Is a condominium a good investment?

By Francisco J. Colayco, Ph.D

QUESTION:

Moving towards financial stability that I learned from your books, I'm thinking of purchasing a condominium unit, because not only it's much cheaper compared to a regular house and lot (here in Metro Manila), it also allows you to choose one that's near your work.

However, I have these questions that make me skeptical. Is it a good investment? I mean, will the unit value appreciate over time? Will it be the same with the other unit of the same size or will it differ base on the location. Is it the higher the floor the better, or vice versa?

I know that you have a title and all, but is it also true that it will be demolished after 50 years? If so, what happens to your property?

My impression is like this; the floor you're stepping is the roof of another people. Just like the wall you have, you're sharing it with someone else. It's like the ownership is really not established. What happens in case of fire and the building (God forbid) turns to dust? Do you still own anything? I've asked these questions to real estate agents but they can't give me any straight answers.

REPLY:

You can check out the Condominium Act to answer your questions on how a condominium is to be built and operated.

If you are buying real estate to establish your home, your parameters should be more focused on what is most convenient for yourself and your family. As a home, it should not be looked at as a financial investment. Rather, it should be considered as a life goal. However, if you just want to invest, please make sure that you have carefully analyzed a real estate investment versus other investment options based on your personal financial plan.

If you definitely want to just invest in real estate, choosing between a condominium and a house and lot would use the same parameters in analyzing its financial viability. Here are some of them.

Location which includes convenience and attractiveness of neighborhood and security.
Reputation for quality of development of the builder (this is particularly true for condominiums which are high-rise)
Rules of the association governing the neighborhood and costs in relation to this association
Your ability to maintain all amortization and maintenance (association, repair, taxes) payments.

More on condominiums in the next column.