carolina Herrera

Without a doubt, achieving elegance in our homes would be difficult as elegance is subjective, much like beauty is. Incorporating a bit of elegance in our homes is not straightforward and can feel a bit frustrating at times. However, there are universal concepts that we can all agree on that would make a home truly elegant such as the ones below. Whether you are sprucing up your condo unit in Arbor Lanes or looking for a way to bring a touch of sophistication to your homes, here are the steps to making your homes truly elegant:

1.) Select a color theme

A color theme that does not clash and highlights the most important aspects and elements of your home is imperative in turning your homes into an elegant dwelling. Select a color palette consisting of at least 2-3 main colors with 3-4 complimentary colors—make sure that these colors go well together and would work in harmony. A good example is to tale main colors such cream, brown, and green while your complimentary colors should be shades lighter or darker than your main colors. Examples would be ivory, beige, and champagne. Do not go for colors that heavily contrast each other unless you are looking to contrast colors for a specific feature in a room.

2.) Choose the main items to highlight

Highlighting the main objects in a room not only gives it significance, but it significantly increases the elegant and sophistication factor of your room. Some of the items you can highlight are major furnishings such as bookshelves, a large sofa or even the room itself by utilizing creative paintwork and excellent carpeting.

3.) Create a focus in the room

Unlike choosing main items to highlight, the focus of a room should be the center point or feature that would catch the eye upon entrance of the room. It should draw eyes and start conversations whenever people are in the room. It can be a rather uncanny object such as an unusual chair or bookcase, an intricately framed mirror, a wall of photos or an abstract painting. Let this be the one attraction of the room and let everything else support and complement it. Remember to only add one focus as when you incorporate too many aspects; it creates visual noise that would result in a stressful rather than a unified look.

4.) Clean up the clutter

Clutter is another source of visual noise, and it tends to detract a room’s elegance and beauty. Stuff such as mail, magazines, shopping catalogs and even remote controls should be stowed away as it is not pleasing to look at with the rest of your décor. Do not have too many items or trinkets on display and set a rule on how many items should be on any counter or table surface.

5.) Select beautiful things to give your home a soul

Let your décor speak about your home’s character as well as show a glimpse of what their inhabitants are like. One of the features of an elegant home is a well-loved home, so decorate but do not go overboard. Select some of the most beautiful things that have some meaning to you and place them strategically in your home. Some souvenirs from your travels may do the trick, a unique centerpiece on your dining table or works of art you have done are great selections for this. Additionally, these items are also great conversation starters as they create a spark of interest in a home. Steer clear from overly minimalistic kind of decorating as they make your homes look dull and without life.

Philippine Living: 3 Reasons Why Bacolod is the Best Place to Live in the Philippines

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“Namit gid ya!”

“Halong ka meg.”

“Maayong Aga”

These are just a few phrases you would commonly hear whenever you find yourself lucky enough to set foot in the City of Smiles or otherwise known as the Bacolod City of Negros Occidental. Recently named as the number one place to live in the Philippines, Bacolod City’s charm is not only hinged on the fact that they have the best tasting barbecued chicken also fondly called as the famous chicken inasal. Apart from the delectable food the City of Smiles offers, their friendly locals, affordable coffee and exemplary desserts, there is a lot more to this city which would definitely earn its merit as the Philippines number one city to live in. If you are looking to settle in this charming city of smiles from building a house on and Ayala land lot in Bacolod to opening your very own inasal place, here are some of the reasons why you should consider living in here:

1.) Delectable Food

Without a doubt, Bacolod offers some of the Philippines best dishes. It is no question that the people of Bacolod do love to eat, and it is one of the most thriving businesses in the industry. From the best-tasting chicken inasal to the lechon manok, two of their most scrumptious dishes that made not only Bacolod but Negros famous. Just ask any local from Bacolod, and they would all collectively tell you that nothing compares to their Chicken Bacolod—even the local renditions of Manila and Cebu are no match for Bacolod’s authentic install. Apart from the famous nasal, Bacolod is known to serve some of the best-tasting desserts as well. After all, you do not live in the sugar capital of the Philippines without crafting some of the very best sweet treats.

2.) The city is rife with adventures

Whenever you are in the city, you would not need to go far just to have your fair share of adventures. In fact, Bacolod is the ideal place to raise a child as it is the perfect setting for a child to form memories and experience what childhood truly is without the stifling feel of the city. Just a few kilometers away from the city, you can visit Campuestohan Adventure Park—an excellent place for kids and adults alike. Aside from this famous attraction, you can also see the mountains from the city proper itself, and they are within driving distance. So, if you are looking for a quick getaway from the city, a drive just on the outskirts of town will already transport you to a serene and relaxing place.

3.) The city is a unique blend of urban and provincial life

Though much of Bacolod’s landscapes are still filled with lush greeneries (so much so that you can take a lot of Instagram-worthy photos), this is not to say that the city is not progressive regarding infrastructures and industries as well. Recently, there have been many developments in the city—real estate and economic alike. From this perspective, it would be readily seen that Bacolod would soon see a surge not only in their economy but job offers as well. With the rise of this new industries, an influx of job openings is to be expected.

In a sense, Bacolod City is what many would call and urbanized province. However, the term province is to no merit seeing as there are plenty of hi-rise condominiums and malls being erected. So, what makes living here so great? Despite being a progressive city, Bacolod has retained its quaint and natural charm. The food is always fresh and affordable, the traffic is almost non-existent, and the locals are always warm and welcoming. All these things when considered are just the things one would want to come home to.