The COVID-19 lockdown has accelerated technology-led homebuying in India, making it possible to inspect properties online as well as negotiate and finalize deals. Virtual site visits are now a firm reality and a large chunk of the property selection and purchase process can now be done digitally.
In the late 2010, buyers were largely in the age groups of 35-45 years and 45-55 years, but the share of homebuyers in the 25-35 years age group was minimal. However, improved tax benefits motivated more working youths in this age bracket to opt for home loans. Millennials predominantly favoured paying EMIs for buying a home over the ‘dead’ expense of rentals.
The Indian housing market is a vicious cycle of broken promises, trust deficit, sulking participants and non-delivery. Statistics only tell you half the story. For the developers, market trackers and the government agencies it is all about numbers – how many units have not been delivered. What these raw statistics don’t tell you that there is a sordid saga of drying emotions of one family with each housing unit. Probably the stakeholders are least bothered about the plight of an average middle class home buyer who has exhausted his lifetime savings, taken up home loan and now reeling under the burden of both the EMI and the rent.
This is hardly surprising – a woman’s relationship with her home is unique; and while any other ‘relationship status’ may change in today’s rapidly-evolving socio-economic scenario, owning a home in her name gives her the ultimate security in a changing world.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Puravankara Limited, has announced a Home Exchange Plan – an initiative with multiple benefits for the home sellers who are looking to upgrade their homes.
The hopes of middle class homebuyers have dashed and they blame the Finance Minister for presenting an election-oriented budget. Many even question the direction of the government where the focus has suddenly shifted towards the rural and farm sector in the last full budget presented by this government.
With the Government of India approving an increase in the carpet area of houses for the two middle-income group categories, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban, the industry stakeholders are getting euphoric as if this is the panacea for the ills that the afflicted the business.
ASSOCHAM has urged the Government, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India to treat homebuyers in real estate projects at par, if not above banks in the pecking order, by providing a separate carve-out for those stuck in the incomplete construction, and any legal hurdle should be immediately removed, by a Presidential Ordinance, if need be.
Many of the homebuyers in their desperate instinct are thinking of immediately stopping EMIs (Equated Monthly Installments) to banks. However, many of them are conscious of the fact that stopping EMI is not a solution. If buyers stop servicing their home loans (as they are not sure if they will get a house), it may impact their credit rating.
Considering the overall economic health of an economy is largely influenced by the functioning of its housing market, there is definitely a need to reform the property buying and selling process which allows consumers to be more involved. This is all the more relevant in the present market conditions where, the cost of capital and loans are high and not expected to decrease in the near future – affecting the affordability and availability of homes.