Editor’s Note

With  the  nation  getting  ready  to  witness  what  is  arguably  the  most  interesting parliamentary election till date, the dominant feeling is  that the  real  estate sector  is  on  the  wait-and-watch mode. But not every player is  waiting  and  watching.  State-owned  real  estate  giant  National  Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) is all set to float its plans and has started working to assume bigger roles.  Besides Metros, the construction giant is aggressively  moving  to  the  smaller  Tier-2  cities  and  towns  across  the country.  In an exclusive interview to Realty & More, NBCC’s chairman­cum-managing director (CMD), Anoop Kumar Mittal, lays out his strategy.

With a spurt in new housing projects in the last few years, a growing problem is the rising consternation and anger among home buyers because of delays by developers in handing over the possessions of the homes. We take a look at the problem, the causes and try to seek a way out.

 In September last  year,  the Reserve Bank of India issued  a warning against upfront  disbursal  home  loan  schemes,  popularly  known as  80:20  home loan  subvention  schemes.  While  80:20  was  an  innovation,  smart developers  have  now  tinkered  around  further  and  are  skirting  the regulation  by  flooding  the  market  with  70:30  and  60:40  or  the  like schemes. We take a look at the possible pros and cons of such schemes.

While the  sector  is  hoping  for an  upswing post  the  formation  of a  new government and the  realty  industry  poised in  a  watershed moment for change,  what  are  the  policy  issues  that  the  new  government  have  to look  into,  details out Anuj  Puri,  chairman and country  head, Jones  Lang LaSalle India.

While  the  sector  as  a  whole  is  dealing with  the  problem  of  delayed projects, the  stock market-listed real estate biggie DLF says 2014 is the year of making deliveries for the company. Speaking to Realty & More,  Ananta Singh  Raghuvanshi,  ED,  sales  &  marketing,  DLF,  fleshes  out  company’s road  map.

 The fast track road to Agra-the Yamuna Expressway- seems to be the new expressway of hope for the real estate sector in the NCR. And with the Yamuna  Expressway  Industrial Development  Authority  operating  on  a war-footing to develop the region,  the Yamuna  Expressway is all set to be on the fast track to  growth.

At the  same time,  the  other jewel  of NCR- Millennium City Gurgaon­seems to be grappling with a muddle caused by the overlapping functions by  a  multiplicity of  government  authorities,  with the  plan  for  a  singular body still hanging fire.

Moving on to academics, Sage  Publications  has come out with a book on real  estate  sector  finance  in  India  which  is  expected  to  do  good  as  a reference manual as well as a handy tool-book.  Realty & More brings you a review of this path-breaking book.

 Lastly,  our  regular  reads  – home  loan  rates,  property  rates  of  different localities of different cities,  your horoscope for the first month of the new financial year,  and  this  issue’s  Vaastu guidelines for  the  space  where you dine!