Best Cities in the Philippines for First-Time Homebuyers

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In real estate, the adage “drive and drive until you qualify” holds true, especially in the case of Metro Manila. As homes in the capital become more expensive, many first-time homebuyers whose work base is either Makati, Bonifacio Global City, or Ortigas Center are looking further afield in search of their dream home.

The good thing is that areas that surround the capital abound with affordable options for these homebuyers. Lamudi Philippines (www.lamudi.com.ph) picked the top cities and towns around Metro Manila for first-time buyers, using five factors to judge the best: market popularity, prices, inventory, and ease of commute to the capital.

1. San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
Average home price: Php495,999
Inventory: 590

Although San Jose Del Monte, situated just north of Quezon City, has been previously known as the government’s go-to site for mass relocation projects, the city is now shedding that image and is fast becoming an economically important city. Big-ticket real estate projects, such as Ayala Land’s Altaraza Town Center, are putting San Jose Del Monte on the map. Homes in the city are still quite affordable, which average Php495,999, and plenty of inventory is available.

Start and End Your Day Informed with Yahoo News Digest

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In this day and age when news travels as fast as the speed of light, the challenge is to keep up without info-overload stress. Yahoo News Digest offers a solution by providing news delivered in digests twice a day, in a beautiful and seamless design. You can even choose from four different editions of the digest – United States, United Kingdom, Canada and International.

Yahoo News Digest offers a compilation of global headlines in the morning and in the evening, with topics ranging from world, politics, technology, science, sports, health, entertainment, odd news and business. As soon as they are notified that the digest is ready, users can scan the summary, as well as read units of information called “Atoms,” which provide context to each story, including maps, infographics, videos, photos and more.

The digest summarizes news from respected sources such as Reuters, BBC, and the Associated Press and supplement it with relevant information -- Wikipedia entries, related tweets, videos and maps. In case users missed some articles, the app provides a countdown to the next digest and an option to go back to previous digests.

The app was created to serve people’s daily need to stay informed about the most important news and events around them. The algorithms, which were developed at Summly, smartly reduce stories to the most fundamental elements and meaningfully combine them with select point of views sourced from around the web. 

Gear Up and Get Ready for an Epic August on DMAX

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This August, gear up and get ready as DMAX premieres five all-new epic series showcasing rare places and rides that will surely dial up your machismo!

EPIC MANCAVE BUILDS follows a motley crew of torch-wielding, adrenaline-soaked fabricators hell-bent on building the most epic mancaves in the world. Metalwork mastermind Brandon Ruff and carpentry wizard Tomas Aguirre head the rough-and-tumble company known as Firemass Metal. Along with their friends, Bryan, Jake, and Nate, team Firemass tears through garages, basements, and unused spaces across the country like a testosterone-infused wrecking ball. They demolish what was there and rebuild their monuments to manhood full of custom creations and mechanical masterpieces. Epic Mancave Builds premieres on Sunday, August 9 at 9 p.m.

Also premiering on August 9 is another show on epic builds! In EPIC BAR BUILDS, follow Aaron Heineman and the Heineman Bar Company team in Chicago as they create the most awesome and unique bars. The team takes on custom projects all over the country: from a home bar in the swamps to an outdoor bar at a hunting lodge. No bar project is too big or too small and they always rise to meet challenges such as a build around a pet alligator, or get a huge commercial bar installed in just a week. Nothing can stop these guys from getting the job done. Epic Bar Builds airs every Sunday, starting on August 9 at 9:50 p.m.