It would seem that the Union Budget 2011 pointedly ignored the larger issues affecting the Indian real estate sector at this sensitive stage of revival and growth.
The unfulfilled demand of more than 24 million houses in the country needs large scale impetus to achieve desired results. Allowing deduction for investment into affordable housing is a welcome step and will surely boost morale of housing industry and will accelerate investments in affordable housing.
Affordable Housing development is expected to be encouraged with the announcement of a new Housing Mortgage Guarantee Fund which will cover the risk of Housing Finance Companies for lending to less advantaged sections of society.
The move to increase the priority housing loan limit to Rs 25 lakh was a positive one that will lead to increasing the base of home loan takers and thereby a boost for affordable housing.
The government on Monday said low-cost housing loans of Rs 15 lakh will be eligible for one per cent interest subsidy, which will help in increasing the demand for such housing.
Real Estate may boast off to be the second largest economic activity and the largest employment provider in the economy, but when it comes to have a say in the policy making, they are found to be sulking.
Real Estate and Finance Minister seem to be at logger heads over the wants and needs of the sector. Interestingly when one proposes and the other disposes, both of them justify their stand in the name of “Aaam Aadmi”, the common man who is the consumer and the end-user. But in this cacophony of confusion the “Aaam Aadmi” is often found wondering as to who will ask for his wish list with Union Budget.
Residential sales in Hyderabad remained modest in 4Q10. Although the city witnessed many launches, sales did not pick up. Market sentiment, especially among investors, stayed low as political uncertainty persisted.
In a change of stance, the state home department has decided to look into its own move to shift out the Yerawada police station on the Pune-Ahmednagar road and allow commercial exploitation of the three-acre plot on which it stands.
The cash strapped realty companies can have a breather in budget for 2011-12 as the Finance Minister is expected to make announcement of a guarantee corpus for banks on realty lending. Track2Realty has learnt that the banks will get this guarantee corpus of Rs. 1000 crore to lend for housing projects.