Good thing I found out about HSBC latest home loan promo. Right now, the interest rate of my home loan is 9.5%. HSBC is offering 6.99% for 1 year period and 7.99% if you get a lock in period of 2 to 3 years.

For those of you who plan to buy a new home, this is a good rate. I remember the first home loan I got in year 2000 was from BPI Family bank. Interest rate was then 14% then it slowly decreased through the years. Buying your first home or upgrading your current dwellings is an exciting and daring venture for most. After all, buying or building a new home is a process that needs a lot of planning, patience, and most of all, money. But don’t let your financial limitations get in the way of your dream home – especially now that HSBC is offering an all-time low interest rate on their home loans.

If you apply for a home loan from HSBC between July 5 to September 30, 2010, you get to enjoy the following interest rates for 1-year, 2-year-, 3-year, or 5-year loans.

1 year: 6.99%
2 years: 7.99%
3 years: 7.99%
5 years: 8.99%

Aside from these amazing interest rates, HSBC will also waive the standard fees for the following:

Processing fee
Title verification service fee
Appraisal fee
Mortage Redemption Insurance premium *
Fire insurance premium *
Mortgage Registration Fee
Documentary stamp tax
Registry of deeds cancellation fees

* These fees will be waived for the first year only

Ask HSBC how they can help you attain the home of your dreams and achieve big savings in the process! Call (02) 85-800 or 976-8000 (Metro Manila), 1-800-1-888-8555 (provincial), or
+632-8580000 (abroad).

We all reach a point in our lives where we dream about owning our own homes. The dream may start as soon as you get engaged, or it could begin as early as your college graduation. However, finding the right condominium unit or starter home is a daunting task, and looking for ways to finance it is even more challenging. Fortunately, HSBC offers future home owners a way to actualize their dream with their HSBC Advance Home Loan. The HSBC Advance Home Loan not only provides the lowest interest rate ever at just 6.99%; it also waives the home loan fees and charges slapped on by other banks. This means that with an HSBC Home Loan, you can save as much as P33,846 for every P1,000,000 home loan.

Besides these amazing savings, HSBC is offering an exciting new promo as well. If you apply for your home loan now, you’ll get a discount of up to 1.25% on your interest rate for the first three years of the loan, and a 32-inch LCD TV for free! For this to happen, you have to avail of at least a a Php2 million Home Loan and get Mortgage Redemption Insurance (MRI) through HSBC Insurance Brokers, Inc. Completed applications must be received before August 31, 2010, and the home loan must be drawn within three (3) months from final approval.

So once you obtain your home loan from HSBC, not only will you be able to obtain your dream home – you’ll be able to kick-start the future you want for yourself. Whether it’s a small studio, a simple house for a young couple, or an upgrade to your current home, you won’t have a trouble realizing your dream. To make this happen, visit www.hsbc.com.ph or call 85-000 for more information.

Happy Chinese new year! According to feng shui experts, the Year of the Metal Tiger is a good year for the real estate industry. The earth will be the governing force of 2010, and real estate’s close association with the ground makes it off to a good start this year.

Non-feng shui experts also have favorable business forecasts for the year 2010. The Philippine real estate industry was fairly resilient in the face of the global financial crisis, and a number of developers boosted their budgets and launched a number of developments this year – many of them high end. For instance, Metrobank Group of Companies’ property arm will be constructing projects such as the third and fourth sector of the Marquinton Garden Terraces in Marikina, three more high-rise buildings in Binondo, Makati, and Fort Bonifacio. Eton Properties will be launching four to five new projects this year, including the Centris condominium, 8 Adriatico, and Eton Tower City. Finally, Robinsons’ Land Corp has the Signa Designer Residences in its lineup as well as affordable units at Gateway Regency.

Over the next four years, over 5,000 residential condo units will be completed in the Makati Central Business District. Outside this, around 20,000 condominium units will be available for selling and occupancy. With so many options and so many affordable payment schemes available, now is definitely a good time to invest in your own condominium!

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The passage of the Philippines REIT Act of 2009 sees the accelerated growth of the property section as more investors come to the country for new opportunities. There are also a number of income generating assets that can be converted into real estate investment trusts, such as residential condominiums, office buildings, apartments, and tourism related facilities. As far as new business districts are concerned, CBRE Philippines vice chairman Joey Radovan says that BPO (business process outsourcing) companies are looking for cheaper office spaces. Cebu might be the next big thing in terms of the development of business districts, with major developments starting in Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City. Ayala Land will also be developing a new IT park in Cebu City, in addition to the existing Asiatown IT Park and Cebu Business Park districts.

If your home was damaged by this year’s super-storms, you probably want to rebuild and make your house liveable once more. But you don’t have enough funds, so you approach Pag-Ibig and ask for their help. After all, they are the biggest calamity loan provider in the country. 600,000 Filipinos have turned to Pag-Ibig Fund to request for calamity loans and the good news is that most of their applications were approved. P9.3 billion has released by the home financing institution to date, and they anticipate disbursements to reach P10 billion by end of December 2009. So if you’re a card-carrying member of Pag-Ibig Fund, it’s very likely that you’ll get your calamity loan approved unless:

1) You have given less than 24 monthly contributions. This is the minimum number required for borrowers to qualify for a loan.

2) You have not been remitting your Pag-Ibig contributions and have become an inactive Home Development Mutual Fund Member. In order to qualify for a calamity loan, you should have made at least five monthly contributions in the last six months. If your loan gets approved, you and your employer need to keep remitting contributions throughout the duration of the loan term.

3) Your monthly net pay is lower than P3,000

If you do get your calamity loan approved, remember than the maximum term of loan repayment is 24 months.

Good luck!

Aside from making sure that your home insurance covers the Acts of God clause, Typhoon Ondoy has one more important implication for Philippine real estate: from today onwards, new homebuyers will only consider elevated properties. People will now be more conscious about the safety features of the properties they plan to invest in, not so much safety from robbers and pollution, but from natural calamities.

Floods from previous typhoons usually affect marginalized sectors of the city and other areas located near rivers and creeks. In the news, we’ve seen how riverside neighborhoods in Pasig, Marikina, and Cainta were most heavily damaged by the flood. However, not all of these neighborhoods were poor; in fact, many middle-class villages like Providence were among the most badly hit by the flood. Even upper class neighborhoods in Metro Manila like Corinthian Gardens, Loyola Grand Villas, and North and South Forbes Park took their own hit from the flood. In other words, the city’s inferior drainage system, lack of urban planning, and increasing amounts of non-biodegradable wastes now make formerly flood-proof areas susceptible to flood damage.

Those who are looking to buy properties should make sure their new home is located on hills and elevated roads, or neighborhoods far from rivers and creeks. Although living in a condominium will generally keep your home and personal belongings safe from the flood, a condominium located in a flood-prone area will eventually accumulate structural damage and weaken over time. Make sure you verify that a property is flood-free before you buy or rent them, so that you don’t have to worry about losing your belongings or the lives of your loved ones.

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Tagaytay Highlands Country Club is the perfect weekend getaway for those who desperately need a break from the urban jungle of Metro Manila. Only an hour or two away from the City, Tagaytay Highlands is a mountainous paradise located in the middle of lush green forests. It’s got all the comforts of home, the luxuries of a five-star hotel, and world-class recreational amenities. There’s something to do for everyone. Those who’ve had a long week at work can spend an entire day unwinding at the spa. If you have a more active lifestyle, the three-level Sports Arena is your place – it’s got an Olympic-sized lap pool, a gym, basketball courts, badminton courts, squash courts, a skating rink, go-kart racing, and more. As for the nature lovers, simply taking a stroll around the country club grounds and enjoying the view is enough to provide hours of amusement. You can also visit the Animal Farm, a small petting zoo, watch a movie at the Highlands cinema, or take a dip in the large outdoor pools.

The Country Club facilities are directed towards non-golfers and their families. Over 300 hectares is dedicated to provide an assortment of recreation and leisure activities. It is the only one of its kind with 30 food and beverage outlets, campsites, amphitheater, fishing pier and animal farm. The Sports Center and the Gardens boast of numerous indoor and outdoor sports facilities certain to cater to each member of the family.

Currently, we are selling a Tagaytay Highlands Membership (Country Club) . You can view Photo Album when my family used the Country Club facilities.

Contact us for more details on the pricing.

Check out the facilities and you will surely enjoy them!

Facilities of Tagaytay Highlands

Recreational Facilities:
The Spa
Locker Rooms with Spa and Massage rooms
The Library
Swimming Pools
Children’s swimming pools
Fishing Pier
Children’s playground
Mini-Golf Course

Conference Facilities:
The Business Center
All-suite accommodation
The Boardroom
The Library
Highlands Cinema & auditorium

Other facilities:
Skating Rink
Highlands hiking trail The Gardens
Video Arcade Highlands Chapel
Billiard Hall The Animal Farm
Kidsports play center The Pet Shop
Children’s recreation and Learning Center Highlands Amphitheater

Horseback riding ring Helipads
Pony trail Cable cars
Kid’s biking course Funicular
Go-Cart racing track Pro shop
Camp Highlands & Cottage Grove Beauty salon
Highlands Cinema 24-hour medical clinic
Vegetable store
The Deli & souvenir shop

Sports Facilities:

18-hole golf course at Tagaytay Highlands
18-hole golf course at Tagaytay Midlands
Golf driving range
Tennis courts
Indoor lap pool
Table tennis
Basketball / Volleyball Courts
Squash courts
Badminton courts
Bowling Center
Aerobics and Fitness Center

Food and Beverage Outlets:

Outlets:

The Golfers Lounge at the Highlands Golf Clubhouse – Asian / Continental specialties
The Golfers Lounge at the Midlands Golf Clubhouse – International Cuisine
The Midlands Veranda – Asian specialties with fresh seafood as special feature
The Country Club Veranda – Filipino specialties with Regional Filipino buffet on weekends
The Sports Center Veranda – Food for the health conscious

Something Special:

Highlander Steakhouse – Enjoy succulent prime cut steaks amidst a log cabin atmosphere
Marbella – Spanish cuisine
Salzburg – Swiss-Austrian cuisine
Bali – Indonesian cuisine
Ginza – Japanese noodle house
Chosun – Korean cuisine
La Belle Brasserie – French fine dining restaurant & piano bar
Toscana – Italian pizza and pasta place
Willie O’s – Authentic Irish pub
Chiang Mai – Thai cuisine
Akasaka – Essential for any sushi, sashimi, or tempura lover
Café de Paris – French café
Gengis Khan – Mongolian Barbecue
Trellis Grill – Poolside cookout with grilled specialties
The Highlands China Palace – Two-level Chinese restaurant featuring:
Summer Garden : Cantonese buffet & dimsum
Winter Garden : Authentic Cantonese specialties

Something Different:

The Highlands Peak – videoke bar situated at the highest point of Tagaytay Highlands
Tabacalera Cigar Divan – For cigar aficionados
Xanadu – Ballroom dance club with private karaoke rooms
The Wine Cellar – For private gourmet dining
Zsa Zsa’s – family karaoke bar
Nick’s Safari Disco – the perfect place for drinks and disco dancing
Geraldine’s Soda Fountain and Diner – Ice cream parlour with the 60’s atmosphere

Convenience Meals / Snack Bars:

Poolside bar – specialty sandwiches and thirst quenchers
Lagoon Snack Bar – floating snack bar in the midst of the Fishing Pier
Bibingkahan –Traditional Filipino delicacies
Greg’s Grill – barbecued goodies, snacks & thirst quenchers at the Camp Highlands

Once you are a member at the Tagaytay Midlands or the Country Club at Tagaytay Highlands, you will now have the privilege in investing at the various residential developments at The Highlands.

It’s good to know that our real estate developers care about our environment and place a lot of importance on sustainability and wildlife preservation. Ayala Land Premiere’s latest development, the high-end beach and country club
Anvaya Cove, has been recognized by New York-based Hospitality Design Magazine as one of the most sustainable real estate projects in the world. The coveted HD Awards program receives over 300 entries from luxury hotels, resorts, and spas, and Anvaya Cove, with its Asian tropical architecture, was chosen as a finalist in the Green/Sustainable project category.

According to the resort’s senior architect Manny Illana, the planning of Anvaya Cove was centered around sustainable environmental principles, with protecting the physical environment of the site as top priority. Roadways were designed to avoid mature trees, lighting fixtures were chosen so that the wildlife doesn’t get disoriented, and amenities were created so its guests and residents can enjoy the natural beauty of the place while promoting conservation. The resort was built in a forested foothill filled with mango and narra trees, but the developers left the natural groves of trees untouched, even though it could have brought them more lease opportunities. In fact, Ayala built a 10,000 sqm Mango Grove Park in order to protect the tall, 50-year old mango trees. They also took efforts to preserve an area where eagle owls and sea turtles nest, and an elevated pond in a secluded cove has been declared a sanctuary of local mallard ducks.

Lots are selling for as low as P3.8M, and townhouse type units are selling for P16M. For more information, contact Antonio P Reyes at (0918) 333-35-75, (0916) 675-36-89, or through his US phone number via VoiP at (317) 493-5744.

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Participating in the Philippine Real Estate Festival are the country’s leading developers like Ayala Land, Robinsons Land Corp, SM Development Corp, Sta. Lucia, Highlands Prime, Filinvest, Fil-Estate, DMCI, Syntech Properties, Megaworld, Nuvo Land, Shang Properties, and Vista Land. Besides seeing what these developers have to offer, there are also two panel discussions on the theme “Property tourism: Why should smart global investors take a look at the Philippines.” Moderating the panel discussions are former National economic and Development Authority director Cielito Habito and Biznews Asia editor-in-cheif Antonio Lopez. Besides learning from the experts, the panel discussions are also a great way to network with big names from the business and finance, like Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Edgardo Lacson, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Alfonso Uy, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Philippines President Ram Sitaldas, and United States Ambassador Kristie Kenney.

The Philippine Real Estate Festival 2009 kicks off at 10:30 am on June 23 with opening remarks from the chairman Ms Rosemarie Basa, and a speech from guest of honor President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. For more information, check out the website of the Philippine Real Estate Festival at http://www.prefestival.com.

One of its noble mission is to produce 400,000 affordable and decent housing units annually which most of our countrymen need. Aside from this, I also believe that a good mortgage package needs to be in place.

SHDA played the lead role in advicing Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chair Noli de Castro to reduce interest rates on housing loans in 2006, the extension of repayment terms to a maximum of 30 years; and an increase in the loan-to-value ratio of the housing unit used as a collateral. There are also proposed bills which are being monitored such as Senate Bill Nos. 37/422 “An Act Establish a Socialized and Low-Cost Housing Loan Restructuring Program” which has been enacted into a law last month. There are other pending bills and it is reassuring to know that soon, some of our countrymen will be able to afford to purchase their own homes.

For more information on SHDA, contact them at +632-893-4328 or SHDA.secretariat@yahoo.com