A National Green Tribunal (NGT) order in 2013 and yet another recent one have collectively had a greater negative impact on home buyers in the National Capital Region (NCR) than on the developer community. While home buyers were caught unawares and continue to remain jittery with the resultant delay in possessing their dream homes, these two NGT orders reveal the apathy authorities and developers have towards buyers.
Browsing: Due Diligence
How satisfied are you with the property you’ve bought? There are both satisfied and unsatisfied home owners at large. Sometimes a purchase is made without proper planning and thought – the result is regret.
Track2Realty: A decade ago, an Indian woman independent and capable enough to buy her own home was a rare case. However, things have changed today. Latter-day Indian women are very well educated, have good jobs with excellent career growth prospects, and even hold important government or corporate leadership posts.
Track2Realty: Real estate buyers are often warned that they must conduct a thorough due diligence before investing in any property, and that they should not reply solely on the verification process done by banks while they are processing a home loan request. This is sound advice, especially in the current times when many buyers have found themselves in troubled waters after making property purchase decisions without doing their homework.
Track2Realty: Even in these times of gradual revival, many developers continue to battle the problems of curtailed liquidity. Many developers with large land holdings are not able to launch projects on these land parcels solely with their own capital, and therefore look to either partner with better-capitalized developers or those looking for development opportunities in an asset-light model by giving them development rights in such projects.
Track2Realty: The answer to the question whether it is preferable to invest in a flat or in a plot of land depends on many factors, including the maturity of the investor. The investor’s overall objectives, ability to leverage, risk appetite and period of time he is able to hold on to the property before selling it again must be considered.
Track2Realty: The daily papers are replete with complaints by buyers who had been led astray or otherwise victimized by fly-by-night developers who specialize in launching small one-off projects and then wash their hands off the project. In a market environment where the exists a high degree of customer awareness with regards to most products, how can this continue to happen?
Track2Realty: While buying a home in India, stamp duty and registration charges are the most significant additional costs above the base price of the property itself. Close on the heels of this expense come the costs involved in registering with the local electricity board and having a meter fitted.
Track2Realty: Developers are offering a variety of payment schemes to attract buyers during the upcoming festive season. It is imperative that they understand what each payment plan entails. The attraction of delayed payments, no EMIs, etc. has to be viewed in conjunction with the restrictions such as inability to sell the property within a shorter investment period, or before construction is completed.
Track2Realty: If you have been indecisive about buying a home and have so far preferred to rent instead, this is a good time to finally make your move. Home ownership is one of life’s greatest joys, but that is not the only reason why you should finally take the plunge.