TODAY / ALL STORIES
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THE BRIEF
What your home-loan reset letter is actually telling youuuuuuuuuuuu
The letter says whether your bank kept the EMI and stretched the tenure. That choice can add years of payments.
THE BRIEF
Under-construction or ready-to-move: how GST treats each
GST applies to under-construction homes, not completed ones with an occupancy certificate. It changes your all-in price.
THE BRIEF
Repo rate decisions, explained: what actually moves your EMI
Most floating-rate home loans now track the repo rate. Here is how a 0.25% change reaches your monthly payment, and the choice you get when it does.
THE BRIEF
Joint home loan: who gets to claim the tax deduction?
Each co-borrower can claim, but only if they are also a co-owner and pay their share of the EMI.
THE BRIEF
Pune buyers: how to read a project's quarterly update on MahaRERA
Builders must post progress every quarter. A stalled update is the first warning sign.
THE BRIEF
Confirmed, sanctioned or proposed? Reading a metro announcement
Only "sanctioned" lines have approval and funding. Don't pay a premium for a line on a brochure.
THE BRIEF
Why so many rent agreements run for 11 months
Leases under 12 months don't have to be registered in most states, which saves stamp duty but weakens your record.
THE BRIEF
What the "possession date" in your agreement really promises
The RERA-registered date is the one that counts if the project is late, not the brochure date.
THE BRIEF
Mumbai: what redevelopment means for existing society members
Members usually get a bigger flat and rent during construction. Read the development agreement before signing.
THE NUMBERS
Every 0.25% has a price: EMI at nine interest rates
Monthly EMI on a home loan at different interest rates. Pick a loan size and tenure; hover or click a bar.
THE BRIEF
How to check a project's RERA registration before you pay a token
Where to look, and the four things the registration page tells you.
THE BRIEF
Stamp duty in Delhi NCR: why Gurugram and Noida cost different amounts
Stamp duty is set by each state, and some give women buyers a lower rate.
THE BRIEF
Hyderabad: what a new ring-road link changes for nearby localities
Travel time matters more than the announcement. Check when the link is due to open.
THE COLUMN · OPINION
A rising price is a headline. A rising sales count is a market.
Before you call a city "hot", read four numbers together: price, registrations, unsold stock and affordability.
THE BRIEF
Chennai: checking a project on TNRERA before you pay a token
The registration page lists approvals, the completion date and any complaints.
THE BRIEF
Fixed or floating: what you give up with each
Fixed rates cost more upfront. Floating rates follow the repo, up and down.
THE BRIEF
Bengaluru renters: what a security deposit can and can't be used for
Deductions should match damage beyond normal wear. Keep move-in photos.
THE BRIEF
Chennai: why OMR prices vary so much from one stretch to the next
Distance to IT parks and flood risk both show up in the price per sq ft.
THE EXPLAINER
Carpet, built-up, super built-up: what are you paying for?
Three numbers for one flat. Only one is the floor you walk on.
THE EXPLAINER
How to check a project's RERA registration
Where to look, and the four things the page tells you.
THE EXPLAINER
What the possession date really promises
Which date counts if the project is late.
THE EXPLAINER
Repo rate and your EMI
How a 0.25% change reaches your monthly payment.
THE EXPLAINER
Fixed or floating?
What you give up with each.
THE EXPLAINER
Stamp duty and registration
Why the same flat costs more in some states.
THE EXPLAINER
GST on under-construction homes
When it applies, and when it doesn't.
THE EXPLAINER
Why rent agreements run for 11 months
What you save, and what you give up.
THE EXPLAINER
Security deposits
What can and can't be deducted.
THE EXPLAINER
Rental yield: the first number a landlord should know
Annual rent as a share of the price.
THE EXPLAINER
What is a REIT, and how does it pay you?
Owning a slice of office buildings without buying one.
