Archive for the ‘Kerala Real Estate’ Category

Township projects back in vogue in Kozhikode

November 5th, 2009

Townships are back in vogue. With the property market recovering, builders are again focussing on this concept in Kozhikode. Many of them offer townships within the city as a unique selling proposition.

The Chennai-based Prime Realty has come up with a villa project in a sprawling locale at Kuttiyilthazham close to the proposed Cyber Park. There will be 26 villas on 2.5 acres of land, near the proposed link road connecting the Ramanattukara-Thondayad bypass and the Meenchanda mini bypass.

“The current market scene has made builders stress new models. Buyers will not simply be tempted to choose a villa or flat with regular features,” says M. Rajeevkumar, director of the project.

Each villa has an area of approximately 2,000 sq ft, bound by a compound wall, on 5.5 cents to 8 cents of land. A tennis court, a children’s park, a playground, a swimming pool, a clubhouse, a multi-gym and a common parking area for visitors will come up on an acre of land. Round-the-clock security will be provided.

“Each villa will be fully furnished. An LCD TV will be provided. Customers can just walk into their dream home,” Mr. Rajeevkumar says.

The priced will be about Rs.50 lakh. There are different modes of payment. Either the land will be registered in the buyer’s name initially or the client will have the option to make payments in instalments during the various stages of the project, Mr. Rajeevkumar says.

“Townships have successfully gained acceptance in major metros. Earlier, housing projects were focussed in areas near hospitals and schools. Now, it is done in a better fashion with modern amenities,” he says.

Flats and villas

The Calicut Landmark Builders has launched a project at Methottuthazham Junction, near Pottammal, close to the proposed Cyber Park.

There will be 40 villas and 200 flats on six acres of land. The flats will be in two towers — one 11-storeyed and the other 17-storeyed.

The luxury villas and apartments will have amenities such as a swimming pool, a modern and well-equipped gymnasium and a walkway, says K. Arunkumar, managing director, Calicut Landmark Builders.

“The timely completion of our earlier township project near Kanndaikkal has given us the confidence to go ahead with the new township,” he says.

Townships help working couples.

“However, our target group belongs to all categories of people, including non-resident Indians and business executives. Owning a dwelling unit in a township is also a good investment,” he says.

The villas are priced at Rs.3,500 a sq ft. Mr. Arunkumar says the units can be customised according to the taste of the buyers. The minimum space is 1,800 sq ft.

Affordable concept

The apartments are based on the idea of affordable homes. These are priced at Rs.1,850 a sq ft. There will be three categories of apartments depending on the areas and the number of bedrooms. A one-bed room flat will have a space of 550 sq ft. The other two types are in the range of 615 sq ft and 940 sq ft, he says.

He says the township project on the Kannadikkal-Paroppadi route with 17 villas and 54 apartments have been a fresh concept in Kozhikode when started in 2006-end. Initially, each villa was priced at Rs.40-45 lakh and flat, Rs.1,300 a sq ft.

The area is in the fringes of the city and close to Silver Hills Public School and Silver Hills Higher Secondary School. Besides, the residents have proximity to major hospitals in the city and connectivity to the Kozhikode-Wayanad Road (National Highway 212) and the Ramanattukara-Thondayad Bypass.

The Kozhikode-based Apollo Build-Tec recently launched a villa project at Ramanattukara. There are 32 villas on 3.5 acres of land. The villas will have areas between 2,000 sq ft and 2,500 sq ft and the launching price is Rs.2,750 a sq ft.

Spring Dale Villas of ‘hi-lite’ Builders at Palazhi is another township project. The villas are priced at Rs.3,500 a sq.ft.

The area of a villa will be 2,200 sq.ft. Thirty-five of the 110 villas have so far been sold, marketing officials say.

News Published Under:  The Hindu

RBI policy a breather for home buyers

November 5th, 2009

The recently announced credit policy of RBI has not made any changes to the interest rates and the home buyers, at least for the time being, could heave a sigh of relief.

But the decision to hike the amount that banks have to keep aside for advances to commercial realty sector from 0.4 per cent to one per cent with a view to build a cushion against likely non-performing assets (NPAs) in the sector could hamper funding to the sector.

However, the developers and other players welcomed the apex bank’s intention behind the move to prevent asset bubbles in the segment.

“I am fully for preventing asset bubbles but the increase in provisioning now sends a negative signal. The commercial real estate sector needs a push–the country needs IT and commercial space and the increase in provisioning could impede bank funding to the sector,” Sunil Mantri, Realty’s Chairman and Managing Director, said.

Mr. Niranjan Hiranandani, a developer, described the RBI action as “an ad hoc measure.” — PTI

News Published Under:  The Hindu

Waiving pre-closure penalty will ease burden on borrowers

October 29th, 2009

At a time when Indian households have been forced to cough up more for their monthly living needs, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seems to have come to their aid. Last week, the Central Bank, for the first time, has indicated that it is not comfortable with the penalty being charged by banks for pre-closure of loans.

According to media reports, the RBI is planning to ask banks to discontinue the practice of foreclosure penalty, which was a bane for the borrowing community.

At present, borrowers sitting on large chunk of loans need to think twice before shifting loans as in most cases the penalty amount runs into thousands of rupees.

Though penalty charges are applicable for all types of loans, it is particularly harsh for those sitting on home loans because of the large loan ticket size.

Hopefully, it will be a thing of the past soon.

As a borrower, you are bound to feel like celebrating but you will have to wait a little longer.

For, the RBI’s move is likely to be applicable only for fresh loans though the regulator is not averse to the idea of extending it to old borrowers at a later date.

In fact, the RBI wants to make life good both for new and old borrowers by removing various disparities between the two.

For instance, there is a move (still in early stage) to remove the concept of benchmark rate and replace it with a single rate which would be

The above changes, in reality, would put a greater emphasis on the concept of borrowing and borrowers would be required to keep track of loan pricing.

At present, for many borrowers, the downward trend in interest rate did not mean much as they were forced to continue with existing loans because of pre-closure penalty. In the case of home loans, the penalty amount was good (huge) enough to maintain their loyalty.

For instance, a loan amount of Rs.30 lakh required the borrower to cough up a penalty of Rs.60,000 for foreclosure (at a rate of 2 per cent) and worse, this was not funded by the fresh lender.

As you are aware, loans when shifted from one bank to another, take care of only the principal amount and do not include other charges.

Hopefully, the new regime will bring in the desired changes.

As pointed out earlier, the changes on the home loan front require borrowers to be agile to the changing dynamics and it will be prudent for borrowers to prepare for an early closure in their own good.

Gone are the days when borrowers could feel comfortable with the fact that their EMI is not a burden. With interest rates fluctuating on a regular basis, it will be advisable to look at the option of closure of loans well before the due date.
News Published Under:  The Hindu

Unscrupulous middlemen back on the prowl

October 23rd, 2009

The revival of the realty sector has once again brought cheers to investors. However, the recovery has also made unauthorised land brokers make a smooth comeback into this thriving business.

Land brokers are back to cash in on the new sentiments prevailing in the market. So, buying and selling plots should be done in a very cautious manner. Beware of being duped by unscrupulous brokers and mediators.

The boom witnessed in property two years ago went through a rigorous corrective phase and has now reached a fair level. The land mafia and the real estate brokers have jacked up prices in most parts of Kozhikode city as elsewhere in the State.

Hundreds of people who had earlier invested during the boom period in 2007-end and early-2008 on the advice of brokers had lost a substantial portion of their money. Many of them had invested in land after selling gold and shares in their possession.

On the other hand, many who have invested in flats and villas of reputable builders, instead of buying plots, have not faced such pitfalls. Several things have to be factored in before buying a plot. As far as possible, avoid utilising the services of brokers in striking a deal. Numerous instances have been quoted of clients being deceived. Seek professional help from firms such as the Bangalore-based Real Estate Bank India (REBI) that has a branch in the city.

Besides, the buyer and the seller have to pay commission to the land broker. The commission rate for selling a piece of land is 2.5 per cent and buying, 1.25 per cent. But more will be demanded.

Builders say that nearly 75 per cent of land transactions usually take place through brokers. So, the pertinent question is how to avoid their machinations? One of the options is to advertise in the media so as to get a one-on-one interaction between the seller and buyer. There are Internet sites offering help as well.

Do not get intimidated by fraudulent brokers who hold out as a threat the clauses of any agreement they have with the buyer or the seller. One can take up the matter with the police.

Always check the original title deed to get a clear idea of the plot. Verify the back documents of the property at least for 13 years. Get an encumbrance certificate from the registrar’s office. The land tax receipt issued from the village office should be checked. Another is the possession certificate.

Make sure that the seller has been remitting the property tax at the Corporation office if the plot has a building. Check the occupancy certificate. Get a certificate from an attorney based on the title deeds and tax receipts.

The buyer should also verify whether the seller is governed by the Hindu Succession Law or the Muslim Succession Law. Another aspect to be checked is whether minors have claim to the property. In the case of the seller, he/she has to get a no-objection certificate from the tahsildar and get permission from the court to sell the property. A minor after attaining 18 years of age can claim the property he/she has inherited within three years.

Deceitful brokers can land buyers in trouble by providing forged title deeds. They usually make fake title deeds for non-existent land in connivance with officials at the sub-registrar’s offices. A builder nearly lost Rs.1 crore after buying 30 cents of unclaimed land in Kozhikode city. The only way not to fall prey to such crooked methods adopted by land brokers is apply for a no-attachment certificate at the office of the tahsildhar. The prospective buyer can get this certificate within 20 days.

If one is planning to buy a constructed house, then go in for more details. The buyer should check the original plan of the house submitted by the owner to the Corporation. Check if the seller has deviated from the original plan and if he had secured a completion certificate and possession certificate.

The government has planned to bring in legislation to curtail unethical land deals in the State. The new law will give an idea to the buyer of the value of land at a particular place. Proposals for fair value have been made in 117 villages in Kozhikode district. There are 55 villages in Kozhikode taluk. The three villages in the limits of Kozhikode city are Nagaram, Kacheri and Kasaba.

Recently, the Registration Department has come up with a notification for a one-time settlement to get exemption from legal proceedings if anyone has deliberately undervalued land during registration. The facility will be available till March 2010.

News Published Under:  The Hindu

Builders see a change in buyer sentiment

October 13th, 2009

There have been some genuine enquiries right from the second quarter of 2009, says Najeeb Zackeria, president of the Kochi branch of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India. The interesting part is that there are enquiries in all segments of property, be it budget, semi-luxury or luxury, Dr. Zackeria says.

There are enquiries for villas, but unfortunately, there are no stocks available at present. The builders over the last year had concentrated more on delivering the ongoing projects. It was not a good time to announce new ones.

The customers’ approach is to go in only for finished products or projects nearing completion. This approach has slightly changed, he says. However, the change in this graph has favoured only builders who have sustained through the recessionary period and have delivered their products in time. Unless progress is seen in a project, customer confidence will be lacking.

The customer confidence is just coming back, says M. Unnikrishnan of the Thripunithura-based Royal Projects. There is a release from fear. The market is very much alive, but the budgeting is small. The customer is having a studied approach, Mr. Unnikrishnan adds.

Earlier, an investor will put in an extra effort to go for a higher budget, but now the customer is looking at the builder to help them make a good buy within their fixed budget. In fact, quite a few genuine enquiries are not materialising into buys only on the aspect of cost.

Customers have had to face bad times because quite a few projects in areas such as Kakkanad have come to a standstill. These probably had come up without any USP and hence were hit by the market trend, Dr. Zackeria says. The delay in the SmartCity project may also have been playing on the customer mind. Another factor affecting Kakkanad was perhaps the mushrooming of a number of small-time builders during the boom period, some of whom were not able to sustain through the difficult times. The builders are taking the new momentum in the market with caution. “We do not expect any rapid improvement,” Dr. Zackeria says. It will take about another six to eight months for a turnaround, he adds. It will happen as a spontaneous effect of the overall economic improvement, and depending upon the absorption of the present supply of stock and end-user demand, the new supply will start trickling in.

In fact, quite a few builders are waiting for some more time to pass before they announce their new projects. The full concentration is on completing projects in time.
News Published Under:  The Hindu

Kerala set to open first phase of Rs.600-cr IT park

September 19th, 2009

The first phase of the Rs.600-crore Koratty information technology park in Kerala, being set up as part of the state government’s plan to open IT parks in all districts, will be opened Oct 10.

The project, coming up on 42 acres in Koratty in Thrissur district, is one of the fastest developed IT parks in the state, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, chief executive of Infopark Kochi, which is developing the project, told IANS.

“The 42-acre plot that was given to set up the park earlier housed the Madura Coats factory. In just seven months of taking over the land, we refurbished the 14 villas that existed over there. There is also an old club house, which has been modernised,” said Bhattacharya.

Eight villas and the club house are ready now and 10 companies which would employ 400 professionals are all set to function from here, he added.

The remaining six villas would be ready in the next few months.

“The rates here are so cheap that we offer plug and play facility at Rs.30 per square feet. Those who want semi-furnished facilities, the rate per square feet is just Rs.15,” Bhattacharya said.

The prevailing rates at the Infopark and the Thiruvananthapuram-based Technopark are around Rs.45 per square feet and upwards.

In the second phase development, the government plans to set up a 200,000-square feet IT building, incorporating the green building concept.

“This new signature IT building will be designed to provide a beautiful and inspiring atmosphere and once complete there would be more than 6,000 professionals working at the Koratty IT park,” Bhattacharya said.

In May last year, the state government announced that IT level parks would be developed under private-public partnership model in all 14 districts.

In the first phase, IT parks would come up in Kollam, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.

Currently, IT companies operating in the state are based either at the Technopark or Infopark.

Nearly 150 companies are operating in the Technopark. They employ close to 20,000 people, while around 40 companies that employ nearly 8,000 people are in the Infopark.

News Published Under:  Manorama Online

KSHB back with project proposals

September 19th, 2009

The government is on an offensive to end the slackness in the housing and real estate sectors by launching projects at a time when private builders seem to think twice before doing so.

Taking a cue from what the housing boards in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and a number of other States have done, the Kerala State Housing Board has planned to take the private-public partnership route to wipe away its liability.

In fact, one of the prime projects at Marine Drive will help the board come out of the red, believes Noel Thomas, Housing Commissioner and Secretary of the board. In a month, consultants will be selected for giving a detailed project report on the Marine Drive plan. The board, which has about 18 acres of land at the Marine Drive, plans to have a tourism, commercial and housing project.

Hotels, office space, convention centre and multiplexes are some of the ideas that have come up. A preliminary study by the board has pointed out that 17 lakh sq.ft of built-up space can be made available.

Since there are environmental concerns, the government held several rounds of discussion before agreeing to the project, Mr. Thomas said.

With an eye on the upcoming LNG terminal at Vallarpadam, the board has conceptualised the space here with a futuristic design, Mr. Thomas said. The prime project will be launched early next year and the full project is likely to be completed by three years, he said.

The housing projects of the board in at least four other places in Ernakulam district are expected to add to the signs of revival that the sector is showing these days. “We believe a revival in the sector by the end of the current financial year,” Mr. Thomas said.

The board has planned to invite builders for the construction on a build-share-transfer basis. The bidders should have done a project of that level in the last three years. Such a criterion is to keep the less-experienced ones away.

The board has got into a financial crisis because of the large number of houses it has financed for the weaker sections who have not been able to remit their part of the payment,

Mr. Thomas said. Unlike the boards in other States, the KSHB has built 6 lakh houses. With a loan of Rs.2,000 crore from HUDCO over the past 35 years, the board has not been able to take up many projects. So far, the liability of Rs.1,500 crore is over and a new outlook with private partnership is expected to push the board on track again, Mr. Thomas said.

Since pricing of houses is most important in a downward looking market, the board intends to keep it affordable considering the market dynamics at the time. In Panampilly Nagar, there will be a 32-unit complex, while the project at Kumaran Asan Nagar will be a 36-unit one.

At Thrikkakara, where the board already has project in innovative housing for the working class, there will be yet another project for the middle and higher income groups that will have 60-65 units.

At Irimpanam, where the board has some prime roadside land on the side of the Seaport-Airport road, a multi-storey housing complex will have a basement and two floors of commercial area.

If these projects are implemented, the board is likely to give a lead to many building projects in the State that are, at present, either going slow or have come to a standstill.
News Published Under:  The Hindu

Kerala golf course to open by December

September 12th, 2009

Kochi (Kerala): The first phase of a Rs.480 million golf course being built by the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) here would be complete by the end of this year, a senior company official said Friday.

“The golf course would open with nine holes by December this year. Building this would cost Rs.20 crore (Rs.200 million). The first phase would be ready by December and this would match any international golf course,” CIAL company secretary K. Venkitesweran said.

He said the state-of-the-art golf course will have 18 holes. “The golf course, situated on 130 acres, is coming up just next to the fourth largest airport that handles many international passengers in the country.”

Venkitesweran said 800 applications have been sold for Rs.10,000 each by now.

“By next month we expect to do the screening of the applications and allotment of membership would begin. We have an early bird offer where the membership fee has been fixed at Rs.200,000,” he said.

In July this year, CIAL announced a dividend of 10 percent, up from eight percent announced last year. The paid up capital of CIAL is Rs.300 crore.
News Published Under:  Manorama Online

Kerala finds a place in NLRMP

September 12th, 2009

Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran says this is a signal that Kerala is moving in the right direction. He tells K.A. MARTIN that the first instalment of Rs.5 crore is welcome. 

Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran has welcomed the decision by the Department of Land Resources under the Union Ministry of Rural Development to put Kerala among the first four States to get Central funds for the ambitious National Land Records Modernisation Programme (NLRMP).

He told The Hindu on Friday that this was a signal that Kerala was moving in the right direction in modernising and computerising land records.

Mr. Rajendran said that Kerala would need more money to achieve the goal of total computerisation of land records and the first instalment of Rs.5 crore was welcome.

Along with Kerala, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh have been chosen for receiving the first instalment during the current financial year.

The NLRMP will help computerise the entire process of property transaction records and network revenue offices.

The Revenue Department had submitted a detailed project report under the NLRMP for 2009-10 at an estimated cost of Rs.6 crore. This was approved by the Planning Board and funds allotted in the State Budget.

Besides, a detailed project report for the work at an estimated cost of nearly Rs.30 crore was submitted to the Union government.

The Revenue Department is expected to complete data entry, revalidation and training of officials and networking of offices in a time-bound manner.

The department has selected Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Alappuzha districts for the first phase of activities.

In the second phase of computerisation of land records, Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad have been chosen.

The NLRMP emerged out of two Centrally sponsored schemes — computerisation of land records and strengthening of revenue administration and updating of land records.

The main aims of the NLRMP are to usher in a system of updated land records, automated and automatic mutation, integration between textual and spatial records, interconnectivity between revenue and registration offices and replacing the present deeds registration and presumptive title system with that of conclusive titling with title guarantee, says information posted on the Land Resources Department web site.

Committee

The Union government has constituted a committee on State agrarian relations and the unfinished task of land reforms in January 2008.

The basic belief behind launching the land records modernisation programme across the country is that effective management of agrarian relations and good land administration are key to economic development and poverty eradication.

News Published Under:  The Hindu

Investors in property back in the hunt

September 5th, 2009

Property rates have begun to stabilise following the correction in prices in the real estate sector. Following the recovery of the economy, investors are looking for a slew of ongoing and upcoming projects in cities such as Kozhikode.

Enquiries, bookings and sales of apartments and villas have shown a spurt in the past two months. Developers of mega projects and others are elated. “Nearly 90 per cent of the apartments have been booked at the 20-storey Metromax, a residential complex on the Thondayad bypass,” says Ahmed Backer, senior manager (sales), ‘hi-lite’ Builders.

Work on Metromax, consisting of 272 luxury apartments, has been completed. “We have started focussing on the interiors and exteriors of the units categorised into four types. The apartments will be ready for occupation before July 2010,” he says. Uniform prices have been fixed for all types of apartments, including two kinds of three-bedroom ones, on all floors.

The rate is Rs.2,700 a sq.ft, Mr. Backer says. The company’s another massive project, said to be the biggest venture in Kozhikode city, is the ‘hi-lite’ Hills, also on the Thondayad bypass.

It comprises two mega projects with a total built-up area of 20 lakh sq.ft. One is exclusively for residential purpose and the other is top-notch office space.

Mr. Backer says the first towers of ‘hi-lite’ Plaza will be completed in July 2011. The rate is Rs.4,500 a sq.ft. The rates of ‘hi-lite’ Residency will be Rs.2,550 a sq.ft. The residential project will be completed within a time-frame to keep the promise made to loyal clients, he says.

Builders say that the prices of apartments have not skyrocketed during the real estate boom that started in 2006.

Kozhikode has never seen unreasonable and artificial rates unlike other parts of the country. So the correction here is minimal, whether for apartments or villas.

The rate for premium luxury villas such as Highlands of Calicut Landmark Builders at Methottuthazham Junction, 3.5 km from Arayadathupalam, is Rs.3,350 a sq.ft.

The villas will have a minimum area of 2,000 sq.ft. Together with the villas will be the budget apartments priced at Rs.1,710 a sq.ft. The rates have been kept uniform till the sixth floor. But it will be Rs.1,750 a sq.ft from the seventh floor. There will be two- and three-bedroom types having areas in the range of 614 sq.ft to 930 sq.ft., says Sonnet Sasikumar, sales representative.

The project of the Calicut Landmark Builders near Silver Hills Public School and Silver Hills Higher Secondary School has been a successful venture. A few ready-to-occupy flats is priced at Rs.1,950. Almost all the villas have been sold out, Mr. Sasikumar says.

Spring Dale Villas of ‘hi-lite’ Builders at Palazhi is priced at Rs.3,500 a sq.ft. The total area of a villa will be 2,200 sq.ft. However, clients have the option of choosing areas up to 6,000 sq.ft. Thirty-five out of 110 villas have so far been sold, Mr. Backer says. Half the luxury apartments of Horizon Properties at Chevayur have been booked. The 12-storey two- and three-bedroom flats are sold at standard rates of Rs.2,350 a sq.ft, says Pradeep Kumar, managing director.

The project will be completed within a year. The two-bedroom flats have areas of 1,151 sq.ft. each and three-bedroom ones, 1,673 sq.ft. “We have also come up with special Onam offers at attractive prices,” he says.

The 12-storey apartments of Seiken Properties at Malaparamba is priced at Rs.2,500 a sq.ft. Sixty per cent of the units have been sold.

The project will be completed in December 2010. There will be eight types of flats ranging from those with one bedroom and having areas of 657 sq.ft each to those with three bedrooms and having areas of 1,364 sq.ft each, says Nikhil C. Mohan, sales manager.

However, the three-bedroom duplex flats on the eleventh and the twelfth floors are priced at Rs.1,950 a sq.ft.

The apartment will have a fitness centre, swimming pool and broadband connectivity, Mr. Mohan says.

Raj Madan, assistant manager (marketing) of Pentium Builders, says that bookings for the Pentium Vrindavan Vertical Homes have started, although its official launch is on Saturday.

The new project will be at Eranhipalam, comprising two- and three-bedroom units.

The priced fixed at Rs.2,400 a sq.ft is negotiable, he says. Ritz Marina of Galaxy Builders is a big super-luxury apartment complex coming up on the Kozhikode beach.

The rate of each apartment is Rs.3,000 a sq.ft.

Nearly 55 per cent of the apartments in the 26-storey building have been sold out, says Janzeer Ahmed, executive director.

Mr. Ahmed says the recovery of the economy have given investors an opportunity to scout for projects. The prices have been kept in tune with the standard rates prevailing in the city. The rate of an apartment at Ellyzium Court near the C.H. Flyover is Rs.2,600 a sq.ft. A few more apartments at Leo Paradise are available, he says.
News Published Under:  The Hindu