New home loan schemes to fuel your home ownership dream

New home loan schemes to fuel your home ownership dream

Home loan companies and banks have launched schemes that would make buying your dream home a reality.

Budget 2016-17 is just behind us and its nuances are still being figured out. While the common man is a tad disappointed because no increase in tax exemptions have been announced, it will be a gross understatement to say that the Finance Minister has not paid heed to the needs of the salaried tax payer at all. In fact, many announcements were made specifically with regards to the dreams of a home owner, especially if he is seeking property in the affordable segment.

For instance, for a home buyer buying a property for the very first time, an additional deduction of Rs. 50,000 allowed if loan amount is less than Rs.35 lakhs and loan sanctioned in 2016-17 and cost of house is below Rs.50 lakhs. If by such moves, if you are looking at some home loan products, here is a kitty of interesting products that have been launched recently.

Wooing the young customer

State Bank of India (SBI) the largest commercial bank of India launched a new home loan product targeted at young professionals that it christened “FlexiPay Home Loan”. This product proposes to take into consideration the net monthly income of the prospective borrower and disburse a higher amount as opposed to what he would have been eligible for under normal home loan schemes. It also offers them an interest moratorium of 3-5 years. According to the bank, this is a product that is looking at the “aspirational customer” who can choose to pay only the interest component of the loan for the first three to five years after which he is in a position to pay a regular EMI, as he moved upwards in his career path. The bank envisages that a product like this provides the much needed bridge between the demand for quality residential spaces and the affordability of the customer when he is young, ambitious and aspiring.

For the middle aged aspirant

Some of you may have dared to dream of purchasing your own property a little late in life, but are skeptical of approaching a lender because you feel that your application may be rejected just because of the age factor. Sensing the need to cater to this large middle aged segment in particular, ICICI Bank in mid 2015 launched a product called “ICICI Bank Extraa Home Loan” suitable for salaried borrowers up to 48 years of age.

The essential difference between regular home loan products and this particular product is that it allows the borrower to enhance his home loan amount by 20% and the option to extend his repayment period up to the age of 67 years, i.e after his retirement. This is the country’s first mortgage backed product and is suited for not just the salaried individual but the self-employed as well who may have had the confidence to purchase a property after a few initial years they have invested in establishing themselves as a proprietor.

For the small borrowers

The thrust of the NDA Government is on development and the Finance Minister in his budget speech too clearly indicated that his Government stands by the weaker sections of the society. Lenders thus are busy designing products that caters to the lower middle class and the lower income group. Already some interesting products have made a foray into this space.

For instance, there is Fullerton India Housing Finance Company that is offering home loans specifically designed for agriculturists and allied groups under a brand of loans christened “Grihashakti”. The average size of the credit in the range of Rs 7-10 lakhs and the annual gross household income for eligibility is Rs 1.20 lakhs. These loans will be made available to the agricultural segment of the society for both purchase as well as construction of property.

Doling out similar kind of loans in the lower income group and targeting the women borrowers in particular, Aspire Home Finance Corporation Limited (AHFCL), a subsidiary of Motilal Oswal Financial Services has launched “Mahila Awas Loan from Aspire” that is being popularized by its acronym MALA. With a credit disbursal range kept in the range of Rs 2 lakhs to 12 lakhs this product is being sold to salaried working women in private companies, small scale industries, housekeeping staff, and other self-employed women running their own business.

In keeping with the Government proposal of providing housing for all by 2022, the lenders are going all out to cater to untapped segments of the society that they realize have large aspirations. In the days to come, one can say with reasonable assurance that there will be many newer products that will tailor-made to cater to affordability.

If you are a middle class salaried individual gearing up to buy your first property, this may be a right time to take a plunge. But before you do that, do bear in mind that your CIBIL score will have a key role to play in your credit assessment. Therefore, it is an imperative that your CIBIL score remains at the level of 750 and above (out of 900) and your CIBIL report is blemish free.

Happy Investing

Source:Moneycontrol.com