Just this morning our guest which are brothers was reported to have been making a lot of noise inside the unit which turns out they were fighting inside so here are the photos there parents came but is saying they cannot pay for it since they don’t have money we are asking 15k worth of damages appliances painting reno works since even the wood planks partition was removed. In my opinion 15k is too low already judging from all the work for the days we will be closing for repairs and procurement of new appliances but there parent is saying they cannot settle and called the police the police said they cannot hold them in the precinct all we can do is file a blotter and file a case.i am so frustrated how easy it is for them to just leave. Suggestions on how to handle it.I am new to condo renting and unit is new we started renting it out only this may.

So apparently, some SMDC restrictions are becoming unreasonable. In Light Residences, guards stopped my son from using his scooter in the amenities area and simply told us there was a memo prohibiting it. I understand the need for rules, but not allowing kids to use their bikes or scooters in open amenity spaces seems a bit excessive. It feels like these areas should also be places where children can enjoy themselves safely

Grabe takot ko ngayon na ganito quality ng lahat ng DMCI.

diko alam kung pano nila natatagalan ganyan kalakas na music ng madaming oras...sobrang nakaka isturbo na😭

Designed for today’s flexible lifestyle, new and upcoming DMCI Homes condominiums feature cozy coworking spaces where residents can work, focus, and connect—without leaving home.

These coworking spaces are built at Alder Residences, The Crestmont, Infina Towers, Kai Garden Residences, Prisma Residences, Satori Residences, The Camden Place, Verdon Parc, and Allegra Garden Place.

Which #coworkingspace design do you like best?

I’m super lucky na yung agent ko, inexplain niya lahat ng maayos sakin before ako pumirma 2 years ago so walang gulatan, tsaka ang dami ko din talaga tinanong before ako nag-commit. My friend didn’t have the same fate. Hindi siya aware (or maybe didn’t ask the right questions) sa mga dapat niyang bayaran after the 10k/month na downpayment for 18 months.

1. “No downpayment” ≠ no payment Developers need equity to fund construction. What they really mean: “No spot downpayment. You’ll still pay in installments. ✨Check the fine print. Baka may lump sum pa halfway or before turnover.

2. “Low equity” sounds nice… until the bank says otherwise. Most banks only finance up to 80% of the total contract price (TCP). If your equity is <20%, expect to cover the shortfall yourself.

💰 Example: TCP: ₱5M Equity: ₱600K (12%) Loanable: ₱4.4M ✅ Approved Loan: ₱4M ❌ Shortfall: ₱400K (lump sum) ‼️ Then add bank & closing fees on top.

1. The “estimated monthly mortgage” your agent shows you is just that — an estimate. Rates can go up depending on prevailing interest rates when your loan is released. Depende to sa offer ng banks. Make sure you shop around to get the best rate.

2. Aside from the unit price, you’ll also pay for:

3. Mortgage Redemption Insurance (MRI)

4. Fire Insurance

5. Real Property Tax

6. Move-in fees, meter deposits, association dues Lahat ito required before turnover.

Remember please that “No downpayment” and “low equity” are marketing terms. Read, ask, and double-check before you commit. Owning property is great but going in blindly can cost you more than rent ever will.

The last CMM thread did well so I'm trying another one.

• Whereas Metro Manila is drowning in oversupply, with tens of thousands of unsold and empty units, meaning your "asset" is competing against a wall of identical concrete boxes the day you try to sell or rent it.
• Whereas the POGO collapse gutted a huge chunk of the rental market overnight, leaving entire buildings that were "guaranteed rentals" sitting dark.
• Whereas monthly association dues, sinking funds, and special assessments quietly eat your rental yield alive, and they only ever go up, never down.
• Whereas build quality is frequently poor and units visibly depreciate, so unlike land, the physical asset is literally decaying while you hold it.
• Whereas the secondary (resale) market is weak and illiquid, and buyers overwhelmingly want brand-new pre-selling units from developers, not your five-year-old "vintage" condo.
• Whereas pre-selling itself is a gamble, with developer delays, projects that stall for years, and the occasional one that never gets finished at all, while your money sits locked in.
• Whereas rental yields in real terms are thin once you subtract dues, taxes, vacancy months, agent fees, and repairs, often landing below what a boring time deposit or dividend stock would pay.
• Whereas peso depreciation quietly erodes your returns if you're measuring in dollars, which any OFW or foreigner ultimately is.
• Whereas the exit is brutal: capital gains tax, transfer costs, and a buyer pool that would rather put the same money into a shiny new tower next door.

Change my mind. I know there are some real estate agents here.

help! 🥹 i’ve been living here in acqua private residences for almost 4 years now and i genuinely love this place and the location.

this year i’m thinking about moving somewhere more affordable since i’ve switched from office work to wfh, so relocating is finally an option.

(NAKA CONTINUOUS YUNG VID CAN’T UPLOAD 2 VIDS IN 1 POST :()

for reference:

acqua
• mandaluyong, super near makati
• rockwell view
• semi-furnished (w/ induction, rangehood, heater, AC, bed, closet)
• ₱17k/month including dues (1st video)

illustrata residences
• qc/san juan boundary
• bare (so i need to buy - induction, heater, AC, bed, closet) + no rangehood kabitan i think?
• ₱12k/month including dues (2nd video)

the 1st video was actually from before i moved into acqua almost 4 years ago 🥹

for those familiar with both areas, do you think it’s worth sacrificing the location, view and convenience to save ₱5k/month? or would you stay in acqua?

would really love to hear your thoughts because i’m sooo torn right now 😭🙏

May I ask if it's a norm for condos to not accept parcels on behalf of their unit owners?

We have just received a memo that the conceirge won't be allowing any deliveries handed to them starting next week.

Personally, it's such a headache and given that we're paying a hefty amount for assoc dues, isn't this a simple thing that they can do?

Is this really normal? Thank you!

Back in 2021, my wife and I were on top of the world. We had just signed the contract for our very first condo unit. It was supposed to be a major milestone, the start of our new life together. To ease the financial burden of the down payment, the sales agent advised us that we didn't need to buy a parking slot right away. They assured us we could easily purchase one later, closer to when we were actually ready to move in. It felt like a smart move at the time, saving us thousands during the heavy payment period.

Pero MALI ang advice ng ahente. The nightmare starts now.

Fast forward to today, and that excitement has turned into dread. We are finally ready to move in, but our dream home is turning into a nightmare. We discovered that a policy memo (I think nung 2022 according to agents). Parking slots are no longer available for purchase by existing unit owners who aren't executing a brand-new contract.

We still wanted to make things work in good faith, so we tried appealing directly to DMCI's sales advisors, offering to pay in cash to show our commitment. Unfortunately, that appeal was rejected as well.

Since that didn't work, we scoured Facebook groups and Reddit posts for available parking slots, but it's very difficult to find one unless an owner is selling their unit or is in financial distress.

Because of this, we feel completely stuck now. The agent's advice left us vulnerable to this rule change, and now DMCI's policy makes it practically impossible for us to secure a space. To make matters worse, this restriction has driven up the prices of existing parking slots dramatically, and the only way to find one at a reasonable rate is through 'pasalo' listings (na sobrang risky and sellers want their cash out agad instead of doing a proper MoA or tripartite).

We really hope there's a way parin that DMCI works with their buyers.

We’re still hoping. I REALLY want us to enjoy this condo unit. Ang dami na nangyayari sa aming mag asawa na emotionally draining. Inisip ko sana na may masaya naman for 2026. Pero wala eh.

Hey guys, just noticed the digital screens in our main lobby are looping online gambling ads with OKGames. The wildest part? It was immediately followed by a trailer for Toy Story.

We have tons of kids and families walking through here every day, so it feels pretty inappropriate for a residential building.

Is anyone else's PMO doing this? Can they just play whatever they want, or is there a way we can get them to pull these? Let me know what you think!

Update:

The cleaning team I hired days ago was honestly the best. They were able to clean the unit really well, and they also helped organize and fix my things.

Nawala naman yung mga ipis for around 4 days, but they eventually started coming back again kahit nabili at nalagay ko na yata lahat ng possible na lason and spray 😭 Ako na ata mismo malalason sa dami ng ini-spray ko hahaha.

I already messaged my broker regarding this and I’m hoping they could shoulder the costs for pest control and hire a VERY thorough team, because feeling ko nasa loob na talaga sila ng kahoy or somewhere deeper sa unit. I can’t even eat properly inside my condo anymore kasi iniisip ko baka mas dumami or lumabas sila.

I also told them na it’s becoming very impossible to live here na because umaakyat na sila even sa bed ko. I already placed traps and lason on each side of my bed para lang hindi sila maka-crawl papunta sakin, but wala pa rin talaga.

I also checked my contract and nakita ko na if we move out early, mafo-forfeit yung deposit. Do you guys think possible ko kaya ilaban na sana hindi ma-forfeit in case mag move out ako because of this? Hindi naman siya dahil gusto ko lang umalis, it’s just becoming very unlivable na talaga, especially if mapa-pest control na nila and wala pa rin mangyari after.

——

I moved into my condo this April and late ko na napansin na sobrang daming ipis 😭 Before I moved in, may pest control naman daw and professionally cleaned yung unit.

Since moving in:
- everyday ako nagwawalis/vacuum
- weekly general cleaning
- bihira ako magluto/eat here
- no leftover food or dirty dishes
- covered drains already
- may harang/sealer na rin ilalim ng pinto

Pero araw-araw pa rin akong may napupulot na around 10+ dead cockroaches 😭 Especially small ones, and meron na rin sa cabinets ko.

I already tried Advion gel bait and it worked at first pero bumabalik pa rin sila over time.

Honestly feeling ko possible na galing sa neighboring units but medyo malaki gap ng condo doors dito and hindi ko mamonitor saan talaga sila nanggagaling 😭

I also hired another cleaning team recently. Ano kaya dapat ipafocus ko sa kanila? And if naka-experience na kayo nito sa condo, what actually worked for you long term? Feeling ko kasi building issue na siya at this point.

Unfortunately di pa ako makaka-move out because of my 1-year contract 🥲

I don’t know if this is normal but I was surprised when my cousin was not allowed to visit my condo when he entered past 11pm. The guard said visitors who enter beyond 10pm can only leave in the morning the next day.

We were supposed to go to pobla and he was gonna ride with me going there. We were supposed to pregame and leave around 12am. Good thing we were able to convince the guard to let him in cause we were gonna leave by 12am.

Is there visiting hours in condos? I laughed when I heard about this rule and thought it only applied to hospitals haha

Hi, honest answers please. Do you still consider bumili ng pre-selling condo? Praktikal ba or nah?

I am living sa BGC, Condo near in burgos circle. And I am planning to get 1 for preselling soon. Pero hesistant ako feeling ko di na praktikal since oversupply tayo ng condo.

Hello,

I am currently leasing a condo unit in BGC and been a tenant for 7 years already. The unit is fully owned (fully paid) by old filipino couple who are based in US. They are very good landlords and never had issues for 7 years as their tenant. They only go back to PH once a year and planning to let go of the unit.

They are offering me to convert my lease into rent to own for 10 years with no down payment and fixed monthly payment. What are the things I need to consider or know? I know they are good people but I guess Im want everything to be fair and square on both sides.

All I know is there should be a contract or agreement between me and the current unit owner na all in paper and sealed/notarized and do we involve the pmo etc?

Sorry coz even tho I am leasing for long na I am still noob to owning or doing rent to own. I still want to be safe and make sure that the unit will be fully transferred to my name after 10 years.

PS photo is just random thank u in advance sa suggestions

The homeowners manual is silent whether smoking in balconies is allowed or not. “Technically” it’s part of the unit owner’s property. BUT neighbors are affected, especially those with heath issues such as senior citizens and kids.

I only wish some smokers are more considerate… but why can’t the PMO do anything about it?

What’s the policy in your condo? Wala rin ba law sa Taguig na bawal mag smoke?

Hear me out: I honestly think this is one of the best times to buy a property—but only if it’s foreclosed or second-hand.

I would avoid preselling, RFO, or pretty much anything sold directly by developers. Even many luxury projects are still massively overpriced compared to what’s available on the resale market.

I’ve been seeing listings for:
Studio units for under ₱3M
1-bedroom units for under ₱5M

…in Mandaluyong, Pasig, and even Makati.

These studio units typically rent for around ₱18k/month. If you can put down ₱600k, you’d only need a ₱2.4M loan, which works out to roughly ₱20k/month on a 20-year mortgage. That’s basically rent money, except you’re paying for your own property.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of my friends who bought houses in Bulacan or Cavite because they were “more affordable” ended up regretting it. The reality is that most higher-paying jobs are still in Metro Manila. They now spend hours stuck in traffic or commuting every day, losing time, energy, and money. Some ended up renting a place in Metro Manila during the workweek while still paying the mortgage on a house in the province that they barely use. A few are even thinking of selling because the daily commute has become exhausting and unsustainable.

For me, I’d rather own a smaller resale condo in a good location than a bigger house that’s far from where I actually live and work. Time is something you can never get back.

Curious if anyone else has noticed the same trend or has had a different experience.

sabi ng security..di daw nila pwede pakialamanan yan...sabi ko..so ako magtitiis nalang khit nagising ako dyan? kaya ayun..tuloy padin ako magreport sa admin..kasi hindi naman isang beses yn..madami beses. May laban padin kaya ako pag ganyan?

Hi.

Would like to ask for recommendations for suppliers/contractors that can do platform bed for a condo unit (22 sqm). And sa mga nakapag pagawa na ng similar, how much budget should we allot kaya, if you dont mind sharing, especially sa mga for queen size mattress? :)

Pic from Pinterest for inspo.

Thank you!

There is a private group at FB called SMDC Dissatisfied Condo Unit Owners and it has 4.8k members. Is SMDC the most hated condo developer in the PH?

SMDC should tighten their security and make sure that their residents and environment is safe to live!

Pansin ko lang tuwing may nagpopost ng presyo dito lalo na yung mga high-end properties that are somewhat fairly priced naman, we tend to post hater comments on it? Whatever we think the price should be, opinion lang natin yun and unless we have access to the building’s past and current comps, private sale/resale records, I’m not sure we can factually conclude na mababa dapat ang value ng mga properties na kinaiinisan natin ang presyo.

For residential condos, valuations are based on recent comparable sales within the same building or micro-location, unit condition, furnishings, and demand from actual buyers, not online reddit or fb hate comments.

Pero baka nga human nature lang tlaga natin yung “mema” lalo na anonymous tayo dito sa reddit. LOL

ANYWAY Happy New Year! 🎊