Developers have their own expectations, because positive announcements for real estate buyers made during the budget will help increase the market sentiment, and therefore sales. The general hope is that the budget will provide cheer to intending homebuyers who have been deterred for various reasons.
Private Equity funds, famously known as PEs are invested heavily in the Indian real estate. Even though the sector is emerging only gradually from its slowdown, this could be the golden period of PE investments to invest further, as the opportunities being offered are humungous.
Several amendments to the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015, suggested by the select committee of Rajya Sabha, have now been accepted by the Union Cabinet. This is a major step towards introducing the amended bill in the Rajya Sabha. The bill will bring in much-needed transparency and accountability in the real estate sector.
We keep hearing the term ‘market drivers’ being used in real estate. What are they? Market drivers can be defined as developments in an area that increase the value of living there. It is a well-established fact that infrastructure is by far the most important driver for real estate demand and property appreciation growth.
Over 75 per cent of the total 3,540 live projects with total outstanding investments worth over Rs 14 lakh crore attracted by the real estate sector across India remained non-starter as of financial year 2014-15, noted a just-concluded study by apex industry body ASSOCHAM.
Some key findings that indicate the aspiration quotient and standing of the Indian real estate:
88% Indians find real estate is still best asset class to invest
72% believe pre-launch or early stage of construction is best bargain
78% maintain upcoming locations give better returns than prime localities
84% homebuyers are sulking & repent their home buying decision
46% homebuyers have too serious issues with the developer to reconcile
For a very long time, Pune was considered little more than a pensioner’s destination which benefited to some extent from its proximity to Mumbai. It was not considered a serious real estate market at a national or international level. This has now changed for good – the city has attained its own unique identity and is firmly in the limelight as a thriving economic microcosm, with a real estate market that has overtaken Mumbai in terms of attractiveness and investment viability.
Many home buyers as well as investors have been speculating about the movement of residential property prices in Mumbai. These fence-sitters are watching the market’s movements keenly. Their guess is that prices could go down further in the next few months – which in turn has increased their hopes of landing a better deal for their money and delaying their purchase.
New recommendations on the Real Estate Regulatory Bill were made by the ministry and sent to PMO for approval, and the cabinet has now approved it. Next, it will be tabled in the Parliament for passing the bill and making it an Act. In essence, reduction of minimum balance to be maintained in the escrow account of a project has been reduced from 70% to 50%. This amount from the monies collected from the buyers must be placed in an escrow account within 15 days.
What needs to be done to ensure that Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) get to be the game changer? In India, we have seen ‘pious thought’ and ‘positive thinking’ not always being supplemented by positive action on part of the ‘powers that be’; be they regulatory authorities or the taxation authorities. Challenges which need to be addressed include different rates at which stamp duties are levied, for purchase and sale of assets across various states in India. Potential exists; making it a reality is the challenge.