Track2Realty Exclusive: Against all the prophecies of doomsday in the realty market, Delhi-NCR has not only grown in the last four-five years, but also has been among the best performing markets in the country. The growth has been slow but steady and analysts believe it is time the property market of Delhi-NCR needs a catalyst to put it on the fast forward mode of growth.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Has populism been behind the Maharashtra Government notification on affordable housing is the question that everyone within the built environment of real estate is today asking. There is a general feeling among the developers that the Maharashtra Government notification for the builders developing a housing project on a 4,000 sq m (acre) plot to reserve 20 per cent of the area for affordable housing is not in sync with the market reality.
Track2Realty-Agencies: has been ranked top with maximum share of about 40 per cent in the new investments attracted by real estate sector among top 20 states across the country during the first quarter of current fiscal, industry body ASSOCHAM said on Monday, Sep 30.
Track2Realty: With the Supreme Court upholding the State Governments’ right to levy Value Added Tax (VAT) on real estate, buyers will have to pay the tax on sale transactions. In Maharashtra the VAT subject dispute is for period between 2006-2010.
Track2Realty-Agencies: While the sentiment in the real estate sector continues to be sluggish, SRS Real Infrastructure is eyeing Rs 1,200 crore of revenue this fiscal, mainly on the back of new launches, a top company official has said.
Track2Realty: Citing the inordinate delay in obtaining approvals for projects that is stalling growth of the real estate sector and also the economy of the country, Lalit Kumar Jain, Chairman CREDAI and CMD, Kumar Urban development Ltd, urged the Union Government to form a high power realty committee to accelerate big ticket realty projects worth between Rs.200 Cr and Rs.1000 Cr.
Track2Realty: In a major setback to attempts of Maharashtra government to improve infrastructure in the Mumbai, none of the five shortlisted firms put in tender for the ambitious Mumbai TransHarbour Link (MTHL) project, the bids for which opened on Tuesday, Aug 6. It is also seen as a major blow for the Mumbai real estate market which was expecting a turnaround post this Rs. 10,000 crore ambitious project.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Green building is something that is being over marketed in the Indian real estate. However, while the serious developers have realized its benefits, including fast return on investments, consumers’ literacy on the benefits of paying extra for long term low-maintenance is relatively low.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Social activist Medha Patkar has rather questioned the need of SEZs and acquisition of such huge tracts of land. Referring SEZs as “pervert corporate projects” Patkar points out that the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) had about 80,000 acres of unutilised land – information unearthed through the Right to Information Act.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The problem remains that many SEZs are seen as real estate scams. Lack of clarity on the country’s land acquisition policy is also a major stumbling block for SEZ projects. EAS Sarma, former Secretary to the Government of India has alleged that most of the SEZs in the country have become real estate ventures lined to money laundering.