Hidden facts about Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act – RERA

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act is fully implemented. The major implications of RERA are summarized below, for the understanding of a person who is not part of the real-estate sector.

Any project up to 500 square meters, and more than 8 units (flats / apartments / personal properties) that are under construction, will have to be registered under RERA.

This means that most, if not all, of the ongoing projects will be officially looked into under RERA.

Every project detail has to be registered. This includes project layout, planning, government approval, land title status, subcontractor of the project and completion schedule with RERA. It has to be presented to the consumer. Each phase of a project will be considered a stand-alone project and will require related permission.

In this way, RERA will be updated with all real estate activity which will help increase transparency and streamline the sector.

Under Section 9 of the Act, all agents and brokers have to register with RERA within three months of the implementation of the Act.

As a result, house buyers will only deal with agents and brokers who are qualified, verified and authorized.

The sale of any project will be on the basis of its original carpet area and not on the super built-up area.

Buyers will get a clear understanding and will be able to make an informed decision when purchasing a property.

Once a particular project is registered and sold, no further changes can be made without the buyer's consent.

This will eliminate the cost of fluctuations after the sale is completed. In addition, it will ensure that projects are delivered on time.

The developers will be liable to pay interest on the amount paid by the buyer if the project takes longer to complete than promised.

This law will ensure that projects are completed and delivered without any delay.

Separate accounts have to be maintained for different projects of the same developer. 70% of the client's money will be used to build related projects.

This will help in regulating the transaction. The customer's money will be used fairly and appropriately for the development of their homes. It will also assist in timely delivery of projects.

In case of any damage, the customer can contact the developer in writing within 5 years of being taken possession.

This will ensure the safety of the customer even after they are assigned to the project.

Under this Act, the Real Estate Appellate Tribunal is constituted. These tribunals will decide on disputes between buyers and developers within a time limit of 60 days.

This will speed up the resolution process.

For the developer who fails to follow the law, the maximum is 3 years without jail / fine.

Therefore, the law will have to be strictly followed for everyone in the industry, making it customer-friendly.

Women should know about low pay duty charges and interest in real estate

Women in cities have become an important focal point for developers. Unlike the earlier scenario where they were not just considered decision makers and producers, Indian women today are much empowered and have become independent decision makers in home buying matters. Along with good jobs with fantastic growth prospects - not only in corporate India, but also in government positions in rank, women today are an important target audience for major property developers.

Today a growing number of women believe that owning physical assets like home makes them realize more than marriage at the right age.

The scenario has also changed for married women. With dual-income families as background, many women are now active financial partners with equal say in purchasing decisions.

Shortly before this there was a distinct change in family dynamics and their investment priorities, which were mainly gold and Fixed Deposits. Real estate now occupies an important position in their investment portfolio.

The government and the banking system are also going the extra mile to encourage women into standalone homework. In India, stamp duty fees for property registration are lower in some states if it is executed in the name of a woman. Delhi, UP, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana are with stamp duty exemption for women buyers. The exemption on stamp duty is up to 1-2% in different states.

“If the property is jointly owned, there may be additional tax benefit. Like men, women home buyers are also eligible for tax exemption up to Rs 1.5 lakh under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act on principal paid on housing loans, and home loans up to Rs 2 lakh under Section 24 per annum on interest. If a property is let out on rent, full interest is allowed on the home loan as a deduction. However, to avail this additional tax benefit on home loans, the property has to be co-owned,” according to experts.

In addition, many large banks in India pay less home loan interest to women borrowers than men. The discount may vary from 0.05% to 0.25% depending on the bank and loan amount.

Thus, women across urban India are buying properties to diversify their investment portfolios or to have multiple benefits for women, ranging from tax benefits to lower home loan interest rates by some banks and in various states Stamp fees and registration fees are also reduced.

Increasing interest from house-buyers as families stay at house

Although the residential real estate sector was expecting zero sales from the first quarter of the new fiscal year, the lockdown has surprisingly brought people closer to the desire to buy a house.

The current epidemic has had an unprecedented impact on the residential real estate market. With families spending more time in the home, organized real estate players have seen increasing interest among buyers. Potential buyers also include NRIs, who are demanding digital presentations from developers in metro cities. Weak rupee depreciation and low interest rates are also factors contributing to the decision.

With work-from-house being the new normal, even existing buyers are changing their existing bookings as they look for larger apartments. While the numbers are still not comparable to March quarter sales, large developers say there is latent demand but for this to translate into sales, the job market and economy will have to respond better.

Many developers feel that there will be not only a recovery, but also a rebound in residential. The decision to favor decision-making has accelerated due to houses being closed for two months. Noteworthy recovery may take 6-12 months as real estate is a highly suppressed category, but expect first-time house buyers and mid-segment buyers to take advantage given the experience in the last two months will be encouraged.

According to research, demand was seen in the top two cities in India in the last two years, with unsold inventory levels falling 7% in 2018 and 4% in 2019.

In the first 40 days of the lockdown, the Maharashtra government has reportedly seen the sale of only 3,806 properties, which earned the state a nominal amount in registration fees. Typically, the state government earns Rs 25,000 crore per year from the real estate sector. While many state governments have allowed online registration, developers say they expect not only a return but a demand for rebound.

As far as demand is concerned, there are some very interesting patterns. Developers and real estate companies are questioning people who have never visited the site and are responding to digital advertisements. It can be said that consumers are realizing the importance of owning a house. People have started research and are ready for minimal transactions. A strong demand revival is expected once the lockdown is lifted, provided people have a fixed job.

Although the outlook is more promising for the residential sector than retail and commercial, a visual recovery is at least two years away. Developers believe that the digital sales trend will also grow in the coming years as innovative sales and marketing solutions are being worked on and drone shoots and virtual tours are becoming more and more common.