Buying Real Estate On line? Here are the Do’s and Don’t’s

Knowing the do’s and don’t’s of buying real estate properties on line is important as it will help us be wise in choosing a property suitable to our needs.

Do’s:

At the same time as buying estate investment real estate online, it is significant to seek advice from a local real estate professional. This will give you help in finding and evaluating an investment property before you can buy it. This way you will get another opinion besides yourself because research alone may not help at all times, you need another say about this. Your family might help you also.

The location that the property is located in always has great impacts with the value of any piece of real estate. Doing research about current position of the property is a must. Whether the real estate property selected is reasonably priced for you or not must be looked into realistically before making the decision, which involves some more research online. Budget every cost that might be involved in the procedure.

Having an attainable exit plan even before buying is very essential while buying real estate property investment. It is a big investment choice and except if you have a ‘plan B’, it could be extremely uncertain. Particularly with the present economic condition, when the real estate business is vulnerable to rapid changes, this step is a must.

Make inquiries online and consulting professionals will help you avoid this mistake so you will not overpay for the property. Mismanaged properties that require some fixing up work can be profitable as well so you need to double check each real estate property many times.

Don’ts:

Do not ignore or disobey any rules and regulations. There are severe laws in the real estate field and non-compliance could result in hefty fines. Do not overpay for the property and make sure you double-check each prospect many times. Do not take on more than you can handle.

The Courtyards Construction Updates

The Courtyards: As of November 27, 2009
CY Birds eyeview of Guardhouse

Cabin A "Alabama"

Buying your own Condo in Baguio? Here are Things to consider

Buying a condominium, especially in Baguio city, should not be done on impulse. While the unit cost and payment schemes have to be taken serious considerations, there are other things to look out for. Here are some points:

-Location. You can get from point A to B in Baguio by walking. At least that’s what the locals will tell you. While that is true, one might find it inconvenient if one is not accustomed to tread hilly terrains and roads. Thankfully The Courtyards is in a location along jeepney line. The property also prides itself for being able to withstand landslides during typhoon Pepeng’s wrath due to its sturdy foundations. It is a relaxing and safe neighbourhood where one can really enjoy being one with the environment.

-Basic Amenities. A condo should have basic, safety amenities. This should include a 24-hour security, an open space area, a wide parking space. The Courtyards has all these plus a Dap-Ay area, a fishing area, a beaver damn, strawberry and vegetable patch, and fitness gym.

-Exclusivity. Most homeowners agree that a low density condo building is better as it gives them sense of serenity. The Courtyards’ first phase, The Cabins, offers 4 units in a floor, which will be an advantage to other homeowners because it would mean more peaceful environment for them.

-The Developer’s Reputation. The Courtyards is developed by Goshen Land Capital Incorporated, a home-grown real estate that dedicates itself to restoring the old Baguio charm. Goshen allots a portion of its projects for pine tree reserve.

Baguio city’s cool climate, serene landscapes and historical landmarks market itself as the country’s summer capital. Wake up to cool mornings in Baguio at The Courtyards.

Nature, Culture put RP on National Geographic ‘must’ list

By Kristine L. AlavePhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 11/15/2009

MANILA, Philippines--After National Geographic magazine included the Philippines in its list of “25 Best New Travel Destinations in the World in 2010,” it appeared the country had finally overcome the “bad PR” that had caused tourists to shun it and head for its perhaps less dazzling neighbors.

Travel executives began putting out the word the country is one of the most exciting and undiscovered places that tourists should begin exploring now.
The list, published in National Geographic’s November 2009 Adventure issue, is directed at “travelers who want their money to do more—for others, for the planet and for themselves.”
It cited the Philippines’ ancient cultures, structures and biodiversity as key reasons for visiting the country.

Tourism Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque Jr. said the Department of Tourism was thrilled that the Philippines was getting the attention of travelers.
“We’re very pleased. It’s also very nice to be part of a list that people want to see,” he said. He noted that it was the first time that the country was included in a list of must-see destinations by National Geographic.

Bad rap
The magazine said the Philippines had largely been ignored because of “bad PR.”
“While it harbors as many islands as the Caribbean and some of the most spectacular reefs on the planet, the nation sees only a fraction of the visitors of nearby Thailand,” the magazine said.
“Even travel companies, it seems, have bought the bad rap: Other than the occasional sea kayaking trip, US guides have largely avoided the archipelago,” the article said.
But travel organizations have “finally gotten wise,” the magazine said.
The Philippines’ image is indeed changing, travel professionals agree.

Pat Alberto, president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, said the country saw an increase in tourist arrivals in the past two years, and sees this as proof that the Philippines is coming out of the shadow of Thailand and Malaysia, two of Southeast Asia’s more popular destinations.

Adventure mecca
She noted that the Philippines has become a magnet for adventure travelers because of its unspoiled beaches, mountains, rivers and dive sites.
Jarque said the Philippines has become a mecca for travelers looking for off-the-beaten track adventure.

These are the travelers who eschew luxury hotels in favor of home stays, who would rather spend a day in the outdoors than in a mall, he said.
National Geographic cited Wilderness Travel, an adventure and ecotourism company, as one of the travel organizations that has gotten past the country’s image.
It said Wilderness Travel will be organizing a tour to the Philippines next May that will showcase the country’s terrain and aquatic wonders to its American clients.
It described the trip as taking participants “high into the 5,000-foot Cordillera Central, then deep into the world’s most biodiverse marine environment.” The 12-day trip to the Philippines costs $3,300.

The trip will begin in Banaue in the Cordilleras, described by the magazine as a must-see destination for those who want a serious hiking adventure.
The tour will then move to Cabilao island off Bohol for diving on some of the reefs that form part of the Coral Triangle, the world’s greatest concentration of diverse and valuable coral reef ecosystems. The Philippines sits right in the middle of this center of marine biodiversity.
President Macapagal-Arroyo spoke at the National Geographic Society’s headquarters in Washington, DC in August and appealed for international support for preserving, promoting and protecting biodiversity in the Coral Triangle.

The NGS is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history.

CamSur top gainer

The DOT, which has been promoting the country’s natural and cultural wonders as the ultimate travel destination, has noted that tourists have been seeing more of the provinces.
The province of Camarines Sur, known for its beaches and surfing sites, was the top tourism gainer this year. The province received 902,000 local and foreign visitors during the first semester, the DOT said.

Other popular provincial destinations were Cebu, Bohol, Aklan and Zambales.
Jarque said travelers appear not to mind the stories of calamities, disasters, bombings and kidnappings that have put the Philippines in the headlines, seeing these events as part of life in the 21st century, post 9/11.

They know that these tragedies could happen anywhere, even in First World countries, he said.
“In our travel fair recently, nobody asked us about terrorism and security,” Jarque said.
Adventure travelers take negative news with a grain of salt, he noted.

Jarque and Alberto both said that the tourism sector has bucked the global recession and the threat of swine flu that wreaked havoc on the economies of the Philippines’ neighbors.
Tourism arrivals in the first semester have been robust, the DOT said in its first semester report.

There were 3.89 million tourists from January to June, a 16.5-percent improvement over the same period last year.
Of the total, more than 808,000 were foreign tourists. The figure compared favorably with the 760,000 foreigners who visited the Philippines in the first semester of 2008.

Saved by locals

Tourism officials said what saved the tourism industry this year was the Filipino tourist.
Instead of spending their holidays abroad this year, many Filipinos fearful of the swine flu pandemic chose to vacation in their own country.
According to the DOT’s first semester figures, the number of domestic tourists jumped 20 percent to nearly 3 million.

“Domestic tourism grew very, very fast this year,” said Alberto.
“More and more hotels and resorts are opening so it’s much more affordable and air fares are cheap. It’s a very, very good time to travel right now,” she said.
Jarque said local governments have realized that tourism brings jobs and income to their communities.

They realize that it’s better to spend their funds on improving tourism infrastructure and developing tourist attractions than on “basketball courts and waiting sheds,” he said.
“Tourism is being taken seriously…there are more and more concerns about airports, about roads,” he said.

BAGUIO : WOW PHILIPPINES CORDILLERA’S BEST 2009 SHOWCASES BAGUIO CENTENNIAL FESTIVAL

by Lito DarBAGUIO CITY – The festive mood is back in the City of Pines as the Department of Tourism, in coordination with the City Government of Baguio and the Baguio Centennial Commission, is all set for the fifth staging of the “Wow Philippines Cordillera’s Best” on November 25 -30.

In a Kapihan forum held to launch the scheduled activities for the said event, DOT Regional Director Pura Molintas stressed that this year’s staging of the Wow Philippines Cordillera’s Best would be different from the previous annual staging of the event, as the said festival will be highlighting the city’s centennial celebration.

According to Molintas, instead of the usual one day staging of a grand parade of Cordillera festivals, there will also be a second parade, dubbed as Baguio Centennial festival, which will feature a summary of the City’s festival. Other major activities in the said annual tourism event include indigenous games, ethnomusicology exhibition, and a rice wine competition.

In the same forum, Molintas also confirmed that the city’s tourism is now back on its feet, after it suffered a setback during the onslaught of typhoon Pepeng. Tourist arrivals is already perking up as reported by the city’s various hotels and restaurants. She also stressed the importance of continuously having such tourism activity so as to spur an economic impact to hasten the period of the city’s recovery.

Baguio Centennial Commission and event steering committee chair, Dr. Virgilio Bautista also stressed that there is time to mourn and time to celebrate and what is important now is to show the rest of the country that Baguio is back to normal. With the college students back for the second semester, it is also a way of showcasing or teaching them, the different festival of the different provinces in the region, Bautista added.The scheduled activities for the Wow Philippines Cordillera’s Best 2009 are: Travel, Trade and Tourism Expo (Nov 25 -30); Rice Wine Competition (Provincial/City level o Nov 25 and Regional level on Nov. 29); Delphic Games –Arts and Crafts festival (November 27-30); Grand Parade of Cordillera Festivals and Baguio Centennial Festival (Nov. 28); Cordillera Theatrical Cultural performances (Nov. 28); Baguio’s Contemporary Festivals & Creative Performances Parade (Nov. 29); Indigenous games (Nov.29); Food Festival with Cordillera Fusion (November 28-29); and a centennial tour on Nov 30. ** /PIA

The Courtyards: Wake up to cool mornings in Baguio

The COURTYARD is first master-planned garden condominium in Baguio that offers the old Baguio charm leisure living surrounded with country club amenities. It has an American Country Home Inspired design that sits on a two hectare property divided into three phases, namely,

The Cabins, The Manors and The Lodges.

The Courtyards Cabins
The Courtyards Cabins is a Four (4) storey CONDO COMPLEX will be a nine(9)building with 144 units residential condo and combination of 1-bedroom and studio units. Any Buyer has the option to buy and combine identical units, for instance,
Two 1BR or Two studio-units.
The Garden Courtyards, Park Benches and waterfalls are located in the Cabins.
All nine (9) cabin Buildings will be completed on December 2010.
The Courtyards Manors
This is an eleven( 11 ) storey 352-unit residential condominium located on a 15,591 square meter square area of The Courtyards.The Manors Complex has a gross floor area of 14,808.58 square meters.

The Manors offer 138 units of 20 square meter studio units, 67 units of 28 square meter one bedroom units, 139 units of 36 square meter two bedroom units and 8 units of 60 square meter penthouse units.

The Manors condominium is located at the western part of The Courtyards. The lower floors have a view of the brook where a beaver dam will be set-up. The lower floors will be the location of amenities like three badminton courts, an office, indoor recreation, gym, shower and locker rooms, common areas, coffee shop and bakery, kitchen, Al Fresco Dining, Function Room, and laundry.

The target date of completion of The Manors will be on December 2011. Parking slots are available.

Studio Type Features 20 sqm Seating AreaDining AreaBedroomKitchenT & B 1 BR Type Features 28 sqm 1 BedroomKitchenLiving RoomDining RoomT & BBalcony 2 BR Type Features 36 sqm Living RoomDining Room2 BedroomsKitchenT & BBalcony.


The Courtyards Lodges
Will be a 6-8 storey 146-unit residential condominium located on a 15,591 square meter area.

The Lodges has 20 24-square meter studio units, and 126 units of one bedroom 50 square meter units.

A coffee shop cum restaurant will be opened at The Lodges.The Lodges is located at the hilly portion of The Courtyards.

An Epoy Aurelio-designed mountain falls will be carved out of the hill which will accent the façade of The Lodges. The Lodges will be completed on December 2012. Parking slots are available.