ANVIL RIDES THE REAL ESTATE WAVE

Fifty-five members and officers of the Association of Young Filipino-Chinese Entrepreneurs (Anvil Business Club) decided to forego their prized tickets to the Katy Perry concert at the Philippine Arena and, instead, troop to their second home at the Astoria Plaza Hotel to catch a different kind of gig – one that, when done wisely, will reap more financial rewards in the future. This is none other than the "Trends in Philippine Real Estate for 2015" seminar exclusively conducted for the Anvil Business Club by none other than celebrated real estate specialist (and, proudly, one of Anvil's own dynamic members) Carl Dy, as part of the organization's new monthly "Business Workshop Series" aimed to provide deeper value for members.
Amid a jam-packed crowd of eager listeners, Carl Dy shared his invaluable lessons on how to buy, market, and manage rental properties, often infusing his topics based on his real-life, family experiences in the real estate business (think "Lola Theresa," "Auntie Lucy," and "Miguel"). Illustrating complex property development management concepts with such prodigious clarity and simplicity, Carl was able to persuade seemingly incorrigible antagonists against the real estate industry and illuminate absolute novices (such as yours truly) to become congenial disciples of the business.
For many aspiring newcomers in the business, Carl has bequeathed two key "take-home" credos, to wit:
1. Three important lessons learned during the course of traversing the exciting journey in the real estate business: (a) Capital Appreciation, a rise in value of an asset based on a rise in market price; (b) Cash Flow, the movement of money into or out of a business, project, or financial product; and, (c) Leverage, the use of various instruments or borrowed capital to increase the potential return of an investment.
2. The "Greatest Secret" of the wealthy is passive income. You are never too young (or too old) to start property investing. Learn how to utilize bank facilities. Important practices in maximizing passive income include, (a) Locking in the price while offer is still low; (b) Using installment as a way to "force savings;" (c) Leveraging bank loans; (d) Being patient; (e) Buying the goose that lays the golden eggs; and (f) Designing your unit so it stands out among the others.
On the second part of his talk, Carl went on to offer his "bets" on where the next real estate "boom" areas will happen next, based on the concepts he described earlier. These include Studio Units in the heart of Quezon City which can be purchased below Php3.99 million (maximum amount exempt from VAT), using the 10-10-80 scheme of payment; Hotel Property which can be purchased below VAT price; and single detached properties in a central location where expatriates are comfortable.
Despite a two-hour presentation, the much-appreciative (and enlightened) audience seemed not to get enough of Carl, so much so that they lapped up his "6 Steps to Renting Out Your Condo" booklet in a matter of minutes. Indeed, through the masterful session of the great Carl Dy, everyone became a believer.
Carl Dy is the President of Spectrum Investments, a property portfolio management company. He has over a decade of experience in the real estate industry working for property giant Ayala Land as Sales Director of Ayala Land Premier. He is continually building up his property portfolio with an ultimate goal of living on passive income from real estate. An architect by education, Carl has written articles on property investing and has been featured in MoneySense magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, various broadsheets, and in various radio and TV programs including ANC’s On the Money. He owns and manages rental properties in areas like Rockwell, Makati, Ayala Center and Bonifacio Global City. He is also the past president of an upscale condominium corporation in Makati and current homeowner president of a high end residential village in Nuvali.
Kudos to Vice-President for Internal Affairs Hubert Henry Chua and Director for Individual Development Edison Kwong, for organizing this very successful affair.