​A few months ago, I made friends with this beautiful, down to earth, and free-spirited young lady from a neighboring town. She seems to be enjoying her youth, going for local travels, and trying out restaurants with her family and friends. She is also jauntily committed to her new interest in vlogging. Pretty interesting! Sana all! -as I would jokingly tell her all the time. Who wouldn’t love a life like that? She’s probably got almost everything people her age would want.
In the Perspective of a Young Professional;
Investing in Real Estate at 23
As a young professional, how did your background (work and studies) influence your decision to invest early?
I don’t want this article to sound boastful of her life’s “little” achievements, as she calls it, nor be a comparison of how your life should be. I believe that we all have our phasing - there’s no rush on things. But appreciating someone else’s achievements and picking up a few learnings on their experience wouldn’t be bad, would it?
I assume everyone would agree that we don’t have the same backgrounds. Some have everything they wanted even before they knew they wanted it; some had to thrive hard to achieve it. Some may have better head starts than others, right? In this article, let's get ambitious and challenge ourselves to make a move and get to our goals.
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a real estate investor at 23, Ann Christine Chua is what we call a Millennial investor. Let’s take a glimpse at her journey and get insightful ideas on how to start planning for life today.
Can you give us an idea of your investment?
My investment is house and lot bought in pre-selling stage. It is a two-storey house with two bedrooms, toilet and bath, spacious living room, kitchen, and dining area. It is a single attached house with a lot area of 63 sqm. - big enough to have a pocket garden of my own in the backyard.
As a young professional, how did your background (work and studies) influence your decision to invest early?
It’s more of how my childhood shaped me to think like how I do right now. I grew up exposed to doing business as my mother is an entrepreneur. We own a few small businesses, and yet, I can’t say we have more than enough. My mother would find it hard to manage the family and business finances. This, and my father’s work as a seaman were the family’s income sources. For some reason, people might think we lived extravagantly. As much as I would want that, we didn’t have much money for extra things (e.g. renovating our house, buying a personal car).
“I dreamt for our family to have a nice house and a car for convenience and comfort, but we couldn’t have these (at that time).”
When I went to college, I made sure to take up a business-related degree to have a better position in terms of financial literacy. More so, when I started working as a Certified Public Accountant, I became more aware of the things I can control in my finances. It didn’t just give me the knowledge on how to handle expenses, it awakened my interest in investment. All these made me decide to take the ride earlier in real estate.
What made you choose real estate as the investment vehicle for you?
When I was still in college, I was introduced to investment. I got curious about it which was easily supplemented with substantial information due to the internet. After researching on it, I came across real estate. I said to myself, “maybe I can have one when I get a job”. So, when I landed on my first job, I wanted to get started with it (investment) right away. However, I can’t invest just like that! It’s a thorough process of understanding the kind of investments to choose from. For my first investment, it must be safe. I figured real estate is a resilient investment, even during this time. That made me choose real estate among the many other investments present. Its value appreciates over time, which makes it a good source of passive income, stable cash flow, and some more tax advantages. With these, I can increase my financial liquidity.
Can you tell us why you chose Lessandra Bogo for that matter?
I have three reasons why Lessandra Bogo when there are many other developers. First, it’s in Bogo City which makes a good home as it is a developed city in Northern Cebu. Second, the subdivision is inside the economic zone of Bogo City. It will allow me to leverage on the developments in the area and its neighboring towns. Lastly, Lessandra Bogo offers quality and affordable house and lot. I can't miss this chance of owning a home in Lessandra! That would be a loss for me!
How was your experience in your first real estate investment with Lessandra?
It was a smooth transaction despite having it in a non-traditional way. The online reservation and payment options of Lessandra Bogo made the transaction safe, convenient, cost-saving, and hassle-free. I didn’t have to go to their office to do the whole process. I am thankful it went like that because it isn't safe to go out due to Covid-19. Also, my gratitude goes to the broker who patiently and diligently guided me, and for the marketing officer who was approachable and accommodating with my concerns.
Visit Lessandra Project Listings for more information about the affordable house and lots nationwide, the Lessandra Guides and FAQs to find out how to buy a house and lot in the Philippines.
Your house and lot’s worth as of today is P1,899,000.00 from P1,817,000.00. How does that make you feel?
This is shocking to me. It’s not like I wasn’t expecting it, but I didn’t think it would increase its value this fast. I am reassured of my investment! My house isn’t built yet, but I already have gained from it! I can only imagine how expensive my property would be in two years. I always knew, even if others saw my investment a bit ambitious, or irrelevant to them, that it would be a success. This should prove them wrong as it proves to me that I did the right thing. After all, I’m sure they would also want the same thing in the future.
Did you have to make any adjustments after investing?
I made a few adjustments in my lifestyle, to be honest. I’d like to say I’m wiser now with my spending. I only buy the things that are necessary or are badly needed in my work. I’m keeping an eye in my cash outflow now that I already have my investment in real estate.
Any piece of advice to young professionals like you who are yet to invest?
Be wise in spending money and make sure that you are investing in the right asset. It should be worth your time, effort, and money. If you find the opportunity to invest now, do it. Hindrances may come along the way, like financial incapacity. Don’t let this stop you, instead, find good ways and look for resources. Make something happen now that your future self will be thankful of.
Be like the ants that chose to struggle on a sunny day to have more on the rainy days. Your investment may not be so impactful now, but in the future, it will be.
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Contrary to the common perception of Millennials being naïve and undecided in life, there are actually those who thrive hard and plan out for their future. It won’t hurt to break a few stereotypes of this generation just like how Ann did. And like I said earlier, do it in your own phase. It doesn’t have to be as early as Ann’s or anyone else’s but it has to be early as you can. Challenges will be part of the journey, yes, but doesn’t it make everything a little more fun and exciting? Focus on your goal and be on track to act on it!
Be inspired and get ready to leap on opportunities that would help you grow what you have now for a better tomorrow. Be bold, be ambitious, and be proactive! Decide now! Check out Anne’s house and lot for some inspiration at lessandra.com.ph now! You might like the same exact house or fall in love with other affordable yet beautifully designed houses.