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ITS RAINING DISCOUNTS AS REALTORS COME TO GRIPS WITH REALITY
11.28.08 (1:27 am)   [edit]
With A liquidity crunch and meltdown fears likely to further hit purchase decisions, real estate developers are offering 30 per cent discounts to clear inventories and start new projects. You can expect more discounts, as realtors come to grips with the reality of oversupply and high margins and lose market stamina. 

 

For genuine buyers with money, they are willing to enter into "exclusive talks" to finalise deals with special discounts. Prices in Delhi, Bangalore have crashed by up to 50 per cent.

 

 

 

Developers like Oberoi Constructions and DB Realty are offering new projects at 30 per cent discounts. Oberoi is offering new project at Goregoan east in western Mumbai for Rs 7,500 per sq ft against Rs 12,000 in ready flats.

 

 

 

Similarly, DB Realty has started a new project at Kandivali west with an opening price of Rs 5,500 per sq ft against the prevailing market rate of Rs 8,000 in the area. In south Mumbai, prices have also crashed substantially.

 

 

 

Developers are blinking due to complete halt in transactions in the last six months as buyers stayed away from the market due to high realty prices.

 

 

 

"Now banks should lend up to 80 per cent of the cost of flats. Home loan rates should be cut to 7-8 per cent. This would create demand," said Niranjan Hiranandani, managing director, Hiranandani Constructions. "If construction activity stops, 10 lakh construction workers will be without job in three months." Rajni Ajmera, president, CREDAI who has asked developers to slash prices said, "Now buyers can get best possible rates. We want to do business and are willing to sacrifice profits." In a buyers' market and developers have no choice but settle for less. "If you have money, negotiate. You will get your rate," said Anuj Puri, chairman, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, the Indian arm of global realty consultancy JLL. 

 

Courtesy:- HT 22nd Nov. 2008

 

 

 
Real Estate Goa
11.26.08 (2:05 am)   [edit]
 It is an Axion truth that when you think of Goa, you think of the perfect holiday. Owing to this sentiment of Goa, it is the perfect tourist getaway that has caught the fancy of <a href=";http://www.zameen-zaidad.com/...;> real estate </a> developers far and wide. Records reveal that around 75 per cent of Goa Properties are bought by people living outside the state. Most of the buyers are from the north of India- Delhi, UP and Bihar, since the north is deprived of a coastline. Several non-resident Indians also view Goa as a perfect place to retire as it offers a better quality of life than most states. To cater the requirement of such buyers, a large number of prime developers like <a href=";http://www.zameen-zaidad.com/...;>  DLF </a> and Parsvnath have bought large parcels of land in Goa. Most of the Goa real estate builders offer residential segments in the form of beach-front luxury apartments, Portuguese style villas and sea-facing bungalows. Since the stamp duty and property taxes are comparatively lower, the demand for property in Goa is on higher side because of its obvious scenic appeal. In addition, commercial expansion within the state in the form of high-end malls and multiplexes and the state's plans to develop SEZs, IT parks and install high quality broadband connectivity is adding to the profitability of investment projects. Despite all these things, there are some threats for real estate development in the state due to the concerns raised about environment protection amidst the massive development that is taking place. Moreover some Goans also feel that due to heavy outsider influx and commercialization the identify of state has been taken over by them & as a result it them which has given rise to the land disputes as most of the land is being acquired from local communities. But the industry experts feel that the world-wide financial crunch and recession would initially affect the hotel industry and if it continued, it will affect the real estate, also. As a result all on going project are likely to slow down due to the global liquidity crunch. This will surely dampen the tourist scene in Goa during the otherwise peak season of October-December. Beside this, the investigations into the recent rape and murder case of a British tourist Scarlett Keeling in Goa has compelled the govt to review their real estate policy and banned the sale of land /plots/ flats to foreign buyers to curb the menace of drugs and crimes which has hampered the real estate scenario to a greater extent. If you want to have more detail about Goa, please visit our well reputed portals zameen-zaidad.com & propertycafeteria.com .
 
'REALTY PRICES NEED TO DECLINE BY 30%'
11.26.08 (2:02 am)   [edit]

Real estate prices in India requires to drop by 30% to spur demand, said Goldman Sachs in a report. However, the report further maintained that the sharp decline in the prices will have a negative impact on the economy.

  

Goldman Sachs said: "Our India Real Estate Team believes that prices need to fall by up to 30% in some geography for affordability to catch up." The report pointed out that prices in areas like suburbs of Mumbai and Bangalore need to decline by up to 30% to boost demand. "Although prices over the past three years have gone up in line with other economies globally, they have not corrected substantially, unlike its global peers," the report said.

  

It further said due to ongoing economic crisis, demand for property would also fall. "Demand for real estate is largely driven by income growth, demographics, interest rates, and inflation, but also people's expectations of future prices. As the economy continues to slow down due to the knock-on effect of the global financial crisis, income growth will suffer, thereby reducing demand for housing," it said.

  

Demand for commercial real estate would also be adversely affected due to the slowdown in the IT and Business Process Outsourcing sectors. "From the demand side, a property downturn, we think, will have negative effects on consumption and investment," it said.

  

It maintained realty downturn in India would not be protracted due to favourable mitigating factors. "Mitigating factors, such as India's favourable demographics, low mortgage penetration, falling interest rates and ongoing infrastructure demand will keep the property downturn from being protracted," it said, adding that a sharp downturn, however, was imminent. "Although the sector directly accounts for 7.3% of GDP, its backward linkages in terms of the sector's usage of iron, steel, cement etc, and forward linkages to other sectors, have an impact of 14% on GDP.

Courtesy:- TOI dtd:- 25th Nov. 2008

 
How can manage your money in this era
11.24.08 (2:31 am)   [edit]
The world is in a severe credit crisis and the economies of the world are responding by dramatically contracting. Commercial mortgage lending, though in better shape than residential lending, is not immune to the problems. Deal flow in commercial real estate is down by 75% by some estimates and it's not because there are not good deals out-there (there are some great deals out-there) it's because sponsors can't get deals financed. The institutional lenders such as banks, insurance companies and the Wall Street brokerage firms, are in survival mode. They won't part with a dollar by lending it out because they fear insolvency if asset values continue to drop. If they can't sell a loan today, they won't write it. Commercial real estate, more-so than other industries, depends on leverage; virtually all commercial property is mortgaged.
So where can a property owner, investor and developer turn when the bank turns them down? The answer for an increasing number of borrowers is to private commercial mortgage lenders. Once referred to as "hard money lenders", private lenders have not enjoyed a good reputation. Today however, private lenders are well respected and highly sophisticated. Private commercial mortgage lenders are often structured as limited partnerships and formed by small groups of wealthy individuals or business entities with large amounts of cash to invest. Hedge funds and private equity firms also form private lending companies or have commercial mortgage lending divisions. Some are set up as corporations others are limited liability companies (LLC). What defines a private lender and differentiates it from institutional lenders, is that private lenders are privately held entities lending their own money for their own benefit. They do not fall under the jurisdiction of Federal or State banking regulators and often "portfolio", or hold the loans they write rather than selling them into the secondary mortgage market.
Private lenders are unique in-that they enjoy a measure of flexibility that conventional lenders do not. They can set their own lending standards without regard to the credit markets or cumbersome government regulations. They can make decisions fast and fund deals in a matter of days, instead of the months and months that it takes to close bank loans. Lending decisions are typically made by a small group of partners or managers who understand the commercial real estate landscape and act decisively when they like what they see. Private lenders are cash rich, opportunistic investors that are fulfilling an important role during this credit squeeze. Private money is filling some of the void created by the institutional firm's inability to lend.
None of this is to say that privately funded commercial mortgage loans are necessarily easy to get, just that private money is still flowing while bank money is frozen. Private loans are generally equity based loans rather than balance sheet or credit driven. Loan-to-value (LTV) ratios are significantly lower in the private sector, which means sponsors must come to the table with more cash than they might be used to. It is rare to see a private lender offer to loan any more than 65% of a commercial properties value. Private loans also tend to be short-term in nature; borrowers must have a viable exit strategy in-place. Most private commercial mortgage loans act only as bridge loans until permanent, conventional funding can be secured. They are typically structured as interest only loans that come due in less than 36 months. Rates and origination points are also significantly higher for private loans when compared to conventional financing.
Private commercial mortgage lending is the fastest growing segment of the commercial real estate industry and for many investors it has become the only game in town. Until the overall credit situation improves borrowers will continue to seek alternative funding sources. When the bank says no, and it's likely they will, commercial property owners do have a place to turn.
   Any further info log on to http://www.zameen-zaidad.com" title="http://www.zameen-zaidad.com" target="_blank"http://www.zameen-zaidad.com

 


 

 

 

 
OMAN GOVT FUND TAKES OVER 24.5% IN ANSAL TOWNSHIP
11.22.08 (3:20 am)   [edit]

Ansal API's 2,500-acre township Megapolis in Dadri,Greater Noida, might see another round of stake dilution in the very first month of the project's launch. According to sources, State General Reserve Fund (SGRF) of Oman is planning to pick a 24.5% stake in the upcoming township, which pages the total value of the project at Rs 26,500 crore. The totle investment in the project was reported at Rs 13,000 crore of which 8.5% was picked up by HDFC AMC for Rs 1,105 crore recently. Another 15% is reportedly being eyed by PE firm Warburg Pincus, and Citigroup.

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

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   Cour tesy: ET Realty Nov 21,08

 
BUYERS WAITING FOR PROPERTY PRICES TO FALL
11.21.08 (2:52 am)   [edit]
Just banks reducing interest rates will not help in reviving sentiments; builders will have to bring down prices for buyers," the chief of the Indian Banks' Association added.
  
Bankers say demand for home loans has fallen because buyers are waiting for property prices to fall. "Banks have taken the initiative in cutting home loan rates, and prices of cement and steel too have fallen, but builders have not reduced property prices," said Union Bank of India CMD MV Nair. Although RBI relaxed some bank lending norms for the building sector last weekend, it remained quiet on the issue of restructured loans to builders.  
Analysts have expressed concerns about the financial health of the realty sector. India Infoline fears that the liquidity situation of developers could worsen further if banks refuse to refinance maturing debts of real estate companies and maintain the credit freeze on their accounts. "We reckon that debt maturing over the next 12 months for Unitech, Sobha and Puravankara is higher than our estimate of these companies' revenues over the corresponding period. The situation with Omaxe, Parsvanath and Ansals also remains precarious, owing to large land advances and high receivables," it said in a research note.
  
The building sector has seen a raft of credit downgrades amid refinancing concerns, and bankers say the sector has little choice but to cut prices.
  
"If a builder does not pay, banks would either initiate a recovery proceeding or restructure the loan. A recovery proceeding often results in lower realisation. This hopefully should indirectly put pressure on builders to bring down price and go for negotiated sales," says Indian Overseas Bank CMD SA Bhat.
 
Courtesy:- ET dtd:- 20th Nov. 2008

 

 
Real Estate Gurgaon
11.20.08 (2:03 am)   [edit]

 

Gurgaon real estate, Gurgaon is a good and best area in Real estate. All types of projects are available in Gurgaon. Residential and commercial office space is also available in Gurgaon. Lots of commercial complex are also available in gurgaon. Lots of 2 bhk flats in gurgaon, ¾ bhk flats are also available in Gurgaon. Gurgaon is a big hub in real estate market. Lots of builder’s projects are also available in gurgaon. DLF, UNITECH, Parsvnathnath developers lots of projects in gurgaon. Residential space are available in gurgaon, commercial space are also available in gurgaon.

Any further information visit portal www.zameen-zaidad.com
 
Naresh Naik head of Indian real estate unit
11.19.08 (1:20 am)   [edit]

Morgan Stanley has appointed Naresh Naik as an executive director and head of asset management for its Indian real estate unit.

 

Naik, an architect who was earlier head of asset management for Lehman Brothers in India, starts in his new role later this month and will be based in Mumbai, Morgan Stanley said in a statement issued late on Monday.

 

Morgan Stanley, which also has investment banking, wealth management and mutual fund operations in India, has invested more than $750 million in Indian real estate, a sector which is cooling due to higher interest rates and tighter funding.

    & 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;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp; Courtesy: 18-11- 2008 Indian Realty News

 

 

 

 

 
 
Sun Group & Barwa Real Estate JV
11.19.08 (1:19 am)   [edit]

The Sun Group, a private firm that raises funds and Qatar’s Barwa Real Estate has established a 50-50 joint venture company targeting Indian real estate.

 

The Sun-Barwa Land Partnership will buy and develop land banks in high growth corridors in India, it said.

 

The parties said they had sought approval from India’s Foreign Investment Board in order to “aggregate, acquire, hold and develop” Indian land banks.

 

Sun is an Indian private equity firm principally owned by the Khemka family, who has been active in emerging markets including Russia.

 

“Barwa brings significant expertise in infrastructure and real estate development and an established network of investment capital from Qatar,” said Nand Khemka, chairman of Sun, in a statement.

 

The collaboration with listed Qatari real estate company Barwa comes two years after Sun raised $630 million (€497 million) for the Sun-Apollo India Real Estate Fund to invest in the country. That fund was raised in a joint venture with Apollo Real Estate Advisors.

 

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;    Courtesy: 18-11- 2008 Indian Realty News

 

 

 

 
INDIA’S ECONOMIC SCENARIO
11.17.08 (2:21 am)   [edit]

 

 

The land-slide victory of Democratic Barack Hussein Obama over Republican McCain in the US presidential elections has created enthralling waves not in America but throughout the world. Mr.Barack Obama will assume the office of President of the most powerful democracy in the world under turmoiling environment when the US economy is braving great recession owing to their sub-prime lending which has cuased failure of more than a dozen banks there. The Lehman Brothers bankcruptcy has compelled the US govt. to inject $700 billions to save their crumbling economy. In spite of such a whopping package they have not come out of the recession. This has created a teasing slow down in their economy resulting in retrenchment in many sectors including real estate sector. The sub-prime lending has landed the American economy in such a dilapidated condition.

Opening the Indian economy to globalization liberally has also affected us adversely in the recent times. Indian govt. has allowed the FIIs to invest in our country without much control over them. To garner foreign currency in US Dollars, we have given so many facilities to the FIIs in form of freedom in P-Notes, etc. Now being in financial problems back in their country in the USA, the FIIs have started de-investing in our markets and have started withdrawing the money from our markets. This has given jerks to our economy. For the time being the key authorities at the helm of affairs of our economy have controlled the ill-effects of the recession of US economy. If we succeed in keeping our economy impuned from ill-effects of the global recession it will be a great achievement of our govt. The difficult phase has not yet over. The govt. authorities are to be more vigilant. Let us hope that we will succeed in our venture.

 

The government is taking the various steps to augment the economy. They have decreased the CRR Ratio, SLR Ratio and Repo Rate. This has increased the liquidity in the financial markets to fight the imminent recession in the market. To lure the FIIs the government has now extended more liberal attitude for P-Notes, etc.

 

Though Mr Barack Obama has pronounced in his election speeches that outsourcing will be reviewed considering the employment environment in his country in US. There is a fear that if Obama restricts outsourcing it will affect our IT sector adversely. Because our IT Wizards have started diverting their activities in other parts of Europe, it is hoped that we will come over the problems, if any, of outsourcing.  We hope tenets of globalization will prevail upon Mr. Obama and he will continue with the outsourcing though with some checks not blocking  others’ economies.

 

The slow down in our real estate sector is not because of ill-effects of sub-prime lending of the US but because of excess trading / constuction activities of leading builders and developers in our country. The govt. has imposed some checks over these builders and developers which we hope will give results in due course. The builders and developers have started approaching the govt. authorities to start extending them the loan facilities and also to allow them to raise funds through external borrowings. The release of funds to the builders and developers with government controls over the utilization of these funds will help to improve the slackness in the real estate sector.

 

Our website viz www.zameen-zaidad.com  is of the opinion that to overcome the imminent recession and job losses, our government should initiate the following immediate steps:-        & nbsp; 

 

·    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;   To mobilize deposits in the form of Infrastructure Bonds through public sector banks with interest accruals free from tax to attract more and more investors. The Infrastructure Bonds should have maturity for five years and be extendable for another period of five years.

·    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;   To invest the so-mobilsed funds in giving loans to big business and industrial houses for road construction, electricity generation, railway, airport & metro-networks in such a way that more and more new jobs are created to fight the job losses, if happened on a/c of imminent  economic crisis.

·    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;   Every effort needs to be made by business & industrial houses to cut costs and raise productivity. Retrenchment of existing staff should not be done with a view to boost profits. Employees on the rolls must be retained.

·    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;   Our country has one billion consumers. Consumption-led stimulus is the need of the hour.

·    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;   Excise duty be reduced and income tax be reduced to stimulate demand in the market.  

·    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;   The FIIs should not be given free hand to off-load their investments in our markets to create panic among other investors.

 

The above measures will definitely create new jobs, increase liquidity in the market, make use the idle funds lying with the public and earn income in utilizing the funds by extending loans for infrastructural activities. In this way the govt. will be in a good position to control the recession and job-losses to a great extent.      & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   

 

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NRI CAN INVEST
11.17.08 (2:21 am)   [edit]

  
A NRI and PIO can invest in property here, and repatriate the rental income and sale proceeds abroad,
  
Anon-resident Indian (NRI) and person of Indian origin (PIO) can acquire residential property in India. They can rent it out, transfer it, or sell it as well. They can take the rental income and their investments in the property out of the country, subject to the foreign exchange regulations. Under the present relaxed conditions, NRIs can invest in property in India easily.
  
A NRI is an Indian citizen residing outside India. A PIO is an individual who at any time held an Indian passport, or whose father or grandfather was a citizen of India. However, a PIO who is a citizen of Pakistan, China or Bangladesh has restrictions in acquiring property. Also, NRIs and PIO cannot buy agricultural land, plantation property and farm house.
  
A NRI/PIO may use his own funds to acquire immovable property. He can also avail a housing loan from a bank. Own funds is money received in India through an inward remittance from overseas out of income earned overseas, personal savings outside India, and funds held in non-resident external (NRE), non-resident ordinary (NRO), or a foreign currency - non-resident (FCNR) bank account.
  
In addition to own funds, he may also avail a housing loan from a bank. The authorised banks have been permitted to provide housing loans to NRIs and PIO for acquisition of a residential property in India. It is to be noted that this is subject to certain conditions. However, the quantum of loan, margin money and the period of repayment are on par with the housing loans provided to residents in India.
 
The loan amount cannot be credited to the NRE/FCNR account of the NRI/PIO. It has to be fully secured through an equitable mortgage of the property proposed to be acquired. If required, the bank may also have a lien on the other assets of the buyer in India. Further, the instalments of the loan, interest and other charges should be paid by the NRI/PIO through remittances from outside India through normal banking channels or out of funds in his NRE/FCNR/NRO account in India. The loan and interest can also be repaid out of the rental income of the property purchased.
 
The NRI/PIO may transfer the property without any approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to anybody - either a resident of India or another NRI/PIO. In case the property is let-out, the rental income can be credited into the NRO/NRE account. In case of sale, the sale proceeds of upto two properties can be remitted outside India without any RBI approval. Remittance for third and subsequent properties requires an RBI approval.
 
The remittance of the sale proceeds depends upon the mode of acquisition - whether it was acquired out of funds remitted from outside or out of rupee funds. A property can be acquired out of rupee funds by a NRI before leaving India, or acquired after leaving India but from his savings bank account here. It should be with income earned in India.
 
The proceeds can be repatriated provided the amount does not exceed either the amount paid for acquiring the property in foreign exchange received from overseas, the amount paid from the FCNR account, or the foreign currency equivalent of the amount paid from the funds held in a NRE account.
 
In case the property is acquired from rupee funds held in India, the remittance depends on the holding period of the property. In case the property has been held for more than 10 years, up to one million USD per calendar year can be repatriated without any RBI approval.
 
If the property is sold after being held for less than 10 years, remittances can be made if the sale proceeds were held for the balance period in a NRO account or other eligible investments. For remittance of sale proceeds of assets acquired through inheritance or settlement, there is no lock-in-period. In all other cases, specific approval of the RBI is required.
 

Wherever a specific approval of the RBI is not required, the sale proceeds of the property as well as the rental income may be remitted outside India through normal banking channels, after obtaining an appropriate certificate from a chartered accountant, certifying that applicable taxes have been paid or provided for.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;  Courtesy :- TOI dtd:- 15th Nov. 2008
 
 
DEMAND FOR REAL ESTATE WILL GET A BOOST AGAIN AS CONSTRUCTION WILL PICK UP
11.15.08 (2:12 am)   [edit]
 As interest rates of home loans are all set to come down with major PSU banks lowering there prime lending rates, demand for real estate will get a boost again. And rising demand will not lead to any price increase, according to developers and consultants. Developers feel that the construction activities and demand will get a real push once the main home loan disbursing institutions like ICICI Bank and HDFC Ltd, which together control more than 50% of the market, will slash their rates. Rise in demand will also depend on willingness to give loans by the banks at the ground level. Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra said that cut in interest rate will increase activities as it will prompt end-users to buy houses as EMIs will decline for same amount and tenure of loans. As many builders have started developing affordable houses in the range of Rs 20 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, lower interest rates will push purchases.
 
    C ourtesy: - ET dtd: - 14th Nov. 2008

 

 

 

 
DLF LOOKING TO BUY INTO DISTRESSED SALES
11.15.08 (2:11 am)   [edit]
 

DLF vice chairman Rajiv Singh says the company would try and fill the gap in its portfolio by acquiring suitable assets which come up for distress sale in a depressed real estate market. "We will be prepared to look at opportunities but won't pick up something just because it's cheap. However, there are some gaps in our portfolio, which we would like to fill. If there are some significant assets which are hard to replace in a market like NCR or Mumbai, we will certainly look at it, "said Mr. Singh. He said a challenging external environment had forced his company not to move "at a pace we would have like to" and asked the government to bring down interest rate for home buyer as well as developers.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;Courtesy: - ET dtd: - 14th Nov. 2008

 

 

 
Real Estate blues hit foreign Investors’ India plans
11.13.08 (2:40 am)   [edit]

International hotel chains hotel chains have tied up with real estate developers like DLF, Emaar MGF, Unitech and Parsvanath to set up five-star hotels. However, fund-starved developers, who are trying to raise money for their core activities like residential and commercial property projects, are understood to have put the hotel ventures on the back burner. A drop in occupancy and room rates, inflow of business travellers and tourists to India have also raised concerns on the viability of these projects, industry sources say.

 

“Out of a total of 1.14 lakh proposed room supply, only 58% or about 66,000 rooms, will actually be developed over the next few years. So, we feel many announced projects may not take off as planned,” said Manav Thadani, MD, HVS International, a hospitality consulting firm.

 

“Now, debt raising is a difficult process,” says Homi Aibara of Aibara Consultants. Lemon Tree Hotels CMD Petu Keswani said: “Only developer-led hotel projects will face a problem as their priorities are different.” However, when contacted by ET, real estate developers insisted that projects were on track.

 

According to the latest HVS report, cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune, where massive new room capacities are planned with real estate operators, are seeing trouble. In Bangalore not more than 60% of the new capacity is likely to come up. The same goes with Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune.

 

However, cities like Agra, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Mumbai saw a negative growth in room supply in 2007-08 as compared to 2006-07.

 

The last few months have seen a demand-supply mismatch in tier II cities like Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai. Room rates too have fallen steeply in these markets, making it unviable for real estate developers to go ahead with the planned hotel projects. This is happening at a time when there is a severe shortage of branded hotel rooms.

 

Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra said: “We have management tie-up with the Marriott Group for three projects, and one of them will be commissioned in January. Other two projects are very much on.” Recent media reports had suggested that DLF’s hotel JV with Hilton had hit a rough patch. However, DLF clarified to the stock exchanges that “DLF’s JV with Hilton is on a firm footing and all plans for the development of hotels stand as originally envisaged”. However, industry sources said DLF has put the hotel project on the back burner for at least a year.

 

An Emaar-MGF spokesperson said there were no change in the hotel plans of the real estate firm and its tie-up with Accor. Says Uttam Dave, president and CEO, Interglobe Hotels and head of development, Accor Hotels India (Accor has tied up with Emaar MGF to launch Formule 1, a budget hotel): “Most of our projects are on track, and so far at least none of our projects have been either cancelled or put on hold, and this includes both managed and investment projects. There have been some delays in the actual development and commissioning of projects, and this has been on account of obtaining development approvals from municipal authorities and not due to real estate values.”

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Courtesy: November 12, 2008 Indian Realty News

 

 

 

 

 

 
Mall of India on hold as rentals slip
11.13.08 (2:39 am)   [edit]

 

DLF has put on hold construction of one of the most high-profile mall projects, ‘Mall of India’, at Gurgaon, as retail rentals fall and cash becomes precious. The proposed venture scheduled to be launched by 2010-end. A DLF executive admitted the project may get pushed to the middle of 2011.

A DLF spokesperson said: “There is no truth in the statement that ‘Mall of India’ has been put off. Construction has not been stalled. Its planning and development is under full swing.” A visit to the site, however, gives a different picture. Till a few months ago, several workers could be seen at the project site and excavation work was in progress. Now, there is hardly any activity on the site, clearly indicating that company has slowed down the pace of the project.

While announcing the September quarter result recently, DLF V-C Rajiv Singh had said the company will “in the short term reduce capital intensity of the business model”. He had said the company will shift focus from capital-intensive projects such as malls to mid-income homes and offices, where revenue realisation is faster.

“There are several projects where developers have not begun construction, or have stopped construction after having done excavation work. In some cases, the proposed malls are being converted into office space, partly or completely,” says Cushman & Wakefield director (retail) Rajneesh Mahajan.

According to Cushman & Wakefield, retail rentals fell by up to 20% in several markets in July-September quarter, compared to the previous quarter. Gurgaon, which has many functional malls, saw rentals dip by 9% in three months. Karol Bagh, South Extension and GK in Delhi saw a decline of 5-18%. The rentals slid 20% in Mumbai’s Linking Road and Kemps Corner while it fell by over 10% in Ghatkopar and Vashi.

The rentals declined by 13-18% in almost all major locations in Bangalore. Mr Mahajan says retail rentals may fall further in the coming quarters.

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    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   Cou rtesy: November 12, 2008 Indian Realty News

 
Real Estate blues hit foreign Investors’ India plans
11.12.08 (1:28 am)   [edit]

International hotel chains hotel chains have tied up with real estate developers like DLF, Emaar MGF, Unitech and Parsvanath to set up five-star hotels. However, fund-starved developers, who are trying to raise money for their core activities like residential and commercial property projects, are understood to have put the hotel ventures on the back burner. A drop in occupancy and room rates, inflow of business travellers and tourists to India have also raised concerns on the viability of these projects, industry sources say.

“Out of a total of 1.14 lakh proposed room supply, only 58% or about 66,000 rooms, will actually be developed over the next few years. So, we feel many announced projects may not take off as planned,” said Manav Thadani, MD, HVS International, a hospitality consulting firm.

“Now, debt raising is a difficult process,” says Homi Aibara of Aibara Consultants. Lemon Tree Hotels CMD Petu Keswani said: “Only developer-led hotel projects will face a problem as their priorities are different.” However, when contacted by ET, real estate developers insisted that projects were on track.

According to the latest HVS report, cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune, where massive new room capacities are planned with real estate operators, are seeing trouble. In Bangalore not more than 60% of the new capacity is likely to come up. The same goes with Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune.

However, cities like Agra, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Mumbai saw a negative growth in room supply in 2007-08 as compared to 2006-07.

The last few months have seen a demand-supply mismatch in tier II cities like Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai. Room rates too have fallen steeply in these markets, making it unviable for real estate developers to go ahead with the planned hotel projects. This is happening at a time when there is a severe shortage of branded hotel rooms.

Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra said: “We have management tie-up with the Marriott Group for three projects, and one of them will be commissioned in January. Other two projects are very much on.” Recent media reports had suggested that DLF’s hotel JV with Hilton had hit a rough patch. However, DLF clarified to the stock exchanges that “DLF’s JV with Hilton is on a firm footing and all plans for the development of hotels stand as originally envisaged”. However, industry sources said DLF has put the hotel project on the back burner for at least a year.

An Emaar-MGF spokesperson said there were no change in the hotel plans of the real estate firm and its tie-up with Accor. Says Uttam Dave, president and CEO, Interglobe Hotels and head of development, Accor Hotels India (Accor has tied up with Emaar MGF to launch Formule 1, a budget hotel): “Most of our projects are on track, and so far at least none of our projects have been either cancelled or put on hold, and this includes both managed and investment projects. There have been some delays in the actual development and commissioning of projects, and this has been on account of obtaining development approvals from municipal authorities and not due to real estate values.”

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;  Courtesy November 11, 2008 Indian realty Newa
 
Real Estate Best and good position in Gurgaon winesses Incredible Boom.
11.11.08 (1:55 am)   [edit]

 

Gurgaon is a very well and good area in residential and commercial and all types’ facilities available in Gurgaon. Builders are give good facilities and good opportunity to every person.

 

The Real estate market of Gurgaon has shown incredible boom in the period between 1998 and 2008, a period in which the city pioneered real estate developers like DLF.Having property in Gurgaon is beneficial in respect to prices, rental income and security. The prices of residential as well as commercial real estate has been increased at a fast pace. It’s been over 60 years, since the DLF Group has been providing us its exceptional real estate services. DLF has over 224 million sq.ft. of existing development and 748 million sq. ft. of planned projects. The company is thoroughly committed to quality, trust and customer sensitivity, and delivers on promises with agility, financial prudence and in tune with the highest global standards. Not only this, the real estate major has also entered into various strategic alliances with global industry leaders.

 

Nowadays, the trend of having elite dwelling has increased the demand of real estate in Gurgaon. For accomplishing the increasing demand of Gurgaon properties, a number of real estate developers have come with some new high end projects for middle and upper class people at Dlf Phase Gurgaon.

 

Real Estate/Plots Gurgaon is best opportunity for property, It is located close to Delhi and is emerging one of the hottest destination as far as for real estate is concerned. Gurgaon can be the best choice for buy residential property, commercial property, plots property. There are many ongoing projects. DLF has launched a new residential/plots project in DLF Phase 1 to phase 5.Besides modern offices and expensive houses, Gurgaon is also very popular for its residential properties for middle class people. Nowadays, a lot of constructions are ongoing keeping in mind requirements of middle class segment.

 

Due to easy accessibly from South Delhi, the city has become world’s finest real state destination either for Indian or investors from abroad. With the connectivity from international airport gives Gurgaon special attention over other cities in the NCR. Gurgaon Real Estate has become first choice among investors as the quality construction and innovative additions. The real estates in Gurgaon offer lucrative profit for investors who are investing money either for commercial or residential properties. The city is renowned as a one of the finest choices for investment in India.
 
Landmark Cyber Park
11.10.08 (12:40 am)   [edit]

 The total covered area is 15 lac sq. ft. three level underground car parking with ample surface parking world class amenities such as health club, library, medical facilities, cafes, computer expendables convenience shops covering huge area on the ground level.
Landmark Cyber Park is a state-of-the-art IT hub that caters to the fast paced IT work culture that operates on a 24x7 schedule. This new age
structure is technologically advanced featuring 100% Wi Fi support backed by fiber optic connectivity. Further 100% power back-up is provided to ensure uninterrupted working needs of IT Industry. The design provides seamless movement right from basement parking, to ground level drop-offs through grand sky courts and garden terraces, and through high-speed vertical movement systems. The latest fire detection and security facilities back up the comfortable work areas.
The design addresses today’s fast paced work culture that has entered into 24x7 x 365 days work schedule. Break-out areas have been designed to compliment intense work spaces and executive areas that all integrate within the building fabric. There are terrace gardens that give a view. The ground floor is a system of gardens, courts, amenities and walkways shaded by pergolas within the sky courts.
 
LEASE OPTIONS
PLAN A:-
Investor can enter in a lease agreement with the company for 9 years after possession with assured lease of Rs. 60 / sq. ft. With a 15% appreciation after every three years. After completion of 9 years the lease will shift to plan b.
FOR EXAMPLE
Lease @ Rs.60 per sq. Ft. And 15 % increase every 3 years.
 Lease tenure for 1-3 years                 & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;Rs.6000.00 per month
 Lease tenure for 3-6 years                 & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;Rs.6900.00 per month
 Lease tenure for 6-9 years                & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p; Rs.7935.00 per month
PLAN B:-
Investor can wait till the possession and can avail the actual lease rates which company will lease to the tenant. In this case company management will charge 20% fee on the total lease value every month. Company will not be responsible for the lull period in this case. Allocation of the lease will happen on priority of booking dates and first come first serve basis.
FOR EXAMPLE
Lease @ Rs.100 per sq. ft. and 15 % increase every 3 years. Customer will get after deducting the management charges
 Lease tenure for 1-3 years   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;             Rs.8000.00 per month
 Lease tenure for 3-6 years   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;                 Rs.9200.00 per month
 Lease tenure for 6-9 years   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;                 Rs.10,580.00 per month
 * As per the market value ascertain by market trend and nearby market rates.

 

 

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DEMAND FOR REALTY TO GET A BOOST AGAIN
11.10.08 (12:39 am)   [edit]

  
As interest rates of home loans are all set to come down with major PSU banks lowering there prime lending rates, demand for real estate will get a boost again. And rising demand will not lead to any price increase, according to developers and consultants.
  
Developers feel that the construction activities and demand will get a real push once the main home loan disbursing institutions like ICICI Bank and HDFC Ltd, which together control more than 50% of the market, will slash their rates. Rise in demand will also depend on willingness to give loans by the banks at the ground level.
  
Uintah MD Sanjay Chandra said that cut in interest rate will increase activities as it will prompt end-users to buy houses as EMIs will decline for same amount and tenure of loans. As many builders have started developing affordable houses in the range of Rs 20 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, lower interest rates will push purchases.
  
After the cut, home loan rate has come down to around 10.25% to 11% on amount up to Rs 30 lakh. But, the rate for above Rs 30 lakh loan will still continue to be around 11.5 to 12%. This is mainly because of RBI's provisioning norms, which increase the cost of fund. Developers feel that to give a boost to the realty sector, the RBI should remove the norms, which were framed to discourage home loans to contain price rise in the sector. Now the situation has changed.
  
Manu Garg of Landcraft Developer said the present rate cut will not lead to increase in prices. He said developers are keener to increase the turnover at present. So, lower rate will lead to increase in building activities only, he said.
  
Because of rise in interest rates in the last one year, the real estate sector witnessed a slowdown. This has forced realtors to launch affordable houses to increase sale. They also reduced the average size of an apartment by almost 30% and cut prices per sq ft by 10-15%. This led to availability of two-bed room flats at Rs 25 lakh, from Rs 35 lakh to Rs 40 lakh a few months earlier. But, the continuous rise in interest rates to over 12% made home loan unaffordable to most of the people.
  
Some developers feel present rate cuts will not make much of difference. CMD of developer Assotech, Sanjiv Srivastava, said as the cost of funds for the banks still remained high because of high deposits rate of 9% to 10%, it is doubtful that present announcement of rate cut will translate into disbursal of loans at the ground level. He argued that unless banks find lending home loans profitable, they would avoid lending.
 

Courtesy:- TOI dtd:- 07th Nov 2008

 
Parsvnath Developer's set to Open 5 Star Hotel in Panaji
11.08.08 (12:58 am)   [edit]

Parsvnath Hotels Ltd, a subsidiary of Parsvnath Developers Limited (PDL), India's leading real estate and Infrastructure Company, has received 5-star category approval from the tourism ministry for its project at Patto Plaza in Panaji. The hotel is expected to be operational by 2010-end. The project is being developed on an area of approximately 3,150.20 square metres. The hotel, which is to offer 125 rooms and suites, would also have a coffee shop, multi-cuisine as well as specialty restaurants, a bar and a few shops coupled with all amenities. Strategically located in the hub of the business district in Goa, the proposed hotel complex is in close proximity of City Centre in Panaji and just 35 km from Dabolim Airport in south Goa.

    & nbsp; Courtesy: November 7, 2008 Indian realty news
 
Indian Real Estate Market Requires More Focus
11.08.08 (12:57 am)   [edit]

India needs to see greater developer focus on balancing supply and demand to correct a current market slowdown, according to experts. Speaking on the matter, Kumar Gera, chairman of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (Credai) said "We should focus on a balance between supply and demand. On the one hand, there is latent demand, and on the other, a negative sentiment is being created. "Moreover, a conducive environment should be created by the people who are in power." He also said he expects liquidity problems for Indian developers to ease over the next six months, following a series of measures introduced by the Reserve Bank of India. "We have approached the government. We have even submitted a paper on special residential zones. The government should take a proactive role and must fuel the real estate sector." India's real estate sector is still expected to grow thanks to an ongoing shortage of 21 million homes and an impending migration of workers from rural to urban centres.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ; Courtesy: November 7, 2008 Indian realty news

 
FIIs sell realty assets to fortify balance sheets
11.07.08 (1:19 am)   [edit]

The need to have strong equity on their balance sheets in these trying times is pushing large institutions such as AIG, Morgan Stanley and Wachovia to liquidate a number of Indian real estate assets in which they had invested proprietary capital.

 

Investment banking sources and PE funds have confirmed that a number of such deals have surfaced in the market for the past few weeks. While there are few income-yielding and advance-stage assets, which would be easier to sell, a majority of the assets will be at an early stage which would find few takers or see a loss. “15-20 % of the deals in the market today are of this kind,” says an investment banker.

 

“Some of these institutions are highly leveraged and their mortgage-related assets in the US are getting marked down. There is a need to liquidate some of these assets they bought with their proprietary capital to get cash and strengthen their balance sheet,” says a source at an India-focussed real estate fund. In the last one week, the fund has already received a few calls for large-ticket deals where some of the institutions have invested from their proprietary books.

 

“The pressure to sell is also because many PE deals might have been sold down by these institutions as structured products and now those buyers want an exit given these buyers’ potential exposure to sub-prime assets,” says Infinite India Investment Management MD Jagdeep Pahwa. “We have reviewed a few structured deals with proprietary investments of large institutions in the past 3 weeks,” says South Asian Real Estate chief development and acquisition officer Sunil Agarwal.

 

A Mumbai-based investment banking firm confirmed they are working on a few deals that involve investments from the proprietary books, but declined to reveal any names. The firm is working on such deals with a large Indian institutional investor which is fairly active in the market. “With a rupee fund, an Indian institutional investor can structure the deal more effectively,” says the investment banker.

 

“At the moment, such deals will be looked at by the opportunistic and value funds. However I expect that in 6 months time, as valuations go down another 15-20 %, these deals will also be attractive to buyout funds who are keeping a keen eye on this space,” says real estate expert Anckur Srivasttava.

 

Most of these large institutions have been investing in real estate in India through both managed and proprietary capital. Wachovia does not have a fund and has been investing from its proprietary books for the last two years, though at the moment they are looking at investing selectively from their proprietary books in India, confirmed Sandeep Kundu, director, Real Estate Capital Markets at Wachovia. “We are long-term investors in India and that is why we are investing from our proprietary books. We don’t have an exit strategy as yet,” adds Mr Kundu. Market sources though confirm that there are a few of Wachovia’s real estate deals that are being looked at closely.

 

Interestingly, Merrill Lynch had merged its proprietary book with its third party fund early this year they safe that front after the recent events. DSP Merrill Lynch has made proprietary investments of $500 million in the real estate segment.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;   Courtesy 6th November: Indian realty News

 

 
Gulf property developers could boost India’s real estate market
11.07.08 (1:18 am)   [edit]

The real estate sector in India is set to grow by 30% and be worth $16 billion by 2010 despite the global economic downturn, it is claimed.

 

Middle East property investors and developers are likely to be the saviours of the property industry which is currently facing financial problems due to high interest rates and tight lending conditions.

 

They recognise that the economic climate may be difficult but they also recognise that they can benfit from lower land prices, lower material and labour costs and a market where demand is unlikely to disappear.

 

‘The internal demand for commercial and residential real estate in India is undeniable. But providing finance is in place many developments are likely to be approaching completion after the downturn has bottomed out,’ said Graham Wood, exhibition director for next month’s Cityscape India.

 

His company’s latest research predicts a 30% growth rate for India. It is also estimated that India is currently facing a shortage of 21 million homes. Wood also points out that more and more Gulf developers are interested in India.

 

‘The demand for affordable housing is immense and potentially the long term returns for investors and developers are colossal,’ he added.

 

Dubai-based Limitless is confident about the long term prospects of India’s real estate sector and will be showcasing key Indian projects including a 4,000 hectare mixed use development near Bangalore with accommodation for 750,000.

 

Dubai Properties recently confirmed that the company hopes to expand its development projects into India. And Dubai-based real estate developer Majid Al Futtaim has also announced it is investigating India as a possible region for investment and development.

 

Younis Al Mulla, MAL business development officer, said that the company was looking to enter a joint venture with a local firm to help it build a mixture of residential and commercial real estate in the country.

 

The investment arm of Ras al-Khaimah also plans a $5 billion business centre at Hyderabad.

 

This year’s three day Cityscape India conference which starts at the Bombay Exhibition Centre on December 8 is expecting 7,000 participants from around the world.

 

‘Cityscape India will reach out to over 350,000 senior decision makers seeking to invest in one of the world’s fastest growing economies,’ added Wood.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;         & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;  Courtesy 6th November: Indian realty News

 

 
Rising Cost of Funds Hits Real Estate Sector
11.06.08 (3:20 am)   [edit]

High cost of borrowing from alternative channels and soaring interest rates have had a major impact on the bottom lines if real estate firms.

 

The interest expense incurred by India’s leading property firms has shot up as high as 400% on year-on-year basis while their borrowings have gone up on an average by 100%. Data available with ET shows that the interest cost and borrowings of all listed real estate firms such as DLF, Unitech, Akrutiy City, Sobha Developers, Omax and HDIL have gone up considerably.

 

“As banks and financial institutions have cut their exposure to the real estate sector drastically, they have been forced to tap alternative fund-raising channels such as NBFCs to raise funds at a much higher rate. Even normal bank financing has become costlier since interest rates have moved northwards,” said DTZ director investments Amber Maheshwari.

 

The cost of money, which started going up over the last two years following RBI’s tightening interest rates to combat high inflation, has hit realty firms hard as they have seen a huge rise in their interest burden.

 

“As far as HDIL is concerned, I do not see it as a major issue. As we have been paying back our debt, our interest rate will also come down. Last quarter, we paid back around Rs 300 crore,” said HDIL managing director Sarang Wadhawan. HDIL had raised Rs1, 000 crore to relocate 80,000 slum families for the Mumbai airport modernisation project.

 

Monetary tightening by the Indian central bank has impacted the real estate firms to the extent that their top-lines as well as bottom lines have shown a much slower growth than their respective interest costs.

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5% Decrease in Residential Property Prices
11.05.08 (3:13 am)   [edit]

With the ongoing slowdown in real estate industry and correction in secondary markets, some of the country’s major cities have witnessed up to 5 per cent fall in capital values in residential properties, a Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) report said. According to the global realty consultant C&W, the high -end residential market of Pune has seen a decrease of 5 per cent in capital values during July-September period, while it fell by 1 per cent in the mid-range category. Other prominent markets, like Mumbai and Bangalore, witnessed a fall of 4 and 3 per cent respectively in the mid-range housing sector, it added.

 

However, few locations in Chennai witnessed appreciation in capital values up to 8 per cent. “Most markets are predicted to continue to have stable capital values with a softening bias in the last quarter of 2008, with the exception of Chennai which may see some further strengthening in key micro markets. A lacklustre festive season, along with sharp drop in the stock markets have further aggravated the situation for the developers, who are also battling conditions such as high rates of servicing debt and liquidity issues,” C&W India Director (Residential Services) Aditi Vijayakar said.

 

Such conditions have led many developers to re-align their strategies and several developers may be now looking at targeting the middle-income groups, where the demand is high and mostly driven by end-users, she said. “Correction in value in the secondary sales market has impacted the overall values of residential properties in certain micro-markets and is expected to further affect the capital values in the next quarter,” the report stated.

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INDUSTRIAL GROWTH TO REV UP RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL SECTORS
11.03.08 (11:35 pm)   [edit]
The growth of the Indian manufacturing sector through the development of SEZs, industrial corridors and townships is expected to have a significant impact on the real estate market. The residential and retail sectors, which act as valueadded sectors to the manufacturing industry, will also experience growth, reports Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, in its latest research Indian industrial real estate landscape – An emerging investment opportunity. 
The major emerging and high-growth industrial sectors are automobile and auto components; telecommunications; semiconductor, drugs and pharmaceuticals and biotech industries. The growth of the manufacturing and retail sectors and the improvement in transport infrastructure has already attracted many domestic and international players to invest in the logistics sector. Logistics and warehousing sectors are foreseen as the sectors, which will witness growth at breakneck speed in the future.
 Anuj Puri, Country Head & Chairman, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, says, "However the industrial growth cannot be assessed by a short term analysis. Any industrial growth has a long-term perspective and has to be looked at taking the long- term development into consideration. The current crisis does have its effect on the industrial sector but this effect is temporary, as the demand slug will not remain constant. Consumer goods demand will again start growing and will certainly drive the production in the coming years."
Abhishek K Gupta, Head of Operations, Research and REIS, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, says, "The growth of the Indian manufacturing sector through the development of SEZs, industrial corridors and townships is expected to create a significant impact in the real estate market. The residential and retail sectors, which act as value-added sectors to the manufacturing industry, will also experience growth. Residential areas that have seen tremendous price increases in the past two years are Panvel in Mumbai - risen by 87 per cent, Northern area in Hyderabad - by 75 per cent, GST Road in Chennai - by 125 per cent, Pimpri and Chinchwad in Pune - by 87 per cent and Manesar in the NCR region - by 92 per cent. Over time, we can see the emergence of numerous industrial corridors along various regional belts to significantly bolster demand for real estate. 
The industrial sector plays a pivotal role in the overall economic performance of the nation. Over the last two years, the industrial sector has been the second highest contributor to India's GDP and will continue to remain an important contributor to the economy. The slowdown in industrial growth was mainly in the manufacturing sector, and as per the data released by RBI in August, its relative contribution in the index of industrial production (IIP) growth has declined during 2006-07 from 91.1 per cent to 89.5 per cent during 2007-08. The decline in production of consumer durables segment which performed well in the last few years could be attributed to slowdown in demand which is directly related to the slowdown in economic growth and negative consumer sentiments. Certain industry types have attributed the slow demand to hardening of interest rates.
Land value appreciation will depend on the type of industry and the facilities that will be developed in an area. The growth of fast-growing industries like automobile, telecom, semiconductor, and drugs and pharmaceuticals will automatically be reflected on real estate through the expansion of existing companies and new start-ups. These emerging industries are also expected to penetrate into the smaller towns and cities of India. The government's initiatives to improve interconnectivity betweens towns and cities through projects like the GQ and new airport and seaport developments in major cities will significantly cater to this growth.
 
The development of industrial clusters along in dustrial corridors like the DMIC will improve economic activity, resulting in the appreciation of land values. 
The government is also working towards improving manpower conditions across the country through the development of technological and training institutes. It is facilitating the development of these institutes through allotting land and giving tax incentives on land. As such, it is observed that India is transforming and striving strongly for the growth of the industrial sector, and it is envisaged that this growth will lead to the overall economic development of the region.
 
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;     Courtesy:- HT dtd:- 1st Nov 2008

 

 

 
TDI LAUCHES A BUDGET HOTEL IS SONEPAT
11.03.08 (11:35 pm)   [edit]

  

TDI Infrastructure Limited has taken the first step in constructing its landmark hotel 'Fortune Select TDI Hotel' by performing the auspicious Bhoomi Pujan and ground breaking ceremony recently at the site. The hotel will be strategically located at the Sonepat district on NH I. 'Fortune Select TDI Hotel' will be operational by 2010 and will cater to the business and leisure travelers of the growing Kundli-Sonepat belt and Delhi NCR region. Fortune Select Hotel of approx 100 keys will be aesthetically designed to offer luxurious suites and rooms with exquisite interiors, tastefully designed banquet halls, meeting rooms, Wi-Fi system etc. The hotel will complement the hospitals, schools, clubs, malls, residential complexes, villas that are planned for TDI's mega integrated township 'TDI City Kundli'.

    & 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;   &nbs p;     ;Courtesy:- HT dtd:- 1st Nov 2008
 
NO GIVEAWAYS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
11.02.08 (11:40 pm)   [edit]
As the slowdown hits the realty sector, even though premium and luxury segment developers are offering freebies, mid-segment developers offer no such perks.
 
As a slowdown in the realty sector stares developers in the face, many builders said that they are concentrating on the middle segment.
  
However, unlike premium segment, mid-segment buyers shouldn't expect any freebies as developers said their margins were getting hit.
  
In fact, CMD of Parsvnath Developers, Pradeep Jain, who has also launched a mid-segment project in the NCR, said prices are not likely to drop much. "The present conditions will lead to a slowdown in implementation of projects. Instead of selling at losses, developers would delay projects," he said.
  
In the premium segment, things are a little different because of an oversupply situation. The NCR-based Jaypee group has offered luxury cars like Mercedes C200K, Toyota Land Cruiser and BMW 320i on the purchase of houses in the prices range of Rs 3 crore to Rs 8.25 crore in its upmarket project on Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. Even on the lower range of houses of Rs 85 lakh to Rs 1.50 crore, the group is offering cars like Maruti Zen, Honda City and Toyota Camry.  
The value of the freebies depends on the price of the house that is bought.
  
MD of Jaypee Greens, Rita Dikshit, said that to celebrate one year of the launch of these projects, the company was giving these items as a gift to customers who buy houses by November 11.
  
She said this was a goodwill gesture and not a sign of distress. "The company has no plan to reduce prices of its houses and apartments after the gift scheme ends on November 11," she added.
  
For premium buyers looking for attractive deals, there are plenty of choices.
  
In Mumbai, realtor Cosmos group is offering a one bedroom-hall-kitchen apartment in Thane free on the purchase of a bungalow in Lonawala near Pune. The group is also upgrading a two-bedroom apartment into three bedroom apartment for free in Thane and Lonawala.
  
In the NCR region, SVP group is offering freebies like a 50-gram gold coin on the purchase of an apartment in Ghaziabad.
  
Besides, most of the developers are doing away with charges for club membership and parking.
 
    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   &nb sp;   &nbs p;     ;Courtesy ET dtd:- 31st Oct. 2008

 

 
UNDETERRED INTERESTS
11.02.08 (11:39 pm)   [edit]
Buyers in the market are still undeterred by the recent downturn and continue looking for properties.
 
Even as the buzz today is that home buyers are adopting a wait and watch approach looking for a price correction, this is not true for all the category of buyers. There is a segment which is looking at buying a home dictated by their own personal needs as much as the fact that builders are now in a mood to negotiate. These are buyers across all segments starting from a budget of Rs 35 lakh to go up to any level.
  
"Despite the current scenario of the stock market crash and the general downturn, there are a lot of buyers in the Rs 50 lakh to one and a half crore segment who are actively looking to buy a house," says developer Abhinandan Lodha, director Lodha Group. Most of them have a family home which may be smaller, and as families grow, they want to shift to a larger 2 BHK or 3 BHK, as per their needs. There are also NRIs who are seeing the dollar appreciating and with the on-going US crisis, see more sense buying a home back here.
  
Agrees developer Rajesh Prajapati, Director, Prajapati Constructions, in the kind of recession that Europe and US are facing, NRIs feel good to have something at home. Rs. 40 a dollar has now become Rs. 50 a dollar, and hence, what they were getting at 1 lakh dollars, they can now get in only 80,000 dollars.  
On the domestic front there are those who have sold their flats and are looking at urgent relocations, or are driven by other personal needs. Suraj Prabhakaran working for an MNC recently bought a flat in Neptune Group's Living Point project at Bhandup (W). Suraj is getting transferred from Bangalore and bought the flat for personal use and not as an investment. He says Bhandup is a central location with connectivity both on the western and eastern line. This would help my working wife and me. He further adds, builders today are negotiating where earlier their attitude was 'take it or leave it.' I could have waited and rented a house but chose not to do so. The stock market crash means values of portfolios have come down and there could be a price correction in real estate but I wanted a ready possession flat without any risks involved. I have found a suitable flat on the 15th floor with a good view where I can live comfortably for the next 25 years.
  
Elaborates Devang Trivedi, MD, Progressive Group, the segment buying today includes people belonging to the shipping industry, those living in the Middle East or people who have sold their property at good rates and are now looking at buying a slightly bigger one. Then there are those who have to buy property from a tax perspective. There are also those who are quite well to do, and are not bothered even if the prices go down marginally, so long as they are getting a strategic location or a vastu compliant home. This customer feels that if he lets go of this, he will not get the strategic opportunity.
 
Trivedi continues, there is also a segment looking at opportunity buy. They are ready for a down payment and will strike a good bargain by approaching five to ten developers asking for a particular price. The deal will be done with the builder who, depending on his financials will give them the best price. Opportunity buyers are like investors looking at profit money. They have made money in the stock market, they see that the gold market will eventually correct, since it is a commodity. They will have to finally put their money in real estate or fixed deposits. Fixed deposits would not give that kind of money or appreciation, so they will invest in real estate. They will do value buying and rent it out for some time.
  
There are also certain long-term investors who are looking at five years down the line. They are looking at a lower price today and getting something unique like say a sea-facing flat or garden facing flat, two apartments combined. These would not be easily available when the market goes up. When the market goes up, he can sell higher. These are buyers with an enterprising outlook.
  
There are also some properties, which are easily liquidable. For instance flats where there is a ready buyer in the same or adjacent building. The customer only has to find another flat to move into. Suppose he has bought his flat at Rs 60 lakh and is selling at Rs 53 lakh, he can somewhere down the line, put that money in a project that is worth much more for an attractive price.  
According to Gulam Zia, national director advisory services, Knight Frank India, the buyer finalising a purchase today may be looking at getting something ideal, say a super luxury apartment at Cuffe Parade or else is looking at buying for his personal use. There are also those who believe that a home loan now would make sense with interest rates peaking and reduced EMIs.
  
Ramesh Bijlani, director, Ekta Supreme Housing says there are buyers who are actively looking at buying a house for their personal use, since the prices are not going down as they had anticipated. Home buyer S Ramadorai, running an IT company has booked a 3BHK apartment in the Lake Homes Project of Ekta Supreme at Powai says, he has been shopping around for the last one year and has seen prices only rising.
  
The last one month however has seen some freebies being offered. He went in for this project as it offers good value in terms of open spaces, amenities besides being close to his place of work. Confesses Ramadorai, I have in the past lost money in stocks and in commodities but never in real estate.
  

Price corrections may be there but there would not be a rundown. Hence customers feel they might as well talk to a builder and negotiate the rates. At the same time, they know that a good builder will deliver his promise, says Bijlani. 

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AMID FINANCIAL CRISIS, GULF EXPATS BEING WOOED BY INDIAN DEVELOPERS
11.01.08 (1:13 am)   [edit]
With property prices and rents spiralling in the Gulf and the rupee depreciating, Indian real estate developers are actively promoting their products among expatriate Indians in the Gulf. "Because of spiralling 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.
 
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HCC FOCUSES ON GOVERNMENT PROJECTS
11.01.08 (1:12 am)   [edit]
 

Given the current turmoil in the market and subsequent impact on real estate, Hindustan Construction Company has decided to put on hold its planned townships in Pune, Nasik and Thane. Land acquisitions for these projects have been deferred for now given the high interest rates and low liquidity in the market. HCC will focus more on government projects in power and water sectors and will look to bid for PPP projects with caution.

 

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