Real estate newbie ushers “community feel” concept

CEBU, Philippines - Quality and affordability will be at the forefront of a homegrown real estate industry player’s bid to enterprise into the townhouse and socialized housing projects here in Cebu.

New entrant Heritage Supreme Land Developer, Inc. hopes to attract both investors and private individuals with its “community-feel” development concept where it tries to incorporate education, health and wellness to a housing community.

Heritage broke ground on its latest venture Goldmine Townhouses yesterday at a 2.5-hectare property in Barangay Soong 1, Lapu-Lapu City.

Goldmine is one of the owners’ twin housing projects that Heritage will undertake in the short run, along with the relocation and improvement of its four-story Montessori school situated near the exact location where the proposed townhouses will be built.

Company officials also intend to put up a mid-rise socialized housing or a low cost condominium project within the area that, as architect Vergel Gloria said, would still meet the required standards.

Once the projects will be completed, over 300 units of the townhouses and 93 units of the low cost condo project will be made available to the buyers. The townhouses are seen to be finished in a span of one to two years, Gloria said.

Individual units of Goldmine will take up about 45 square meters and will consist of two levels. As for the socialized housing, units will occupy an area of about 38 square meters.

Given the proximity of the townhouses and condo units to the city center, the airport and the famous resorts of Lapu-Lapu City, Heritage president Charles Lim is optimistic it would not be hard for them to find their spot in the market.

Lim’s wife, Sunshine, who is also the company’s vice president, pointed out that the entire idea revolves around one central theme, and that is to build a community where the basic needs of the residents are met.

The unique blend of education to the usual gated community theme serves as Heritage’s penetration strategy in the bullish real estate market, according to Sunshine.

Sunshine believes that there is a need to fill in the housing demand with a concept that mixes “ambiance and simple living” together and she took pride in sharing that their slogan “Celebrating life’s precious moments” aptly expresses this concept.

The couple’s Santo Niño Mactan Montessori School, that has seen upward trend in enrollment over the past four years of operation, will be moved to the prompt area and will house commercial establishments like a coffee shop or a bookstore at the ground level.         

Aside from the school, a mini-clinic addressing the basic health concerns of residential owners will also be put up as one of the development’s highlights.

Although they have not come up with the initial figures for pricing at the moment, they assured prospective buyers and investors that their rates will stay within reasonable levels.

Meanwhile, more activities in the real estate industry are expected to contribute more growth to the construction sector, following its robust expansion in the first quarter of the year where it tallied a healthy 32.5 percent growth.  (FREEMAN)