Architectural Brilliance: Top 10 Buildings in India

Since the earliest of ages, India has been known for its wonderful architectures. Even in the recent days, different buildings in the country reflect world-class architectural skills.

  Designed by James Law Cybertecture International, the 13-storied egg office in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex is 13 storied and covers 33,000 square meters.

v  The Airtel Office located just outside the Indian capital of Delhi is a feast for the eyes, as it is a perfect amalgamation of shapes and colors.

v  Infosys’s semi-spherical building in Bangalore is one of the most fabulous office buildings present in India. It covers an area of   1.44 million square feet and is the largest training centre in the world.

v  Built by the Unitec Group, the Signature Towers in Gurgaon is one of India’s the most outstanding office complexes.

v  The Lulu International Shopping Mall in Kochi is India’s largest and probably the best designed shopping malls. Covering an area of 17,00,000 square feet, this mall has five floors.

v  How about a building that seems to be curved and tilted towards a side? That is just what the Wipro Office in Noida looks like.

v  The Oracle Office in Bangalore is well known not only for its outstanding architecture, but also because it has one of the best energy-saving structures in the country.

v  With its circular structure, the Mantri Square Mall in Bangalore is one of the most outstanding in the country.

v  The circular structure of the Statesman House in Delhi might not be significantly modern, yet its majestic circular structure makes it one of the most engaging architectural structures in India.

v  Pune’s Gigaspace IT Park has intelligent buildings, which not only conserve energy, but are also great to look at.

With more offices and shopping malls coming up in India every day, the country is                    sure to experience a few more architectural brilliance soon.

Planning to Buy an Apartment? Factors You Need to Consider

Everyone dreams of owning an apartment. But there are a number of things you need to consider before buying one. Here’s the few things you should check out before buying it.

A Legally Allowed Apartment

Is the apartment legal? Is it constructed after taking the permission from the authorities of the city where it is located? Before you are planning to buy the apartment, you should have a clear idea about these things. This will help you avoid any kind of legal hassle in future.

Is the Neighborhood Okay?

Is the neighborhood absolutely okay? You should visit it during different times before you sign the contract for buying the apartment. This will help you form the idea about the ambiance of the apartment before moving into it.

A Property within Your Budget

Is the apartment affordable? Is its cost within your budget? Besides, check out the possible future expenses that you need to make at the apartment. Are these expenses justified when it comes to the comfort offered at the apartment? You need to consider these while buying the apartment.

What are the Amenities Offered?

The amenities offered at the apartments help to make the stay comfortable. What are the amenities offered at your apartment? Will you get free wifi and internet? Does it have quiet areas allocated specially for children to study? Are there enough open spaces to stroll around? You need to keep an eye on all these factors while buying the apartment.

Location Plays a Major Role

The location of the apartment is a major factor to consider when buying it. The perfect location not only facilitates easy transportation to and from the apartment, but also has an important role to play in determining the land value appreciation. Thus, a good location will ensure that you will be able to make a good amount of profit when selling the property.

When you are planning to purchase the property, you also need to count in the policies followed, the ambiance at the apartment and similar other factors as well.

Mirrors for Home Decor

Mirrors are a very versatile decorative item. They can be used as a finish material on walls, and as a cladding on furniture.  Hung over fireplaces and placed in frames, mirrors can transform a room from small to roomy in an instant. Mirrors can be used in feng shui in order to channel energy.

They can make a small room appear larger:

 Mirrors are an inexpensive way to create the illusion of space. In a small apartment place a mirror on the opposite side of a window wall and see the magic. Use mirrors in the kitchen to make it a better place.

Make your hallway interesting: 

If you have a long hallway at your home, play with mirrors and make the hallway interesting. Place mirror wall hangings and wall arts in the hallway

Perk up the bedroom with full length mirrors:

The possibilities are endless as bedroom is all about self expression. Create a studio effect by putting up a full length mirror, put up a simple framed piece or put on the floor as a centrepiece.

Merlin Paradise, the Eden of tomorrow

Merlin Paradise is the most prestigious project in Nagerbazaar. The mesmerizing architecture is encompassed within 75% open space to create an environmental extravaganza.  To bring Paradise to earth is the novel interpretation of Merlin Group. Merlin Paradise brings life closer to nature; full of water bodies and greenery, luxury personified.

Welcome to Merlin, Welcome to Paradise

Air conditioned apartments| B+ Gr + 11 storied, 4 towers| Awe inspiring elevation| Most apartments facing landscaped water bodies and garden| State of the art club facility | Hi- street retail| Adequate car parking in basement and at ground level

Relaxation beckons in Paradise

·         Air- conditioned indoor games room

+Table Tennis + Billiards + Carom

·         State- of- the- art Air conditioned Gym

·         Badminton Court

·         Air conditioned crèche

·         Air conditioned community hall

·         Spa

+Steam +Sauna + Swimming pool

·         Balcony with every apartment

·         Roof with planters, gazebo and usable areas

Specifications

·         Air condition apartments- Split air conditioning in bedrooms and split air conditioning in the drawing room

·         Water Supply 24x7

·         Electrical- Provision for adequate light points, geyser point in bathrooms. Modular switches of reputed brand

·         Flooring- wooden flooring in master bedroom. Designer vitrified tiles  in Living Dining and all other rooms.

Common Home Loan Myths

1. The bank is not concerned with the Employment Status of the borrower

The ability and the willingness to pay back the loan are two cornerstones on the basis of which banks give the borrower the loan. While the income documents and account of assets and liabilities give a fair idea of a borrower’s willingness. The individual’s past track record is checked for the willingness and capabilities for reduced delinquency to pay.

Thus irrespective of the value of the property it is integral for person to submit the required details for the bank to grant the loan. The home loan agreement states that the borrower has to keep the bank informed about his employment status i.e. whether he has changed his job or lost his job or retirement etc.

2. Higher EMI is better than longer Tenure or vice versa

 This question always gives you a tough time. Ideally one should go for a higher EMI, at first it might cause a dent to the borrower’s pocket but it would benefit you in the longer term. This is because most home loan borrowers are in their 30’s when they apply for loans, and if the loan tenure is of about 30 years or more then the borrower will be paying off his loan even after his retirement, this obligation would then be difficult to fulfill when he will have no source of income.

3. Hike in interest rate means inflated EMIs

Do not freak out when you listen to something like this. Most banks, subject to conditions, usually extend the tenure of the loan and keep the EMI amount unchanged. This decision is taken by banks on various factors such as a borrower’s property, income and so on. It completely depends on t a borrower if he/she does not wish to prolong their loan repayment they can inform the bank about their willingness to service a higher EMI.

4. Fixed Rate of interest is better or Floating Rate of Interest

Fixed Rate of Interest: The interest rate charged on the loan remains fixed irrespective of the interest rate trends. The EMI on your loan amount will remain the same for the entire term. Floating Rate of Interest: The interest rate on your loan will vary according to the interest rate prevailing in the market. Whether the either is better or not for you entirely depends on the market scenario. If the interest rates are expected to fall then fixed rate of interest will not be good but at that time floating rate of interest would be favorable, as that would lower your EMI. On the other hand if the interest rates are rising then the fixed rate of interest would be better than the floating rate as the EMI on the latter will increase in this case.

5. Prepayment attracts Penalty

This factor again depends upon the bank. Usually prepayment charges are levied in the initial 2-3 years from the disbursement date of the loan and which declines over time. If you repay the loan out of your own funds, you will not lose much. This does not apply if you opt to refinance your loan from any other bank; most of the financial institutions do waive the prepayment penalty. Mostly institutions allow up to 25% of the loan outstanding to be part prepaid in a financial year, but they can charge anything ranging from 2% to 4% for any amounts paid over the specified limit of 25%.

Your dream home is just a few steps away

Home loans help you realize your dreams of buying the house you have always wanted and also help save tax. A home loan is an essential part of any home buying endeavour. The key to getting your home loan in a smooth way is being familiar with the entire home loan process.

Beginning the home loan process

The process of getting a home loan starts with a formal application for the loan. The application form requires certain basic information about you which includes your personal, residential, income, employment, educational details, and details about the property, estimated costs and current means of financing the property. The requirements often vary bank to bank.

The application form must be supported with valid documents to substantiate the facts. Generally the banks ask to submit the following documents.

• Income proof
• Age proof
• Identity proof
• Address proof
• Employment details
• Proof of educational qualifications
• Details about the property if finalized
• Bank statements

The purpose of the entire exercise is to ascertain the suitability of the applicant for a home loan. The income documents and bank statements provide vital clues to the bank regarding your financial health.

The concept of processing fee

An important thing to note about home loans is the processing fee. Banks charge a processing fee for every home loan application. This fee is non refundable. The processing fee also varies from bank to bank and is generally from 0.25% to 0.50% of the loan amount. This fee is used by the bank to start and maintain the home loan process including completing the various formalities during the entire period.

Although there are a few points that should always be kept in mind

Additional charges to be kept in mind

When you are applying for a home loan, you need to be educated about the various charges that the lenders add to the current scheme. The additional charges fall under the amount sanctioned in your name and not on the amount you take home.

Read the fine print of the agreement

Even if the home loan agreement is a bulky document, read it carefully.

Never Leave a Doubt

Applying for a home loan might seem easy but it comes with its own set of complications. So, never leave a doubt in your head which may lead to complications later on.

Real Estate scenario in 2014

Outlook Time to match demand with relevant supply:  India’s gripping urbanization growth story has been fascinating global investors so far, an underlying truth gradually emerged in 2013 - economic growth, the consumption story and property prices may not rise consistently, and there could be intermittent hurdles or growth risks. The presently cautious market sentiment is likely to continue, as headwinds to growth will prevail till the first half of 2014. However, the second half is likely to witness gradual revival in absorption. Residential real estate capital values will increase in a subdued range of 10-12% year-on-year pan-India for the whole year. Affordability will drive growth in 2014. An emerging economy is never short of opportunities, and it is time that the Indian residential real estate industry realizes where the opportunity lies. To date, the shortage of homes in India stands at around 19 million units, and 95% of this housing shortage is in the economically-weaker section (EWS) and low-income group (LIG) categories. In India, housing for EWS is defined by the Technical Group on Estimation of Housing Shortage as having a carpet area of 21-27 square meters; LIG housing includes units of 28-60 square meter carpet area. By the government's definition, EWS housing falls in the range of INR 4-10 lakh. This means that development of affordable housing will have to penetrate into the deeper suburbs of our cities, where such price points are feasible. The TATA Shubh Griha project (popularly known as Nano homes; completed in 2011) in Boisar near Mumbai was a splendid example of successful identification and auctioning of such opportunities. The project had 1,300 units, which received applications from 3,500 households. A recommendation to the government by the technical group to incentivize such projects by subsidized land, tax rebates, grants per supply of dwellings, etc. could help developers in improving the feasibility of such projects. Redevelopment activity to increase With scarce availability of land in the urban agglomeration, redevelopment will emerge as another growth driver in a scenario the cost-and-time-intensive complexities with regards to land acquisition brought forth by the LARR 2013 amendments. Indian cities present an exceptional opportunity for developers in this respect -- as per the latest available census data on households, only 50% of the residential units are in good condition, while the remaining are either merely livable or in dilapidated condition.

So, the 2013 may have been the year when both the developers as well as the lenders were waiting for policies like the REIT to roll out as well as other cost & benefit analysis. However, the direction in which the market is heading to, added with the new funding sources being cleared by the government, it seems the turnaround of the financial fortunes is just ahead in 2014.