Capital gains exemption limit and a steep reduction in the highest surcharge will empower the masses with enhanced liquidity flow that can be invested in real estate, points out Dhaval Ajmera.
After three straight quarters of decline, India's housing market is pinning hopes on the ongoing festival season to revive sales momentum. While 2025 may still end with sales volumes below 2024 levels, developers believe the seasonally strong October-December quarter could narrow the gap, aided by stable interest rates, festive incentives, and resilient demand in the premium segment.
Observing an "unholy nexus" between the banks and developers to dupe homebuyers, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the CBI to register seven preliminary enquiries against builders in NCR, including Supertech Limited.
India's top 9 cities are likely to witness a 4 per cent decline in housing sales in the quarter ending September to over 1 lakh units on lower demand in Mumbai region and Pune, according to PropEquity. Real estate data analytics firm PropEquity on Sunday released data of primary residential market for July-September, which is generally considered as a weak quarter because of monsoon season and inauspicious Shraadh period.
The US's recent 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports will have a trickledown effect on India's affordable housing, potentially derailing demand as well as supply in this segment, according to experts. Pointing to worker incomes and jobs in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that typically make up majority of the customer base of affordable housing, would take a hit in the near terms due to the tariff change, further crippling India's affordable housing sector, already reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Realtors' apex body CREDAI described the RBI decision to cut repo rate by 50 basis points as a bold step and said this will help boost sales of residential properties.
There is need for buyers to understand cancellation rules before entering into a purchase agreement with a developer.
In a relief to homebuyers, assets in a real estate project that have been handed over to the allottee would be kept out of the liquidation process of the company, the latest amendment to the rules by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has said. The notification dated February 12 said: "For the purposes of clause (e) of sub-section (4) of section 36, wherever the corporate debtor has given possession to an allottee in a real estate project, such asset shall not form a part of the liquidation estate of the corporate debtor." Real estate experts call it a "pragmatic approach" by the regulator. "However, there are many cases where possession has not been given because the property is stuck in insolvency.
Housing demand should improve nationwide after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the repo rate by a larger-than-expected 50 basis points (bps) on Friday, said real estate industry executives. The rate cut comes after housing sales in top Indian cities in the first quarter of 2025 dipped 28 per cent due to skyrocketing residential property prices and geopolitical headwinds, according to Anarock.
The Enforcement Directorate has said it seized cash of Rs 1.70 crore and documents related to immovable assets during searches conducted against Jaypee Infratech Ltd (JIL), Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) and other entities in an alleged homebuyers' fraud case linked money laundering investigation. The raids were carried out at 15 premises in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Mumbai on May 23 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Do home prices really never fall? Ramalingam Kalirajan begs to differ.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former Haryana Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker from a five-star hotel in Delhi following a brief scuffle. Chhoker, along with his sons, is accused of defrauding over 1,500 homebuyers and siphoning off over Rs 500 crore through their real-estate companies. The ED had been seeking Chhoker's presence in the investigation since May 2022. The politician was caught at the Grappa Bar of the Shangri-La hotel on Ashoka Road. He is currently in ED custody for six days.
Glass facades and air-conditioned enclaves are giving way to spaces that breathe -- homes that reflect a deeper connection to nature, heritage, and well-being.
Tinesh Bhasin explores the limitations of rights granted to homebuyers under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
The finance minister clarified that indexation benefits offered until April 1, 2001 would be protected. This means older properties, including legacy assets, would benefit.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced a fresh Rs 15,000 crore 'SWAMIH Fund' for completion of 1 lakh units in stalled housing projects across various cities, a move aimed at providing relief to distressed homebuyers whose investments are stuck. In November 2019, the Centre announced a stress fund named 'Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing' (SWAMIH), to complete stalled housing projects across India.
This shift is driven by a pursuit of a superior lifestyle and an innate desire to be grounded in an owned plot of land. Villas, situated within gated housing societies, have gained popularity as a property type, witnessing strong traction due to elevated aspirations and the need for more living space.
Capital value appreciation outpaced rental value growth in several key micro-markets between 2021 and 2024, with Noida Sector 150 in the National Capital Region (NCR) leading the pack with a 128 per cent rise in capital values compared to rental value growth of just 66 per cent, according to a report by property consulting firm Anarock.
A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman, which disposed of a batch of over 180 petitions filed by various builders, said the RERA act which regulates the real estate sector should be read harmoniously with the amendments made in the IBC and in case of conflict the code will prevail.
Average housing prices across Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Delhi-NCR, Chennai and Pune remained stable during the January-March period compared to the previous quarter while rates appreciated 4-5 per cent in the other four major cities, according to PropTiger. Data from real estate brokerage firm PropTiger, a part of REA India that owns Housing.com, showed that prices in Bengaluru and Hyderabad grew 5 per cent each while Ahmedabad and Kolkata saw an appreciation of 4 per cent each.
Many affluent young people are first-generation wealthy. They have limited financial literacy, lack quality financial guidance or role models, and often fall prey to mis-selling. This makes them hesitant to invest in high-return assets like equities.
The real estate market has seen a decline in affordability due to the recent rise in median loan rates as a result of the 50 basis points (bps) hike in repo rates by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). A cumulative increase of 0.95 per cent in median home loan rate has impacted the purchase affordability and purchase decisions of homebuyers, according to the Affordability Index by Knight Frank. The Affordability Index tracks the EMI (equated-monthly instalment) to income ratio for an average household.
More than 58% of individual housing loans disbursed in 2023-2024 were more than 25 lakh in size.
A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit said, if home buyers are not ready to pay their outstanding amount, then the court will have to bundle up the projects.
The smartest homes are not the ones that dazzle with tech, but the ones that disappear into your daily life while quietly elevating it.
Taking possession without an OC can lead to legal complications, denial of utilities such as water and electricity, hurdles in availing home loans or reselling the property, and even eviction.
Housing prices appreciated at an average of 10 per cent during the December quarter across eight major cities on strong demand, higher input cost, according to a report by CREDAI, Colliers and Liases Foras. Realtors' body CREDAI, real estate consultant Colliers India, and data analytic firm Liases Foras on Tuesday released their joint report, which showed that Delhi-NCR saw a maximum appreciation of 31 pc annually during the October-December period of 2024.
N Sundaresha Subramanian, Karan Choudhury and Shreya Jai report on the sorry condition of homebuyers who invested in Jaypee Infratech and the Amrapali group's Noida-based projects.
'Focus will be on smaller loan amounts to meet the needs of affordable homebuyers.'
On July 23, the apex court had cracked its whip on errant builders for breaching the trust reposed by homebuyers and ordered cancellation of the registration of Amrapali Group under the real estate law RERA, and ousted it from its prime properties in the NCR by nixing the land leases.
Real estate developers are hoping that the slew of tax concessions announced in Union Budget 2025, set to take effect this financial year, will spur demand for affordable and mid-segment housing, even as the broader housing market shows signs of fatigue.
Institutional investments in Indian real estate have seen a strong start to 2025, with inflows reaching $ 1.3 billion in the first quarter - a 31 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase. This growth was primarily driven by domestic investments, which accounted for 60 per cent of the total inflows during the quarter. With $ 0.8 billion inflows, domestic investments saw a 75 per cent annual rise and were largely focused on industrial & warehousing and office segments.
Experts say the move will make matters worse for buyers, reports Karan Choudhury.
The growth was primarily driven by domestic investments, which accounted for 60 per cent of the total inflows during the first quarter of the financial year.
Housing sales rose 7 per cent annually in 2024 across eight major cities to reach 12-year high at 3,50,613 units on better demand for premium homes amid stable mortgage rates and strong economic growth, according to Knight Frank. Last month, real estate consultant Anarock, however, had reported that housing sales declined 4 per cent in 2024 to nearly 4.6 lakh units across seven major cities.
'They contest to ensure they win the election.'
The three promoters - Anil Kumar Sharma, Ajay Kumar and Shiv Priya - had diverted Rs 1,500-1,600 crore through bogus methods like loans and advances between group firms at inflated rates.
Thousands of homeowners across housing projects owned by Jaypee Infratech and the Amrapali Group are running out of options. Jaypee Infratech and Amrapali are among the 12 big corporate loan defaulters against which the RBI has ordered initiation of insolvency proceedings.
'Assess the property in terms of type, size, location and price point, and whether it fits into your budget.' 'If it checks out on these fronts, one may consider the accompanying offers.'
Investors need to carefully assess country-specific risks. 'This is especially true of a market that is less transparent than the US.'