While most people may be apprehensive of investing in real estate at a time of uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is a different case for young couple Carlos and Louise.
At the height of the health crisis last year, Carlos and Louise bought a 2-bedroom unit in Sonora Garden Residences, a three-building condominium development within the Robinsons Place Las Piñas complex in Alabang-Zapote Road, Las Piñas City. For Carlos and Louise who are into direct selling and property investing, the current situation presents an opportune time to invest in real estate because of advantageous promo offerings. “Usually, the best time to buy a property is when people are not buying or when they are letting go of their reservations because that is when, for example, corner units open up. Properties are offered at flexible terms and there are also a lot of promos that are offered to buyers at this time,” Carlos explained.
Superb location
Louise said she chanced upon the joint venture of DMCI Homes and Robinsons Land Corporation in a Facebook ad when she was looking for another condominium to invest in last year. “I found it nice so the next few days nag-schedule na kami with our sales agent for the viewing of the model unit. We liked it so much that since then hindi na kami makatulog,” Louise shared, chuckling. “We chose Sonora because it’s livable, ‘yung amenities panalo,” Louise said of the property’s variety of resort-inspired amenities that include among others a lap pool, kiddie pool, leisure pool, basketball court, children’s play area, pool deck, jogging path, and open lounge. As they learned more about the project, the more they fell in love with Sonora Garden Residences.
“We also prayed a lot about it. There’s this gut feel eh. Sounds so good like ‘wow ang ganda ganda’ so the more I did my research on the project. May ganung factor na kasama, may spiritual factor. So we pray about it,” Carlos beamed. Apart from Sonora’s impressive design and features, another of Carlos and Louise’s considerations is the property’s location, which is not only within a mall complex but is likewise near schools, medical facilities, leisure zones, food establishments, and public transportation.
While their primary intention for buying is for rental income, the young couple also did not dismiss the possibility of living in the unit since they just live nearby in BF Homes. “Why Sonora? A lot of things. Of course no. 1, it’s close to home. Another thing, pagbaba mo nasa Robinsons ka na so you have everything that you need,” Louise pointed out. “Hindi mo na kailangang mag-drive para pumunta sa mall, bababa ka na lang so panalo. It’s also close to everything like schools, hospitals, etc.,” she added.
“Our primary intention in buying is renting out because of the presence of a lot of potential renters like doctors and medical students,” Carlos said. “It’s also easy for me to attend to the needs of my renters because I live just five minutes away in BF,” he continued. Other than prospective rental income, Carlos likewise noted the big potential for appreciation of properties in Southern Metro Manila, which makes Sonora Garden Residences, even more, a good investment for the future.
“There are a lot of exciting developments in the south for example the entertainment industries in Parañaque, the BPOs that are opening in the Alabang area, as well as the thriving industrial parks in Cavite. So being in the south is exciting because of the big potential for appreciation of properties here,” Carlos said.
Convenient and safe homebuying
Another reason which enticed them to pursue their Sonora Garden Residences is the easy home buying process which was made even more convenient by digital tools such as virtual tours according to Louise. “Parang mas madali siya, everything’s been easy for us in terms of the journey of buying a property during the pandemic,” she said. “The virtual tours are a big help although we still wanted to walk around the model unit with our agent,” Carlos added.
All these things considered, Carlos and Louise concluded that investing in real estate is still one of the most reliable ways to grow wealth primarily through rental income and capital appreciation no matter the prevailing situation. “You will never go wrong with real estate kasi if you invest in other tangible things, may possibility na magdecrease yung value. Unlike in real estate, kahit gaano mo siya katagal iiwan, talagang mag-iincrease yung value niya,” Louise said.
Nonetheless, the couple advised homebuyers to be discerning when looking for a property to invest in.
“Talagang personal research, we spend time to look into it, to look into the location. ‘Yung area talagang pinag-aaralan namin. Before we invest in something we always weigh the pros and cons and the risks. And then talagang pinupuntahan namin isa isa. We did have other choices before, pero panalo talaga si Sonora Garden Residences,” Louise said, smiling.
Sonora Garden Residences is a joint venture of DMCI Homes and Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC). To learn more about the project, call DMCI Homes at (632) 5324-8888/0917-8808800 or reach RLC Residences through email at asksales@rlcresidences.com and mobile no. 0925-8000000.
