It is just the pipeline visibility that is driving developers like Supertech which is building north India’s tallest residential as well as tallest mixed land use project. Theyrather assert that changing demographics, lifestyle and growing aspirations have encouraged them to launch conceptually designed projects with facilities which are matchless and desired by the people.
No end to the global housing market downturn is in sight, except probably in the US, according to a survey of global house price trends by the Global Property Guide Asia is weakening, and house price falls in the worst-hit European crisis countries are dramatically accelerating.
Interest from international real estate investors in Indian real estate has been limited in 2012. India has witnessed 6% q-o-q growth in direct commercial real estate in Q1 2012, as compared to China which has seen negative growth of -45%, however China performed better in Q2 2012 on the back of one mega deal. In Brazil, investment volumes seem to be reaching a more ‘normalised’, sustainable pace following the supercharged 2010-2011 period.
A DTZ survey has found unrest in Noida Extension has had a mild impact on total number of housing units planned. The survey says that the total number of housing units that were planned before the unrest in Noida Extension has remained more or less the same with a minor downward revision.
Not all experts and analysts are bullish in a country which has just two of world’s 276 skyscrapers. Prof PSN Rao, Professor of School of Planning and Architecture has a different take when he says high rise buildings look good in the urban city scape. However, in terms of the power they consume, the high initial costs of construction and high periodic costs of maintenance, perhaps they are not viable for residential structures.
The Noida Extension land acquisition fracas was all about the authorities allowing developers to acquire land at considerably low prices from farmers and also changing the planned use pattern from industrial to residential. Farmers revolted and were able to gain wide support from different quarters.
The US Government has hired property consultancy Knight Frank to assess the valuation and strategic review of all its real estate properties in India. The properties, which house embassies, consulates, offices, residences, schools and libraries at prime locations across Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata, were acquired over the years and are estimated to be approximately worth thousands of crores.
Tata Realty and Infrastructure Ltd (TRIL) proposes to invest over Rs 1700 crore in two to three years for various projects in the country, including Rs 550 crore in Kochi for a premium waterfront residential property, ‘Tritvam’, at Marine Drive.
After Track2Realty reported that how real estate developers are blatantly violating the ban on pre-launch schemes as advised by the Supreme Court, the Haryana Government has now decided to crack down against the erring realty companies. Many established realty companies and new players in the fray are illegally offering residential projects before acquiring the required license, and in some cases, even without a land in blatant violation of warnings by the authority.
The Sahara Group, fresh after a string of acquisitions of Marquee Hotel properties in the UK and the US, is in talks with US-based Oasis West Realty to pick up a controlling stake in Beverly Hilton Hotel, a landmark Los Angeles property that has been hosting the Golden Globe Awards.