Residences Manila

Philippines Best-in-Class Condos and Condo Communities in Manila

Searching for the best-in-class of Manila’s best residences

Posted by architelago on August 10, 2009

Readers, we heard you!

People out there are looking for Manila’s best residences.  “Best” alludes to ‘close to perfect’ or ‘most suited to one’s needs’. 

But I believe that “best” really means “best-in-class”, do you agree?  When you search for properties, you have an internal checklist, with one home or neighborhood that’s top ranked for that one, qualifying feature that matters most to you.  That would then help you  clinche the decision to settle for that property.

So let’s start with a few questions, first  about the neighborhood.  The primary consideration is still  ‘location, location, location’.  This leads us to evaluating areas of consideration, such as the list in  finding the Perfect Neighborhood, a previous article in Residences Manila:

Are there parks nearby?
Is it scenic and visually appealing?
Are there quiet areas, streets, culs de sac?
Are the people friendly in the neighborhood?
Is the neighborhood clean?  Yards, streets, parks?
Are there nice trees and foliage?
Do the lots have large or small yards?
Are there walkways and are they easily accessible?
Is it a safe neighborhood?
What are the market values of the homes in the area?
Are there many houses for sale? How’s the vacancy rate in the condominium?

How ’s the property management and maintenance?
How long ago was the community developed?
What is the average age of the people in the area?
Are there families with small children in the area?
What is the proximity to schools?
Are there community events or organizations?

These are sample questions only. You may have more, so let us know by answering our poll above.  After we confirm the lead questions, we’ll do a dipstick research and come up with the residential gems that would fit our category. We’ll come up with our own list of top 5 choices. 

 But we won’t put them in any particular order–yet.  We’ll leave it to you readers to rank the best in class in our list!  So if you have some suggestions on best neighborhoods or best-in-class, email or post a comment.

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Best facilities on penthouse level at Fairways Tower

Posted by architelago on August 10, 2009

I’ve seen a lot of condominium facilities and amenities.   But I definitely love the luxurious and definitely very private residential ammenities available at Fairways Towers. It’s a nice gem to cap an otherwise conservative-looking, almost boring facade of the functional but well-located condominium. Having the facilities at the penthouse level gives it a luxurious mien by default.  The idea that no one else but invited guests and residents will get to use or see it unless they take the ride to the 30th+ floor makes it an ideal urban getway right after you come from a lightning-paced day at work, or coming home after living out of your suitcase for 4 weeks.

When you first step into Fairway Towers’ lobby, you’ll notice that it’s cool, bright, and quite compact. The ceiling is high, and you can immediately see the perimeter wall with the golf course peeping over it. You get an initial impression that there’s nothing remarkable about the building, except that fact that the lobby has a very quiet and empty vibe. I guess one can sense in the dynamic that there aren’t that many residents yet in the Fairways. But for someone like me, who has seen hundreds of condominiums in the line of broker’s duty, I was pleasantly surprised for the view of the facilities opening up into wide, inviting spaces while wind whips your hair. The comfy chairs and tables alongside the pool were filled with some teenagers, apparently international school kids on break, discussing anything and nothing under the pleasant sky.

The infinity pool is by no means olympic-sized, but it’s just right for residents who want to get away from the the cloister of their condo by springing into the pool, framed by the vast expanse of blue-and-white backdrop of clouds and sky. The gym on the penthouse level is well-equipped with treadmills, transport machines, and barbells good for a fair program of bodybuilding. The high-ceilinged ballroom and function rooms promise to hold capacity crowds of 150 or 200 people. You can just imagine in the evening that the top of the Fairways Towers glows from afar like a brilliant gem in the scepter. It definitely will hold its own beside the blue spaceship-like helipad of its neighbor, the Pacific Plaza Towers.

As I told my guest, it really feels like a ‘resort-in-the-sky’. The Fairways Towers units here are fairly priced, given its functional look, acceptable make and materials and location.  The units’ layouts are also wider despite the usual 36 or 52 sqm footprint for studio- and 1-br units respectively.  But getting units on the higher floors, one with a full view of the golf course, and topping it literally with the well-located facilities, you feel that you’re getting a more-than-fair deal at the Fairways. The condominium dues (it was 75 pesos/sqm. when I last asked) are also reasonable, compared to its more popular branded competitor.

As Fairways Towers sit at the left end of McKinley Road, just as you enter the Fort from Forbes Park area,  residents will not be bothered by the seemingly endless construction din going on in the rest of this burgeoning satellite city.  Just don’t expect Ayala-Land-style maintenance (which I think is the top-rated post-sale maintenance standard for the industry).  But considering the rest of the values, this is a condominium project to consider if you want consider ready-to-occupy units in the Fort, for a more modest budget.  What do you think?

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First Time Homebuyers Find Opportunity in Current Market

Posted by architelago on July 27, 2009

Looking for a one-stop-blog to help first time home buyers in the Philippines, I didn’t find any! 

Doing a bit of research, I found this site from Basta Pinoy  with an article by Charles Covalesky, a Title insurance lawyer based in Florida, with info on helping you get your first home.  Yes, it was written for the Florida residential buyer market, but a lot of the advice offered can be applied here.  There are a couple of points which the article cites, which are differently practiced here in the Philippines.  

One, in terms of financing, there is NO PHILIPPINE BANK that will give you an approved loan equal to the house’s selling price.  That means you must put in some equity, equal to at least 30% if the house is on re-sale.  The only time I’ve seen this exception is when some customers would agree to  an unscrupulous agent’s suggestion to pay off the appraiser.  What the appraiser does is to raise the value rating of the house, consequently leading to a higher approved loan value.  In many cases, it’s enough to cover the entire selling price.  But it doesn’t reflect the real asset base of the Philippines.  We in the Philippine Association of Realtors Boards (PAREB) discourage Realtors from bribing any official or network partner, as it sets a precedent of dishonesty and bad business advice.

Credit ratings for consumers are only visible to the Philippine banks, unlike in the States you can pay for the service for access to the information. Your bank officer will just tell you that you get a pass’ or ‘fail’ rating.   Our loan approval system also relies on specific neighborhood information from referred friends or associates,   in addition to a review of the objective details given by the borrower himself.  That’s where the Realtor’s role is important as he acs as mediator between the borrower and the bank if he offers bank loans as a mortgage broker. 

Lastly is that though there may be an economic recession round the world, in the Philippines most people I’ve talked to, sellers and buyers, say that it’s as if  the country is much less affected than its Western counterparts.  You may also attribute it to the smaller supply of good homes  in your area of choice, which keeps buyers on their toes to look for the best house with the best deal.  But my advice is to aim for a fair price or slightly lower than market price, and grab the good property if you find a house worth negotiating for.  Don’t wait for the seller/owner to bring the selling price way down.  Every seller, remember, thinks that his house is the best.  He can be less objective about the pricing compared to the next seller.   Good houses in any market sell quickly.

Posted in Articles, Finding a Home, Finding a Realtor, For Sale, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Houses, Makati, Makati-Legaspi Village, Makati-Salcedo Village | Leave a Comment »

Five Things a Realtor Won’t (Immediately) Tell You When Viewing Condos

Posted by architelago on July 24, 2009

Before viewing  other condos in your Realtor’s shortlist, do bear in mind the following to have a productive trip:

1)  Allocate at least 1.5 hours for viewing  properties.   It takes at least 20-30 minutes to inspect a condo.  When scheduling a viewing, request to see  a maximum of five, properly pre-qualifed condominiums during the first round.  Why not more?    By my experience, clients get more confused if they view so many units on the same day.  They won’t remember what they’ve seen, or worse, they’ll fail to appreciate the good qualities of the properties due to the information overload. 

2)  Before entering the condo, ask the owner or tenant if you need to take off your footwear.  There are some nationalities that mind your stepping into their abode in shoes or slippers.    Others don’t. Be culturally sensitive.

3)  Do not ask for the owner’s or tenants contact details.  Realtors won’t come out with this request at all!  But part of the ethics of viewing condos:  please don’t request for the contact details of the owner in case you get to meet him in the viewing.  And in case the owner voluntarily gives his card, accept it as part of courtesy–but surrender it to your broker immediately after the meeting.  As many units shown to your are not necessarily the broker’s exclusive listing, keep the trust by dissipating any thoughts that you will contact the owner directly without your broker’s knowledge.

4) Check if the condominium property can still accomodate digital and internet lines–and if they’ll have enough allocation for you if you apply.  Believe it or not, there are still some condominium projects in Makati and other areas that can no longer install a digital phone line nor DSL internet line. This is true of PLDT if you want to have broadband internet.

 If they’ve reached a cap on PLDT, check with the administrator’s office which service providers do they accept.  Not all condos can install Globe, Smart or Bayantel.  Unless you’re willing to use a cellular landline (there have been mixed reviews about using the latest Globe Duo due to dropped calls), check out this capability early before plunking down your hard-earned money in that condo.  It’s like  a thread that’s waiting to unravel your entire condominium investment.

5)  Check the electrical loading capacity of the unit.  There are some condominium projects, especially the newer ones, whose electrical loading or breakers are underrated. Do check it out especially if you can accomodate at least the  basic loads with no danger or need for re-wiring your unit.  I’ve had a client do this for his Forbeswood Heights unit.  Another client couldn’t even install an electrical range oven that’s more than 1000 watts due to this limitation.

Posted in Articles, Five Things a Realtor Won't Tell You, Makati, Makati-Salcedo Village | Leave a Comment »

Food and ambiance aplenty at Conti’s

Posted by architelago on July 23, 2009

It’s with some pride that I can say that I knew Conti’s Restaurant long before they became ultra-popular. Conti’s started out as Dates and Nuts Restaurant in BF Homes Paranaque way back in the early 80’s. I remember my parents taking us there for dinner after Mass.  It was such a treat. 

The diminutive restaurant was a venture-in-the wall of seven 4-seater tables, one cake freezer, and a lot of yummy, home-cooked goodies.  Though their signature baked item was the namesake  Dates and Nuts bar,the most popular item  was their to-die-for Peach Walnut Torte.  With heavenly baked-meringue base topped with an ethereal puffy crown of white cream, bejeweled with shiny peach slices and walnuts, it was truly a most coveted treat that we looked forward to after every meal.  I even recall Sharon Cuneta would bring a then 5-year old KC Concepcion there to take a bite out of the sweet yummies. 

I remember too the Conti sisters–Angie, Carol and a third sister whose name now escapes me–were passionate about their food as they were about ensuring that their catering services enhanced the memorable occasion.  Yes, they do catering, til this day.  My mom got them for my debut bash at home.  I recall that my guests raved about the great dishes–especially the lengua, the baked salmon, the roast beef, the pasta, and of course, the to-die-for dessert table.  And Angie and Carol, with their eternally gracious demeanor,  were there attentive to every detail. I recall too one time Angie explained to me that they try to teach this posture of service to their staff by example.  I believe they’ve succeeded to this day.  The Conti’s waiters are consistently  solicitous and gracious.

After the old logo and image morphed into the now familiar green-and-yellow symbol that is Conti’s, the addition of a food take out service counter in the last 5 years really set off a boom in the business. It’s only in Conti’s outlets wherever I visit–whether in the old BF Homes outlet, Serendra, or Trinoma–that I see queues of people waiting for their turn to grab a box of desserts, order for food for a quick party, or select yummy savory and sweet pies for the daily baon of the kids. Christmas time at Conti’s is like lining up for enrollment in UP or Ateneo.  The now  familiar lines of customers wait for what seems like hours under white tents set up outside the restaurant to place their orders, or claim their pre-ordered dishes.  They’ve also recently opened an outlet in exciting Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna.  Good that the genteel Southerners will not have to treck all the way to BF or Fort for their heavenly food. 

The draw of Conti’s is on the whole because of their food, but in part because of the resto’s ambiance.  It’s bright, tastefully done, and comfy.  It’s a family restaurant with leather-feel seats, warm white lighting, zen-style common toilets, always-fresh news dailies, fresh flowers on the table, a never-empty glass of water, and of course freshly cooked, piping hot food on trays constantly floating over to a customer’s table.  Food is artfully arranged (though I wish the food portions were a tad bigger like before!).  Definitely a couple of notches higher than a fast food burger or chicken restaurant’s functional interiors. 

Conti’s managed to  evolved into a bakeshop-restaurant whose owners have gotten the food pulse of the upscale, urban Pinoy’s quickening lifestyle.   Food has to be served hot, fast and nutritious.  So when you select dishes from their take-out counter freezers, you’ll see that frozen foods that are simply blast frozen versions of their good ‘ole  menu items.  They also added pates (artichoke dips and chicken liver pate are my FAVORITE) that go well with the crisp, dry bruschetta. Tasty dips, salad dressings, and spreads add savoury counterpoint to the beautifully made sweets: cakes such as Mango Bravo, Strawberry Shortcake, Sans Rival, Mango Creme Cake and the classic Peach Walnut Torte; handy treats such as cheese turnovers, the classic Date bars, lemon squares, brownies, lenguas de gato.  You’ll see party favourites in their brochure, in various permutations of menus:  laing, siomai, roastbeef, rellenong bangus, russian potato salad, lasagna for baking –the list is endless.   As long as the line of people that wait for their turn of a slice of goodness.

So whether you’re throwing an intimate family reunion, just too lazy to cook, or need to bring a gift of goodness to a friend, Conti’s has plenty to offer for food for the stomach, as well as kindness for the soul.

(Note:  This writer wrote the above article review independent of Conti’s invitation.  We do this as a service to our blog readers who are interested to know of good places around the communities that Residences Manila hangs around in).

Posted in Alabang, Fave Hangouts, Makati | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »