Nepean Sea Road - An address to flaunt

Mumbai is an aspirational city to live in for most Indians. The reasons are plenty that to list them down will form an entire blog article by itself. But there are three prime reasons why Mumbai is most sought after:

• It is where dreams (most) come true.
•  It is the starlet of Indian cities (Think Bollywood).
• Being recognized as a Mumbaikar (heavenly).

If there is one place where the living experience of Mumbai can be closely related to, it will be Nepean Sea Road. Think of waking up to the sound of lapping beach waves. Waves crashing across golden sands and a view that extends far beyond into the unknown horizon is what makes Nepean Sea an aspirational residential address for Indians.

Located close to Malabar Hills, Nepean Sea Road is where the aristocrats of Mumbai would dream coming home to. Living in South Bombay itself is a thing of pride. SoBo is a metaphor most Indians will not understand. But a Mumbaikar knows what kind of power and influence a resident of SoBo will possess.

Owning a luxury 3 BHK apartment in Nepean Sea is quite an accomplishment for any individual. The region since its olden days has been brimming with business towers. Even today, Nepean Sea Road is a place where one can find most of the top corporates of India having their headquarters established. Hence, there is plenty of job opportunities floating around in Nepean Sea Road from where one can chart out a new life.

Not just a career, Nepean Sea Road has major sports clubs within its vicinity where your sportsman attitude can be polished to finesse. Join the Willington Sports Club, Bombay Gymkhana or watch speeding horse races at the Mahalaxmi Race Course. Living in Nepean Sea neighbourhood these sports complexes are just leisurely walk away.

As a parent, your child’s education is available literally at doorstep. Nepean Sea Road sets the right ambiance where your child can progress socially and intellectually with world class training from reputed educational institutions like Orchid International School, Bombay International School (BIS), Gopi Birla High School, etc. all located in immediate vicinity.

Commuting in Nepean Sea Road is a leisure activity. In addition to the smoothly paved roads which are completely gutter free, you also get to ride alongside almost every brand of luxury car in the world. A life amidst the richest Indians is a thing you can take for granted in Nepean Sea Road.

Coming to public transport, the region is blessed with a well-established network of roadways and railways which reach out to almost every notable destination in the city. The Western railway also offers great connectivity within Mumbai and South Mumbai. There is an efficient private system of transport consisting of taxis and rickshaws which you can rely on for a less than luxurious way of transport.

Undoubtedly, Nepean Sea Road is one of the mist affluent residential regions in Mumbai and whole of India. Capital appreciation of properties is estimated to happen in multiples of five or more given the swanky location and facilities in the region. A short stroll around and you will know how comfortable, liveable, luxurious and magnificent living in Nepean Sea Road is. The waves await your homecoming. 

Shailja is an Indian housewife who loves to write on Real Estate. She is a regular contributor to the columns of many property magazines and also IndiaProperty.com

 

Will the plans on linking property sale and GIS maps bring in transparency in Mumbai Real Estate?

The property prices in Mumbai and other cities are rising rapidly these days owing to the huge demand from potential buyers. With increased potential buyers who seek out for perfect location to buy a property in Mumbai, the demand have increased. The price of a property is highly affected by its location. Even the reckoner rates fixed by the government on each property mainly depends on the location. For instance a property located on a prime location near a bust stand, a railway station or airport tend to have high prices when compared to a property in remote location. So government fixes the reckoner rates only depending the growth of the place in which the property is located.

Reckoner Rates

Reckoner rates fixed by the government decides the rates of the immovable property like commercial and residential properties in Mumbai. It is based on these rates that the stamp duty and registration fees of any particulate property is collected by the Stamps and Registration department of the government. Each state government in the country determines these rates annually based on the location of the property. The government also has full authority to rise these rates.

Recent plan of Maharashtra Government

Though these reckoner rates are analysed and changed every year by the government, it is not very transparent to the public. To make reckoner calculation precise and transparent the Maharashtra Government have recently announced a new plan. According to the new plan, the property transaction data will linked with GIS maps. Initially pilot projects will be started in three cities of the state such as Mumbai, Pune and Thane.

When property registrations are linked with GIS maps, then it would be easy for the government to get precise reckoner rates for each part of the state. Reckoner rates as of now are calculated based on the market rates, local inquiries, documents registered with the department, information from media reports, real estate exhibitions and market intelligence. But all these factors are subject to frequent changes that may affect the ready reckoner rates.

When this plan is executed, the ready reckoner rates will calculated with scientific average calculated by automatic analysis of property transactions in a particular city survey number. This will use satellite imagery to know each and every development in different areas of the state and how it bring in changes in the property prices.

Challenges in the plan

Though this plan may bring in transparency and accuracy in reckoner rates, it has certain challenges. Getting property transaction details of individual Flats in Mumbai may be difficult as most area of the state may not have been updated and digitised. Also it would be difficult to identify the transaction area with just a survey number.

The use of GIS in real estate is a good news to Indian real estate. Location is the prime factor that influences real estate. GIS helps us receive accurate data on the geographical location of any property. Hence we can use GIC not just in analysing property transaction but also in various other task in real estate such as market analysis, spatial analysis and property research.

Benefits of opting for Joint Ownership

Buying a property is not all about choosing the right location, looking for amenities and accessibility and transport facilities in the area. There is more than what meets the eye when it comes down to purchasing the property. The factors that make property buying in Mumbai and other metros a hassle range from financial deadlocks to legal issues. A number of these factors, however, can be nullified to an extent by opting to get into the property purchase as a joint ownership with your spouse or your parent(s).

In today’s economy, joint ownership always makes more sense and even the government is well aware of the fact and that is why our government offers a number of incentive benefits while going in for a Joint Ownership. Stamp duty and registration charges are much lower in such cases which clearly suggest that the government is promoting the case for a joint ownership.

With the property in Mumbai and other metros clearly rocketing sky high, it becomes next to impractical, let alone being impossible to buy an apartment or a villa on a single person’s income. Financial burden is shared when joint ownership comes into play and the initiatives of the Indian Government for women empowerment also means that the interest rates could be lower.

Joint Ownership of a property does not come in a ratio and promotes equal rights to the title for both parties. Hence, it is suitable for couples and in fact could strengthen the bond early into married life. Another huge advantage would be that in the unlikely event such as the death of a person would entitle the other owner to completely inherit the property without having to face any legal tangles.

Loan repayments can be done either by both parties separately or by holding a joint bank account. The loan eligibility also becomes higher since the calculation is done by combining the salary of both the parties instead of just one. Both owners can also claim tax benefits which is a huge advantage for any salaried individual.

The entire of the stamp duty will be waivered off if in case the property is jointly owned by a woman. In a few states in the country, if in case a joint owner dies, if the other owner happens to be the spouse, the procedure for transfer of ownership is very simple. The property is not treated as an addition to the surviving owner’s property list which makes tax calculation simpler and more profitable for the surviving mate, making it easier to survive the loss.

Also, flats in Mumbai that are owned jointly are easier to pledge if it happens to be the need of the hour. Banks and other financial institutions are ready to take up joint ownership properties since they have more security of getting back the money since twice the number of repayment individuals are present. 

Also, if the repayment is done without any arrears, future borrowing on the property becomes child’s play making it a profitable venture for both the parties. So, choose wisely on how you register your next property!