Romancing Monet

As one Filipino senator quipped at last Thursday night's hearing on the very controversial National Broadband Network project, 'I will give you a VIP treatment and not a VOIP treatment' and so today I will also give you (another) VIP treatment with our blog entry. We will continue our Italian Romance. And this time, I will be giving out my 3rd to the last installment of the Courtyards of Portofino model homes.

Let us now romance and immerse ourselves with Monet's characteristics. A Monet home offers you an unhampered view of the scenery that surrounds you, rain or shine, on its grand portico (a porch leading to the entrance of the home). Enjoy more of nature downstairs on your scenic courtyard, which then leads you to different areas in the house, every corner exuding an Italian flair (and not an affair). March to the classy casita (see inset picture of the ground floor), a luxurious resting place for your guests. Tend a little garden in the front yard and complete the puzzle of your dream home. Fabuloso!

Raphael's Vital Statistics

Nope - this is not the one who you think is part of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is Brittany Corporation's one of the four model homes for its Courtyards Portofino in Alabang (SoMA) Muntinlupa City.
Home Specifications :
Total Floor Area : 2,679 sq ft
Min Lot Area : 3,292 sq ft
Min Depth : 194 ft
Min Frontage : 183 ft
Total Contract Price range : from $271,000 - $301,000

I am including in this blog entry a typical ground floor plan so you can vividly see yourself enjoying Raphael's handsome Italian (smooth) features. Call me to know more about your payment plans and how it all adds up to your current mortgage payment. US toll free number is 877 250 8274 (from 7am to 7pm PST).

A closer look at Portofino's Courtyards

Brittany's ultra high end Portofino project in Alabang (SoMA) is divided to 3 sub projects. They are; the Masters Collection (lot area range is from 3,229-8,718 sq ft - floor area range is from 2,960-6,727 sq ft), the Courtyards (lot area range is from 2,411-3,595 sq ft - floor area range is from 2,077-2,798 sq ft) and the Amore (lot area range is from 979-2,583 sq ft - floor area range is from 1,636-2,561 sq ft).

Today we will take a closer look at the 'mid-size' lot cuts - the Courtyards of Portofino homes and lots (price range is from $252,000-$400,000 at Php45=$1).

The particular model that we will use is the Rembrandt (see the inset facade picture above). Rembrandt is the biggest model home for this project (there are 3 other model homes you can choose from). It has a minimum lot area of 3,595 sq ft with a floor area of about 2,798 sq ft. Price is about $293,336. You can choose from inner courtyards or side courtyards. Moreover, Courtyards of Portofino configures the courtyard homes within a bigger central courtyard. This courtyards within a courtyard concept is Brittany's distinctive edge.

This Courtyard project has 6 hectares of 98 courtyard home and lot packages - all situated 5 minutes from the bustling Alabang Business and Recreational Center. A sample ground floor plan and second floor plan of the Rembrandt is on the left inset pictures for your careful evaluation. If you want to know more about it, feel free to call me at my US toll free number at 877 250 8274 (from 7am to 7pm PST). More to come about this lovely Italian Romance.

Tagaytay Crosswinds - Prime Swiss life

US$ Peso exchange rate today: (Indicative rates)
Buying: Php 45.15
Selling : Php 45.70


If I can only imagine myself living in Swiss inspired homes surrounded with the cool breeze of 8,000 Pine trees (and counting!) with rolling landscapes that matches the fantastic view of the surrounding altitude, then here in the Philippines - it can only be one project that has all those fabulous superlatives. Its Britanny Corporation's (extreme) South of Manila (SOMA) Tagaytay Crosswinds.

There are actually 4 projects within the Crosswinds territory. Let us briefly look at each one of them.

Deux Pointe, its Britanny's answer to the growing demand for Swiss homes. I think the growing nurse ofw's who are working in the alps has just been given some intimate attention by Britanny's developers.

Pine Grove, if you want to build your custom homes then this is where you should buy your space. A Gourment Village is soon to rise at this specific enclave.

The Grand Quartier. They didn't call it Grand for no reason at all. It is your prime, top of the foodchain mid rise condominum nestled on the crest of Crosswinds' rolling hills. If you want a perfect view of the 3 other projects, then a unit at this condo is best suited for you. (by the way, as of this writing - units are selling like crazy. They have also built the building already which means that the hand over date is just around the corner)

The Swiss Quadrilles. Its Britanny's version of a back to back duplex. Value for your money at one of Tagaytay's most exclusive masterplanned communities.

On my next posts we will take a more closer look (I am sure my readers want some pricing details too) at each of these 4 projects within the Crosswinds project.

26 Best Developments to Live in the Philippines (3rd of a 4 part series)

US$ Peso exchange rate today: (Indicative rates)
Buying: Php 45.45
Selling : Php 46.00

Take a tip - your $ has been steadily increasing in its value again. After the election and SONA of GMA - it looks like things are beginning to become 'normal' again. And don't look where the stock market is headed...

Now to continue our list of the 26 Best Developments to Live in the Philippines.

17. La Posada (Loc : Sucat Paranaque, Theme : Neo Victorian - like San Fran homes, Pricing :$178,000 - $345,000). Notes... A clubhouse with a full view of Laguna Lake. This is one of Brittany's flagship projects.

18. Courtyards of Portofino (Loc : Las Pinas - Cavite - Laguna - Muntinlupa link road, Theme : Italian Community, Pricing : $206,700 - $600,000) Yup its not a typo error, homes are pricey. This is the place to be if you want elegance and exclusivity. I will be posting some pictures in my upcoming posts. Portofino is conveniently located South of Manila (SOMA), it is also a flagship project of Britanny Corporation's high end communities.

19. Pelham Quadruplexes at The Legacy, Montgomery (Loc : E Rodriguez Sr. Ave Quezon City, Pricing : $238,000 - $272,000) This project by Ayala has units designed for big families. Each 3 storey unit has at least 1,937 sq ft. With 4 bedrooms, a maid's area 3 t & b's. It is only 15 minutes to Greenhills Shopping Area - one of the best places to shop in Manila.

20. Victorianne (Loc : Sucat Paranaque City, View : Laguna Bay, Pricing : $138,000 - $149,000). Inpired by the infamous SF 'postcard row.' It is strategically located between Makati and Alabang and have the Laguna Bay as its backdrop. Conveniently located South of Manila (SOMA), and is another flagship project of Britanny Corporation.

My dear readers, on the last part of this series (# 20-26 of the list) you will get to know the best places to live in Cavite, Batangas and all the way up to Bataan. Now you have the idea and certainly you can make a well informed decision where to invest your hard earned buck here in the Philippines with the help of your lens to the Philippine Real Estate - your South of Manila Real Estate Blogger (SOMAREB).

Brittany Corporation flexes its financial muscles

It's the 4th of july weekend over in US and everybody is on a travel mode once again. The Feds have decided to maintain federal funds rate (the rate that banks charge each other) at 5.25%, where it has been pegged for the last year.

Over here in our backyard, a mutiny leader has been proclaimed as 1 of the country's senator, not once but TWICE! And the 12th spot is been hotly contested between a son of a current senator and a congressman from Bukidnon in Mindanao.

For those watching how your hard earned dollars will fare at the exchange for the last 6 months of the 2007, our Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has estimated that the range would be around Php47-Php48 to a dollar. As I write this post, we are doing Php46.20 to a dollar, meaning things will be better for you (and our exporters) by a peso and fifty centavos by the time I hear kids sing Christmas carols in front of my home.

Before I eat my sinangag and tuyo with 3 in 1 coffee, I would like to briefly write about how Brittany Corporation plans to solidify its hold on being the largest property developer (at least geographically). First they drummed up news on their impending IPO. Then just last week they announced how their share prices were accepted very warmly by the public. Now, its the 3rd installment of my being the 'lensmaster' for my kababayans there working for Uncle Sam (as well as our relatives working in the Middle East) - Brittany Corporation's holding group, Vista Land has set aside 7B pesos in the next 2 years to fast track all its property developments outside Metro Manila - yes my dear igans, including our blog place of interest the south of Manila Real Estate (Somare). This announcement has been made by no less than Vista Land's CEO, Jing Serrano.

Here are some of the places that will see major property development from Brittany Corporation; Angeles, San Fernando in Pampanga, Baliuag in Bulacan, Batangas City, CDO, Cebu City and Davao.

I will keep you posted as Brittany Corporation flexes its financial muscle in the coming months - now let me go back to my sinangag, tuyo and 3 in 1 coffee. Happy 4th of July!

We are getting there...

Today as I opened my virtual world, a couple of things came to my attention. First, I got an email notifying me that someone actually commented on this blog - I was so ecstatic only to find out that ... the guy's language was totally french (or something). I don't have anything against them actually but some sense of uniformity is already in place here. Surely, my valued audience (that is you my dear) would appreciate reading simple english and or a few tagalogs (since this is a Pinoy site) and not some tongue twisting stuff. So to that fellow writer who posted a comment, I just had to moderate that one and keep it away for good.

The other item that I wanted to inform everyone is actually a modest milestone for this Real estate blogsite. Technorati is a site that has a daily traffic of about ... a million. Its actually a site that monitors blogsites and nothing more. And here is the good news, if you actually type in the search bar Brittany Corporation, this site (www.somareb.blogspot.com) will come out as the 3rd or 4th (its a daily random phenomenon) place in the search engine results (SER). Beautiful. Just shows that we are getting some great online ranking.

Let's not forget though, this blog is for you my fellow homo sapiens and not for these search engine robots.

Cheers. (here is the link where the Somareb blogsite comes up)

http://technorati.com/posts/tag/Brittany+Corporation

SoMaREB

Just spend 5 minutes sifting through Google and Technorati looking for your topic of interest and you will be buried neck deep with all kinds of information - both useful and most often - garbage. It is my dedication to the Philippine Real Estate online community to make my blog site as search engine friendly as possible (isn't that everybody's online responsibility?). And at the same time keep humans in mind when writing - the search engines only a close second.

If you have any suggestions on how to get better SEO, be my guest and comment away. Cheers!

Pay it forward

Having your own Mission - Vision statement in life can be very difficult to come up with. However, when you are plugged in to what is happening around you, when your inner conscience and awareness is open to life's realities, you will be able to also be connected to what you really want to strive for and be remembered for in your life (vision). Now how you will get to that state in your life by what you continuously do everyday (mission) will come out naturally. Having said that, the economic benefits of the author's Real estate engagements will be 'forwarded' to local families in his community - still in the South of Manila (SoMa). It will also be highly appreciated if you will be able to suggest any deserving community that can benefit from such RE transactions of the author. Rest assured that utmost confidentiality will be strictly observed.
Take a tip - Pay it forward.

South of Manila Communities

Building communities one after another - that is how I describe Brittany Corporation's mission these times. Itallian? Swiss? American South? Bay area? Caribbean? Its all here. When you visit their sites, you will be awed by the distinct feeling each community project will give you. Next post I will be starting to blog away their Italian community - the Portofino. Watch out for it...

Why Brittany

I totally buy the idea of master planned theme estates. It just shows you the dedication of the developer to put in money where their mouth is. In this "developing" country status, Brittany continues to lead the way (to be a maverick developer), to be innovative and to create the "finer" things in life. Indeed, the author has set his sights on one of the project that Brittany is developing - south of Manila. Where? you will soon know :)

What to Expect

Hello online world! As I sit on my favorite portion of the house, I will be regularly writing with passion and soulful content on topics that will include mainly Real estate and Filipino recipes - nothing more. If you are expecting musings, forget it. If you don't like that combination either, well this blog ain't for your eyeballs. And hey you can even call my attention if I am veering away from this declared mission of mine. You can only expect bite sized postings of all Brittany Real Estate South of Manila Projects sprinkled with posts of rich Filipino recipes. If you couldn't help contributing your own secret Filipino recipe or your version of that delectable sisig - then yes you are welcome to blog away with me.

Lastly, no advertisements on this blog too.