Archive for Realtor

A Basic Checklist For Safe Property Buying and Investment Planning

February 17, 2009 at 11:07 am · Filed under Agent, Broker, Brokergae, Builder, Finance, Growth Investing, India Real Estate, Indian Properties, Indian Real Estate, Internet, Investing, Marketing, NRI Related, Properties, Real esate, Real estate trends, Reality Firms, Realtor, Residential Property, Selling ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

1. First, check property’s title related issues. Be careful of development structure where title cannot be secured, either individually or collectively to a society, once possession of the premises is delivered. Please note that a sale under a power of Attorney is legally questionable.

2. Make sure that the property’s construction complies with applicable laws by asking for certificates such as completion, occupancy and NOC from right authorities. Also check for any disputes or litigation.

3. Check for access and entrance points to the premises, existence of real estate management entity, maintain and security, adequate electrical load, back up electricity supply, right to install equipment on terrace.

4. If the investment is in a unit (office/shop, and not the entire commercial space),unit holder should procure equal right against other owners of the premise, ensure payment of rent with minimum involvement from other owners, ensure provision exists whereby termination of lease is with unanimous consent of all unit holder, have ability to sell/mortgage the unit.

5. Check and pay appropriate stamp duty and register the sale deed with in 4 months of execution.

6. If you need help, choose someone reliable and expert. Always verify claims made by builders or dealers and take second or third opinions before taking a decision. Never take anything for granted as property dealings involve huge capital investments.

 

qvc

Small real estate agents can close more transactions by offering best services in investment consultancy, insurance, real estate settlement and escrow services. You may be specializing in commercial real estate, or residential. Look around your city or locality, you can execute highly sophisticated transactions operating outside the bureaucratic constraints of a large company. Big competitors really cannot move at our speed.

 

Property business in India is drowned in paper work, and you have to make a commitment as a firm, much like builders and developers. Listening is the key to doing business, and finding common ground is incredibly important. Many people ask here if they should get into real estate brokerage and the simple answer is “We don’t know” – only because we don’t know if they can work as hard as the successful ones do.

 

Remember, most owners and buyers like to work with experienced and trust-worthy agents to enhance their chances of successfully negotiating a home purchase or sale. Your reputation can be a critical factor in getting deals regularly. Unfortunately, there are some real estate agents whose wrongful activities make the entire community suffer.

 

This is what a property owner has commented about property agents – “I will never use a real estate agent to sell or buy property. I have in every case been either ripped off or not told the full truth about a property that I was interested in. And as far as I’m concerned, if their lips are moving, they’re lying.”

Another angry home buyer has this to say – “In my opinion the property agents are a bunch of crooks, they manipulate the price of the houses to keep themselves in jobs and drive expensive cars. They are the people who sell houses to foreigners/NRIs and jack up the prices. They keep encouraging people to sell and resell their houses to raise the house prices.”

 

Getting a reputation of high integrity and ethical conduct will serve agencies well. Exhibiting any practices that are not highly ethical will most likely cause owners, builders, other dealers or brokers to hesitate or refuse to do business with you. It’s impossible to serve the client properly if the broker on the other side of the transaction is suspicious of you.

 

Get more information about the propertie in India at http://www.atoneplace.com

You can view the properties online on the First Realty TV — http://www.atoneplace.tv

Comments (1)

Premium Space

November 26, 2008 at 12:16 pm · Filed under Agent, Bangalore, Broker, Brokergae, Builder, Commercial Property, Delhi, Eastern India, Finance, Growth Investing, India Real Estate, Indian Properties, Indian Real Estate, Internet, Investing, Marketing, NCR Region, NRI Related, Properties, Prospecting, Real esate, Real estate trends, Reality Firms, Realtor, Referal, Repatriation, Residential Property, Selling, Southern India, Traffic, US, Western India, legal, problem

Size matters. Ask any member of a joint family and chances are that they are staying on in their vast crumbling old house simply because flats today are too poky. Even the most united family is likely to see schisms when literally rubbing shoulders with the others on a daily basis. But there’s hope—if pockets are deep. Real estate developers are coming up with what are called “presidential apartments”, or apartments built in over 4,000 sq ft. Some of the uber-premium apartments actually go up to 12,000 sq ft. Never mind not having the space to swing a cat; with apartments this size, you can almost have your own private zoo indoors.

 

Duplex? No, triplex

Some of the apartments are three-storeyed with total living space of over 11,000 sq ft having eight bedrooms, as many bathrooms, balconies, separate home office, family room, powder room, decks….the list is long. Here are the key unique offerings you can expect in these houses:

 

Terrace garden & deck

A private garden; wooden or glass decks overlooking the golf course or greenery


Media room

Your mini theatre in the house equipped with the latest in home electronics; expansive seating and shelves

French windows

With so much of premium on the view (sea, golf course, greenery), these floor-to-ceiling windows let you sit back and enjoy. They also add to the sense of space and light


Plunge pools

Your private pool on the terrace fitted with the latest filtering system


Home automation

Consoles that let you control everything from lighting, television, music to even window blinds

 

In cities that are starved of space, a 10,000 sq ft apartment is more than a mere status symbol—it declares loudly that you have arrived. And if  you’re  going to be able to afford to cough up the Rs 1 crore plus that even the smallest of these presidential apartments cost, you’re definitely headed for material success. Depending on the size and location, you can pay up to Rs 10 crore for an apartment. But for that kind of space—generally in prime residential localities—it really doesn’t seem like a lot.

 

Apart from massive floor space in prime locations, you also get every creature comfort that can be built in. Private lifts, landscaped gardens, a gym, swimming pool and state-of-the-art security are taken for granted. The apartments sport imported tiles or wooden flooring, acrylic emulsions on the walls, and ultra-modern modular kitchens. Bathrooms are more like health clubs with top-end sanitary fittings, sauna, steam, Jacuzzi and shower cubicles. These apartments come with at least four bedrooms (some go up to 12), are centrally air-conditioned, a three-tier security system, separate guest and service elevators. Some developers also give buyers an option of getting the space designed according to their requirements.

 

Take Unitech’s Grande project coming up in Noida in the National Capital Region. The project consists of 12 towers, each designed by a different international architect; all apartments have a view of an 18-hole golf course and 100 acres of landscaped greens. The common facilities are equally lavish with a sports complex, a habitat centre, lounge bars, theatres, bowling alley, library, schools and a 200-bed hospital.

 

The apartments themselves come with their own plunge pools and sky gardens. All this for a base price of Rs 6 crore. Similarly in Bengaluru, Total Environment has launched a project called ‘Windmills of your mind’ that has apartments of up to 7,000 sq ft. Its design and facilities rival the best in the world. In Mumbai, where even a three-bedroom apartment is considered luxury, Oberoi Constructions has already sold half of its 8,000 sq ft penthouses at its Skyz project in Worli. K Raheja Universal, which pioneered the trend of duplexes with its Buckley Court project in Mumbai, now has a duplex in most of its new luxury projects.

 

 

Customize

You can decide the design of your apartment. You have choice of layout, interiors, fixtures, landscaping and even the size and number of rooms— everything except the basic structure

Split-level living

Some of these apartments come as duplexes and triplexes. The lower level has the living space and utility rooms like kitchen and the upper level has the bedrooms

Private lifts

Staying on the 45th floor does not mean waiting for lifts—exclusive high speed lifts open into your house and link the floors of your duplex or triplex

Home office

A fully functional, wi-fi enabled office area with a separate entrance and seating area especially suited for working professionals like doctors and chartered accountants

Multi-tier security

From motion sensors and cameras outside the house to password protected locks, gas leak detectors, state of-the-art fire detection and sprinkler systems

Central cleaning

A central vacuum system with ducts across the house so you don’t have to roam around with a vacuum cleaner. All the dust is then collected into a central bin outside the house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“People from large kothis are moving to apartments but rarely do they want to compromise on the space,” says Kunal Banerji, Vice-President, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ansal API. Adds Anuj Puri of JLL Meghraj: ‘‘There are two areas of demand for high-end apartments. First, there are people who want to stay within the city, where Rs 1-2 crore for an apartment is normal. The second category is those who want to shift to the suburbs for more space and it is these people who are creating demand for bigger apartments.” The demand is highest in Delhi and Mumbai followed by Bengaluru and Kolkata.

 

 

 

 

Private Comfort Versus Shared Luxury

 

Bungalow

Apartments

Cost

Land (Rs 5 cr) + Construction (Rs 1 cr) = Rs. 6 cr

Apartment (Rs. 6 cr) + Facilities (Rs 5 Lakhs)= Rs. 6.05 cr

Garden

Private

Private terrace garden & common garden

Spacious & Split-Level Living

Yes

Yes

Uniform Neighborhood

Less likely

More likely

Scope For Future Modification

Substantial

Marginal

Security

Private

Private & Common

Common Facilities

None

Several (Pool, jogging track, golf course, club)

Comparison for a luxury apartment project and a bungalow in the same location

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India, the market for high-end properties is growing fast and will continue to grow at 7-10% at least over the next two years. The reasons for that healthy outlook, say experts, is the strong economy and big pay packets. These high-end projects have an active resale market too. Over the

past two years, most such properties saw a price appreciation of up to 100%. One reason is the profile of buyers. As NRIs look for ready-to-move-in options, investors get their exit options easily.

 

However, exclusivity is a double-edged sword if you are looking at your property just as an investment; in case of a slowdown or a market crash these are the first to take the hit. “But so much premium is built into these projects because of intangibles that prices will almost never go below the cost of acquisition,” says real estate expert Abdul Bari.

 

 

 

Article by Rakesh Rai

Source: Money Today 2008

Leave a Comment

Investment in Commercial Properties: Why Should I?

November 6, 2008 at 11:59 am · Filed under Commercial Property, Delhi, Eastern India, India Real Estate, Indian Real Estate, Investing, NRI Related, Real esate, Realtor

kessel2

Introduction
There are various reasons why you’d wish to own a property in India. Having your roots back in India, you probably are aware of the rising economy and the effect it brings over industries, business, infrastructure, society and to every individual at large. The growing Indian real estate market and its potential to offer good returns to investors is no longer a hidden secret. Along with the options that the industry has to offer comes the omnipresent complexity in deciding– Residential or Commercial – What’s best for me?

The decision to buy a property can be attributed to two main reasons at large – emotional or investment. We may buy a property as we wish to live into it or have our families enjoy a bigger space, a better locality or better schools. It could be a planning to return to the roots or a lifestyle issue. It could be treated as a second home which you’d use during your frequent trips to India to meet family, friends and get your kids to know your culture and values from a closer distance. In such cases, we must satisfy our emotional cravings and invest in the pride and comfort that come along owning a home back home. A home is a place which you can call yours, a place that you can relate to and fulfill your Indian Dream. Return on investment is not the primary objective in such case and should not be the main concern.
 
When investment is the objective, the decision factors change totally. While deciding to invest into Indian real estate for investment reasons, many choices are available today, and though the final decision might be based on the comfort of the individual, normally the ROI (Return on Investment) acts as one of the most important criteria. Now I agree that you’d be rather comfortable investing in a property that’s in your home town or a place which you know well. But I wish to bring out the point that ROI cannot and should not be ignored. As this is going to be your investment, focus on ROI will help you determine if your investment can be termed as a Great, good or an average one.
The Dilemma – Residential or Commercial?
Real Estate is seen as a reliable form of investment that has a tangible asset underneath and which normally appreciates over long period of time. Normally land is an appreciating asset while a building is a depreciating asset. While both commercial and residential properties appreciate in value over time and offer better returns as compared to other investment options like stocks, bonds and money markets, when compared relatively between commercial and residential, the results might vary.

A common dilemma that an investor normally faces is deciding whether he should own a residential or a commercial property. Which of the two could end up in higher returns, less effort and where one can leverage his investment to the fullest? There are several reasons why commercial property might be a better return then residential property. The reasons are clear for anyone who has ever worked as a landlord as he faces cranking tenants complaining about everything on earth in the middle of the night.

Most people invest in residential real estate because commercial real estate feels like unchartered waters and we are afraid. How exactly does a commercial landlord do, act, and say? Commercial property must work pretty well, after all Donald Trump started his emperor by being a commercial property ‘landlord’ and if it worked for him it can work for you.

Types – What are commercial properties?
In India the types of commercial properties include Commercial Shops, Showrooms, office spaces in busy markets, shopping malls, IT parks, factory, Business Centers, Industrial Plots, SEZ’s, time shares and more.

Reasons – Why Commercial Over Residential?
Below are a few reasons why you might want to consider investing in commercial real estate instead of residential.

The first reason is that commercial real estate has a higher rate of rental then residential properties. Commercial property is a space for businesses to sell their products and services. The main goal of Businesses is to earn profits. Businesses depend on the number of visitors they receive each day, availability of trained resources or access to freeways. These businesses know the value of being centrally located and they are willing to pay to be in the right place. Location is less important for residential properties and it takes time to fill up your real estate. When a business comes and want to rent from you they do so because they know you have a good location. Thereby commercial properties can command the most of the opportunity value it has over residential property.

Second reason is that commercial property has limited availability. Recently, India started the effort of segregating Residential from Commercial areas. This has fuelled into a very strong demand for commercial properties.

Thirdly, most commercial renters will fix problems and minor repairs on their own with out calling the landlord. This is because they realize that problems interfere with their business and need to be taken care of immediately. Unlike residential renters who need the help of a landlord to take care of repairs.

Fourth, the upgrades done on commercial property can be fairly substantial and stay with the space when the business moves on. Companies usually need to put in networking and cable wires, sound systems, and electrical outlets. All of which increase the market value and marketability of your commercial space. If you are interested in buying and renting property do not over look the benefits of buying commercial property.

It is far more passive then residential real estate and appreciates in value much quicker. Being a commercial ‘landlord’ is far easier and you have the ability to network with people and businesses which you may work with in the future.

With the above mentioned reasons let’s study with an example: an average apartment worth Rs. 40 Lac would potentially rent for an average Rs. 6000 per month, whereas a similar investment in commercial in the same vicinity will probably generate Rs 20,000 per month. Residential properties return an average of 2-5% or return whereas commercial can start from 3-4% and go to 20% p.a or higher.

Word of caution when selecting
India is going through a zoning exercise. Recently Supreme Court had a ruling to detach residential from commercial in order to provide a safer and more private environment of accommodation. MCD ran a notorious drive all around NCR. While selecting the commercial property care must be taken to ensure that the property falls under the commercial zoning area. For future any residential will no longer be able to operate commercial activity from the area.

Closure
There are many options currently available in form of IT Parks, where the developers are offering smaller unit sizes to own, with no property management hassle as they undertake the responsibility of leasing them initially and with assured returns for initial years; shopping malls, where the developers have rented out the property to reputed tenants with lock-in periods thereby ensuring a good return on investment for the investor and more. If your objective is purely an investment, consider commercial property as a choice that might help you achieve your objectives of a higher ROI.

Place for every One!
www.atOnePlace.com
www.atOnePlace.tv
www.legalcorner.wordpress.com

Leave a Comment

Spreading awareness in global NRI communities for Indian Real Estate

October 1, 2007 at 9:59 am · Filed under India Real Estate, Internet, Investing, Marketing, Realtor, Traffic ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

A few days back we posted the growing penetration of atOnePlace.com with the global communitites (NRIs).

Here’s a latest Google Heat Map which shows our rising customer base and spread. Thanks to our customers and we look for your feedback always.
Google’s traffic heat map for atOnePlace.com - NRI from 66 countries in the world, USA, canada, UK, singapore, bahrain etc

Thanks Much

Nimisha Sinha

Comments (1)

Is this the right time to buy Indian Real Estate?

September 18, 2007 at 12:05 am · Filed under Commercial Property, Delhi, Eastern India, Finance, Growth Investing, India Real Estate, Indian Properties, Indian Real Estate, Investing, Properties, Real esate, Real estate trends, Realtor, Residential Property, Western India

One question which I get asked quite often is the one this topic is about – Is this the right time to buy Indian Real Estate?

I guess the question has its own merit. Indian Real Estate has been and actually is going through a correction phase. Its not really as if the bubble bursted or the markets crashed, but more of a filtering of wheat (real buyers) from the chaff (speculators) thats been going on.

Not that I am any financial expert on the subject but from what I see and hear, Real Estate generally worldwide has a cyclical nature and Indian Real Estate is no different. It is currently going through a dip to prepare for its next high tide. Real estate as a product is fairly limited and there’s pentup demand of Real Estate – both in Residential as well as in Commerical sectors.

Having that said, the followup question is “So, how much of it has already been through?“.

Although India does not has national indexes to support my argument, but I see about 5-10% correction in different parts of the country already happened. Will that continue, probably. Is that happening across the board? Yes and No.

Yes- because the market took a turn from speculators to home buyers, from sellers to buyers and from unhealthy towards regaining health. This is really good for the industry. This was much needed and awaited. This resulted into a correction all over the country, some areas more significantly affected than the others.

No- because the effect hasn’t been on every property that is a part of the Indian real estate. Location, Location, Location are the three core factirs determining the demand as a result the price of any property. Due to limited nature of the product, certain areas, properties have a higher demand than others. So those “in-demand” areas or properties haven’t been affected much, or I can safely state – They are still appreciating North.

Finally the million dollar question asked is – “Is this a good time to buy?”

Now thats where I totally fail to help.

If you have any faith in Buffet investment principles (those who follow him) – join when the tide’s low i.e. YES this is a graet time to find good deals.

Generally/practically – I see most people not being able to gather the courage to invest at a time when markets go through correction. There’s a general dilemma of “what if the market goes further down?” and so the thought continues.

I wish only if someone knew the guaranteed answer to the question!

Gunjan Garg

http://www.atoneplace.com
P.S: feel free to chime in. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Thanks in advance -GG

Comments (5)

Realtors® – Selling beyond your geographic boundary.

December 9, 2006 at 7:37 pm · Filed under Agent, Broker, Brokergae, Builder, Commercial Property, India Real Estate, Indian Properties, Indian Real Estate, Marketing, Omaxe, Parsvnath, Pearls, Properties, Prospecting, Purvankara, Real esate, Reality Firms, Realtor, Referal, Residential Property, Selling, Unitech

Realtors® who are assisting homeseekers and homeowners to buy and sell homes in their residence country can now add Indian Properties without having to step out of their office.

You are a Realtor® living at USA, Canada, UK or any other International location assisting prospects to buy/sell homes there. You are aware of the booming Indian Real Estate Market and wish to expand your portfolio by offering properties from India to your clients. Perhaps you have even flown down to India, formed an association or two with Indian Builders to sell their projects internationally, but after the initial euphoria dies and when it comes to processing- Indian Service Level Standards don’t match your expectations!

If the situation sounds familiar, read on…The geographic distance appear to be the biggest hurdle in transactions- limited awareness of opportunities, process, market trends, time involved in prospecting, then managing applications, payments, receipts and post sales. Add to it the follow up for your broker co-operation and then repatriation issues are just not worth the effort for you to focus outside of your local market, be it USA, UK, Canada or anywhere else.

The anxiety of buying a home 10,000 miles away is far more than your customer who’s buying a home where he lives. The lack of back office support – a dependable framework is what lowers your trust in Indian Real Estate market. Operational issues – manintaining relationship with builders; staying informed of upcoming projects, market trends, local information; follow-up on your sales, documentation, receipts, development updates etc… cannot be handled from thousands of miles away without having a dependable framework.

“I tied up with a builder in NCR area to sell their properties over here in USA. I have a very good clientele which has a sizeable amount of Indian Customers. The problems I faced were too many after which I decided it was not worth my time” states a California Bay Area Realtor. She had quite an experience in trying to conduct the cross border transaction some out of which include:

    1. She had a PAN India customer base and so she needed a portfolio that included properties from almost everywhere in India and not just a handful locations.
    2. Indian Real Estate Market is booming. Pricing is very dynamic. Properties appreciate at a much faster pace than they used to a decade back. A couple of the leads she sent to the builder’s office got solicited directly by the Builder, a few of them walked out of the deal because they felt the price being quoted to them by the agent was different from the price being offered by the builder and some found out that there were some other opportunities to look at.
    3. Of the few deals that she managed to close, servicing them was a very time consuming and helpless position, because she had to depend on the support from the builder’s office tens of thousands of miles away.
    4. Finally, the repatriation of referral fees that she received wasn’t that smooth. There was a mysterious web of process and documentation to be submitted to RBI which served as an icing to the desert.

“I look forward to leveraging atOnePlace.com framework. I am quite excited about it. I firmly believe that there are tremendous opportunities to market Indian Properties here in US, but my experience has been, unless you have a dependable framework, its not worth the effort” she says.

So how can atOnePlace.com help Realtors to sell Indian Properties?
Simply put, atOnePlace.com is an online marketplace for Real Estate that has tied up or is in the process to tie-up with hundreds of Builders PAN India. The website has hundreds of new opportunities, both in Commercial and Residential projects, in almost every tier-1 and tier-2 city in India. Realtors like yours can be associated with atOnePlace.com and can leverage the framework to market Indian Properties. Pre and post sales support is handled by the back office support and servicing team at India and USA. All you do is use the tools, stay informed, and prospect. Once the deal closes, atOnePlace would send you a cheque in your local currency for the referral.

atOnePlace™ has launched its BETA services with a vision to bridge the gap of information, trust and service level standards offered by Indian Real Estate Market and International Clients expectations.

Read more on: How atOnePlace™ works for you-Realtor®

For any questions, contact agentenquiry@atoneplace.com

Some restrictions may apply. Check with atOnePlace office for further details. This is not an offer of real estate agency, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, to agents of any state, province or country in which registration or other legal requirements have not been fulfilled. Check with local authorities and legal experts for any legal issues involved in marketing or prospecting international real estate. NO Federal or State agency has judged the merits or value, if any of any property. This promotional material is not intended to constitute an offering in violation of the law of any jurisdiction. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING. All rights reserved.

Comments (1)

Cashing out of Indian real estate made easy for NRI’s

December 1, 2006 at 6:46 am · Filed under Agent, Bangalore, Builder, Delhi, Eastern India, India Real Estate, Indian Real Estate, NCR Region, NRI Related, Omaxe, Parsvnath, Pearls, Purvankara, Real esate, Realtor, Repatriation, Southern India, Unitech, Western India

Until recently, NRI’s holding properties in India had a lot of limitations to reap its appreciation. One of them being the lock-in of 10 years before any proceeds from the sale of immovable property can be repatriated (that too with a ceiling of $1 million). In a recent release by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), that limitation is being lifted.

What it means is a reason to rejoice for NRI’s looking to invest in the booming Real Esate of India. Simply it means that one can invest into immovable properties at India and can repatriate upto $ 1 million, yep, thats approximately Rs. 4.5 Cr per person in one financial year. This would fuel investments into this sector into India as India has been seeing a lot of consistent growth lately. The investor can now enter and exit quite easily.

Investors can now use services like www.atoneplace.com to stay informed of the available options, invest and repatriate – all as a one stop solution, in the Indian Real Estate Segment.

For news release: http://content.msn.co.in/Nri/nriians_191106_1226.htm


PLEASE READ THE IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES BELOW.
Investment services and products are offered by atOnePlace.com or its partner companies, agents and developers. Though every care is taken to ensure completeness of data, One Place Infotech takes no responsibility whatsoever, on the accuracy of data. Prices are subject to change and are indicative only. Please check with the seller and applicable laws before making any investment decision. Early Opportinities or Pre-Launches or Options bear a significant risk and might not be legal as per prevailing law. One Place Infotech and its marketplace website, atOnePlace™ highly recommends customers check with local agencies, authorities and make a conscious decision. This piece is information is being shared with users of www.atoneplace.com based on reports by various news agencies. Kindly check with a professional tax advisor and a real estate professsional before making any investment decision. This is not an offer of real estate for sale, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, to residents of any state, province or country in which registration or other legal requirements have not been fulfilled.

Comments (2)