In today’s landscape, the key to enhancing the value of a generational home asset lies in balancing heritage with innovation, ensuring that nostalgia does not overshadow practical wealth-building potential.
An Encumbrance Certificate (EC) is a crucial legal document that confirms whether a property is free from financial liabilities such as loans, charges, or legal disputes. It helps to establish the title and is essential during property transactions, home loan approvals, and legal proceedings. The EC assures buyers or lenders that the property has not been sold, mortgaged, or otherwise encumbered during a specified period.
SEBI has introduced Small and Medium Real Estate Investment Trusts (SM REITs), targeting properties valued between Rs.50 crore and Rs.500 crore. This initiative aims to broaden investor access to real estate by enabling fractional ownership through regulated schemes. These investment instruments allow multiple investors to pool funds and co-own property, lowering the barrier for entry. SM REITs require a minimum investment of Rs 10 lakh.
The government's decision to lower the GST on cement from 28% to 18%, effective September 22, 2025, is expected to reduce housing construction costs. Experts predict a 5-7% decrease in overall project expenses, particularly benefiting affordable and mid-income housing. Notably, cement is a crucial construction material, contributing between 10-12% of construction costs.
The Walavalkar family finally secured justice after an eight-year delay in apartment possession. MahaREAT ordered the builder to pay Rs 26.83 lakh as interest compensation. The tribunal denied the builder Covid-19 moratorium benefits. This ruling ensures homebuyers receive rightful compensation for project delays. The builder must also hand over the apartment with an occupation certificate.
India's wealthy are increasingly favoring commercial real estate for its higher yields and stability compared to residential properties and debt instruments. Fueled by a growing HNI population, their investments in commercial properties are also diversifying into warehousing, hospitality, and data centers. Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) offer a streamlined entry, but due diligence remains crucial to navigate risks and ensure sustained returns in this evolving landscape.
Affordable housing finance companies (AHFCs) are outperforming other non-banking financial companies, driven by lower borrowing costs and rising demand. Policy support and low mortgage penetration in mid- and low-income segments are expected to fuel further growth. While competition and rising costs pose challenges, AHFCs are poised to capture a significant share of the affordable housing finance market.
A Bengaluru homebuyer secured a victory against a builder in the Karnataka RERA tribunal. The builder failed to complete the apartment project near Bengaluru International Airport. The tribunal ordered a full refund of Rs 51 lakh plus Rs 19 lakh in interest. The ruling was based on Supreme Court judgements protecting homebuyers' rights.
Thane's property market has shown significant growth over the last few years. Average 2-BHK prices in Mumbai's Thane suburb have increased by 46% in three years, outperforming other major Indian cities in price growth. It is also over 50% more affordable than Mumbai central and western suburbs, in addition to offering substantial capital price appreciation
Real estate developers can use "force majeure", or situations beyond their control, to justify inordinate delays in giving possession to homebuyers. While the RERA Act allows extensions for unforeseen circumstances like natural disasters, developers must provide evidence for delays. Buyers can challenge RERA decisions that lack transparency and adequate grounds. New rules mandate public notice of extension requests for homebuyers' perusal.
MahaRERA directed Lodha Developers to refund a homebuyer's Rs 7 lakh booking amount after their loan was rejected. The buyer booked a Rs 2.26 crore flat based on a sales agent's assurance of a full refund upon loan rejection. Lodha refused, citing clauses in the booking form. Read more to know this RERA judgement impacts homebuyers.
Bengaluru's housing market has seen a remarkable surge, with prices soaring by 79% in the last five years, surpassing all other major Indian metropolitan cities. This growth is fueled by the city's thriving IT sector and high concentration of tech professionals. In contrast, Hyderabad witnessed a significant increase in unsold housing units despite a rise in per square feet prices.
Overseas luxury real estate is a high-involvement play. It demands due diligence, regulatory awareness, and trusted local partnerships. Done right, a home abroad can be more than a financial asset. It becomes a gateway to global living, future-proofing one’s wealth, and passing on a legacy with international roots.
A Gurgaon (Delhi NCR) homebuyer's nine-year wait for their property ended with a RERA order compelling the builder to pay Rs 65 lakh due to extensive delays. The builder's cited reasons, including Covid-19 and regulatory issues, were dismissed. This ruling reinforces RERA's commitment to protecting homebuyers' rights and ensuring builders adhere to agreed timelines, setting a precedent for similar cases. Read below to know the impact for homebuyers.
The Patna High Court has ruled that GST is applicable on RCM basis on the transfer of development rights from a landowner to a builder before the completion certificate (CC) is issued under a joint development agreement. This decision means builders must pay GST on the apartment units given to the landowner, potentially increasing costs for landowners. Read below to know more.
RERA safeguards homebuyers against real estate developer malpractices, but its effectiveness hinges largely on buyer diligence. RERA may not favor the homebuyer in multiple situations arising from either the buyer’s actions, the builder’s actions, or those caused by government policies or events beyond anyone's control. Understanding these exceptions is crucial for informed decisions when investing in property. Read on to know more about instances where RERA might not grant compensation to distressed homebuyers so that you can be careful while buying real estate.
MahaRERA has issued new guidelines which specify seven conditions when the RERA authority will hear the homebuyer's case on priority. For others not in this list, the hearings will happen based on seniority i.e. when they were filed with MahaRERA. Experts say this might help homebuyers in faster resolution of their disputes. Read more for details.
Delhi-NCR's real estate market is booming, with residential prices soaring by 81% in five years, according to a recent report by ANAROCK Research. While Gurgaon and Noida also witnessed substantial growth, driven by enhanced connectivity and infrastructure, Faridabad and Delhi areas only managed to record modest growth over the last 5 years in terms of average residential price appreciation. Read on to know how much price appreciation residential real estate has experienced in your area.
RERA: A homebuyer who took home loan to buy an apartment in Bengaluru faced challenges when the bank started charging the EMIs but construction of the apartment was nowhere near complete. RERA orders the builder to give Rs 2.56 crore to the homebuyer and also foreclose the home loan. Read below to know how the homebuyer won this case.
Mumbai real estate: Can you still buy your dream home for Rs 1 crore in Mumbai? Yes. During the 2021 and 2025 period, Goregaon East prices appreciated the most, followed by Malad East and Borivali West. As of February 2021, Malad East offered the best value at 562 square feet/crore, but by February 2025, Kandivali West became the most affordable at 475 square feet/crore.
Real estate prices in specific regions of India, like Noida Sector 150 and Hyderabad's Gachibowli, have soared dramatically between 2021 and 2024. In some instances, this rise has even been over 100%. Other areas, such as Sohna Road and Bengaluru's Thanisandra Main Rd, have also witnessed significant growth. Yet, rental yields have not kept pace with property value increases, except in certain regions like Pune's Hinjewadi and Wagholi.
RERA: 14 homebuyers got relief from TGRERA when the builder took money from them & executed sale agreement but failed to give possession of the flat & registration for 4 years. TGRERA held the builder & the real estate agent jointly and severally liable for this &imposed heavy fines on both of them. This real estate agent didn't had valid registration. Read to know how homebuyers won.
If you are confused by personal finance terms, jargon and calculations, here’s a series to simplify and deconstruct these for you. In the 41st part of this series, Riju Mehta explains the difference between the two legal instruments that can help pass on assets.
Subvention schemes were supposed to make things easier for buyers, but in many cases, became instruments that gave builders access to loans without accountability and left homebuyers in the city to bear the aftershocks, like demand letters to pay EMIs despite houses running years behind schedule.
Many upper-middle-class Indians are keen on investing in Dubai real estate due to high rental yields, no tax payment requirement, and appealing property prices. However, be sure to conduct your due diligence on the developer and funding methods before buying a property in Dubai so that you remain in full compliance with LRS/FEMA. Also, make sure your property is located in designated freehold zones.
Odisha Pre-RERA: Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Act, 2023 (OAOM) was being wrongly interpreted to prevent registration of apartments built prior to February 25, 2017 in Odisha state. Now this action has been corrected. It is hereby clarified that registration authorities shall not deny the registration of any apartment citing provisions of the OAOM Act if the apartment was completed before the commencement of RERA.
Enemy Property: Abida Sultan, the eldest daughter of the last Nawab of Bhopal Hamidullah Khan, and not Sajida Sultan (Saif Ali Khans' grandmother) was the original heir apparent of all his property after his death. However, since she migrated to Pakistan, the properties subsequently came to be classified as enemy properties. However like this there are many enemy properties in India and regular auctions are conducted.
RERA: The Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (HARERA) recently held a builder liable to pay interest compensation to a homebuyer who paid Rs 1.07 crore for a flat in 2013. In the last 10 years, the builder kept on promising the construction would finish however it did not. Read our story to find out what legal RERA provisions were used which made Haryana RERA order Rs 2.26 crore compensation to the homebuyer which includes 11.1% interest compensation.
RERA: A father from Panvel, Navi Mumbai purchased a flat for his family legacy however the developer despite taking about 97% of the money failed to deliver the flat. Hence the homebuyer filed a case with Maharashtra State Consumer Commission. However during the course of this court proceedings both the homebuyer and the builder died. Hence the builder and the homebuyer's son continued their father's case. Ultimately NCDRC, New Delhi solved this case and ruled in the homebuyer's favour.
RERA: Telangana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) recently passed a judgement ordering a builder to refund the advance money fully. This is because the RERA authority found that the builder drafted a one-sided agreement and also did not sign the sale agreeement despite taking about 20% of the money in advance.
MahaRERA: The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has introduced clause 15A in the model agreement for sale. This clause recognises the right of real estate agents (brokers) into getting paid their commission. Jayesh Rathod from The Guardians Real Estate Advisory said: "All things considered, it is a step in the direction of a more controlled and structured real estate transaction process."
RERA: The Maharashtra Appellate Tribunal (MahaREAT) has ruled that a promoter cannot arbitrarily forfeit advance money paid for a flat. The promoter must show a just and reasonable cause or show that due to the booking cancellation the promoter faced loss. MahaREAT said that the promoter violated both section 13 and 18 of RERA Act.
Noida property: If the Noida authority increases the circle rate by 30% then it could mean up to 3% increase in cost of acquisition of a property in Noida. Rahul Arora of Trilegal says, "An increase in the circle rates for residential properties will directly raise acquisition costs for buyers. The upfront cost of the property shall see a direct impact as well as the other charges payment (stamp duty and registration fee) would be increased proportionally."
RERA: A retired Major had to chase the builder for 9 years in order to get occupancy (OC) and completion certificate (CC). Apart from this issue, the builder violated other laws like charged separately for parking space, etc. So the retired Major decided to file consumer case against the builder and ultimately after a seven years fight he got an compensation of Rs 5.14 lakh.
New homebuying rule: It will be mandatory for builders and homebuyers to enter into a tripartite 'sale agreement' when acquiring properties in all new housing projects in Noida. "The Noida Authority board announced a fundamental change in the conduct of real estate transactions in the city on Saturday, allowing it to identify who a flat is sold to as soon as the initial payment is made, rather than at the completion stage, as is currently practiced," a report from the Times of India stated.
The MMR, India's leading residential market, saw a 18% YoY decline in new launches in Q3 2024. However, sales remained stable, with MMR absorbing 34% of national sales. Affordable and mid-end segments dominated new launches and sales, with Mumbai's Peripheral Central Suburbs leading. Check property rates in Mumbai, Thane and other key micro markets in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
