Top Considerations in Buying a Condo

[marygracedatuin]

Personally, these are my top considerations in buying a condominium:

1. Proximity
It is ideal to consider the condo’s proximity to the major business hubs in the city. Well, most condos are already centrally located, giving their dwellers an easy access to restaurants, convenience stores and theaters.

2. Quality
To ensure quality, it is recommended to hire a home inspector. This individual will take care of the whole inspection of the condo, including its HVC and plumbing system.

What are your top considerations in buying a condo?

[cathreyes]

Likewise marygracedatuin.

I am residing with my family here in Cypress Towers, Taguig City, a development by DMCI Homes. And I am pleased that all my expectations are exceeded. Here are some of the top considerations I made in purchasing my condominium unit:

1. Floor location. Since I want to live in the metro, units on the higher floors are more desirable because you get to see breathtaking views of the waterfront or the city skyline. It also seems like therapeutic in a way, because you can achieve serenity in your space just by looking at it.

2. Amenities. I want a condo that boasts of a lot of amenities. Because in this way, you can say that your money is comparatively rewarded. Plus, you can enjoy while at the same time, meeting people in these common rooms.

3. Maintenance. A condo should be appealing. Since I always stroll around the neighborhood, I would like to be able to see communal grounds that are nicely landscaped and well-kept. Also, equipment in the workout room should be in good condition.

4. Architecture: Older condos will feature straight-walled, four-sided rooms, possible plant shelves and standard ceilings. Newer condos will showcase angled walls, decorative wall cut-outs and cathedral/vaulted ceilings. It is up to you whether you want a more traditional or more modern looking home.

[jiggsss]

When I purchased a condo unit at Ohana Place, Alabang. I remember making a list. And that list saved me from finding a good property, and narrowing down the process.

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a) Budget. It is important to consider how much you can afford to spend in buying a property. Choose the best payment scheme that will suit your financial status. Remember that you will have to make a down payment for the unit so factor in the cost you can afford. Also, consider in your budget the additional fees on top of the selling price of the property like the other charges covering real property taxes, transfer tax, insurance, documentary stamps etc.

b) Location. For many first time property buyers, location maybe, is the most important consideration. Proximity to workplace, shopping centers, schools, hospitals, and other commercial establishments are some vital points that are taken into account. Access to major transport means is also important for commuters.

c) Size Requirement. Lot size, room number, and parking slots should also be included in your list. This is important especially when you’re looking for a home that will suit the need of your family; parents, siblings, and children.

[johnrick]

[johnrick]

Para sa akin, ang mga mahahalagang bagay na dapat isaalang- alang sa pagbili ng tirahan (house and lot/condo) ay:

1. Lokasyon. Mainam na ang lokasyon ng iyong tirahan ay nasa ligtas at tahimik na komunidad. Makakatulong din kung malapit ito sa syudad, dahil sa ganitong paraan, mas malaki ang halaga nito kung sakali mang ibebenta mo ito sa hinaharap. Isa pa, mas madali ang access sa mga komersyal na gusali, mga pamilihan, paaralan, at ospital.

2. Kalidad. Mas makakasiguro tayo kapag ang developer ng lupang ari natin ay mapagkakatiwalaan at tunay nang nakagawa ng pangalan sa industriya, gaya na lamang ng DMCI Homes. Malaking pangalan at marami nang naipatayong developments na pasado sa ating mga kababayan. (Naigganyo rin akong bumili at nagpareserve na ako sa Zinnia Towers sa halagang 20k.)

[marygracedatuin]

Tama ka John Rick! Pinaka-unang hakbang sa pagpili ng kalidad na condominium ay yaong marahang pagpili ng tamang residential developer. Kung ang residential developer ay mapagkakatiwalaan, makatitiyak tayo na ang mga proyekto nila ay mapagkatitiwalaan din. Sabi nga nila, walang magandang puno ang magbibigay na pangit na bunga. Sa The Amaryllis naman ako nakatira, DMCI Homes din ang developer.

[johnrick]

1) floor level- the higher the better (less noise from street, less people traffic)

2) security

3) location which means higher price in future and higher chance of reselling at higher price

4) proximity to grocery mall etc...

Hi dagatt121.

You're right about everything. Isa sa nagustuhan kong sagot mo ay ang floor level. Nakakaligtaan ng maraming buyers ang pagsasalang- alang sa bagay na ito. Pero depende na rin kung pre- sold o hindi ang condo dahil talagang maapektuhan 'nun ang posisyon ng titirahan mo.

Para sa may mga edad na, mas ginugusto nilang manatili sa lower levels dahil mas madali ang paglabas pasok sa gusali. Isa pa, hindi na sila magpapakapagod kung may mangyaring aberya sa mga elevators. Samantala, ang mga nasa edad 20 pataas, sakop ang mga first start families at mga may trabaho, ay mas pinipiling tumira sa itaas na bahagi, dahil ligtas sa ingay ng syudad, mas mainam para sa relaxation.

Kung ako, pipiliin ko rin ang unit na nasa 16 pataas. Buti na lang at nakapagpa- reserve na ako sa Rhapsody Residences, isang pre- sold condo sa may East Service Road, malapit sa Sucat Interchange, Muntinlupa, kaya wala akong problema na ipaalam ang aking kagustuhan. Yehey.

[annem]

Para sa akin, ang mga mahahalagang bagay na dapat isaalang- alang sa pagbili ng tirahan (house and lot/condo) ay:

1. Lokasyon. Mainam na ang lokasyon ng iyong tirahan ay nasa ligtas at tahimik na komunidad. Makakatulong din kung malapit ito sa syudad, dahil sa ganitong paraan, mas malaki ang halaga nito kung sakali mang ibebenta mo ito sa hinaharap. Isa pa, mas madali ang access sa mga komersyal na gusali, mga pamilihan, paaralan, at ospital.

2. Kalidad. Mas makakasiguro tayo kapag ang developer ng lupang ari natin ay mapagkakatiwalaan at tunay nang nakagawa ng pangalan sa industriya, gaya na lamang ng DMCI Homes. Malaking pangalan at marami nang naipatayong developments na pasado sa ating mga kababayan. (Naigganyo rin akong bumili at nagpareserve na ako sa Zinnia Towers sa halagang 20k.)

Zinnia Towers? Uy, we belong in the same condo community. Nagpa- reserve ako diyan 2 weeks ago. Ang dali ng transaction, hindi masakit sa ulo. Plus, they gave me a tour sa development ng project. I was also informed about the building and unit structures/ design/plans. Mas na- excite ako lalo. Malapit lang kasi ang work ko sa Quezon City kaya when my co- office told me about this, 'di na ako nagdalawang isip pa. Kilala ko rin naman na ang DMCI Homes e. Ang maganda pa sa Zinnia, may Lumiventt Design Technology ito. Mas natural kasi para sa'kin ang dating kung nakakapasok ang atmosphere sa labas. May sense of harmony and balance.

[tigz]

hi?.... tanong ko *** po..mkakaafford bko ng condo if my salary ranges only 35k to 40k a month?dami b hidden charges jan?

[Jakiro]

hi?.... tanong ko *** po..mkakaafford bko ng condo if my salary ranges only 35k to 40k a month?dami b hidden charges jan?

tingin ko depende sa way of living mo at sa mga current expenses mo...ako kasi less than 35k pa ang salary ko pero nakabili na ako ng pre-selling na condo near tiendesitas sa may pasig..though for now *** down payment pa lang ang binabayaran ko which i got on a 0% installment good for 4 years..so far nakakaya ko pa nmn..know your priorities and it will surely take lots of sacrifice...

i dont know if narinig mo na *** KASARA..Empire East ang developer nya..

[mesiahlarry]

hi?.... tanong ko *** po..mkakaafford bko ng condo if my salary ranges only 35k to 40k a month?dami b hidden charges jan?

^^
With that range of salary you may be interested to avail such condo for rent, or the option of rent to own. Just be careful in selecting the place where you wanted to invest.

[cathreyes]

Yes, you can. Downpayment only takes PHP20k sa mga units ng DMCI Homes condos. At mas makatitipid ka kung sa pre- selling ka mag- iinvest kasi maraming benefits iyon. Pinakamalaki roon ay ang pagsunod nito sa bagong VAT threshold. Visit DMCI Homes official site para malaman mo kung anong condo development ang magugustuhan mo. Pero I would like to recommend you this three: Zinnia Towers, Rhapsody Residences at The Amaryllis.

You've provided good developments there Queenmaiden. I want to know, though, kung papaano magpa- reserve sa mga units ng DMCI Homes? I'm interested kasi sa The Amaryllis. Malapit lang ang work ko sa location nito, so it would help me a lot cut down all the travel hours and stresses as well.

[tigz]

.tnx sa reply....when po turn over nung binili nio and mgkano monthly?.... *** nmn kc ako ngagastos kc nagseabased po ako since last yir.. kaya nmn *****..natatakot *** ako sa mga sabi ng iba na mdami daw hidden charges mga condo...plan ko rin sana i pa rent un habang wala ako..would that be possible po b?..may prospect po ako.alin po b mas ok? *** La verti or yung SMDC sa tabi ng La Salle? target market ko po is mga students na magrerent pag nakabili ako.

[tigz]

Well, it actually depends to what type of condo you will be buying - whether RFO or pre- selling. I would advise to go for the second you will benefit a lot. But if you want to move in as soon as you can, then, here are some of the things you need to consider first:

1. Floor Location. Higher floors are desirable because you get to experience the breathtaking views of the waterfront or the city skyline.
2. Amenities. The many-er, the better.
3. Maintenance of the grounds and facilities. A clean environment goes a long way. It sustain that healthy lifestyle.
4. Security. The more secured you are, the more calm your state of mind is.

I hope this helps.

tnx sir jake...mgkano po b sample DP if RFO for example?..

[tigz]

^^
With that range of salary you may be interested to avail such condo for rent, or the option of rent to own. Just be careful in selecting the place where you wanted to invest.

tingin ko po d advisable condo for rent kc lagi rin po ako wala...seabased po kc work ko and plan ko pag nka avail ako ng condo, paparent ko rin...posible po b un kasi i dont have idea how things runs here.....tnx sa reply

[carlamontoya]

tingin ko po d advisable condo for rent kc lagi rin po ako wala...seabased po kc work ko and plan ko pag nka avail ako ng condo, paparent ko rin...posible po b un kasi i dont have idea how things runs here.....tnx sa reply

It is possible tigz. But remember, leasing your condominium unit is not an easy talk. There are considerations that you have to make in order for you to smoothly transition from a vacant unit owner to being a landlord. If you think about it, most of us never intended to be a landlord. We purchased our first unit, simply outgrow it, move on to bigger and better space, and then have to plan on how to manage the newly designated “rental” unit that we now own. Renting your condo comes with potential legal liabilities. Here's what you need to do:
1. Know your market.
2. Run it like a business.
3.Understand the tax picture.
4. Know your local rent laws.
5. Make a file-get To know your paperwork.
6. Call your insurance agent.
7. Follow fair housing laws.
8. Hire a good lawyer.
f you have made it this far, you are obviously serious about renting your place. I hope this post will assist you in the process and make it easier on you when you decide to make the leap into being a landlord.

[carlamontoya]

.tnx sa reply....when po turn over nung binili nio and mgkano monthly?.... *** nmn kc ako ngagastos kc nagseabased po ako since last yir.. kaya nmn *****..natatakot *** ako sa mga sabi ng iba na mdami daw hidden charges mga condo...plan ko rin sana i pa rent un habang wala ako..would that be possible po b?..may prospect po ako.alin po b mas ok? *** La verti or yung SMDC sa tabi ng La Salle? target market ko po is mga students na magrerent pag nakabili ako.

You can always consult sa main and official website ng DMCI Homes, http://www.dmcihomes.com regarding your concerns. Since these are pre- sold condominium units, price change may vary. But you don't have to worry. Down payment is still at the same rate, as well as the regulation of the new VAT threshold, kaya sigurado naman na sulit. If you want to know how to reserve in one of the mentioned developments' units, then, feel free to respond to this post.

[mesiahlarry]

Here's is my top considerations in buying a condo:

1. Location of the condo unit within the building. A condo unit with nice location in the building just like having better skyline views makes it perfect as condo for rent!

2. Amenities. Having a checklist of amenities and checking them if they are present in your chosen community.

3. H.O.A Fees.

4. Rules and Regulations.

[cathreyes]

tnx sir jake...mgkano po b sample DP if RFO for example?..

I believe that there will be certain price changes as the development finishes, so if I were you, the earlier you reserve, the more money you will be saving. Plus, you get to choose your desired unit location. Just like at DMCI Homes, they allow their clients to do that, as long as they have reserved a unit. The down payment's PHP20K at all DMCI Homes condo units. If you have more concerns, you can visit their website at http://www.dmcihomes.com

[prize]

How about the life of the building? For example a 50-70 yrs(life of building), what happens next for the owners of these condo units? Are there any arrangement that will still protect the rights of the owner of these units if ever the developer will want to renovate or demolished the building?