The Girl Behind the Pen

There are many achievements that a person can attain in life may it be big or small wins. Buying a house and lot is one. While it's exciting to dream and realize you're closer to reaching it, home buying process is not always a walk in the park. 

Truth is, purchasing your dream home is more than just browsing house models, making payments, and signing contracts. There are a lot to consider before getting a house and if you're a first-time buyer, you must be extra careful and well-researched to avoid roadblocks along the process. To make it easier for you, I've rounded up the five most important things to consider before you buy your first home:

1. Your long-term plans 

Before you decide to buy what you think could be your dream house, think about your long-term plans. Are you planning on getting married? Having kids? Staying at your current job? Or resigning from your work months from now? These factors will help you decide which type of house you must purchase. Even if you have the means, don't get too carried away without thinking this through. After all, buying a house and lot will be one of your biggest life commitments you'll have to make. 

Read also: It's never too late to invest in your dream house

2. Location

One of the most crucial aspects of getting your first (or even nth) house and lot in the Philippines is considering the location of the property. If you're single and currently living far from your office, you might want to consider buying a home near your workplace. Having home security is also helpful if you're living alone. If you have kids or planning to have one in the future, consider the property's vicinity to schools and universities. These days, more and more real estate developers are building subdivisions in the Philippines near schools, hospitals, markets, malls, etc. so that it will be accessible for homeowners to reach their destinations.

3. Local market indicators

Here's an unfortunate reality — there are things we cannot control and the only thing we can do is go with the flow. One example is the market condition. When buying a house in the Philippines or anywhere, it is important to consider the local market condition because supply and demand dictate real estate property prices. When the demand for house and lots is high but supply is low, you'll have to compete with lots of buyers and prices often go up. But when it's the other way around, it is the sellers who will compete and sometimes offer lower prices. And when the state of the market is worst, buying a property could not even be a practical option.

4. Budget

The most crucial factor you would have to consider when buying a home is your budget. Buy the house that you can afford, not just now, but also in the future. So that, when the economy goes down, or another pandemic hit, you could still pay your monthly mortgage even with less income in pocket.

5. Developer & Realtor

A house and lot is a long-term (or even lifetime) investment so it's important to work with trusted realtors and developers. There are so many real estate developers in the market now, and your job is to identify which one of them offers value-for-money homes. Whether you're looking for a Winston Salem realtor or agents from across the world, it's important that you do your due diligence.

Lumina Homes is one of the most popular and trusted real estate companies in the Philippines because of its topnotch services and affordable properties. This is perfect whether you're buying a home for yourself or for your family. 

Not only do they offer quality affordable house and lots in the Philippines but they also take into consideration the communities of the homeowners. To carry out this commitment, Lumina Homes launched eSpacio, a space where the community can connect and bond together over a cup of coffee, or just a simple walk in the area. eSpacio features several stores for homeowners' needs such as drugstores, water stations, restaurants, coffee shops, and more. 

Lumina Homes Affordable House and Lots

• Anna Rowhouse (24 sqm house on 36 sqm lot with provision for 1 bedroom)
• Angelique Townhouse (35 sqm house on 36 sqm lot with provision for 2 bedrooms and carport)
• Angeli Duplex (42 sqm house on 54 sqm lot with provision for 3 bedrooms and carport)
• Athena Single Firewall (53 sqm house on 63 sqm lot, with provision for 3 bedrooms, family area, and carport)

Lumina Homes is available in more than 50 locations across the Philippines. Check them out on Facebook and their website lumina.com.ph

The past year might have been challenging but, if there's a silver lining on it, 2020 is a meaningful one. Last year, the pandemic dared us to be connected even amid the pandemic. Thus, Lumina Homes conducted this year's annual awards through another virtual event this 2021 to prioritize health and safety.

Gawad Lumina is the annual sales awarding event that aims to express gratitude to partner networks and recognize top sales performers that delivered outstanding results by going beyond expectation yearly.

In its second year of celebrating the event virtually, over 500 performing Bida Lumina Sellers registered and joined "Gawad Lumina 2020: Digi-Connect" last March 19, 2021, via Zoom.

Lumina Homes awarded top-performing Bida Lumina Sellers per categories such as salespersons, sales managers, and brokers in each cluster of North and East Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The highlight of the virtual event is awarding the overall top performers nationwide.

For Lumina Homes, the seller's experience is as important as that of the buyers. Amid this pandemic, Lumina continuously strives to help its partner sales network adjust to the changing landscape of real estate selling. Lumina ensures that Bida Lumina Sellers remain proactive and persistent in their shared mission of providing affordable homes.

To ensure safety, Lumina Homes built a way to make "virtual tripping" and online reservation possible. With the use of 360-degree virtual house tours, sellers can discuss the features of Lumina Home Models, a hassle-free way to explore and avail house and lot unit using a computer or smartphone.

"Lumina Online University" was also launched, dedicated to being a web-based teaching platform that offers sales courses on selling Lumina Homes. Lumina Online University will soon include free webinars and specific courses about Lumina properties so sellers will become more familiar with the house and lot offers of Lumina Homes.

To spice up the virtual event, Lumina Homes also announced its biggest Annual Incentives for the year 2021. All its Bida Lumina Sellers may receive "CASHing! CASHing! Cash Sales Incentives" depending on their sales performance. A salesperson can receive as much as 100,000 pesos, and a broker can have as much as 500,000 pesos worth of cash and digital support. And the jaw-dropping "Bonggang House and Lot Promo" was also launched. Every performing partner sales network can have the chance to own a brand new house and lot via raffle to be done in the next Gawad Lumina for the sales year 2021.

Gawad Lumina 2020: Digi-Connect ended with a fun live raffle where 50,000 worth of prizes were given away! 50 participants won 300 pesos; 5 lucky winners of 3,000 pesos; 1 winner of 5,000 pesos, 1 winner of 10,000 pesos; and 1 winner of 20,000 pesos!

Lumina Homes being an all-digital real estate developer and equipped with future-ready innovation believes that the key to success in the industry will always be its connection with every dedicated salesperson. And the connection that binds them is the mission of providing affordable house and lot for every Filipino family.

Spending money, even for "smart" investments, can make anyone think twice especially with the situation now. But one thing you could put your hard-earned money on without making your blood run cold is a real estate property. 

Experts say that it's one of those investments that don't depreciate easily as it continues to hold value. Sounds promising, right? However, I have just one teeny-tiny problem that's holding me back—budget.

I'm a millennial earning less than a six-figure salary monthly and thinking of buying an affordable house and lot at such a young age. With this setup, it's like I'm diving head-first. Because seriously, how could a 20-something five-figure earner afford to buy a house at this time, especially now that my side hustles as a freelance writer and a blogger have been affected (less to no events, fewer promotions).

But then I discovered this local real estate developer and in an instant, my heart skipped a beat. Lumina Homes is the affordable housing arm of Vista Land, the Philippines’ largest homebuilder known for housing brands including Camella, Lessandra, and Vista Residences among others.

It offers an affordable yet exclusive subdivision lifestyle featuring 24/7 guarded entrance, roving security, and shuttle service. You can also enjoy cool amenities like a play area, gazebo, mini gardens, and more. 

Since 2012, Lumina Homes was able to expand in over 50 locations including Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Cagayan, Isabela, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Iloilo, Capiz, Cebu, Negros Occidental, Agusan del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and South Cotabato. 

Lumina Homes Affordable House and Lots

• Anna Rowhouse (24 sqm house on 36 sqm lot with provision for 1 bedroom)
• Angelique Townhouse (35 sqm house on 36 sqm lot with provision for 2 bedrooms and carport)
• Angeli Duplex (42 sqm house on 54 sqm lot with provision for 3 bedrooms and carport)
• Athena Single Firewall (53 sqm house on 63 sqm lot, with provision for 3 bedrooms, family area, and carport)

Owning a house and lot at such a young age should not be an achievement but should be achievable for everyone and Lumina is making that possible. Whether you're retiring or a young professional, you can totally get your dream house with Lumina's affordability. It's never too late or too early to invest in your dream house.

Check them out on Facebook and their website lumina.com.ph