Making your money work for you during pandemic

Amid uncertainties brought by the coronavirus pandemic, more Filipinos have been saving their money in banks according to a report of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The trend was attributed to Filipinos’ realization of the importance of having an emergency fund. After all, having money in the bank certainly helps boost one’s confidence in threading these bleak and uncertain times.

For young mom Jerralyn Ramos, however, one should not just settle on having bank deposits as there are alternative ways to still grow money and secure one’s finances during the health crisis and that include investing in real estate.

With her plan to build her dream home this year put on hold because of the pandemic, Jerralyn decided to invest her money instead on a two-bedroom condominium unit in DMCI Homes’ Satori Residences development along F. Pasco Avenue, Santolan, Pasig City.

“I did my research and I found that in this time of pandemic the best way to invest your money is in real estate. Some may say to take it slow. But for me, it’s a venture, a calculated risk to invest in real estate. Instead na ‘yung money mo nasa bank lang, incurring minimal interest, why not invest in real estate that compensates over time” noted Jerralyn, who works as a process excellence specialist for a multinational firm.

“I wanted to take that leap to invest in real estate than doing time deposit through banks. If to compare, real estate returns are far way better. Real estate kasi over time I guess it’s proven nga na tumataas talaga ‘yung value kahit nasa bahay ka lang,” the first-time homebuyer continued.

The mother of one purchased her unit last July knowing that building her dream home in Antipolo City will have to wait while there is a pandemic.

“The property I purchased is worth P5 million. After 2 years when the pandemic ends hopefully tumaas na ‘yun. Actually, I’m pretty sure the value of the property will increase, based on trend kung bumaba man, hindi siya ganoon kababa,” explained Jerralyn who is also training to be a financial adviser for a top insurance firm.

“I did my research din naman and even at this time of pandemic hindi bumababa ‘yung (value ng) real estate. You know yung mga ibang products bumababa, nagse-sale and all pero sa real estate it’s stable that’s why parang it’s okay to invest at this time because I know (values) will go up over time,” she continued.

While she also considered investing in stocks, mutual funds, equity bonds, etc., Jerralyn admitted that these investment vehicles are not second nature to her.

“I’m not ready to invest in stocks yet, hindi pa ganoon kataas ang profile ko in terms of risks. Also, you need to monitor it and I don’t have the luxury of time to check the stocks market. In real estate, you also have different options in the future, you can live in it, you can sell it, or you can have it rented,” she explained.

Before investing her hard-earned money however, Jerralyn shared that she did a lot of research to learn more about the real estate industry in the country.

She also asked around and researched online on the background of different industry players to ensure that she is investing on the right property.

“I need to be sure once I invest on a property, I need to be sure of the developer. I watched a video on YouTube where they were comparing different developers. DMCI is always part of the top. I also read different condo owners’ feedback about the developers,” Jerralyn revealed.

It also helped, she said, that DMCI Homes has made most of its sales processes online which made her first homebuying experience all the more convenient and smooth despite the pandemic.

“DMCI is quite outstanding in terms of performance and in terms of construction history. Apart from that I also checked on the awards and structure ng building, I also attended an online property seminar and I was quite impressed din on how DMCI establishes a building,” Jerralyn said.

“Also, I’m really impressed on how DMCI transitioned from the pre-pandemic to what is the normal right now. There are virtual tours if you are going to look for a property. It (homebuying experience) went pretty smooth,” she added.

Although she had three preferred DMCI Homes projects, Jerralyn bared that she chose Satori Residences in the end as it was near their home in Rosario, Pasig City.

The five-building development along the bustling Santolan district in Pasig City, she said, also fits her budget and has a big earning potential in terms of rental income because of its excellent location near top universities like UP and Ateneo.

“Our initial goal is to live in it and then afterwards probably maging investment. I mean parang pang-rent siya kasi I’m still eyeing building our own home sa Antipolo once everything’s okay,” she related. 

“We’re excited because DMCI Homes is coined as a resort-type amenity condominium. My family loves to travel so para hindi na kami gan’ung magta-travel masyado, mas makakatipid kasi resort na ‘yung itsura. ‘Yung son ko kasi is pre-school range, turning four-years-old, definitely mae-enjoy niya ‘yun,” Jerralyn beamed.

Satori Residences is one of the developments of DMCI Homes, the country’s first Quadruple A developer known for building quality resort-inspired communities in Mega Manila, Baguio, Boracay, and Davao City. Each of its properties is built with world-standard craftsmanship borne from D.M. Consunji Inc.'s over 60 years of expertise in the construction and development industry.

To learn more about Satori Residences and other DMCI Homes projects, call (632) 5324-8888.  News and other updates are also posted on the company's official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.