ASEAN IS ONE TONIGHT

We welcome 2016, not just a new year, but a new era for our country and other members of ASEAN. ASEAN is one community tonight.

The ASEAN Economic Community endeavors to become a single market and production base. It will unify the 625 Million people of 10 countries under ASEAN as a single community. ASEAN will be connected thru effective air, sea and land links. Further development of regional connectivity will help people, goods and services flow across the region more quickly and cheaply.

ASEAN identifies professions that are allowed to practice in other ASEAN countries. Small-Medium Enterprises (SME) will become more competitive. Those who are open to ASEAN market can expand operations and acquire office space and industrial properties outside the Philippines.

ASEAN community gives us more opportunities. The free movement of goods, services, skilled labor and capital would require more commercial and residential buildings and other infrastructures.

At the same time, it brings challenges to connect. Bigger, skilled and more advanced real estate practitioners from other ASEAN countries can enter the local market. They need local partners and counterparts.

New era requires new mindset and system. It means old habits and comfort zones should be archived. It is an era where connectivity and excellence is a must.

Happy New Year!   Welcome to ASEAN Community.

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SME and the Valuation Standard

zzq9wVj4_400x400On Tuesday, Nov. 17, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) kicked-off the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Summit 2015, with the theme, “Innovation and Big Ideas: Pushing Boundaries” that aims to challenge the traditional framework and mindset of micro and SMEs to further innovate their businesses.

SME is the engine of growth and innovation in APEC. It comprises over 97 percent of enterprises in the region; over half of the total workforce in APEC member economies; 20 to 50 percent share to GDP; and contributes up to 35 percent of direct exports.

The process of innovation of business requires new mindset and building of credibility of their businesses. The International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) has recognized this demand and considers it critically important to build valuation expertise and capacity through the application of consistent standards and to continue to develop a globally respected valuation profession to apply these standards with the required vigor and coherence. Having uniform valuation standards in place ensures that the environment in which SMEs operate is fair and encourages healthy competition within and across borders.

The global application of clear valuation standards can benefit SMEs and companies of all sizes in a number of ways. Practitioners, alongside their clients, liaise with a variety of third-party organizations, such as banks, grant funders, and other external parties involved in various transactions. In order to meet their expectations and develop meaningful relationships based on mutual trust, the companies need to demonstrate a high level of credibility. The consistent application of fair value measurement implemented by well-qualified valuation practitioners is an important means for achieving this goal.

All parties involved in the business process should be involve in the education on the importance of valuations standards, which, once applied, help companies to operate in a more accountable and transparent way. As such, valuation standards ultimately can improve companies’ reputation and positioning in the marketplace.

PAREB-CESOREB held its first CPD Seminar

PAREB-Cebu South Real Estate Board (PAREB-CESOREB ) successfully held its first Comprehensive Development Program last October 17-18 at Elegant Circle Inn, Cebu City. More than 60 real estate brokers and salespersons participated in the seminar.

Gus Agosto, the President of PAREB-CESOREB, in his speech welcoming the participants highlighted the objective of PAREB-Cesoreb in conducting cpd seminars, “ Pareb- Cesoreb aims to help in raising the bar of real estate professional practice in Cebu.” “Thru seminars, we can produce more and more real estate practitioners who are capable in providing professionalized services to their clients and to the public in general.”

“We learned a lot in the seminar”, one of the participant said. “We are looking for the next set of seminars “, another participant shared.

The two-day seminar were the first set in the series of seminars they will be conducting. The topic of seminars included basic property management, leasing, BIR transactions, business planning, real estate service law and professional ethics.

PAREB-Cesoreb CPD

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Paradise Panglao

Every appraisal assignment gives me an opportunity to visit beautiful places of the neighborhood and nearby tourist spots. This is Panglao island, recognized as one of the premier tourist spot in Central Visayas.

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Took oath anew as Court Commissioner

11150573_1061342033884038_5252473516736476044_nAppraiser Gus took his oath last Friday, September 11, 2015 as one of the Commissioners of a Regional Trial Court in Cebu City. As one of the Commissioner, his duty is to aid the court in determining the exact property affected area and the amount of just compensation to be paid.

“Congratulations to all of you”, the lady judge happily greeted them after the oathtaking ceremony in her office. The other oath-takers were the City Assessor of Carcar, Cebu City and the Clerk of Court.

“I thank the lady-judge and the lawyers who trusted my capacity and chooses me as one of the Commissioner.” Appraiser Gus exclaimed. “With the present composition of Commissioners, the court could render wiser judgment aided by the report of each and everyone of us as Commissioners.”

Appraiser Gus was also chosen as Commissioner by the regional trial court of Lapulapu to determine the fair market value of a property in a dispute. Previously, he also served as an Associate Appraiser in Zonal Revaluation of the BIR Technical Committee in Cebu City.

Metro Manila Appraisal

It was an honor and privilege to be invited by a prestigious and one of the top appraisers company in the land to join their team in appraising property in Metro Manila.

Truly it adds value to my appraisal skills and in running an appraisal company.

Great experience.

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USC held Forum on Entrepreneurship and Management

Appraiser Planner11913087_10205251112898331_1857892936_n Gus Agosto attended the Forum with visiting professors Dr. John Leung from City University of Hongkong and Dr. Brian To from Singapore Management University as speakers. Dr. Leung discussed the topic “Entrepreneurship is Service”, while Dr. Brian To share the topic “Managing Yourself”.

Both professors were distinguished and successful on their own field. Dr. Leung is currently the Director of Executive MBA program, and an Associate Professor of Marketing at City University of Hong Kong. While Dr. Brian To is a Senior Practice Professor of Strategy and Leadership and Senior Wharton Fellow of University of Pennsylvania.

“The more I learn, the more I realize that there are more things I need to learn and discover”, Appraiser Planner Gus said. Gus is also a faculty member of the University of San Carlos.

The forum, organized by the School of Business and Economics, was held last August 24, 2015 in University of San Carlos Downtown Campus.  “The pace of innovation in business are now moving fast, and I want to learn more to provide my clients of top of the line solutions”, Gus ended.

No two properties are alike

marketvaI have a client who asked me if I am using the same appraisal report format in my practice.  I quickly replied no. Why? Real estate properties have different appraised values depending on how you intend to use the appraisal. For instance, valuation for insurance may be very different than the value in the market, estate tax, property resale, or insurance. Other assigned uses include investment, liquidation, price confirmation, equitable distribution, loan collateral, retrospective value and many more.

Qualified and educated appraisers understand the many different types of values, assigned uses, and market condition in an specific area. He or she works with client to choose the proper type of value so that they can use the appraisal correctly and effectively.

Whenever there’s a question about the value of your property, there’s also a risk involved. It may be the risk of selling too low, or of paying too much: the risk of being under or over insured; the risk of not getting your fair share in a division of property; the risk of incurring tax penalties or being audited when calculating estate taxes.

A professional appraiser helps you manage these and other such risks by providing a written opinion of value upon which you can base your financial decisions. Rather than being just an “educated guess”, the professional appraiser’s value conclusions are based upon prescribed methods of valuation, research and report writing.

Bankers, investors, insurers, brokers, trustees, lawyers, judges, government agencies – ALL are dependent upon the knowledge and expertise of the appraisers, and so are you. Too often and too late, people find out that the appraisals they have are inaccurate or misleading, resulting not only in greater risk to themselves, but also a waste of millions out of their pocket.

No two properties are alike, no two appraisals are alike.

Appraisal services with a government institution

Appraiser Gus Agosto has just rendered appraisal services to the University of the Philippines, Cebu Campus. “It is an honor to be awarded a contract and appraised properties of a prestigious institution like U.P.”, Appraiser Gus Agosto shared.

“Government institutions and agencies are good market for real estate appraisers. Appraisers can explore and participate in government bidding and contracts.” he further said.  Last year, he was also part of an appraisal team that provided appraisal services to the Cebu Appraisal Technical Committee on Zonal Valuation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

To succeed, Appraisers should have working knowledge of the Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Act. Every branch or agency of the government through the head of a procurement entity forms a bids and awards committee (BAC) to conduct competitive and transparent purchases by means of public bidding. There are also alternative ways government can make purchases like limited source bidding, direct contracting, negotiated procurement and shopping,

“In winning a government contract, offering the lowest price is not the key. It is knowledge, appraisal experience and excellence in appraisal that matters,” Appraiser Gus ended.

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