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There has never been a better time to buy your dream house. The end user can relish a share of indulgence as commercial real estate also promises exciting returns.  There are several pockets across metros and large cities where property prices are reasonable and investors can expect good returns. Rental yield can also be a good yardstick for residential real estate, with investors looking up to a rental yield of 3%.

Realtors across Gujarat seem to be focusing on affordable homes. Approximately 33 percent of all the real estate projects registered with Gujarat Real Estate Regulatory Authority (GujRERA) fall under the affordable housing category including residential, commercial, mixed-use and plotting schemes. Not surprisingly, Ahmedabad has the highest number of affordable housing projects out of the 502 registered with the state, followed by Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat and Gandhinagar respectively. A recent report by a real estate firm states that 2,844 residential units were launched in Ahmedabad during the latter part of 2018 out of which 61% schemes were in the price category of less than 50 lakh. With metro line construction in full swing, appreciation of real estate primarily in the metro zones is guaranteed.

In a country where buying a home of one’s choice is among the most significant decisions in an individual’s life, there have been some seemingly paradoxical developments. The real estate market in recent years included a lack of inventory of homes for sale primarily due to demonetization, the implementation of the Goods and Service Act (GST), and the newly appointed Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). While the stocks plummeted then, home sales have gone up since last year. Schemes like the Credit-Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) has ensured the availability of affordable credit for low-cost housing buyers. Reduction of GST from 12 percent to 5 percent has escalated demand and reduced prices for unfinished schemes, but it will eventually increase the rates of projects that are ready for possession, appreciating the value of your hard earned property. The GST Council has slashed tax rates for under-construction flats in affordable category to 1 per cent, effective from April 1.

Finally, the strengthened regulations under RERA have noticeably enhanced consumer confidence in real estate transactions.

For those scared about possession timeline, there is a new ray of hope. For instance, the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to allow homebuyers to remove a developer in case the project is delayed. The project would then be handed over to an expert panel for completion.

Hence, it can be safely established that the right time has finally arrived to reap some benefits in property business. Because, smart investors don’t wait to buy real estate—they buy real estate and wait.