Future Home – Riverfront Residences, Pasig (Part 1-The Story)

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD…”

About half a year ago, Nina and I saw this flyer about a 5-storey condominium complex in Pasig. It was right smack where we were planning to live – halfway between my work and the Ateneo, where we plan Matt to go to school in the future. It had nice floor plans. I particularly liked it that every unit had a balcony.

A balcony! I always wanted us to have a condo unit with a balcony. I typically imagine lazy afternoons just putting up your feet on a chair, the calm winds blowing through, me having a book to read or just plain lounging around with Nina and Matt by my side, themselves enjoying the afternoon at the balcony. And of course, the view! (Well, the unit has to be well-situated for that.)

But early on, we though that that place was inaccessible – where you need to have a car since it would be far off from public transportation. And back then, I didn’t think I’d be able to afford the down payment.

So, whenever we would see the same flyer, I’d just kid about it and be excited and just dream that we find a similar property when finances would be manageable.

“…plans for your welfare…”

December 2007 entered so unexpectedly. Everything was in a rush! But, there was good news to be had for the Christmas season. My mom in Australia decided to give me a little financial boost. This paved the way for me and Nina to think whether to buy a car or to look for our own little place.

We were so sold into getting a new car for our little family to move around the city more freely when…

“…not for woe…”

It’s funny how God chooses to speak to you through other people. We were at a business lunch meeting at a restaurant near the Domestic Airport when I got to discuss plans with a young father (who happened to be a schoolmate, but belonged to a much younger batch).I asked him if he was also thinking of getting his own car. He said no, and that his priorities are to get his family their own place (they live with parents like me and my family.

Nina was right all along. She had also been expressing her frustration in living in her mom’s house for long and that we needed our own place so that we have control over everything in the house. Besides, a car’s value would only diminish through time, and it will be a source of regular expenses due to maintenance and gasoline.

But where do we go from here?…

“…Plans to give you a future…”

God also chose to guide us in a chance encounter between Nina and our would-be agent, Jhen. Nina and Matt were about to go home from a trip to SM Sucat when they saw the small selling space of DMCI Homes. Jhen was also about to leave, but decided to stay, or for some reason, was kept from leaving about an hour earlier. There, Nina saw Riverfront Residences, the condo community we were drooling over for months and almost gave up on!

The clincher? Remember we thought it to be inaccessible? Nina asked about it from Jhen and Jhen said that right outside the gate, a jeepney passes by! Turns out this jeep will lead you towards the main road where you can ride up to Quiapo! I can take it to ride the MRT at Shaw station or take a cab at C-5.

That chance encounter turned into a tripping on a Saturday, just after our wedding anniversary.

“…full of hope. – Jer 29:11″

Needless to say, we liked what we saw:

We reserved a 2-bedroom unit on the third floor of the Rhine* Building, with a balcony looking out into the narrow space between 2 buildings and glimpses the clubhouse and amenities area.

*all the buildings are named after rivers, funny how our unit turned out to be in the building of a German river!

And we trust DMCI Homes in the way that they’ve packaged and presented this community. In this development, they expect families to live in all the units, not merely rented out for investment. So we knew then and there that this will be a family-friendly place.

On our way back from the tripping to the site (looking for an ATM to pay the reservation fee because it IS selling like hotcakes!), we saw the verse on top of the gate of Rizal High School:

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope. – Jeremiah 29:11″

We knew God is calling us out of our Egypt and into a Promised Land!

(that’s why we can never get a unit in the Nile building… wink wink)