Shajai Jacob, CEO – GCC, ANAROCK Property Consultants

  • Regulations for property acquisitions by NRIs
  • Returns on investment in different real estate asset classes
  • Documentation, home loans, tax implications compliances
  • Best cities and micro-markets in which to invest 

Whether the real estate market remains bullish or bearish, NRIs prefer a place back in India – not just for investment returns but also to remain rooted in their country of origin.

Previously, NRIs (like most other buyers and investors) had every reason to be leery of the Indian real estate market. Today, game-changing policies like RERA and GST have now boosted confidence and transparency and streamlined the property-buying process for NRIs.

This has begun fuelling new NRI investments into the Indian property market. The fact that the rupee value against dollar depreciated in 2018 was also a sound reason for NRIs to view Indian real estate more favourably.

And, of course, developers have been offering substantial freebies and even discounts, apart from interesting payment plans, to draw NRIs as well as domestic buyers to their projects.

Anuj Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Property Consultants

This is, without doubt, a very favourable market for homebuyers looking to purchase properties for their own use. One of the obvious reasons is the abundance of options in all categories of housing to pick from.

Also, property rates have reduced considerably across cities. Nevertheless, many fence-sitting buyers still hope for further corrections.

There may still be scope for some marginal rate corrections in certain depressed markets – but as we often say in the industry, timing the market is a game only investors should play. There are no guarantees for when, where and even if corrections will occur.

Certainly, a whole country’s real estate market does not witness synchronized corrections like on the stock market, where everyone is affected simultaneously and to the same extent.

For genuine homebuyers who recognize a good thing when they see it and can call it good enough, it has certainly never been a better time.

The Government has also provided several incentives for first-time homebuyers, especially in the budget homes category, and developers are rolling out year-round attractions in their keenness to close transactions.

Santhosh Kumar, Vice Chairman – ANAROCK Property Consultants

  • Don’t expect all available options to be available online
  • The ‘hidden’ costs of renting a home
  • The elements of a sound rental agreement

The Government’s much-touted aim to deliver Housing for All by 2022 may not have met with spectacular success in terms of on-ground deployment, but it was certainly a very effective electoral promise. Housing is a sensitive subject in India, precisely because so many people don’t have it. Such an electoral promise was bound to draw attention – and hope.

Providing a self-owned home to every Indian household in the promised timeline seems unlikely. Building enough dedicated rental housing and backing it with a sound rental housing policy could have brought this electoral promise closer to its goal. However, there has been little progress on this front beyond the discussion stage, either.

While a large number of Indians do hope to live in self-owned homes someday, renting homes is still the default option for many. For some, rental housing is seen as a temporary measure until the dream of homeownership is fulfilled.

Anuj Puri

  • MMR, Pune, Bengaluru & Chennai accounted for 76% of the new supply
  • MMR saw max. jump in buys with 16% increase, NCR & Hyderabad lowest with 2% increase
  • Overall unsold housing inventory reduced by 2%

As anticipated, the real estate market across the top 7 cities in Q3 2018 stayed subdued. The quarter saw a meagre 3% increase in the overall fresh housing supply as against the preceding quarter.

These new launches were largely dominated by the lower-budget segment (< Rs. 40 lakh) with nearly 42% of the total new supply. 33% launches were in the mid segment (Rs. 40-80 lakh) and the remaining 25% in the luxury and ultra-luxury segments.

The third quarter of the year is usually a lull period due to the 15-day shraddh period, which is considered inauspicious for buying property. Consequently, builders keep new projects on hold for the ensuing festive season beginning early October.

In terms of purchases, there was a slight increase of 9% during the Q3 as compared to Q2 2018 across the top 7 cities of India.

PRESS RELEASE

80% Of Navi Mumbai Launches Affordable-To-Mid-Segment – ANAROCK-CREDAI Report

  • Housing sales have exceeded launches in the past two years
  • At 36,400 units, Navi Mumbai has only 15% of MMR’s overall unsold supply
  • Navi Mumbai ranks 2nd in Ease of Living out of 111 cities, surpassing Greater Mumbai & Thane

Navi Mumbai, 5 October 2018: Nearly 80% of the overall residential project launches in Navi Mumbai from 2013 to H1 2018 are in the affordable (< INR 40 Lakh) and mid-segment (INR 40 Lakh – INR 80 Lakh) budget range, states a report by ANAROCK Property Consultants and CREDAI.

The report ‘Navi Mumbai – City of Possibilities‘ was released at the Capital Connect event organized by CREDAI BANM in Vashi, Navi Mumbai today.

Anuj PuriAnuj Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Property Consultants says, “If we focus on the unsold inventory, it emerges that Navi Mumbai has a mere 15% of the overall pent-up housing stock in MMR.

Prashant ThakurPrashant Thakur, Head – Research, ANAROCK Property Consultants 

Ambernath, a well-developed industrial micro market of Thane district, is famous for the wealth of medium-to-large scale industries in its purview.

The locality is bisected into east and west sections by the central suburb railway line that starts from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and passes via Thane, Kalyan and ends at Khopoli.

Ambernath’s growth took off when the Government established a large Ordinance factory (OFA) and a Machine Prototype Factory (MPF) here. These industries prompted residential real estate developments and also encouraged other medium-to-large scale industries to establish their manufacturing base in the city.

With the rapid industrialization of Ambernath-Badlapur MIDC area and the excellent central railway line connectivity between Thane, Kalyan and Ulhasnagar, working professionals of these micro markets see Ambernath as an affordable option to meet their housing needs. Thus, Ambernath is transforming into one of the major affordable housing destinations of MMR.

Connectivity

  • Road: Ambernath has an excellent connectivity to Kalyan via Maharashtra SH 80 and Thane via NH 160. It is connected to Pune via Bengaluru –

Panoramic_view_of_Greater_Noida

Santhosh KumarSanthosh Kumar, Vice Chairman – ANAROCK Property Consultants

Real estate is a dynamic industry where things can change from year to year and even from quarter to quarter. The Indian real estate market has certainly been in flux after the recent policy upheavals. As such, investment decisions must necessarily move with the times.

Here are 2018’s top-ranking real estate investment hotspots in West and North India.

West India

Beyond a doubt, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Pune have remained West India’s most favourable cities for real estate investment in 2018. The MMR realty market has regained a lot of momentum over the last few quarters, with both sales and new supply increasing q-o-q.

MMR: As per ANAROCK data, out of the total new supply of approximately 50,100 units across the top 7 cities (NCR, MMR, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata and Hyderabad) in Q2 2018, MMR saw maximum new launches with nearly 13,600 new units entering the market. There was a 59% increase in this new supply as against Q1 2018. On the sales front too,

Prashant Thakur, Head – Research, ANAROCK Property Consultants 

Despite new launches decline, property prices in Yelahanka did not correct significantly and actually appreciated by 9% in the past 2 years.

Existing since the 12th century, Yelahanka is closely linked with the origin of Bengaluru. The book ‘Bengaluru to Bangalore’ by T.V. Annaswamy mentions that the word ‘Yelahanka’ is derived from ‘Valipakka’, meaning ‘along the highway.’

Over a period of time, Valipakka (during Chola reign) transformed into Illaipakka (during Hoyasala reign) and finally into Yelahanka.

Rapid Development

The construction of the Kempegowda international airport was a game changer for the region and initiated Yelahanka’s metamorphosis from a sleepy little settlement on the outskirts of Bengaluru into a buzzing residential investment destination.

Yelahanka, which is divided into Old Yelahanka and Yelahanka New Town, is home to many defence establishments such as CRPF training school, Indian Air Force’s Air Force Station and BSF Training Centre.

This micro-market also houses the largest facility of Mother Dairy in Karnataka, as well as the rail wheel factory (India’s largest manufacturer of railway wheels and axles).

Anuj Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Property Consultants

The landmark reform of Goods & Services Tax (GST) was, in many ways, the final bullet shot to the Indian real estate sector in July 2017. The industry was already reeling under the immediate impact of DeMo and RERA.

GST was touted to be a gamechanger for all sectors including real estate. It was largely anticipated that GST will provide a much-needed respite to homebuyers by way of reduced property prices. Unfortunately, with GST completing one year, it emerges that these expectations were unrealistic.

While the tax-on-tax has been eliminated with the advent of GST, the overall outgo from homebuyers’ pockets seems to have increased by as much as 8% across cities. This ultimately reduces the demand in real estate.

Also, the higher tax rate on purchasing a home – an already staggering expense for most Indians – has kept many home buyers and investors off the market.

Let’s understand this better.

  • In real time, the cost of raw materials under the GST regime underwent minor changes – cement, paints and plasters were taxed at 28%,

Anuj Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Property Consultants

Home loans are paid in instalments which are commonly known as Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI). These are fixed amount which is expected to be paid by the borrower to the bank every month as a part of loan repayment.

A bank considers a home loan to be in default when the borrower fails to make a payment and is behind by 90 days. In such a case, the borrower would have missed 3 payments of EMI.

When the home loan is in default, banks do not seize the assets of the borrowers immediately. They send a notice to the borrower stating that the EMI payment has been missed and strict action will be taken in this regard.

Banks are ready to understand the various reasons behind non-payment of the EMIs, which might include financial crisis, accident, etc. if the borrower approaches the bank with an explanation.

Once the reason is conveyed by the borrower or is otherwise evident to the lender, the bank restructures the EMI and extends the loan tenure on the request of the borrower.