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 Exclusive: An assessment of business confidence index of Pune real estate post the formation of a stable Government at the Centre is not as easy as gauging the mood of the developers across any other city. The precursor to the very assessment is fraught with a question mark that why will the business sentiment change overnight with the change of Government at the Centre.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Irregularities exist in the real estate sector and add to the common perception of the sector being opaque. For example, in the primary market, builder-buyer agreements are often one-sided that favour the development firm.
Track2Realty Exclusive: It has often been argued that Indian realty needs to adopt best practices and improve brand image as the sector defends its rough ride on the learning curves. If adopting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), retaining employees, inculcating brand loyalty and earning buyers’ trust are some of the best practices that can address the perception issues of Indian real estate, then the sector has to walk a long road ahead.
Track2Realty Exclusive: There is no denying that the Union Budget 2014-15 has incentivised the eco system of the Indian real estate both for the developers as well as the buyers. Many of the announcements by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may not have any direct bearing on the fortunes of the real estate developers in this fiscal year, yet the symbolic sops are enough to silence the otherwise overtly critical sector for some time now.
Track2Realty: With the new government now firmly in charge of steering the country, the Indian economy is perched on the threshold of recovery and growth. The serious issues that have plagued the sector for so long may now be proactively addressed.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The sentiments in the property market are subdued across the country and the transactions have nosedived in most of the major markets. However, Gujarat real estate seems to be picking up to buck the trend otherwise and the sentiments are changing for the better. This is reflective in the transactions that are happening across the state.
Track2Realty Exclusive: The Real Estate Regulation Bill will define and clarify various concepts in the sector; this will bring in transparency and curb unfair practices. Following the trend seen in other sectors like telecom, banking, insurance etc, the Bill provides for creation of a separate Regulator and Appellate Authority. While it is expected to provide specialized regulation and enforcement, this should not become another regulatory in the ‘approval’ matrix.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Samarjeet Singh went on a house hunt in Mumbai with the obvious expectations of entering into a buyers’ market. The reported stress and standing inventory of 48 months made him believe that this is the right time to negotiate the deal and also get the immediate possession with a record inventory available in the market.
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.