Track2Realty: Total inflows in the real estate sector for the first quarter of 2014 were recorded at INR 2,800 crores (USD 460 million), witnessing an increase of 28% compared to the previous quarter and nearly 2.5 times the investment in Q1 2013, says Cushman & Wakefield’s report on private equity (PE) investments in real estate.
Track2Realty: A burgeoning automobile ancillary industry and the IT/ITeS sector’s growing presence have been the major growth drivers behind the notable transformation of Maharashtra’s second largest city—Pune. Over the past couple of years, the city’s IT sector in particular has seen significant growth, leading to sustained demand for office space in the city.
Track2Realty: Although the Interim Budget announcement supporting affordable housing was welcomed by the real estate industry, the segment has a long way ahead as yet. To begin with, there is considerable supply shortage in this arena—pegged at 18.78 million for the 12th Five Year Plan (2012–2017) by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry (HUPA), of which 96% is in the EWS and LIG categories. Housing shortage for the EWS stands at almost 11 million homes, while that for LIG stands at 7.41 million homes.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Property markets are often referred with reference to their key demand drivers. Every city has a key demand driver as far as the growth of the property market is concerned. Some have it by home grown end-user demand; others have it with investors finding it magnet for future while many have expat community driving the property market due to increased urbanisation and the professional opportunities.
Track2Realty Exclusive: To say that the property market of Mumbai has been subdued for quite some time would be stating the obvious. Reports of inventory pile up and appreciation despite slow sales have only made the sentiments bearish. The macro-economic outlook in the last over a year has also not supported the cause of real estate market in the city. Amidst this gloomy scenario, comes the festival of Akshay Tirtiya which has traditionally been known for property acquisition in the city.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Is there any co-relation between luxury properties, High Net Worth Individuals (HNIs) and Akshay Tirtiya? Prime facie, it may seem to be very innocuous question but for those who are tracking the property market of Mumbai find not only a co-relation among the three, but also find the three working in tandem can ignite the property market as well.
Track2Realty Exclusive: If you ever thought religious sentiments only affect the home buyers in affordable category, then probably you have neither been exposed to the India’s costliest property market trends in South Mumbai, nor have you monitored the transactions in this region during Akshay Tirtiya.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Property markets across the country have shoot up in capital and rental values in tandem with the infrastructure development. Infrastructure development and better connectivity are two key elements behind property prices going up. Navi Mumbai, however, presents a different picture with arguably the best infrastructure development and connectivity in Mumbai.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Statistics only tell half the story and this old adage is all the more relevant in the property market where the transactions and appreciation/depreciation may or may not have a direct co-relation. In Gujarat real estate market the prophets of doomsday had a field day in the last over a year time due to slow pace of growth. They cited the National Housing bank’s Residex that shows Ahmedabad witnessed only 6 per cent growth in property prices in last one year.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Mumbai real estate has historically been the red hot property, something worth aspiration of millions. The island city with less supply and more demand with ever increasing migration only meant that even if the market deviated from the conventional wisdom of economics in demand & supply dynamics, it still would be a sellers’ market.