The survey clearly suggests marriage is as much a choice for women as mortgage, and marriage is definitely not predestination of home ownership. Even among the married couples the role of the women is changing and they are increasingly getting on the driver’s seat when buying a house.
This is hardly surprising – a woman’s relationship with her home is unique; and while any other ‘relationship status’ may change in today’s rapidly-evolving socio-economic scenario, owning a home in her name gives her the ultimate security in a changing world.
The low consumer confidence has been linked as much to peoples’ lack of confidence in their own ability to pay as with the employment uncertainties. Collectively, the buyers’ risk aversion in today’s economy as well as the developers’ unfair business practices have eclipsed real estate like never before.
Mumbai’s Dharavi, one of the largest slums in Asia, has been an area of contention for almost two decades now. For all its revelations, the recent blockbuster film ‘Kaala’ only underscored what Mumbaikars, human rights activists, urban planners and real estate developers have known for decades – there is no simple formula for unravelling the complex Dharavi equation.
It is not just the ambiguity around the RERA that makes the Indians feel there is no hope for them. Most of the reform measures have not touched upon the average Indian homebuyers, claim close to three fourth of the buyers, as many as 72%.
Kumari Builders and Developers is investing INR 300 crore in a 46-acre villa project in the city. Through this investment in Kumari Hamlets, the Bengaluru-based residential real estate developer is expanding its property portfolio by 1.8 million sq ft.
The Northern Peripheral Road (NPR), also known as Dwarka Expressway, is an 18-km stretch of road that is being developed under the public private partnership (PPP) model. This stretch will connect Dwarka Phase II and Palam Vihar to National Highway 8 near Kherki Dhaula and Pass Pataudi Road. This is a highly lucrative project that has been taken up by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).
The fact is that any outside view might baffle with the price point at Sector 150 of Expressway that is in the range of INR 6000 to INR 7000. Still, this sector is fast emerging as the first choice for the homebuyers, even though more affordable options are available in other sectors along the same Expressway at a distance of even 1km.
There is also a third set of buyers who buy properties in the second home locations as their first home. They are the buyers who look for locations that would be first home location in the next few years. Of course, the budget constraints force them to look for low-cost housing. Analysts believe this third set of buyers can not be classified as the second home buyers.
This may not be music to the ears of the developers who are hoping against the hope that the recent policy changes & reforms would bring the homebuyers back to the market. But the ground reality is that for a vast majority of the Indian homebuyers the measures like demonetization, GST, RERA or Benami Transaction Act are more for academic discussions than making any tangible changes for them on ground.