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Buying a house or condominium unit usually ranks as one of the top goals for most women. It may be our natural nesting instinct, or the fact that most financial advisers include investing in property as a major step in achieving financial independence.  We are driven by the desire to give their families the best, and to have a place we can call our own where we can unwind and be completely ourselves.

However, investing in real estate is no simple matter. There are many factors to consider—from choosing a location, to deciding whether to buy an existing house or to build one’s own, to selecting the features a home should have, and to figuring out how to finance the purchase. The sheer number of developments and range of projects can be confusing and overwhelming, and the fact that this will be a major purchase adds a degree of pressure to make the right decision.

 

To ease the process for prospective buyers, leading property developer Ayala Land has set up a website called www.atayala.com which features an Interactive Spotlight, a collection of mini-series that provide tips, events, promotions, and company updates; the Property Finder and Compare Homes sections, which allow the viewer to evaluate the various Ayala Land projects using various parameters; and a Philippine News & Lifestyle Section, which has regular updates on economic and lifestyle news in the country.

The site is currently highlighting its first mini-series, a useful 4-step guide to buying a new home. These steps are meant to demystify the process and take the stress out of finding your dream home:

1. Find. Decide what kind of property you want to buy. This includes a host of factors, some practical and some ideal: do you want the convenience of a condominium or the breadth of a standalone home? A prestigious address in the heart of the city or a laid back suburban retreat on the outskirts? How much can you afford to spend? Your answers will narrow down your options, and you can use Ayala Land’s Property Finder to make your selections based on project type, price range, and location. Shortlist your projects, taking note of the key features, so you can be more detailed when you proceed to the next step. It might be helpful to add your own list of variables, such as proximity to schools, availability of amenities, and accessibility to malls and service areas, which you can find in the pages for each of the projects.

2. Compare. After building your shortlist, you can compare various developments to see which fits you best in terms of budget, lifestyle, and taste. The click-and-compare interface of the site allows you to compare up to four projects at a time, with a focus on features such as price, location, and amenities. If you’re ready to go tripping, you can print out the sheet and take it with you.

3. Consult. Make a more detailed inspection of your finalists with the help of the company’s various property specialists. A 24/7 toll-free number is available for phone consultations, you can email them questions, or even drop by the site to view the project and learn more about it. In this step, you should be able to ask about the nitty gritty: what payment schemes are available, how to choose the best scheme to suit your finances, what requirements are needed, and what channels you can avail of for financing. The website makes it particularly easy for those abroad to access information, so you can involve other members of your family, such as the breadwinner assigned overseas, to be an important part of the buying process.

4. Reserve. You may be surprised to learn that along with everything else that can be done online, reserving your home is now possible with the click of a button. Once you’ve decided  on your future home, you can take it off the market with the site’s Reserve Online feature. The reservation fee will depend on the development you’ve chosen, but you can choose from various payment methods: cash, wire transfer, remittance centers, or credit.

 

 

 

 

With all the typhoons wreaking havoc and more brewing on the horizon, finding spare funds to help with ongoing relief efforts is becoming a little difficult. You want to help but don’t know where to start, hard up for cash as you already are. Don’t sweat it—dipping into your coffers isn’t the only way you can be of assistance. Here are a few suggestions for going the way of charity—without going broke.

1.Volunteer. The most inexpensive thing you can offer is your time—in fact, it’s free! Sign up at your local Red Cross or volunteer organization for a few hours a week. Many charities are understaffed and would benefit greatly from an extra pair of hands. Your duties will probably include sorting and packing goods, serving food, and occasionally chauffering for field deliveries. More time spent on such activities and less on your couch will broaden your world and help more people than you can imagine. To volunteer at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) click here.

Watch Rock Ed volunteers in action at the DSWD by clicking here.

2. Give away. Learn to let go—your house is full of things that other people need much more than you do. Comb the premises for old furniture, books, cellphones, trinkets, and the like—these can be used directly by the victims themselves or restored and resold for charitable fundraising. When you buy your groceries, put away that extra can of tuna or box of crackers for the community center. And of course, turn to your closet—you really don’t use half the clothes you own, if you think about it. Click on these sites to find out where you can send relief goods:

WE International Philippines

The Angel Brigade

Work Wardrobe Rescue Relief 

 
3. Be the venue. You might not have the resources to organize a full-out fundraiser—but you’ve got a place, haven’t you? Let your humble abode be the venue for planning sessions and all-night meetings; even a fundraising mini-bazaar, should the opportunity arise. This will help you save on exorbitant rental fees and centralize your recruiting system. You know what they say—there’s no place like home.

4. Surf the web. Charity is just a click away! Be a dot-com do-gooder with these free online solutions.

Good Search. Use Good Search as your Internet search engine of choice. It gives you as many comprehensive results as any other search engine, and for a good cause, too! Every time you do a web search, Good Search donates 1 cent to a charity you’ve previously specified. This might seem like an insignificant amount, but when you think about all the things you Google in a day the coinage really adds up. Visit goodsearch.com for more details.

Freerice.org. Quiz show fans will love this idea. Freerice.org is a non-profit website run by the UN World Food Program with two distinct goals: to provide free education to everyone and to help end world hunger. All you have to do is answer a series of simple multiple-choice questions—on any topic, from spelling to science to math. For every correct answer, the website donates 10 grains of rice to the World Food Program—and you can keep going for as long as you want. You’ll brush up on some schooling and feed the hungry at the same time.

Clicking. It’s as literal as it sounds. You can donate money to a participating charity’s website by clicking on the ads posted therein. The respective advertising company “sponsors your click,” that is, part of the profit they receive from your click is earmarked for charitable causes. This way, you give away cash without spending a centavo. Go to www.charityclickdonation.com.

In a country where the female workforce is steadily outpacing the number of men in the business world, Pinays have a unique opportunity to excel and be recognized, no matter what industry they are in. Holding strong in more traditional careers such as those involved in education and retail, women are also rising to executive positions that were once deemed out of reach beyond the glass ceiling.

Career-driven Pinays are now faced with more prospects than ever before, and many balance productive work lives with meaningful personal pursuits. Mind these tips while you climb the corporate ladder and you may just find that it is possible to have it all.