While real estate calculators have been around for a while, they've become a lot more advanced (and useful) in recent years. These days, there is a calculator to help you with every aspect of buying a house from setting your budget to figuring out mortgage payments. Better still, you can use most of the calculators online for free. We have a few here on our website, and the finance section of Yahoo.com has many available.

These days, there are a lot of websites that can help you when buying a house and seeking a mortgage loan. In fact, almost every aspect of the real estate transaction can be done online today (aside from the actual transfer of property). You can look at homes online, research neighborhoods, get mortgage quotes from lenders, find an agent, you name it.

With all modesty aside, there has also been an increase in the number of helpful, informative and objective house buying websites ... just like this one!

Being able to do so much research online saves you a lot of time when buying a house in today's market. For one thing, you can use the Internet to narrow down the area in which you would like to live. By focusing on certain neighborhoods like this, you will greatly reduce your house hunting and driving time. There are also certain mortgage websites you can use to get quotes from multiple lenders at once. Again, this is a big time saver.

Property dealers in Noida are the professionals who simplify the entire process of buy, sell or rent of a property in the city. Being a prime NCR location, Noida is a hub of major real estate developments. Some of the most opulent residential and commercial properties are present for sale in Noida. Thus, the Noida property dealers or real estate agents are in a favorable position of making big deals on these properties.

You can get all kinds of property listings in buy, sell or rent of properties with the Noida property dealers. Along with this they also provide you services as real estate brokers for buying or selling of your property on a nominal fee. The real estate agents in Noida will help you complete all the legal formalities like house registration or rent agreement for rental property, property taxes, property management etc.

Some property dealers in Noida deal in only the bigger real estate properties like residential plots for housing societies, industrial land, commercial shopping malls and It parks. Noida being a major MNC hub and upcoming metro city demands many such properties. As one of the most favorite destinations for IT and BPO related companies, Noida attracts professionals of all kinds from across the country. This necessitates the existence of such property dealers who deal exclusively in residential houses for sale and also for rent.

Thus, there are smaller property dealers who deal in houses, apartments and flats in Noida and retail shops, offices and warehouses in every sector of Noida. Most of the housing accommodations available in the city command very high capital and rental values, and hence are accessible to only a selected category of home seekers. Nevertheless, the extensive knowledge of Noida real estate agents about each and every sector of the city can help you find an affordable home here.

The Finance Minister, Mr. P Chidambaram on Wednesday called upon States to reduce tax rates on transfer of property to enhance their tax revenue from this sector. “I think we must look at taxes on transfer of property in India, reduce the tax rates, reduce the transaction cost and therefore that is a big source of revenue,'’ Mr. Chidambaram said at a USAID function here. He said a large number of transactions in pr operty go UN taxed since the tax rates and the transaction costs are so high. And Mr. P Chidambaram announces the information in real estate sector. Care of decrease down in Tax in Indian real estate sector. So lots of person benefit in facilities and profit these facilities.

“As my friend just said there will never be a real estate asset bubble in India because the (revenue from) taxes are so depressed to the real price,'’ he added. However, tax on property is the one area where States have put some efforts, though not enti rely satisfactory, he said. He said effectively states’ taxing powers are limited. “There are two kinds of taxes (at the states levels) — one the sales tax and the other taxes on liquor and related products. Although the other tax, that is tax on agricultural income is available to states… it is hardly likely that any state will tax the agricultural income,'’ he said. He asked states to look at alternative tax policies, make revenue choices and enhance the revenue mobilisation.

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The amendments to the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 were supposed to do away with the dominant role of the state governments in acquiring land on behalf of private companies. After a long wait, however, the report of the standing committee on rural development seeks to overturn that aim. The only place where the standing committee agrees with the government is in ensuring a generous compensation package for oustees. Their formula for the compensation, a price based on the previous three years' market value of land in neighbouring areas plus 50% of the highest price of land sold in that area.

The report which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday clearly does away with two major clauses proposed by the central government.

The government had proposed that the state governments restrict themselves to acquiring only 30% of land required by private parties, that too in cases where there were contiguity issues, provided the private parties acquire 70% of the needed land on their own. The standing committee's report has overturned this clause stating that state government's can use their discretion and acquire 100% of all land required. Rural

development minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has said the committee's recommendations are not binding on the Centre.

The second clause proposed by the central government and over-turned by the standing committee was regarding the definition of "public purpose", the basis of all land acquisition made by state governments. The Centre had proposed a narrow definition of public purpose, covering land acquisition for only government works like building roads, bridges and the like. The standing committee has again left the definition in the hands of the state governments. Committee chairman Kalyan Singh defended what the government is terming as a dilution of the proposed amendments. "We left the discretion in the hands of state governments for two reasons, one, because of small plots of land in many states, land acquisition is unwieldy and corporate rivals may use individual land owners to stall projects. Secondly, there should be no discrimination against states where agricultural land is more than non-agricultural when it comes to industrialisation. Therefore if a state government wishes to ease in-dustrialisation, it should be allowed to do so," he said.

Courtesy:- ET dtd:- 23rd Oct. 2008

As a property prices and rents spiraling in the Gulf and the rupee depreciating, Indian real estate developers are actively promoting their products among expatriate Indians in the Gulf. “Because of spiraling rentals in Dubai and elsewhere in the region, Indians working here prefer to keep their families back home,” Haseeb Ahamed, chairman of the Calicut chapter of the Kerala Builders’ Forum (KBF), told IANS here Wednesday.

“Also because of the depreciation of the rupee, Indians here can invest their disposable income in real estate back home. Given the current global financial crisis, it is better to invest in real estate in India instead of investing in stocks or other investment options,” he added. KBF Calicut is holding a Malabar Property Show here Oct 23-25 to showcase villas, apartments and commercial space.

“It is a rare region-specific real estate exhibition coming from India,” Ahamed said. The show is bringing 16 builders from the Malabar region of northern Kerala, who will promote projects in Kozhikode, Kannur, Thalassery and Malappuram. Of the around 1.5 million expatriate Indians in the UAE, a large number hail from Kerala. According to Ahamed, Malabar, a trade and tourism centre of yesteryears is slowly coming back to the limelight after a period of neglect.

“Malabar has been witnessing a lot of development in the healthcare, education, hospitality, transportation and tourism sectors in recent times,” he said. “The presence of a number of world class hospitals have also come up in the region,” he said, adding Kozhikode was also becoming an educational hub with some premier institutions setting up base. “Also with the opening of Karipur International Airport, there is good air connectivity with several international airlines coming in,” Ahamed said. According to KBF Calicut secretary Nityanand Kamath, a lot of expatriate Indians are already investing in property back home.

Once considered a middle-class haven, shunned by the elite, the burgeoning North Delhi hub of Rohini with its excellent infrastructure and superior connectivity is now hogging the limelight as one of the prime real estate destinations. And lots of facilities in Rohini.

As the national capital, Delhi is one of the hottest destinations for real estate investors, where the market is witnessing a boom with the Metro rail connecting the far-flung areas to the district centre. One such beneficiary is Rohini, which today boasts of swanky malls and prime residential developments, attracting both end-users and investors.

LIC Housing is foraying into venture funding and planning to start a Rs500 crore real estate fund by the end of 2008. The company is looking for a banking partner and would soon approach SEBI to set up an asset  management  company. Based on the response on the real estate funding the company will decide on the future course of action whether to expand in the venture capital area. The fund proposed by LIC housing finance will be used to finance real estate development and 50-60 projects are likely to be founded over the next 12-18 months.

JP Morgan Chase has also bought a 33% stake in a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of real estate firm Alok Infrastructure and Damac Properties, a luxury lifestyle provider in the Middle East , plans to invest $5 billion over the next three years in the Indian luxury home sector.

  Blackstone Real Estate Partners, an associate of the Blackstone group, recently bought a minority stake in Bangalore-based Synergy Property Development Services for $18 million. The recession in the US might just bring some more good news to the Indian real estate sector Housing and real estate sector attracted Rs 1,510 crore in the month of April 2008 alone, higher than the automobile industry at Rs 1,368 crore for the same month or even telecommunications at Rs 747 crore. With focus on Tier I and II cities there is immense scope for overall growth in this industry.

Pune-based real estate developers have decided to increase the per-square-foot charge for residential construction between Rs 50 and Rs 400 from April 20 due to the increasing cost of construction and heavy taxation by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). This was announced today by Lalitkumar Jain, president, Promoters and Builders Association of Pune (PBAP).

Pune, over the last two years, has experienced a boom in the real estate industry. However, availability of land has remained a problem as the new Development Plan (DP) for Pune has not been sanctioned and executed for quite some time.

The city saw construction of 60 lakh sq.ft commercial space for the information technology (IT) industry last year, which has generated employment for more than 60,000 people. There has also been extensive recruitment in industrial areas like Ranjangaon, Pirangut, Chakan and Talegaon - an addition of close to 25,000 new jobs. The services and retail sector has recruited more than 25,000 new employees last year.

While more than one lakh new jobs were added in the city, the builders have developed only 35,000 new flats in and around Pune. “There is a huge demand-supply gap, which has led to the sudden price rise over the last two years. In addition, steel prices have gone up from Rs 32,000 per tonne to Rs 52,000 per tonne while the cement prices have been increasing consistently. PMC, too, has increased the development and premium charges for residential projects from 200% to 400%. All this has led to heavy cost escalation for Pune-based builders,” Jain added.

PBAP, which represents more than 80% of Pune’s real estate developers, has prepared a report that explains the possible ways to tackle the price hike. The report has requested the central government to take cost cutting measures for cement and steel prices.

Jain said: “There is resentment among middle class households over increasing real estate prices. The industry cannot sustain such a situation where costs are not coming down. If housing becomes more costly, nobody will buy a flat in Pune and the industry may come to a halt in the near future.”

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Pune witnessing tremendous growth in real estate sector, both in commercial and residential space. With an objective to showcase the finest properties of Pune, a leading online real estate company is organizing a two-day property show, for the first time on March 15 and 16 at Royal Western India Turf Club, Solapur Road, and Pune. Around 20 leading real estate developers will be participating in the show and over 5000 property seekers are expected to visit this mega property show in two days. The Pune property show is expected to do deals worth 18 crores.

Pune is amongst the fastest growing cities in India and is experiencing a rapid need for increase in infrastructure. The city has seen rapid increase in real estate activities over the last couple of years. The city accounts 12% of all the traffic coming on the portal, with more than 10000 listed properties from the city.

Affordable housing: There is a large demand for houses and projects below 60 lakhs, developers are still focusing on premium projects above this value. This trend for affordable housing will continue for the next 1.5 years, and developers will have to come up with more projects within the 60 lakhs bracket until the premium projects have some very exclusive features to attract. So this concludes that there is a difference in the demand and supply requirement.

"Baderwal Projects Pvt. Ltd. "has announced to construct residential township "Baderwal City" in Mahendergarh of Haryana. It will be constructed on NH-17. Its nearness to the railway station, college, bus-stand, city-centre,govt. offices and Narnaul-Jaipur corridor highway will be its plus points. The facilities like 24 X 7 security, water sewage treatment plant, 12 m wide road, green and open space, school, hospital, swimming pool and club house will also be provided in it.

Real Estate Company "Chandraprabhu Buildwell Pvt Ltd" is constructing a new housing project. "Chandralok City" in Tijara (Rajasthan). Bhumipoojan of this project was done on 12th October. Being built on Delhi-Alwar-Mumbai main highway, this project is being constructed near 8th Jain Tirathankar Chandraprabhu Temple. Surrounded all around by lush green; plots, resorts and villas are being made available at low rates in this project. Alongside, facilities like shopping mall, hospital, club, community bhawan, multiplex, restaurant, 24X7 electricity and water and security are also being provided

Similarly, another Delhi-based developer TDI too is now launching villas. It has sold hundreds of plots in Kundli in the past, but now feels selling plots alone may not lift the fortunes of the TDI Township. It has now offered the owners of its plots to construct houses. 

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Developers are showing more interest in meeting halfway as the demand for affordable housing is getting stronger.

Things on the financial may not look all that good the world over, giving jitters to real estate as well as many other sectors. Despite this in India there is bright silver lining around the real estate sector as there is a huge scope for building homes due to large demand, which is yet to be met. And this is he driving facts for housing to become more affordable, feel he experts as well as the developers.

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As Niranjan Hiranandani, MD, Hiranandani Constructions, said in a recent seminar, "Housing is a basic need and it has front to be affordable. The developers know that and they are working towards making products customer friendly by adapting effective measures to reduce turnaround time like employing mechanisation and even tying up with banks to defer the payment of interest and EMI until the possession of the flat. More measures have to come from government in terms of bringing down the land prices and removing the endless clearances hat delays the projects thus escalating the cost factor."

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So even in difficult times the developers are coming o meet the customers halfway. Better construction technology and management are the driving factors, for the evolving and enterprising developer community.

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Says Boman Irani, MD, Keystone Group, "Becoming customer-friendly has been in the process for quite some time now and we have long been working along the idea that housing is just not a manufacturing industry but also a service industry. Right from the conception the delivery f the product and even after that we look after our customers. We have been using mechanisation to reduce turnaround time, and uniformity in production of concrete besides reducing the costs and it becomes a boon when trying to increase volumes."

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Developers agree that customers drive the market now. Dhaval Ajmera, Director, Ajmera group says, "The market has moved from builder driven to buyer driven and the trend towards customer-oriented projects is now increasing. We are working continuously towards offering better housing at affordable prices with amenities that enhance quality of life. Within the apartments we are offering more carpet area and quality construction. Our Bhakti Park project has 25 acres of green space, which helps the customer relax. At Bangalore we have tied up with banks that have introduced advance disbursable fund or ADF where customers are not required to pay interest on loans until the ime f possession. This is easy for the customer and helps us raise the entire money at once thus giving us the required cash flow for projects. For bigger transportation of steels and large production of concrete in shorter time frame we also use machines like tower cranes and ready concrete mixer to increase efficiency." Developers are also looking at helping customers with rebates at the government level. Dharmesh Jain, MD, Nirmal Lifestyle says, "Every year during monsoons we introduce the free stamp duty registration scheme; this year also we have followed the same. We have been doing this for years; during August to September we carry this free scheme. People have appreciated his scheme; they believe that the initial cost of development while booking a flat is the stamp duty, so they happily take advantage of the scheme." Another developer has managed to get his customers ten per cent reduction on property tax. 

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Driven by customer needs, real estate has become broad based and volume based. Vimal Shah, MD, Akruti city says, "After all everybody needs a home to live in. Hence putting forward the best quality within affordable prices is a challenge. Things can't be too cheap, but we offer an array of products for different customers. Use of modern construction methods is one way of reducing prices and turnaround time and we are also offering a wide range of products priced differently according to the size, amenities, besides a wide range of finish and even loan options."

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Ashok Kumar, MD, Cresa Partners, a property consultant says, "Developers are looking at newer locations and building a mixed forma f housing to cater to different needs, thus combining lifestyle with affordability." Taking care of customers even after handling over the property to them has been the recent trend. Says Irani, "Our USP is the after-sales service. We have tied up with reputed agencies that supply reliable house help, good security personnel so that the residents feel at home from time they enter. The residents are absolutely safe in our complexes. The parking lot is planned in a way that the residents can park their cars in front of their homes. Other amenities like out a booklet as soon as he resident takes possession which contains important telephone numbers and all the information around the locality makes the customer feel at home at once."

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Sanjay Dutt, joint MD, Cushman and Wakefield says, "Yes, most builders are getting real and the handling wiser and he matured ones have already sensed that the marked has to be realistic. They have begun to move with the market and accept the reality by looking at the possibility of making the pricing more real, besides, of course, making things easier for the customers."

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With a billion plus population, rising salaries and pro-growth policies, the downturn is only a temporary swing. Real estate will continue to be the integral need of every citizen and developers are in the mood to make it available to as many as they can.    

Developers are showing more interest in meeting halfway as the demand for affordable housing is getting stronger.

Things on the financial may not look all that good the world over, giving jitters to real estate as well as many other sectors. Despite this in India there is bright silver lining around the real estate sector as there is a huge scope for building homes due to large demand, which is yet to be met. And this is he driving facts for housing to become more affordable, feel he experts as well as the developers.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;

As Niranjan Hiranandani, MD, Hiranandani Constructions, said in a recent seminar, "Housing is a basic need and it has front to be affordable. The developers know that and they are working towards making products customer friendly by adapting effective measures to reduce turnaround time like employing mechanisation and even tying up with banks to defer the payment of interest and EMI until the possession of the flat. More measures have to come from government in terms of bringing down the land prices and removing the endless clearances hat delays the projects thus escalating the cost factor."

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;

So even in difficult times the developers are coming o meet the customers halfway. Better construction technology and management are the driving factors, for the evolving and enterprising developer community.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;

Says Boman Irani, MD, Keystone Group, "Becoming customer-friendly has been in the process for quite some time now and we have long been working along the idea that housing is just not a manufacturing industry but also a service industry. Right from the conception the delivery f the product and even after that we look after our customers. We have been using mechanisation to reduce turnaround time, and uniformity in production of concrete besides reducing the costs and it becomes a boon when trying to increase volumes."

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;  

Developers agree that customers drive the market now. Dhaval Ajmera, Director, Ajmera group says, "The market has moved from builder driven to buyer driven and the trend towards customer-oriented projects is now increasing. We are working continuously towards offering better housing at affordable prices with amenities that enhance quality of life. Within the apartments we are offering more carpet area and quality construction. Our Bhakti Park project has 25 acres of green space, which helps the customer relax. At Bangalore we have tied up with banks that have introduced advance disbursable fund or ADF where customers are not required to pay interest on loans until the ime f possession. This is easy for the customer and helps us raise the entire money at once thus giving us the required cash flow for projects. For bigger transportation of steels and large production of concrete in shorter time frame we also use machines like tower cranes and ready concrete mixer to increase efficiency." Developers are also looking at helping customers with rebates at the government level. Dharmesh Jain, MD, Nirmal Lifestyle says, "Every year during monsoons we introduce the free stamp duty registration scheme; this year also we have followed the same. We have been doing this for years; during August to September we carry this free scheme. People have appreciated his scheme; they believe that the initial cost of development while booking a flat is the stamp duty, so they happily take advantage of the scheme." Another developer has managed to get his customers ten per cent reduction on property tax. 

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;   

Driven by customer needs, real estate has become broad based and volume based. Vimal Shah, MD, Akruti city says, "After all everybody needs a home to live in. Hence putting forward the best quality within affordable prices is a challenge. Things can't be too cheap, but we offer an array of products for different customers. Use of modern construction methods is one way of reducing prices and turnaround time and we are also offering a wide range of products priced differently according to the size, amenities, besides a wide range of finish and even loan options."

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;  

Ashok Kumar, MD, Cresa Partners, a property consultant says, "Developers are looking at newer locations and building a mixed forma f housing to cater to different needs, thus combining lifestyle with affordability." Taking care of customers even after handling over the property to them has been the recent trend. Says Irani, "Our USP is the after-sales service. We have tied up with reputed agencies that supply reliable house help, good security personnel so that the residents feel at home from time they enter. The residents are absolutely safe in our complexes. The parking lot is planned in a way that the residents can park their cars in front of their homes. Other amenities like out a booklet as soon as he resident takes possession which contains important telephone numbers and all the information around the locality makes the customer feel at home at once."

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;  

Sanjay Dutt, joint MD, Cushman and Wakefield says, "Yes, most builders are getting real and the handling wiser and he matured ones have already sensed that the marked has to be realistic. They have begun to move with the market and accept the reality by looking at the possibility of making the pricing more real, besides, of course, making things easier for the customers."

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ; 

With a billion plus population, rising salaries and pro-growth policies, the downturn is only a temporary swing. Real estate will continue to be the integral need of every citizen and developers are in the mood to make it available to as many as they can.    

"To avail of a reverse mortgage, you either need to be a male above 60 years of age or a female who is above 55 years of age," says a senior Punjab National Bank official. However, if you want to jointly avail of the loan, either one of the partners needs to be above 60 years. Apart from the age of the person, the amount of the loan also depends on the time period and the value of the property. Loans are available for about 15 years. Installments could either as periodic payments (monthly, quarterly or annual payments) and sometimes as lump sum payments. However, lump sum payments generally given out only for medical needs.

Mumbai-based Hindustan Construction Company has started talking to global players as part of its strategy to get into infrastructure business like airport modernisation and hydro-electric power projects. "We have started dialogues with global companies which have expertise in these fields for potential joint ventures, as part of our new plan to undertake infrastructure projects," a company official said. In line with the strategy, the company has also formed a 100% subsidiary, HCC Infrastructure, which would undertake these projects. "The subsidiary would look into BOT (build, operate and transfer) and PPP (public private partnership) projects in the infrastructure space including road construction," the official added. However, the construction major is yet to decide which airport or road projects to bid for. The company recently undertook a restructuring exercise to form five business entities — HCC Infrastructure, HCC Construction, HCC Real Estate, Lavasa and HCC Capital.

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A reverse mortgage is a product that's structured around the needs of senior citizens for regular income. What's more, the legal heirs can repay the loan and retain the property. Lisa Mary Thomson helps you understand how the product works to your advantage

Alka and Vineet Vohra easily fitted the bill of what you would call devoted parents. Excessively involved in what their children were doing, they spent large sums of money on sending them abroad to establish them in life. But in this process, they forgot to plan for their retirement. No doubt, the boys were fond of their parents but separated as they were from them by distance and way of life, they didn't recognise the need to send a regular amount home and Vineet being the proud parent didn't have the heart to ask. So he approached a bank to avail of a reverse mortgage on his home.

This is not a film story. Any semblance to a movie is simply the result of Bollywood's latest attempt at capturing reality. But if you are at that stage of life when this is happening to you or is happening around you, you may want to know what a reverse mortgage is and how it can help you remain independent. Here're the major points.

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Dharuhera, sonepat, Baghpat, Meerut & Bhiwadi have great potential, but they have some way to go befor they can tempt the pampered Delhites.

With the metros getting saturated where development is concerned and the high home loan rates, property in Tier-I cities is going beyond the reach of many people.

For those looking at alternate options the obvious choice will be the smaller cities near Delhi.

So we have places like Sonepat, Dharuhera Baghpat, Bhiwadi and Meerut, but one wonders how ready the people of Delhi to move in here are. One does get used to a certain kind of lifestyle in the Capital. And though these towns definitely have potential for the fu ture, they have quite a distance to go before they come up with good infrastructure that's somewhat close to Delhi standards.

"The problem with development in North India is that of connectivity – a must if people have to look at options out of Delhi. Do that and no one will want to clog the Capital? People work in London but they stay in the countryside, because they have been provided good infrastructure and connectivity. The Metro will do a lot of good to Ghaziabad and Noida but such public transport will have to be made available in other nearby cities. Roads, sewerage system, better law and order are some of the needs that have to ad dressed immediately if we want people to go and live there," says Sanjeev Sivastava, Managing Director, Assotech Limited.

So, while we give you the lowdown on what makes these towns promising zones of the future, we also visit the places to give you a view of what's happening here now.

Haryana has been in news lately because of the buzz it has generated in the realty sector. Thanks to its recent industrialisation, the state is experiencing a robust economy, the effects which are reflected in its NCR zone. More than a thousand medium and large industries with a capital investment of Rs 200 billion have been established in the state in mainly Gurgaon, Panchkula and Faridabad. In addition to this, there are more than 80,000 small-scale industries in the state that cumulatively bring in substantial income to the state and its people. One township that has risen from obscurity and shows much promise is Dharuhera. Hosting the units of many leading industries like Hero Honda Motors and Sony India, realty prices here are still under control.

Some of the highlights here include the opening up of industries worth Rs. 3000 crore in Bawal, a car plant of Honda Sel in Khuskhera, the KMP Expressway, a Reliance SEZ, Japanese corridor, railway corridor, etc. Prices in main Dharuhera are between Rs. 8,000 per sq. yds and Rs. 14,000 per sq yds. On the outskirts of Dharuhera towards Jaipur land prices are around Rs. 6,000 per sq. yds

Temptations for those moving in here, says Rajendra Jain, Chairman, BCPLVardhman, are "The nearby Badkhal Lake where one can unwind on weekends. One can also go for picnics to the nearby tourist destination – Sohna. The eight-lane Expressway on NH-8 not only lets you reach the airport in just half-an-hour but once the KMP Expressway is functional, people will be able to reach cities in Punjab and UP faster that one can imagine. This town also boasts of shopping malls, Cineplex, hospital, schools, bus stand, police station and ATMs of leading banks."

Location of industries with high value projects involving foreign collaborations and investment has led to an economic boom in this region. Today, there are small, medium and large industrial units located here with an approximate investment of Rs.2000 crore and a turnover of approximately Rs. 7000 crore employing more than 20,000. Informs Knight Frank (India), Executive Director (north), Jayant Varma, "If the SEZ takes off in the way it's being planned, Dharuhera is an ideal location for accessing it. Dharuhera also offers lower cost housing than Delhi or Gurgaon." Some leading realtors like Parsvnath, Ansal API, M2K, Tivoli, SNG and BCPLVardhman are also tapping Dharuhera for their projects.

While touring the area, we found: Yes, people are talking development, but Dharuhera remains a small town. Internal roads are not in good shape and the sewerage system requires work. Locals also say that law and order are problem areas. Real estate agents say that Dharuhera's residential market relies totally on people working in Manesar's Industrial units who look for accommodation here. Is it a good investment option? Maybe. But it'll take a good five years to really come up.

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The upcoming 135 km Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway is a major attraction. Also, the area between Kundli and Sonepat town falls in a highly industrialised zone. Big names involved with residential and commercial projects include the Landmark Group, Mapsko Builders, Eros Group, TDI, Parsvnath, Ansals, Omaxe, Eldeco, Tulip, Jindal Greens and many others. Land rates here have already witnessed an average appreciation of almost 100-150 per cent over the last couple of years. Residential property rates range from Rs.10, 000 to Rs. 15,000 per sq yard. For apartments, it is between Rs. 1700 to Rs. 2200 per sq. ft.

While touring the area we found: It's a lucrative market and prices have escalated because of the investors. Those wanting to buy property should wait because "prices might come down," say real estate agents.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;     & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp; Courtesy:- HT dtd:- 11th Oct. 2008

Nearly 75 per cent of the urban working class, including professionals still prefers to invest in real estate as it fetches them guaranteed and higher returns and cautiously stay off from investing in stocks, gold and mutual funds as these instruments are found to be risky, according to findings of a countrywide survey by ASSOCHAM.

Over 1,400 managers, directors, officers in central/state bodies, teachers and self-employed professionals like lawyers, CAs, doctors, consultants, druggists and small traders took part in the survey titled Urban working class and professionals vis-à-vis their latest investment patterns.

Over 1,050 respondents felt that investments in real estate, residential and commercial properties are the most lucrative and perhaps the safest. According to them, investments in the yellow metal is not as profitable as they think gold prices will remain contained upto a particular point while this is not the case with real estate.

Releasing the survey, ASSOCHAM President Sajjan Jindal said that about 65 per cent of the urban working class prefers to park its surplus in buying residential properties in view of better connectivity, infrastructure and basic facilities and does not look at buying commercial properties as these are beyond their means and involve high investment.

On the other hand, about 35 per cent working class and professionals prefer commercial properties, especially in Tier I and Tier II cities as they feel that within a few years, prices of commercial properties will go up substantially and fetch them a premium.

The survey revealed that affordable housing and easy availability of land made the urban working class and professionals to invest in residential properties in emerging Tier II and III cities such as Jaipur, Bhiwadi, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Nainital, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Sonepat, Panipat, Pune, Nasik etc.

Over 40 per cent respondents, especially professionals, invested in real estate in Tier I cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, entire NCR, Hyderabad, Bangalore etc., to get maximum returns.

Courtesy:- HT dtd:- 11th Oct. 2008

Paras Buildtech, a unit of Paras Build-Call Pvt. Ltd., has won the "Building Industry Leadership Awards – 2008," presented by Builder Information Bureau in a glittering ceremony at a Delhi hotel. The company was conferred the award in the Category of Best Upcoming Builder. Some of the notable projects of Paras Build-Call are: Paras Downtown Center-Gurgaon, Paras Twin Towers-Gurgaon, Paras Downtown Square-Zirakpur (Near Chandigarh) and Paras Panorama-Kharar (Mohali).

Courtesy:- HT dtd:- 11th Oct. 2008

DON'T USE RAISED FAR TO EXPAND HOUSES, ADD NEW UNITS: PLAN

After DDA's mega housing scheme and another announced by the National Building Construction Corporation, here's some more good news for those aspiring to own affordable accommodation in the capital. The government is considering a proposal that will make it mandatory for group housing societies wishing to make use of the increased floor area ratio (FAR) under Delhi's new Master Plan-2021, to construct new dwelling units in their society premises instead of finding ways to expand the existing flats.

If the Union urban development ministry proposal goes through, around 1 lakh more houses are expected to come up in the city.

FAR in group housing societies has been increased from 167 to 200 in MPD-2021, which was notified by the urban development ministry in February last year. After MPD-2021 came into force, several housing societies had permitted their residents to increase the area of their flats by making extensions to take advantage of the raised FAR. But the government, keen to bridge the huge gap in affordable housing in the capital, hopes that the new proposal will make available more houses.

Sources in urban development ministry said the proposal would force housing societies to utilize the increased FAR to construct new houses. ''The proposal will provide housing to many who are not in a position to afford costly flats offered by private builders,'' a ministry official said.

The availability of around one lakh houses, that too in existing housing societies, would also put a check on sky-rocketing prices of flats, he added.

The proposal is also in tune with the master plan's provision increasing the population density by 40% — from 175 persons per hectare to 250 persons — in residential areas.

Clause 4.4.3-B of the master plan, which deals with increase in FAR in societies, does not specify how the increased built-up area is to be utilized.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p; Courtesy:- TOI dtd:- 10th Oct. 2008

A Paragon Of Colour, Fun & Convenience 

Taneja Developers & Infrastructure Ltd. (TDI) recently inaugurated TDI Paragon, the first and only mall-cum-multiplex in Rajouri Garden, West Delhi. The opening was celebrated with a grand function held in the atrium with sensational performances by Rakhi Sawant, Bollywood singer Krishna and a Brazilian group, Cow Girls. There was a fashion show too, showcasing the variety of clothesline brands available at TDI Paragon. TDI Paragon holds the distinction of housing the first state-of-the-art four- screen Wave multiplex in Delhi. It is just next to Rajouri Garden Metro station and promises to be the most sought after destination of West Delhi with a catchment area of Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden, Raja Garden, Naraina, Paschim Vihar and adjoining areas.

Spread over an area of one lakh sq. ft., TDI Paragon has been designed as a ground-plus -two structures with two-level basements for parking and services. The third level is dedicated to entertainment The vibrant colours and glass on the plaza facades have a stunning visual effect.

The front plaza of TDI Paragon is beautifully landscaped with both water features and shaded areas, acting as the congregation space for the complex. From the atrium two sleek escalators shall provide panoramic views of the huge atrium.

Supertech “Green Village” Residency…… ….Lifestyle Redefined

At a time when the country's real estate builders are reeling from a severe cash crunch, Metro Corp, a Bangalore-based realtor, is close to raising $300 million (about Rs.1,400 crore) from leading global financial institutions, including Prudential Corporation Asia and Warburg Pincus.

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Metro Corp, a three-year-old real estate developer, has three projects under execution, and has lined up a bouquet of 21 projects across India, ranging from residential and commercial to integrated townships to special economic zones. Deepak Krishnappa, chairman & CEO, refused to confirm the move but said they are in discussions with various private equity funds for development of plots.

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Metro Corp is understood to tied up with land owners for developing close to 6,000 acres across the country. Metro Corp's fund-raising plans come nearly a year after the Century Group, another Bangalore-based land bank and real estate developer, mopped up $300 million from leading fund houses Goldman Sachs and Fortress.

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Sources said Century has plans to raise another $200 million (over Rs. 920 crore) to develop a 12-acre plot near the Bangalore International Airport. Industry analysts indicate that such big ticket real estate private equity deals are getting far and few in the Bangalore-real estate market, which was until recently much sought after by private equity investors.

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"There is sense among PEs that they have over-exposed themselves to the Bangalore market and there might be significant drop in the number of PE deals," an analyst said.

Courtesy:- Business Standard, dtd:- 7th Oct. 2008

Eight developers have shown interest in Delhi Development Authority's ambitious project of going ahead with the "In-situ Slum Rehabilitation Scheme", wherein slum dwellers of chosen clusters will be rehabilitated at or near the site of existing clusters themselves in organised multi-storey dwelling units.

The developers, who have applied in response to DDA's call for request for qualification for the scheme, include Pune- and Mumbai-based companies also. Mumbai-based Housing Development Infrastructure Limited, an established name in the state, is one of the applicants. Then there is BG Sirke, another major developer from Pune. Even big developers like UNITECH have shown interest.

According to DDA officals, firms from Mumbai and Pune seem keen as the in-situ rehabilitation of slum dwellers along lines that DDA is planning has already been executed in Mumbai. DDA, which is scrutinizing credentials of these eight developers, will short-list final contestants in about two weeks. DDA will then ask them to submit a detailed proposal and financial bids. These will then be analyzed and the final developer for each project will be selected from time to time. DDA hopes to start awarding work by December end.

The first four projects which are likely to kickstart first include sites at Kathputli Colony, spread over an area of 5.22 ha, Jailorwala Bagh, spread over an area of 10.2 ha, Block E & F Sector-18 Rohini, spread over 3.02 ha, and Camp 2 Keshopur Vikas Puri, spread over 0.7854 ha. There are about 5500 JJ units eligible for rehabilitation in these clusters.

Besides these four, there are 17 more sites DDA has chosen to execute the scheme. These include sites like Krishna Park near Vikas Puri, Shyam Nagar K-Block, Shankar Garden in Vikas Puri, JJ Cluster Subhash Nagar-I, Raghubir Nagar, behind booster pump, and three clusters in Vasant Vihar, among others.

Earlier this month, Delhi Development Authority came out with an "In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Scheme", wherein a number of JJ dwellers will be rehabilitated with all civic amenities near the area, where they have been living in jhuggi jhonpri clusters for years.

The initiative for rehabilitation of slum and JJ dwellers is a departure from the earlier resettlement schemes, wherein jhuggi dwellers were shifted and settled at far off places from their places of occupation and residence, leading to unemployment and further proliferation in search of occupation. The earlier policy had failed to work and saw the return of slum dwellers to their original place of occupation.

Under the scheme, resettlement will be done on the land occupied by JJ clusters with private partnership. The land will be sold through tender process to a private partner for construction of multistory houses. The number of storeys will depend on availability of land and can vary from 9 to 11 storeys. Provision for lift is also being considered.

  Courtesy:- TOI dtd:- 6th Oct. 2008

NATIONAL Building Construction Corporation (NBCC), a mini-ratna public sector undertaking, is planning to float an initial public offering (IPO) next year.

The company, which has recorded a 400% jump in its net profit at Rs 280 crore in 2007-08, plans to raise money from the market to venture into power sector.

"We are planning to raise money from the market. We hope to launch the IPO by the next year as the market is expected to move up in the near future," NBCC chairman & managing director Arup Roy Choudhary said. Besides its involvement in building and construction activities, NBCC is planning to launch several power projects in various states.

"We are having discussions with several state electricity boards for power projects under joint venture," Mr Chouhury said. The company is in the process of developing a 1,000-MW power project in Chhattisgarh.

Besides Chhattisgarh, NBCC is having discussions with Karnataka and Jharkhand for setting up power projects.

The company is also diversifying into housing sector and has already taken up housing projects in Delhi and Kolkata. The company's plan is to construct affordable houses in the national capital region (NCR) in the near future. It also has a overseas plan. "We want to expand out construction activities in the Middle East first," he said.

Courtesy:- ET dtd:- 4th Oct. 2008

If you fail to get a flat in the current DDA housing scheme, don't lose heart. National Building Construction Corporation, the largest public sector construction company, will soon launch a scheme for 2,000-2,500 houses in south Delhi, near Mehrauli.

For those who dream of a house in the city, the scheme is a winner as the flats which will come up in an area of about 30-35 acres near Mehrauli, will be available at prices much lower than the prevailing market rate.

NBCC, which is set to announce the project by the year-end, is also working on housing projects in Gurgaon and Greater Noida.

Preliminary estimates suggest that a two-bedroom flat would cost around Rs 20 lakh, a three-bedroom flat around Rs 30 lakh and four-bedroom flat around Rs 40 lakh.

''NBCC is going to sell these properties at cheaper rates than private sector builders at the same locations,'' said Arup Roy Choudhury, chairman and managing director of NBCC. Besides, ''the plan is to construct affordable houses in the NCR region in the near future''.

According to company officials, all the housing projects will have a mix of commercial and residential properties which will help in cross-subsidizing housing units.

The details of Gurgaon and Greater Noida projects are still being worked out and the company's negotiations with the state governments and private players for acquiring land are at an advanced stage, an official said.

NBCC, upbeat with real estate's contribution of Rs 376 crore to its total income of Rs 2,025 crore and net profit of Rs 280 crore, now plans to enter the all-India market.

Apart from Delhi and NCR, the company has taken up projects in Kolkata and the north-east and is considering projects in Visakhapatnam, Kochi and Chennai.

Courtesy:- TOI dtd:- 4th Oct. 2008

Parsvnath Developers Limited have announced the launch of Parsvnath Pratishtha, a group housing project at Pune.

The project, located at Pimpri Chinchwad, is just 10 kms from the upcoming New International Airport at Chakan. Pratishtha, also located amidst a major industrial hub, is surrounded by a number of large multinationl companies.The construction is scheduled to be completed by 2010.

Parvsnasth Pratishtha is spread over an area of approximately 11,000 sq mt.   

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;      & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;Courtesy H.T 4-10-08

Ajnara has recently handed over Ajnara Landmark Group Housing project at Vaishali. Work on Ajnara Pride Group Housing project at Vasundhra is on at present The Company has completed projects in Shalimar Garden and Ajnara Enclave at Chander Nagar. Ajnara Gen-x is the group’s forth coming group housing project at the crossing Republik. The company is to shortly announce a 25 acre ITpark with a mall, hotel and residential apartments.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p; Courtesy H.T 4-10-08

If you are completely hung up on all things antique, you are sure to be swept off your feet by the sheer bucolic bliss exuded by a log cabin. The rustic charm surrounding it comes like a breath of fresh air for residents tired of those dull, uninspiring concrete eyesores dotting the city skyline.

But the thought of building a log home is sure to dampen spirits. But before you jettison this singularly spectacular idea, here's a pronouncement that you are sure to greet with unbridled glee. It's not a back or a bank- breaking exercise, as generally (miss)understood by most people. All you need are cheap log home kits, and your task becomes a walk in the park, or should I say, woods.

If you want to any further information log on to- http://www.zameen-zaidad.com/" title="http://www.zameen-zaidad.com/" target="_blank"http://www.zameen-zaidad.com/...

Area: Uttar Pradesh › Ghaziabad

Transportation: Raj Nagar Ext. NH 58

Ad ID: 14475

Type of ad: Individual - Offer

Type of property: Flat

# of rooms: 2 rooms

# of bedrooms: 2

# of baths: 2

Price: Rs 21,00,000

Sq. Footage: 1250 sq.ft.