Bel-Air Residences rises in Lipa

MANILA, Philippines - Lipa City, a first class city in the province of Batangas, is now home to Bel-Air Residences, one of the more prominent housing developments in the area which has caught the fancy of those who want a good and sustainable lifestyle.

“Bel-Air Residences is a 14-hectare subdivision right in the heart of the city. Its prices range from P1.5 million to a little over P3 million… it’s a middle end for provincial settlers so we are targeting entrepreneurs, professionals, OFWs, and those who want to live a comfortable life away from the bustle of the metropolis,” says George Siy, director of Convergence Realty and Development Corp., the developer of Bel-Air Residences.

The project’s main draw is its proximity to the business centers, recreational hubs, religious and industrial sites, and educational establishments like De La Salle University, the San Sebastian Cathedral (seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa), Mabini Academy, which was founded in 1922, the Carmelite Convent, Robinson’s Place Lipa Mall, Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club, Summit Point Golf and Country Club and SM City Lipa Mall.

“Within the two-kilometer radius of our project are 18 schools and universities. This project is of such good value, the location is 15-minute walk away from the mall, 10-minute from the city hall, very close to public and private schools including Kolehiyo ng Lipa.   Malarayat Golf Club is just down the same street; hospitals are five minutes away. It so good for retirees as well because they don’t have the distraction of the city, it’s like a university town where everybody is almost familiar with everybody,” Siy adds.

He stresses that what makes this project unique and even better than other developments is the fact that Lipa City is a business center but remains bucolic and resort-like, making it even better than Tagaytay.

Before taking on this project, Siy made sure he was on the right track. What he did was made a survey and an extensive feasibility studies not only on the location but also on his potential market

“If we look at it, the Philippines is undergoing so much restructuring in a sense that so many people are becoming OFWs and when they come back, they don’t want to return to where they started. Usually when they go abroad and return they fear that they will return to where they started but after working for about six years or so, they realize they don’t want to go back to where they started. They look for a new lifestyle, which is normally not available from where they came. And we feel that if they will be given a choice, Lipa is one the best options they can have in Luzon.”

One thing he discovered is that a lot of people from Lipa  are working in Europe, particularly in Italy. They are the ones who want to live happily when they return from a long and tedious “vacation” in Europe.

“If you acquire properties in the city you may have to contend with the prices but if you’re purchasing outside the city like the speculative properties or those for end users, there has never been a better time than now and everybody should consider it, because never has interest rates been that low for the Philippines, never have the loans been allowed for such a long period here in the country and because of the worldwide recessions except in the Philippines, that means the prices are fixed now, which used to go up every year but not for a long time now so these combinations mixed together, then look for an affordable property. But if you wait till later, and the economy booms again, every thing will go up too, including interest rates,” he notes.

“Because of these reasons, considering the development is southwards, we’ll continue what everybody does, build not only quality houses with complete amenities and facilities but build a community that will be occupied by people who are yearning for better dwelling paces,” Siy adds.

For more information about Bel-Air Residences Lipa call 0922-8733060 / (043)7574210 or visit www.belairresidenceslipa.com.