I had a chance to understand more of the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Inc (SHDA) and of their past and present accomplishments. Their byline “One Voice nad One Organization Uniting all Housing Developers (Horizontal & Vertical) Nationwide” is very assuring. It is heartening to know that a group is working out ways to help out the real estate industry in the Philippines. Despite the slow down of economic growth globally, low-cost housing is still in demand which is up to the 3 million peso range. The market is made up mainly of our overseas filipino workers.

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

at the Press Launch: Nerissa Josef, Vice President for Project Development of Alveo Land and Antonio N. Aquino, Ayala Land President and Dan Abando, President of Alveo Land

Alveo Land launched today the first and only townhouse development in Pasig City, a breather from the high-rise and mid-rise condominium projects that mostly surround the city where I live. With the launch of boutique residential living in the country, Alveo Land through Ametta Place introduces its maiden townhouse development.

The boutique concept is a buzzword that used to belong exclusively to the hospitality and fashion industry. Synonymous for personalized service, taste, and style, the boutique concept is now being applied to real estate, with Alveo Land’s Ametta Place pioneering boutique residential living in the Philippines. Located in Pasig, Ametta Place transcends the monotonous real estate offerings given by traditional real estate, and completely redefines upscale living in the city.

Ametta Place is going to be the first and only upscale townhouse development in an area of high-rise and mid-rise condominiums. Each unit features warm contemporary architecture and a streamlined generous layout to make the most out of the space you have and to enhance day-to-day living. Its location also means that suburban serenity is fused together with the convenience of living right in the middle of the city. Most families wouldn’t like living so close to an urban area but the privacy of the residents is one of the main priorities of Ametta Place.

Only a few units will be built in order to create one of the least dense neighborhoods in the city. The remaining spaces will be dedicated to grassy areas and amenities that will encourage family time outdoors and community bonding. This kind of master-planning is the first in Pasig City.

But what makes Ametta Place truly unique as the first boutique residential community is that the quaint living spaces provide features and amenities that will cater to the needs and comfort of urban families. For instance, Ametta Place is designed to be flood-free due to its 1.5-meter engineered fill. Each townhouse unit will also have cross-ventilation and waste segregation systems, and the whole community will participate in recycling and waste management programs.

“While it’s chic and upscale, boutique living should also be functional, practical and long standing in day to day living,” explains Nerissa Josef, Vice President for Project Development of Alveo Land. “That’s why Alveo Land chose Pasig City as the location for Ametta Place because of its close proximity to business and commercial areas”.

(Dan Abando, President of Alveo Land, Nerissa Josef, Vice President for Project Development of Alveo Land and Antonio N. Aquino, Ayala Land President)

Prices and other specifications to follow in another entry.

For more information visit www.alveoland.com.ph, email info@alveosales.com.ph or call (632) 848-5100 (Metro Manila) and 1-800-10-8485100 (Outside Metro Manila).

On May 30 and 31, 2009, Ayala Land Inc and BPI Family Savings bank will be showcasing prime properties and low borrowing rates at the Glorietta 5 Mall, Makati. In this two-day affair, anyone who wants to acquire properties from Avida, Alveo, and Ayala Land Premiere can easily do so through the low lending rates of BPI Family Bank.

BPI Family Bank’s Build Your Dream housing loan has the lowest rates in the market. Applicants with a minimum of P40,000 gross monthly income can qualify for a housing loan, giving people from diverse demographics the chance to buy their own home.

BPI Family Savings Bank is a subsidiary of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, one of the Philippines’ top commercial banks. They offer a number of loan and savings products while Ayala Land is the country’s leading real estate developer, with eight decades of real estate experience.

Source

Ayala Land Premiere has been working on creating the first leisure community in the north, and now the beautiful Anvaya Cove in Morong, Bataan is now open for viewing. Boasting of 320 hectares of land area, Anvaya Cove also has a 3.5km coastline with two private coves, as well as rolling hills of narra trees, mango trees, and bamboo groves. Like the rest of Ayala Land’s planned communities, Anvaya Cove will have low-impact development to preserve the natural beauty of the land. This means that all homeowners will have breathtaking views of the ocean and a chance to ecologically interact with birds and wildlife.
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Not only will you get to enjoy nature at its finest; at Anvaya Cove, you will be treated like royalty. Membership at the exclusive Anvaya Cove Beach and Nature Club is a prerequisite to purchasing property. This exclusive club is one of its kind in the Philippines, for it redefines leisure in a setting where amenities are integrated into the natural landscape. Located at the center of the community, the Anvaya Cove Beach and Nature club offers multiple alternatives for pleasure, pampering, and recreation.

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.

Remember the old Magnolia Ice Cream House in New Manila, Quezon City? Many Filipinos have fond memories of summer days and Sunday afternoons spent cooling down in the ice cream parlor. The advent of malls made it lose business a decade later, but our happy memories of the place still remain. In a few years’ time, the old Magnolia Ice Cream House will be transformed into a magnificent structure where new memories can be formed. And yes, there will be an ice cream parlor for old time’s sake.

Robinson’s Land Corp will be building the three-tower Magnolia Residences at the prime location of New Manila. With easy access to the LRT II line and Manila’s best schools like St. Paul Pasig, Xavier School, Immaculate Conception Academy, and La Salle Greenhills, traveling to different areas of the metro will be a breeze.

When completed, the whole community development will be filled with all sorts of indoor and outdoor amenities and facilities, among which are a zen garden, a lap pool, a sun deck function area, a game room, a library, and barbeque pit.

Magnolia Residences floor plan. Click on the photo for a larger view.

Units available in the Magnolia Residences are one bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units.

The Magnolia Residences One Bedroom Unit

All units come with a utility room with toilet, granite countertops with overhead and underhead kitchen cabinets, bedroom closets, and provisions for individual electric and water meters, cable TV line, and electrical power.

The Magnolia Residences Two Bedroom Unit