Parrot on a PorchA Journey Toward the Little Mansion Dream

Hmm..this is so tempting and I must say, very timely.  We’re set tomorrow to buy the last big ticket items in our To Buy List for the Little Mansion.  That includes the fridge, water dispenser and washing machine.  I think the husband would also like to look for a digital frame for the living room.  He just likes the functionality of this gadget..being a decorator at the same time, an album.  I heard that there are mall wide sales this weekend so here’s hoping we’ll get to snag some generous discounts or cool deals from our favorite appliance store.

And oh, tomorrow, we’ll transfer some more stuffs to the new home. 

And just like that, our housing loan application has just been placed this morning.  But no, not with Pag-ibig just like I’ve been blogging about but with a bank.  The Seller (who’s our Ninong) suggested that we try inquiring in a certain bank after he got irked by Pag-ibig’s demand for a few extra requirements.  So this morning, we visited the referred bank and after discovering that 1.) we can get approval advise within 5 days 2.) they offer lower interest 3.) maximum term is 25 years 4.) we have all of their required application requirements and 5.) the approximate monthly amortization is within our set budget….without second thoughts, the husband and I agreed to give it a go.  For now, the husband can puff some cigars in nervousness as we have one week to pray for a reasonable appraisal which can consequently lead to a higher approved loanable amount.  We’re keeping our fingers crossed and we’re keeping the faith.

God-willing, LM will be 100% done by the end of the month. Then hopefully, we’ll do the big move within the month of May. As the most awaited moment comes to reality, I can’t help but get a bit emotional as I browse my The Little Mansion Project gallery in my Flickr account. From there, I see how our biggest project so far inch by inch evolved with all the pictures I’ve taken every time we did a site visit. It’s really satisfying and overwhelming..and it makes me more excited each time we see additions and development week by week. I’m also happy that I have this blog to document our journey towards that Little Mansion dream. My blog entries truly chronicle and preserve the special memories that LM brings about. From the time we initiated the plan, made baby steps, to doing ocular inspections of the prospects, monthly site visits, witnessing how they do the roofing and floor tiling, buying household stuffs…of how this little nook transformed from a vacant, plain lot to now a habitual, lovely and homey abode.

The experience and the journey has truly been amazing. And I’m all pumped up to experience more.

Last Holy Week, we took advantage of the work break and we did a general cleaning of our bedroom. We also took the chance to unearth the stashed home appliances and kitchen stuffs that were gifted to us on our wedding a few years ago. We dusted and checked each one of them, take note of the models/specs and see if they were able to withstand the long storage time. We also made a list of the stuffs that we already have as well as created a shopping list for things that we don’t have. The school break is a perfect timing because my MIL permitted us to use the Kinder 2 room to serve as our storage room for Little Mansion stuffs before the big move. Here’s a picture of the husband checking out a rice cooker.

We were also able to buy two major appliances last weekend and as a good online friend coins them, they are Little Mansion’s Easter gifts. We’re really grateful for bonuses and payday loans, they’re indeed a big help in this time that we’re sprucing up the 90% done Little Mansion. (We’re yet to drop by this afternoon at Batasan and check the progress of the house). This is a crucial time for our savings, our credit cards, my paypal, our wallets. Luckily, we’ve been steadily blessed in the past few months so the expenses are not yet wallet draining so far. We do not have monthly amortizations to pay at the moment so it’s still pretty bearable. Speaking of amortizations, that’s what I’ll be busy about this coming week. I’ll be occupied collating loan documents and praying fervently that it’ll get processed and approved the soonest.

This weekend, we’re bound to buy another major item in the Appliance Store. Hopefully, we can get a good deal again just like our aircon and TV purchases last week. It may be hurting our wallets big time but shopping for LM stuffs is actually one of the most exciting parts.

Since the Little Mansion will be finished any time soon, we’re now starting to get on the nitty gritty part of acquiring it (a.k.a. loan application). To recap, we tried to apply it last year initially with the loan purpose “Purchase of lot and construction of house” but we were told that it could not be since the construction permits were all named already to our developer. So that means, we need to have the house construction gets finished first before we can proceed to apply with a loan purpose of “Purchase of House and Lot”.

The husband took a leave from work yesterday so we can attend the Pag-ibig Housing Loan Counseling at Justine Building in Makati which is a requirement when applying for a home loan. We have attended already last August but the seminar has a validity of just 6 months meaning the loan application should be submitted within that time frame. So since we’re yet to submit ours, we have to attend it again. The counseling is just actually a 2-hour orientation where everything an applicant needs to know is discussed. An audio visual presentation will be shown highlighting the eligibility requirements, the loan application procedure and steps. It was also discussed briefly how an approved loan amount is determined from four factors. The amortization components were also explained so topics about home insurance quote, interest rates, the two types of insurance fees included and the upgraded monthly member contribution fee if applicable were mentioned in passing.

It was our second time to attend but we still listened attentively because there are new provisions and changes in the loan program. From 2 million pesos, the maximum loanable amount that Pag-ibig can grant now to a member is 3M plus the interest rate tier was also adjusted. Interest rates have been lowered.

Our approved MSVS (Membership Status Verification Slip) which is the seminar attendance proof will be released after 10 working days. The husband’s Certificate of Employment request is now being facilitated and will be available hopefully by next week. Until then that we can forward all the required documents to our developer for their submission of our loan application to Pag-ibig. We’ll then hope and pray for the best.

By the way, if you’ve stumbled upon my blog from google and should you be attending the Housing Loan Counseling, take note of the following reminders:
1. Be sure to bring a photocopy of your ID for the registration process.
2. Take note of the counseling schedule and please be considerate to arrive on time. Ours should have started at 10 AM but we began 30 minutes later to give way to the influx of latecomers.

Just played with the little one which constitutes my break time too from the puter so here I am, perked up a bit.

Anyway, ready to see how the Little Mansion looks like now?

Woohoo! Almost..almost..done, huh? With the rate of the construction progress, in less than two weeks, perhaps, Little Mansion’s fully accomplished.

1. First coating of paint on the exteriors and interiors
2. All five doors upstairs and three doors on the ground floor were installed. No paint yet.
3. Floor tiling on the ground floor: living room, dining area and kitchen all done.
4. Ongoing installation: kitchen counter, wall tiling and sink installation
5. The T&B upstairs almost done. Toilet bowl installed. Just awaiting for the shower and the sink.
6. Ceiling linings (or whatchamacallit) done too.

We’ve also talked to our “Ninong” Contractor/Developer last Saturday and  he said that we can start processing the loan application since it’s almost finished.  Perhaps, by the time PAG-IBIG does the ocular, Little Mansion’s all made up and 100% done.  So since the validity of the Loan Counselling we’ve attended last year has expired (6 months), we’re set to attend again this coming Friday.  We’re now also preparing the updated pertinent documents so we can submit the loan application package the soonest.  Then we just have to wait and pray for the best.

It’s been just one week since we last visited the Little Mansion but no one can stop us from going there again today. It really is different when you see the progress week by week. Excitement is building up more every time we check it out. The first picture is how the Little Mansion looks like today while the second picture was taken last week:

Huge, huge difference.

Aside from the roofing, other notable development are these:
1. Tiling on the first floor (done on the second floor since last week)
2. Initial paint coating for both level’s walls
3. Placement of door frames

With all the construction and structural terms that I encountered as our Little Mansion is built, I realized that Engineering and Architecture are quite interesting. It never crossed my mind to take up these courses for college simply because Math is my water loo and that I do not possess a pair of artistic hands. Although I fairly did well in my Drafting subjects in High School, I was convinced early on that it’d not gonna be my world.

But now I started to appreciate these two fields every time I see the progress of the house. I’m learning so much, in fact, like the intrinsic looks of a roofing (beyond the ceiling), how the beams and foundation structures are built and so much more. Now that we’re about to prettify the interiors, I know for sure that I’ll get fascinated, too, with the world of Interior Design. I never thought that building your crib can also be educational as this.

Yesterday was our scheduled Little Mansion construction visit at Batasan. Our excitement is really building up now because it’s nearing its completion and perhaps, the finishing will just be done in less than a month. The roof structure and beams have been placed, tiles on the 2F bathroom have been placed as well as the floor tiles on both bedrooms and in the balcony. A portion on the wall of the master’s bedroom has been likewise “holed” for the aircon. Except for some structural revisions on the “roof latching”, everything’s good and passed the expectations of my perfectionist Engineer Dad. Well, it’s his expertise having been working in the Middle East as a structural engineer in one of the biggest firms for about 20 years so I have but the highest respect and regard for his inputs.

God-willing, if the house gets finished before the month ends, we can start working out the loan with PAG-IBIG right away. We didn’t pursue the application before because there was a conflict on the type of loan application (purchase of lot and construction of house) and the construction permits (named after the developer) that time so we just deferred the application..to just wait for the completion then apply the loan as “purchase of house and lot”. This means we have to attend again the PAG-IBIG loan counselling for the second time because the first has only 6 months validity from the attendance date. We’re just fine with it and we’re in no hurry anyway. At least, I get to review the process and the requirements again as well as ask about the insurance inclusion of the loan. I kinda forgot if the husband has to go medical exam like those of no exam life insurance.

We’re also scheduled to start buying home appliances by the 3rd week of this month. We don’t want feel the burden of a “one time” shopping so we’ll buy them one at a time.

We're almost there..woot!

I was reading about social security disability benefits online (I’m impressed how Allsup has helped more than hundred thousands of people receive their entitled Social Security Disability Insurance and Medicare benefits), when our “shopping box” from Boston arrived last Thursday noon. These are the Black Friday loots we shopped through a friend in the US and she sent the box via sea freight. My friends are excited over their pillows and mattresses, toys and apparels for their kids, digital frame while I was all smiles when I saw the pots and pans, towels and Corelle plates bought from Walmart. Yes, our friend’s the expert when it comes to packing.

But guess who’s the most excited to open the box!

These are my loots…so ready to have Little Mansion, huh?