Man does not live only for food, cloth or shelter or for himself.
He has certain social responsibilities to provide for his family and also for
himself in his old age. This naturally makes him save some portion of his
earnings and invest in lucrative portfolios. After the basic needs of food,
cloth and shelter are fulfilled he strives to improve his standard of living
and to enjoy the fruits of his hard earned money.
Investment avenues are many. But, the Investor should be prudent
enough to select a proper area, which is safe and secure, with assured
reasonable returns.Earlier, the Bank deposits, stocks, mutual fund, insurance
policies and bullion were most opted. With increased business, globalisation of
economy has unfolded many more areas. The investment has become very complex
which has led to the emergence of specialised investment Advisers.
Bank deposits, insurance policies and mutual funds have become
unattractive because of low returns and failure of many companies. Stock market
is unpredictable and volatile. Moreover, these investment avenues are for
short-term which need close monitoring. Further, the quantum of investment is
generally small.
In recent, past real estate has emerged as a safe and high
yielding investment opportunity. Investment in real estate is a long-term
investment and needs a considerable amount. It is not only financial, but also
a sentimental and emotional investment.
The liberalisation initiated by the Government has opened up the
hitherto dormant Indian economy and many Multi-National Companies have set up
their offices in major metros. The improved pay packets of vast middle class
population have opened many investment routes. The desire to own a roof over
their head as early as possible and the migration of rural people to urban
centres in search of assured income jobs has further expanded the real estate
market.
However, as the demand exceeded supply, many fly by night
operators appeared on the stage and indulged in speculation and an artificial
price spiral, which resulted in crash of real estate market in latter half of
1990. But now, the market has regained its potential. Only serious Vendors and
Endorsers are operating in the market.
The yield in the realty market has to be calculated on the capital
invested and the annual rental returns less property tax, income tax and annual
maintenance charges. This return varies according to the type of property i.e.,
residential, commercial or office space. In Bangalore, the returns are about 8%
for residential, 12% for office space and for commercial space 12 %. There are
certain determining factors, which play a crucial part in the property investment.
Where to invest? In other words it is location. There is equal demand
for all types of space in metropolitan cities and market trends are more
transparent on an account of competition and frequency of dealings. But, smaller
towns have potential of increased returns because of dearth of space. Local
politics also plays its role in determining the returns in small towns.
Huge Investment:
Investment in real estate needs higher amount and the minimum
entry level will be in multiples of lakhs, it would be about Rs. 20 lakhs for
residential and much more for office and commercial space.
Time factor:
The sale of property requires long time for finding a suitable Purchaser
and for complying with the legal requirements. Further, the appreciation of
capital value of the land is slow but, will be certain and stable unlike in
stocks and shares.
Local Laws:
The realty investment calls for more discretion and involves
complicated processes like title verification, land use according to Local Laws, Floor Area Ratio
(FAR), restriction on sale for some period and many more Laws and rules depending
upon the political environment.
Tax factor:
Uncertain tax rules and rates which vary every year need to be
considered. Property tax is an annual commitment, in which it is being
increased every year by self-assessment or capital based assessment. Rental
income also attracts income tax to be paid annually; sale of property attracts
capital gains and purchase invites Stamp Duty and Registration charges.
Property tax & Stamp Duty varies from State to State.
Type of property:
As stated earlier, the type of property is also very important. It
may be residential, commercial or office space. The demand and supply position
of each sector needs to be carefully examined. Residential property calls for
smaller investment. Commercial and office space needs higher investment.
Type of returns:
Real estate sector offers two types of returns namely:
(i)Monthly return in the form of
rentals and the returns on the lease amount invested in the Bank securities or
in business and
(ii) The other type is the
sale consideration on sale of the property. The amount to be invested also
depends on the mode of returns expected. Generally, leasing of property is
attractive only for business people. Lease amount does not attract interest.
Commercial property and office space yield high returns to the extent of 15%
whereas the residential property yield is about 8%.
Tracing the title of the property is the most important step in
purchasing the property, which has to be done by an Experienced Advocate who is
well-versed in Property Laws. Property Laws are very complex and vary from
State to State. Further, many times the age-old records needs to be examined
which may not be available with the parties or even in the Jurisdictional Sub-Registrar's
Offices. Further, Legal Scrutiny is based on the documents that will be produced
for the verification. However, it is not the duty of the Advocate to certify
the genuineness of the documents from the concerned departments. Honesty and
integrity of the Seller is very important. Certain hidden facts like pending
cases, prior agreements and Government notification of the property cannot be
traced easily by verification of the documents. However, paper notification
about purchase of property would help to unearth some claims.
Liquidity:
Investment in real estate cannot be immediately converted into
cash unlike stocks, deposits. However, the property is most sought after
security for Bank loans and rents may be securitised by obtaining loans from
the Banks.
Maintenance charges:
Property needs periodical maintenance, which involves a
considerable amount.
Landlord Tenancy problem:
Most of Indian Laws are pro tenant offering maximum protection to the
tenants. But, gradually they are being amended to strike a fine balance and even
now, it takes much time to evict a tenant, who has defaulted in payment of
rents or who has violated the terms of agreement.
Political Environment:
Government has maximum control on real estate sector. Sale or
purchase of agricultural land has many restrictions in Karnataka. Land use
restrictions exist in many towns. The major source of revenue to the Government is from the immovable
properties in the form of Stamp Duty and property tax. In case of acquisition
by the Government, the compensation paid is much lesser than the market value.
Price cycle:
It has been observed that, the real estate has regular ups and
downs where the prices go on increasing for some period and slide down for some
time. But, this cycle is a long-term trend. Though the investment is huge, the
Investor needs to be in patience to have a good return which takes a long time.
It would be suicidal to expect appreciation in short run. Two components, the
building and the land move in opposite directions, the building value gets
depreciated and the land value gets appreciated.
Other factors:
Some factors are remotely linked to this sector and play a crucial
role in determining the price. Introduction of one-way traffic and construction
of flyovers near the property decreases the value of the property. Vaastu,
nowadays, has become important. Another area of concern is want of information
in the property market. The available information is too insufficient and often
contrasting. Even the transactions recorded in Registrar's Office will not
reveal the real price of the property as the amount other than what is
mentioned in the document might have been paid.
Rental Income:
The rental income from the properties is in the range of 0.5% to
1% p.m. on the investment. Apart from this income, the value of the property
appreciates regularly, whereas in the case of Bank deposits, the value of the
money deposited gets eroded on account of inflation. The investment in
agricultural properties and farm houses are not remunerative. The income from
the agricultural property is seasonal and depends upon the weather and climatic
conditions. Further, the sale of agricultural properties has many restrictions.
The farm house demands good maintenance which proves costly and many times the
income from there may not even meet the maintenance charge. The investment in
real estate is a better option.
Real estate is the only sector which yields better returns apart from
capital appreciation provided the Investor is prudent and has taken necessary
precautions.
More,
