Track2Realty Exclusive: Kolkata stands out as a case study in land prices suddenly hitting northwards. It has defied the overall slowdown in the real estate sector and exorbitant land prices are pushing housing prices in Kolkata.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Though redevelopment is the buzz word in Mumbai post the new Development Control Rules (DCR), some of the realty analysts are finding it as a short gap arrangement since the supply will be only marginally increased which can’t even meet the ever increasing demand. And hence short supply of the apartment added to the price appreciation will hardly bring any substantial change in the market dynamics of the island city.
Track2Realty Exclusive: NCR and Mumbai account for 60-70 per cent of the total deals, along with some top tier I cities. Some tier II cities are also witness to sizeable land deals. Most of the land purchases will be done by regional smaller players instead of big developers, Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) Executive Managing Director (South Asia) Sanjay Dutt says.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Land as the major input of real estate business is still attracting a premium though land assembling at the cost of project execution has backfired on the fortunes of many realty companies in India.
Track2Realty Exclusive-Yearly Analysis: DLF is raising funds by selling non-core assets, Godrej Properties raised funds through a QIP and HDIL is generating funds by selling transfer of development rights (TDR) and floor space index (FSI) — all to lighten the debt burden. Earlier, companies were building land banks and were rewarded for it in the stock market. Now, they are conserving cash to payback creditors.
Track2Realty-Agencies: The Finance Ministry has expressed the view that the Reserve Bank should allow real estate companies and broking firms to set up banks as adequate safeguards will be there to prevent exposure of promoters to related entities.
Track2Realty Exclusive Yearly Analysis: India has led the list of top-performing housing markets globally with a 284 per cent real rise in prices since 2001, which is equivalent to an average annual rise of 14 per cent, according to the Lloyds TSB International Global Housing Market Review.
Track2Realty Exclusive-Yearly Analysis: In a market where the five largest firms saw 75 per cent erosion in their combined market capitalization, burdened with debt and struggling with poor growth, there are few lessons these realty companies have been forced to learn the hard way.
Track2Realty Exclusive Yearly Analysis: The cash in the industry is fast drying up. Not because banks are reluctant to finance projects but because investors are now shying away as realtors are not being able to deliver on the high returns they promised to investors.
Track2Realty-Agencies: The fate of the Real Estate Regulatory Bill hangs in balance even after PMO steps in to resolve differences between two ministries—Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Urban Development— threatening to further delay the long pending Bill. The PMO has reportedly stepped in and directed the warring ministries to quickly resolve their issues over the bill which aims to protect property buyer’s interest from unscrupulous realtors.