Top 8 Tips for First-Time Home Buyers in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad is very much like any other big Indian city. A promise of a good standard of living, high quality education, capital appreciation, budding infrastructure, lots of career opportunities, safety for women and children and a cultural haven make it one of the best bets to buy a home in India. But if you are a first-time home-buyer it can be quite a daunting experience with no proper guidance. Read on to know the top 8 tips if you are a buying a house in Ahmedabad for the first time.

1. Begin saving a part of your earnings every month
The most important thing for you to do is to start saving money as early as possible. Why? The cost of property in Ahmedabad is on the rise and having a surplus of cash in advance will mean you will be able to book your home at the earliest. You will need this cash for the down payment of your new home. A few things you can do to collect a part of your down payment are: save your tax refunds or any bonus you get from your office. You can also invest in fixed deposits or mutual funds.

2. You can afford to wait even if you are sure this house is the one 
Unlike foreign cities like New York and London where the unsold inventory is rather marginal, the fact is that the number of unsold units is relatively high in Ahmedabad. So do not rush to seal the deal. Wait see if you can get a good discount deal from the developer. Sometimes, all it takes is a little coaxing in a charismatic manner and the builder will come around and drop the price a little. If during the time you decide to wait, you get to know of another buyer who is equally keen to buy the house you have set your sights on then it would be best to go ahead with the deal and not wait. However, this kind of scenario is rather rare.

3. Keep your emotions aside and be practical
If you happen to fall in love with a home that is beyond your budget then the best thing to do is to let it go. Yes, let it go! Do not get emotionally attached to a property you merely visit once or twice. You will have to weigh the pros and cons before you make such a huge investment. Home buying for you should be a pleasant experience and not a cumbersome one. Do proper research. See factors like how close the house is to the nearby bus stop, railway station, metro and airport. Factors like proximity to schools, market, mall, entertainment hubs etc. are vital ones.

4. Get a good real estate agent
While it will no doubt save your money if you choose to let go of an agent, it is not a practical idea. Remember that in case you opt to do all the research yourself, chances you your maiden home buying experience being hassle free will be very low. How many times will your boss grant you a half day or leave just because you want to go and have a look at property? Your real estate agent will act as your eyes, ears and legs and do all the running around on your behalf. The trick here is to make sure you don’t succumb to any pressure from the agent and ultimately make the final buying decision on your own. Your real estate agent has to be someone who has your best interests at heart and not a greedy one who is only concerned about getting his/her commission while not caring about your needs at all. You will be able to undermine this only when you spend decent time interacting with a couple of agents. Ask all of them the same questions and then see which out of them seems the most genuine.

5. Talk to your agent
Only zeroing in on a good agent is not enough. Even the best agents won’t be able to perform according to your expectations unless you actually tell then what is it exactly that you are looking for. The more specific you are, the easier their job will become. For example, 1BHK near the station is not going to get you any good results, however, 1BHK in a quiet area near Satellite and Iscon Mega Mall will. This in turn will save a lot of time and effort and make the process easy for both you as well as your agent.

6. Indulge in a little recce through the Internet
Do not leave everything on your agent. Do some research yourself in your free time. The best way to do that would be to use the Internet. Read up on the areas and localities you have set your sights on. Details like how is the traffic there, proximity to hospitals and other amenities are easy to find online. Also, you can use the Internet to read up reviews about a particular builder your agent recommends. While this would seem like a mundane task, it would be very helpful especially if something slips out of the radar of your agent.

7. Avail affordable housing schemes + home loan schemes
In Ahmedabad, you can avail of the government’s affordable housing scheme PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana). Through this scheme, you will be able to buy your dream home at affordable housing rates as well as get a good deal on a bank’s home loan offer. So find out which bank in the city has a special tie up with the scheme for home loan applications. Mostly, all major banks have tied up with the government under this scheme but still its best to check. Even under a normal home loan scheme, every bank offers a different rate of interest against the loan amount. It is also important to check how much monthly EMI will be deducted from your salary once the process starts. Make sure the bank you choose does not deduct your entire salary amount or does not expect a monthly EMI which is higher than your monthly earnings. You will also have to check the total number of years the bank expects you to return the loan amount.

8. Give preference to a project which has received OC
While the GST council did announce a slash in the GST amounts for under-construction residential projects to 5 percent and 1 percent (for affordable housing) from 12 percent and 8 percent respectively. You will be exempted to pay any GST if the house you choose to buy has already received an OC (occupation certificate). Especially if you have a tight budget, this would act as a boon to you.

Follow these tips and get ready to make your dream of owning a home in Ahmedabad a reality.

This is a guest post by Vipul

Things to Avoid while Investing in Real Estate

If you were to believe the latest national news, consumer confidence is on the decline and cash deficit on builders on an incline. In Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, and other popular cities, the demand has come down to around 50% for new property launches.

But not everything in real estate is gloomy, the Reserve Bank of India has recently made a cut in policy interest rates. While this news may cause haste in investing in the sector, say in buying luxury villas in Bangalore or any other metro cities, there are some things you need to consider before making an investment. These are mentioned below for your consideration:

• Trading in real estate properties frequently

When you trade in real estate properties more frequently – that is, buy or sell your property in shorter duration – you may incur a loss in tax benefits.

To be precise, if you sell your property within 3 years of making your real estate acquisition, such acquisition would then be called short term capital gain, which entitles you to zero tax concession or exemption.

But, if you sell your real estate property after 3 years, it entitles you to long term capital gains and the taxation for this would be at a comparatively lower rate.

Be wary that if you trade-in too many times even in long term capital gains as it could alarm your Income Tax officer, who may consider this dealing as your business income and withdraw the low rate on long term gains.

• Investing in properties that are due completion

It’s easy for your agent or builder to make excuses for not completing their project on time and completing it at a much later date than promised. They may not have any hidden agenda behind this, except prolonging time. It means a little more number of EMIs for you than which were originally expected.

The second of the two-pronged effect of the delay is this: The tax benefits that you receive on your property investment are restrained on possession, which is a direct effect of long delays.

Being alert on investing in incomplete or overdue properties is therefore very important, at least for your pockets.

• Planning your budget before investing

We know that if a budget is unplanned or unsupervised before investing in real estate, it may deplete most of your saved resources, back-up money, or hamper your short-term investments. It may also affect your daily expenditure and can create dearth in your cherished small purchases every now and then.

Purchasing properties not just involves a down payment but also what seems like an endless array of EMIs – directly affecting your monthly salary.

Seek the professional advice of your financial consultant before buying a real estate property. A good recommendation would be saving at least 40% of your total income after you have made your investment.

• Considering all the factors before making your investment

As again like planning your budget, it is equally important in knowing and fully understanding all factors involved with making your investment, because knowing the loan criteria, real estate details, and repaying capacity are not adequate. Consult a financial adviser for a complete financial plan on your investment.

• Plenty of investment in properties may not result in profits always

The best idea would be to divide your finances into different types of investments, and not just stick to investing in real estate. First, because transaction costs in real estate are much higher than say investing in gold, bank deposits, bond funds, equities, etc.

The prime reason that people choose to invest in a lump sum in properties is that their prices increase at a faster rate compared to other most forms of investments. While this may not be true always, it’s wise to be aware of the current changes or trends in the market for accurate predictions.

If you are planning to make any investment such as buying villas in Bangalore or Chennai, etc., these above-mentioned points should hopefully help you in making the right investment.


This is a guest post by Dinesh Dhawde

What are the major differences between Real Estate Venture Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT), and Real Estate Mutual Funds?

Real estate investment from an individual’s point of view is a large investment wherein large amount of money (in Lacs, or in Crores) is required to purchase either a commercial or residential property. The money invested sits there in the asset and over a period of time capital gains are accrued by the investor. The capital gains thus accrued depend on supply demand equilibrium prevailing in the market. If property is available for use, the investor can use it for own purpose or rent it out to earn rental income. Thereby, investment in real estate can fetch twofold returns namely rental yields and capital gains.

However, only investors with deep pockets can afford to invest in real estate asset class. What about retail investors with small amount of money? Can’t they invest in real estate just like they invest in stock markets? Yes, they can by way of participating in either Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) or Real Estate Mutual Funds (REMF).  Read more about Real Estate Investment Trust.

Find below the major instruments that can be used by investors to invest in real estate without actually buying a Property:

• Real Estate Venture Funds

Investment Audience: HNIs, institutional investors and global investors (since minimum investment required by each investor is worth millions, retail investors are outside the purview)

Investment Target: Real Estate Assets (Projects/Ventures), securities (of listed/unlisted entities) or both.

Investment Returns: 25-30% (on an average)

Leading Entities: Indian players (such as Kotak, HDFC, ICICI, Kshitij, DHFL) and international players (such as Actis, Morgan Stanley, Maple Tree, Sun Apollo, Lehman Brothers etc).

• Real Estate Investment Trusts REITs

Overview: Close ended investment vehicles that invest only in real estate assets (through property or mortgages). It is floated as a company with issued share capital. ( REITs are structured as corporations with issued share capital)

Investment Audience: Retail as well other institutional investors

Investment Target: Real Estate assets only (either through mortgages or property). It invests primarily in ready to use, constructed properties only.

Investment Returns: Returns in the range of 10-15% annually from rental income of property owned by REIT.

• Real Estate Mutual Funds REMFs

Overview: Close ended funds that invests primarily in securities issued by real estate companies (and to some extent assets as well).

Investment Audience: Retail as well other institutional investors

Investment Target: As per SEBI guidelines, at least 75% of the total assets should be invested in real estate or related securities. Further, a mandatory 35% of assets within the stipulated 75% have to be invested in completed real estate assets. The remaining 25% can be invested in securities related or unrelated to the real estate sector.

Investment Returns: Expected returns in the range of 35% (largely capital gains through investment in securities or sale of assets at time of closure).

Get the best revenue with real estate investment

We all wish to invest in avenues which give us better profit margins. But it is difficult to gauge them and finally invest. Investment is a matter of the right time you enter and the exact time to exit out as well. You need expertise for this kind of investment which comes only with experience. The best investment option available in the market today is the real estate. It is a booming industry and almost all the investors are pooling their money in this lobby. The developers keep on giving handsome returns to all the investors who help them in providing the investment to complete the projects.

• How does the real estate work?

Real estate is a business of constructing properties for the end users. Since real estate is at a boom and is in the demand by every individual, it is a huge money-making business. But not all investors buy it for self-consumption. They invest when the project has just started or in the initial phase and get out of it when it nears completion or is completed. This way the holding period of the construction gives them humongous profits which is the fruit of investing while you can hold it for a while. The profits are just unimaginable. But do you need a huge investment for such a profit. Well it completely depends on the kind of investment you would like to do and the budget you have.

• What you need to be careful of?

If you wish to invest for a goal then you need to be calculative. But if you need to do it just for investment purposes then a small amount of profit would also excite you. But you need to be very careful while dealing with real estate developers. There are many loop holes that need to be known by the investor. The basic thing to be done by you is to be sure on the paper work. Check on the property and the land it is built upon. The titles should be clear and the paperwork should be accurate. Also, if you are investing in a property then ensure you get all the rent agreement formats seriously and keep them updated as and when needed. Many times, your property needs to be sold to someone who wishes to use it for self-consumption.

All such things help you to be safe from any legal formalities or complications. It is a way to protect your property and investment amount. You would find many fraudsters who dupe you of the money and sell your property to multiple people to make more profits but in an illegal manner. This can be evaded if you are smart enough and know all the loop holes of the game. It is not easy to get into the act completely as it is just a side income you wish to generate for your better future. But if you wish to make it big in this game then I suggest you know all that is required.

You can get in touch with many real estate brokers who has immense knowledge about the property and the business to help you to take the right decision. These brokers should be registered with the real estate lobby and should have a good background. If they are not the right people then you would face challenges and losses as well if not paid much attention. Real estate is a huge pool of investors and you would need to be smart on all your actions to make a good profit out of your investment. So, ensure you have all that would make your investment profitable.


This is a guest post by Mukul Malik

Is Investing in Real Estate a Good Investment Option?

Real estate is among the few investment options where the asset value is almost always on the rise. Unlike shares and stocks, the risk element in real estate is much lower. Also, the additional income that one can earn by letting out a property can give a major boost to one’s livelihood and lifestyle. Investing in real estate is definitely a wise way of using one’s money and multiplying it.

While putting money in shares and bonds are popular methods of investment, the returns on investment cannot be guaranteed always. Changing market and political scenarios can have a major impact on the value of these assets. The economic scenario at present is replete with uncertainties like fluctuating inflation and job-market instability. In times like this, it is important to find alternative means of taking care of your financial security. Real estate, unlike equity and debt markets, is far less affected by external factors like politics, and is, therefore, a much safer investment option.

However, investing in real estate implies a huge monetary commitment. Therefore, a lot of advance planning is necessary to zero in on any property. Moreover, your job doesn’t end at just buying a property. For example, if you’ve purchased a house for renting out, you need to first take adequate care to maintain it well and beautify it so that it finds takers. Thereafter, you need to keep checking on how the tenant is maintaining the house. After the tenant has moved out, you would need to hunt for another, and before that, renovate or repair the house as may be needed. And, the bigger the property, bigger is the responsibility and higher the maintenance expenses. These days one can also hire a Property Management Company in India. These companies take care of tenant management, maintenance issues, and timely payments of bills. Be it a budget villa in Bangalore or a duplex flat, the commitment to investing, earning, and maintaining is the same.

If you’re looking to rent out a new house property for some additional income, it would make sense to go for low-cost properties in areas that are fairly well developed. The idea is to offer attractive properties at decent localities that will generate interest in prospective tenants. This way, you don’t have to invest a very huge sum of money, and you can get a fixed income once all the relevant repair work and paperwork for renting out are done.

Before setting out on deciding on a property to invest in, it is important to check on certain basic criteria. Analyze options as you would if you were looking for a place to stay. Which aspects would you consider before deciding on a place for yourself? Proximity to basic facilities and amenities is a primary concern for those looking to buy a house. The same goes for those looking to take a place on rent. Similarly, locations where major infrastructural projects are being executed may not be preferred options during the time of construction. Prospective tenants would not go for places located in noisy and polluted areas. Eventually, however, once the infrastructural works are done, the same property may be in demand and fetch a good rent. So, you would need to think on more than just the price and your budget before deciding on a real-estate property.

This is a guest post by Dinesh Dawde.

5 Reasons Why India is One of the Top Realty Hotspots in Asia

There is a big change in the way people think about property nowadays. Previously one used to buy property for accommodation for themselves. But now, people buy property as a lifetime investment. If you are interested in investing a part of your income in real estate, you have to choose the property very carefully. Thankfully, finding real estate is never too hard as India is constantly expanding in the realty industry.

Presently, India is booming in real estate zone, especially in its metropolitan cities. In 2016, if you want to buy property in Mumbai or Bengaluru, it would be a wise investment. Followed by these cities are properties in Delhi, Chennai, and Pune. A recent survey stated that 35% of expats staying in the UAE wanted to buy property in Mumbai.

• The Attractive Government Policies

The Government of India has come up with some liberalization measures in the past few months which has increased foreign investors’ interest in real estate market in India. The Indian Property Show held this December from 11th -13th at the Dubai World Trade Center revealed Bengaluru as one of the favorite areas for NRI investment because of it’s growth in many fields simultaneously in the last few years.

This goes to show that the Government of India has paid serious attention in bringing in foreign investment through real estate. The minimum built-up area in case of foreign direct investment (FDI) was 50,000 sq. ft. which is now reduced to 20,000 sq. ft. Though the economic structure of the country shows dis-balance at times, the property investment has not been affected by this.

• Greater Demand

Presently there lies a huge opportunity of investment in upcoming and happening cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru. Mumbai stands as the first choice of real estate investment due to the immense business options and opportunities. Mumbai is facing problems with the scarcity of free land for further construction. So, Navi Mumbai and other cities are coming up in the periphery of the city of Mumbai. In the last one decade Bengaluru has developed massively in the technology industry, becoming the best hot spot for the IT sector in the country. The availability of skilled labor and capital-backed start-ups are also a prime reason for the city’s growth.

• Free Lands Readily Available

If you are planning to invest in real estate, India is an attractive destination. It is the right time to invest in a property in Bengaluru as it’s the information technology hub which in today’s world will provide jobs to millions. So, people will need places to live a smart life with lots of modern amenities. A large number of properties are available in the city and most of them are purely for investment purpose which offer good returns opportunities in the future. It is said that Bengaluru is the third largest real estate investment city for High Net worth Individuals (HNIs) and one of the cities right for Non Resident Indians (NRIs) to settle if they want to come back to India in the future to settle.

• Some Facts and Figures

‘Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific 2014’ was a survey published jointly by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which stated that Indian cities are in the list of top 25 real estate investment spots of the Asia Pacific region. A survey was made where about 22,300 NRIs participated all over the UAE. These are a few striking facts that revealed themselves after the survey.

The main reason of purchase of property in India remains for personal use, which is about 54.42% of the population. Now, 45.57% of people want to possess a property for investment only. More than 65% of NRIs are looking for financial institutions to help them invest in property. 68.75% of the NRIs are willing to invest in real estate properties within six months. 17.49% of the NRI investors are looking for properties at an affordable range of 5 to 25 lakhs, whereas 51.35% are willing to spend money in the mid segment of 26 to 75 lakhs, 31% are ready to invest in properties ranging from 76 lakhs and above.

NRIs are most interested in residential apartments, which is 79.33%. Then are the villas and the commercial properties are their last choice.

As is evident, India’s real estate market has all the makings for an investment hotspot in Asia, and the rest of the world. If you’re looking to buy a buy a house in India, visit commonfloor.com for a breezy property buying experience.

This is a guest post by Naresh G

Why Is Real Estate Industry Said To Be a King of Investment??

Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, investments, and real estate - though the list seems to be endless and making a choice is still considered to be a Herculean task. Especially for a family with two children in school, with a career that has just started and it can be extremely crucial decision for them. Given below are some of the reasons as to why real estate industry is believed to be the king of investment.

• Inflation Hedging: 

The relationship between real estate and GDP has grown on the basis of the ability of real estate asset class to foster with inflation hedging. In simple terms when the economies grow and expand, the demand for the real estate industry consequently increases along with the increase in rentals and that translates into higher capital land prices.

• Retirement Income: 

The pressure on the current income that has to be spent on varied channels is high. Between the school fees, fuels, and marriage funds, almost each and every one’s saving account will continue to get thinner and thinner with time. Therefore, investment in real estate can be extremely useful for people in their retirement days.

• The Positive Cash Flow: 

It is the real estate industry that generally gives you huge investment options wherein you could receive a guaranteed and tangible income throughout the year. This is what exactly a positive cash flow is.

• Scope of appreciation: 

The real estate industry is generally considered to be one of the safest options in long term no matter what. Industry Experts in the realm of real estate industry agree that in a period of ten years the real estate industry has seen the highest scale of appreciation in comparison with any other class of investment.

• The Tax Benefits: 

Real estate sector is one of the major contributors to the country’s GDP. And since the government wants to promote affordable housing and housing for all, the investments in the real estate is bound to give you tangible tax benefits of as much as INR 1, 00,000 in the upcoming year.

• Leverage: 

Leverage here in simple terms or in terms of the real estate industry would mean the ability to use the borrowed capital in order to ensure a potential return on investment. Real estate industry is the only possibility among various investment classes that allow for leverage. For example by paying a minimum of 20% of the cost of property, you as the owner could control the income from the property. The remaining 80% can be availed from the bank in form of home loan.

• Diversification in the investment portfolios: 

Having a diverse investment portfolio would only help you in diminishing the risks and increase the returns on investment. Assets which are not co – related to each other in the same portfolio would decrease risks.


This is a guest post by Ava Jacob who is working for a real estate project named bren imperia bangalore. The developer has more than 7 years of experience in large-scale real estate development involving construction of luxury apartments.

3 quick tips for a first time Property Investor in Chennai

Chennai’s realty market has shown positive signs of growth which has attracted a number of home buyers and investors here. And with the market being very profitable, thanks to its high ROI (Return on Investment), the city has become a haven for many first time home buyers. Despite the attractive returns, owning a piece of real estate today seems to be a tedious task. From managing resources to zeroing down on the right location, there are a number of aspects that one needs to take care of. If you are a potential first time investors and wants to invest in properties for sale in Chennai then follow these tips before finalizing your property.

• Buy properties near government approved infrastructure

As a rule of thumb we always tend to invest in an area where infrastructure projects are materializing, thinking that the capital values of homes will escalate. However that is not the case. Investing in areas close to projects like the metro rail, upcoming airport or even any IT Park will result in government taking over your land. Changes in routes and expansions along a tech park and airports are bound to happen which will force the authorities to acquire neighboring land. Once your property falls under the radar, you will not be able to sell your property according to the market prices. The compensation you receive by the state bodies will be based on the government guideline value which is indexed at a relatively lower price. The best thing to do is to wait for the authorities to approve the project and invest in properties for sale in Chennai only after the work has commenced. It will not only save you from hassles but also result in a formidable investment option in the near future.

• Don’t invest in stagnant suburbs

A number of apartments for sale in Chennai especially in the outskirts of the city are finding many takers due to their affordable prices. However, one should remember to invest in a suburb that is in its growing stage. Peripherals along the north of Chennai especially localities like Ennore, Minjur and Ponneri have several approved industrial projects that are going to come up, however, all those advancements will not be able to formulate for the coming 10 years. So you’d rather invest in suburbs that have already shown signs of growth like Navallur, Sholinganallur and Kelambakkam. Apartments for sale in Chennai especially in the southern region of the city have many buyers due to its economical prices and reliable civic facilities.

• Strike the right balance while investing in IT hubs

Many IT corridors attract number of investors due to its high rental yield, however it is very essential to understand the market first. The IT/ITes insurgence has already provided many home buyers varied options and investing in an open market would not yield high returns, so it is very important to identify pockets where there is a demand and invest in only those projects that meet the needs and requirements of the working cosmopolitan crowd.

This is a guest post by Sulabha Kulkarni