BUYING YOUR OWN ADVICE

A Thought Experiment in Real Estate (and Daydreaming)

The US Powerball—the American equivalent of the Philippine Lottery—has climbed to a staggering USD 1.1 Bn as of December 14, 2025.

But as with all lotteries, the headline number is fiction.

If you actually win and choose the lump-sum payout, after US federal taxes (and assuming you’re in a no-state-tax jurisdiction), what lands in your hands is roughly:

USD 275–340 Mn net or equivalently Php 15–19 Bn

Still absurdly life-changing.

Now let’s be honest: whoever wins this won’t park everything in T-bills. A meaningful chunk will flow into real estate.

So here’s the real exercise—not about money, but about judgment:

Knowing what you know now about markets, cycles, and value—what would you buy, and how much would you allocate?

The Menu of Options

1.⁠ ⁠A legacy mansion in Forbes Park

Estimated range: Php 800 Mn – Php 2+ Bn

(Depending on lot size, frontage, and whether you’re buying old stock or a rebuilt estate.)

2.⁠ ⁠A trophy penthouse in Makati or BGC

Estimated range: Php 250 Mn – Php 600 Mn

3.⁠ ⁠A prime office headquarters for your business

Owner-occupied, brand-defining, long-term optionality. Stop paying rent.

4.⁠ ⁠Secure your children’s future with lots in Dasmariñas Village

Prime, large-cut lots today realistically trade around: Php 500–700 Mn each

5.⁠ ⁠Diversify across multiple pre-selling developments

Longer runway, developer risk, but asymmetric upside if timed well.

6.⁠ ⁠Sit on cash and wait for a market dislocation

For those convinced the real opportunity comes after the next crash.

7.⁠ ⁠Skip the Philippines entirely

Why not allocate capital to a geopolitical safe haven like New Zealand, pairing hard assets with an Investor Visa / residency option—

because optionality matters when you’re thinking generationally.

If capital were no longer a constraint, would you still walk the talk—or would your real-estate views change once you’re the buyer? Would you sell yourself the same story you sell your clients?

[FYI: There is a website that lets Filipinos buy tickets on the US Powerball online (legally). They will buy an official ticket on your behalf from within the US: www.thelotter.com ]