Why Condo is the Best Investment for an OFW?
As an overseas filipino worker (OFW), being away from your families is NOT something you dream of for your entire life. Most of the time, especially in time of homesickness, an idea will come across you. You’ll think that if only there’s another way to earn enough money for the future, then you won’t have to endure being away from your family for so long.
Luckily, there are multiple kinds of investment which can help you prepare for you and your family’s future. If you’re finding for an investment with minimal risk, then you came into the right place.
Here are top 4 reasons why condo is the perfect investment for an OFW…
1 . AFFORDABLE REALTY INVESTMENT
In case you haven’t heard by now, real estate investment is still the SAFEST, TANGIBLE kind of investment up to this date. Why safest? It’s because your money will definitely appreciate over time. Here’s a testimonial we got from Investmnl’s founder, herself, on how her 2.7M investment grew to 3.5M in a span of 4 years. That’s 30% increase of value. To know more about it, click this link.
But, then you’ll probably argue and say… “Affordable? 2 million pesos is no joke. Realty investment needs a lot of capital. There are businesses or franchise opportunities which I can purchase in a much smaller value.”
That’s true. Yet, remember that since you’re looking for the safest kind of investment, then you should be ready for this rule of thumb — LOW RISK = HIGHER CAPITAL. We mentioned that it is “affordable” because it certainly is, especially when compared to house & lot properties located in prime location or within same area of the condominium.
Did you know that, as of Y2017, a decent house & lot properties at prime location fall within the 5-7M PHP range? While, the rates of condominiums range from 2-4M PHP only. That’s 3-5M PHP difference, a money you could have spent for other kinds of investment. (Note: Prime location means it’s located at the main road, near malls and supermarkets, schools, hospitals and etc. And, it must be accessible to public transportation. Prices indicated above is based on NCR realty rates.)
2 . RENTAL OPPORTUNITY
With the growing population of our country, it’s best to invest on people’s necessities which they can NOT live without: ex. food and home.
Try to do a random survey among your friends and ask them about their long term goals. Bet on it that “home” or decent place to live is always part of it. Since most of the people can’t afford to buy a place immediately, here’s an opportunity when you can offer your condo up for rental. Rates for renting a condo depends on location and building’s amenities. As of Y2017, renting a fully-furnished condo (24-30sqm in size) at Taft, Manila ranges from 18,000 to 25,000 PHP. Assuming you’ve paid the condo in full, you will now have additional passive monthly income of 25,000 PHP every month. That amount is already enough to support the basic needs of your growing family (ex. groceries, electricity and water bill, and etc).
Not yet convinced? You’re probably thinking “so why condo? why not a house & lot located at a not-so-prime location but with the same value as the condo located at a prime location?” It’s simple. If you want to rent it out, buying a property within a prime location is necessary. It should be in the heart of the city. It should be located where offices, schools or universities, hospitals, shopping malls and supermarkets are within reach. Because lessees or people who rent a space, look for these qualities when checking out the location.
3 . LESS MAINTENANCE
Another reason why investing in a condo is perfect for an OFW is the fact that it’s less maintenance. If you will rent it out for income generating purposes and assuming you got a yearly rental contract, only minimal or mostly no supervision is required. It’s different, a far cry indeed, when handling a business or a food cart franchise wherein you or someone you trust needs to be physically available to supervise your employees. Condo rental is a passive type of income. It’s definitely a perfect fit for OFW ‘s, who doesn’t want much of a hassle especially in terms of managing employees and business logistics.
Another thing is the fact that it has a 24/7 SECURITY provided by the building management. Even if no one stays at your place, you will be at peace to leave it even without a caretaker.
4 . YOUR HOME
Whenever you visit the Philippines, you will need a place to stay. After you retire and would like to go back in the Philippines to live here for good, you will need a place to stay. Having said this, it is only logical to prepare for the future. You will need a place you can call your own, a place you can call home.
For OFW retirees who are old enough to be a grandparent, living in a condominium is your best bet. Everything is within your reach — the hospital, supermarkets, mall and etc. You’ll have no problem with your safety due to 24/7 SECURITY. Lastly, you’ll have no problem with your aching knee as well. Thanks to the condominium’s working elevators.
After considering all those 4 top reasons, do you now think that investing in a condominium is a perfect fit for an OFW? Share you thoughts by leaving a message in the comments section below. Do you find this article helpful? Share them to your friends and family by clicking the easy-to-share buttons below. 😀
Are you interested to check on the price ranges of condominiums in the Philippines, check out these links and just choose your preferred properties:
(Note: all photos used are taken from Pixabay.com. They are under a creative commons license.)
Stargazer Writes
I am still having second thoughts regarding condominiums. When I retire, I prefer to have a place to live where my dogs can run freely. I also need soil for gardening. A house that I know how it was built. I always have this feeling that high rise building could collapse anytime an earthquake strikes. But I guess it all depends on the persons perspective on things.
INVEST MNL
Hi, stargazer. Though we understand your personal sentiment about condominiums, we would like to clarify that this article dicusses more of the investment side wherein OFWs can treat it as their second source of income through rental opportunities. Also, we’ve presented some perks why people are beginning to prefer condos nowadays — price, accessibility, less maintence and rental opportunity, which we hope you’ve read as well. Of couse, the pros and cons of a house & lot vs. condos are of another topic, which we will discuss in future articles very soon. Still, thank you for your comment. 🙂
Maria Louisa Mae P. Mercado
I agree and believe that a condo is as good an investment as any. It’s a realistic investment nowadays. I sometimes hear how a condo is not a worthy investment but for me investing in a condo is better than renting a place that won’t ever go to you. Owning property has way more benefits than not.
Martine Cosio De Luna
A condo is a great investment, in my opinion. Especially if the property is in a densely populated city like Manila. I’ve grown up and lived in condos all my life while living abroad,
and they are excellent business models in first tier cities like Hong Kong and Singapore where we resided as a family. If I were able to invest in a property in Manila, it would be well worth it to ensure the property will have long-term lease, or be a hub for AirBnB traffic.
Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag
I agree that a condo is good investment for OFWs. My husband and I bought 2 condo units at preselling price years ago. We lived in them for some time then we sold one of the units. The remaining one became a rental property. We currently have it also under Airbnb. During the schoolyear, we also have students who rent it because it’s just beside a school. It’s also near the airports, malls, banks and convenience stores and many other establishments.
Berlin Domingo
I am one with you that condo is a good investment. Investors though should be careful in choosing not only the nicest location but the developer as well. They should also take into consideration the number of years they could own the unit as there are some condo units that can be owned.only.for a certain number of years.
Johna P.
Interesting. I dont really pay attention to the sales people who offer condos since I didnt see much benefit before. Now, ive been reading a lot about it esp now that I’ve got a stable source of income – i can start thinking about more investments. Housing/Apartments was def the first i thought about, still need a bit more convincing tho hehe.
Richard Anthony Baldoza
How timely! The parents were just looking at various condos around the QC to inquire about a possible purchase. Wasn’t much interested about the business of it all but one thing is for sure — condos are heaven sent and a real good investment. Although there are many aspects that condo buyers must look at, the very important element for me is comfort and the quality of living in that place. Real mind stirring post! 🙂
Joanna
It does make it really easy to see why investing in a condo can be a smart decision after reading your article. I am planning on investing in property myself as I see it a great way of having an extra income. I would definitely choose to rent it out and have an agency look after it on my behalf. It’s like a no-brainer opportunity.
Mommy QueenElizabeth
I’m a wife of an ofw and i’ve been planning to acquire a unit for my family.. in fact i’ve been visiting different condos around the metro and in tagaytay for quite some time now. Mainly because i will have it for rent. And for my kids too whenever they will go to college in the next years. Unfortunately, my husband is still not convinced that it is anwise investment. We had our house and lot already since 2013 and i believe its time to acquire a property like this for business.. after all it will be ours too.. i will share this article to him though..
Kriswanders
All items raised are totally spot on. Securing a condo offers a lot of options on what you can about it. As newly married, I am weighing things out if I would buy a condo or a home from a subdivision. This post gives me a totally positive rundown of positive things that would help me decide. 🙂
Berlin Domingo
My boys will be soon be in college and our place is far from universities and colleges. I would want to invest in a condo near universities so my boys has a place to stay when they start college. And if ever they aren’t interested, I could rent it out to college students. A sure investment indeed.
Kristine Redillas
I agree with you, actually. When you’re in the metro, it’s more convenient to live in condos than to have a house and lot. Maintaining house & lot would really more hassle since it may be a lot bigger that a condo unit. Aside from the 3 you mentioned, there’s also Taft Properties owned by Gaisano. Well, I do remember my blog about condos as well! Just in case, are you living in a condo right now?
Erica
Proximity, convenience, and luxury – these are the selling points of condo units. I agree that for OFW it is a great investment. They can have the space rented if they are away, and have it again after they retire. My uncle who works in KSA has one. He is now getting his ROI from his tenants. BTW, I also want to promote Megaworld condos. You can have a unit for as low as php15,000 per month and 50k reservation fee 🙂
Irma
I strongly agree with the points from the post above. It can seem like a whole lot money to give for a condo, but this is indeed a long-term investment that will undoubtedly pay off one day. And then, when you have finally paid the condo off, you can either live in your condo or continue getting cash from renting it.
I really like the idea of buying a condo for myself.
theresa montino
I agree that one shold invest on what was mentioned above, not only ofws. My MIL who’s been working for years in AUS bought a rental space. She’s earning from it but not so much because she’s far from where it was. She’s together with us here in Pampanga and the apartment was in Laguna. I think she should have considered the location so that she can always monitor it. She’s losing money and it’s not a joke.
Indrani
I am very bad at finance. These things really go above my head.
May be this is a good investment. I just got aware of it through your blogpost.
ⓖene ⓡose
I´ve always been interested in investing but have to admit still not doing it. I am no OFW but this is very informative post. I agree with your points about metro living, so a condo is the best way to go. But given a chance, I´d love to invent in a lot over a condo.