CHENNAI.....Good investment opportunities in all the segment of the city. Commercial rentals is on fast trek. Residential segment also having very good demand from rural areas. Outskirts of the city is now more costly then CBD residential areas.   AHMEDABAD..... ..... Huge NRI funds were recently invested in residential segment of the city. Commercial too is feeling the heat. Residential rates are marginally up by 20% since last quarter. The trend is likely to continue.   BANGALORE...... ...IT and ITES are again in the buying spree. Residential complexes are getting good demand. NRIs investments are up again. Service apartment concept is catching up in the city. Commercial lease rentals are rising.   PUNE.... ... Pune is poised as IT centre by the developers. In fact many leading IT brands are in the city. It has enhanced the residential rates. Outskirts like Viman Nagar, Pimpari and Chinchwad also now having great demand. Good time ahead.   DELHI .... ...The market is slow for residential units. Noida and Gurgaon also have touched historic level. New zones are in the competition. Faridabad and Merut along with Rohtak are busy catering for demand in Delhi and NCR    MUMBAI.. ..... ..Realty Fund and investors of large real estate holdings are still maintaining the price level. Developing zones are feeling heat. Small pocket developers are also panic in the market. Residential prices stagnated as of now.

Corporate giants to enter the market

Interest Rates on Housing Finance Falling
By Sanjay Chaturvedi

Housing finance is becoming major issue and  major area of operation for corporate in India. Besides private sector, semi government and nationalised banks are in the race. With various schemes to suit your requirement and with attractive interest rates, these housing finance companies are offering most attractive finance options for home seekers.

Recently entered ICICI and IDBI bank have changed total equations in the housing finance market. With personalised housing finance loans to suit every need are offered by ICICI. IDBI Bank has first experimented with in-house customers, and now in big leap with other corporate in the league. It is learnt, that more then 100 crore disbursement by  ICICI,  has started ball rolling in the market. With most professional team, the institution has achieved and created new horizon in the housing finance market. The retail outlays of the institutions are giving services, which home seekers often do not get with traditional housing finance companies. One has to take countless leaves to do documentation for housing loans. Interest rates were also made by the institution a major issue to think before deciding on housing loans. Tata Homes Finance Ltd., Birla Home Finance Ltd., Reliance Industries and GE Capital are likely to storm housing finance market in near future.
Private housing finance sector is also doing very well in catering the need for housing finance. Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. is one of the best options in private housing finance sector. Having 22 branches all over the country and dealing in the market for more then 15 years, the group is well established in the market. Rural housing finance is one of the best schemes in India offered by Dewan Housing. With most competitive interest rates in private sector housing finance market, and  personalised finance is made available to informal sectors besides formal sector like service class.  HUDCO is a powerful government organisation. Financing state government for infrastructural development is the main aim. But ever since it has entered individual housing finance sector, the entire scenario has changed. The main war of interest rates has actually began when HUDCO has started giving housing finance for 11.5 % and after deductions the interest rates comes to
8.81 %
.
After NHB, many housing finance companies looked at HUDCO for refinancing their proposals.
Hometrust Ltd., a company by Gujarat Ambuja Group, Global Housing finance Ltd., a syndicate of reputed builders, Weizmann Homes Ltd., a company from Weizmann Finance Ltd., Maharishi Housing Finance Corporation Ltd., a company from Maharishi Group are also catering to housing finance sector.  SBI Home finance Ltd., a subsidiary of SBI, PNB Housing Finance Ltd., a subsidiary of PNB are also doing very good business. SBI Home Finance Ltd. is doing little bit slow for the time being but PNB Housing Finance Ltd. has recently opened its new branch near Shoppers Stop, Andheri. The timing are 12.00 noon till 8 pm and it remains closed on Tuesday.
BOB Housing Finance Ltd., a subsidiary of Bank of Baroda also having very attractive housing finance schemes. Can Fin Homes, very aggressive subsidiary of Canara Bank in Southern India, is also doing very good job in Western parts of the country.

Nationalised banks are coming in a very big way into housing finance market. SBI, an oldest financial institution and bankers for majority of Indians have entered with interest rates of 12.24 %. PNB has crossed Rs. 50 crore alone in Mumbai region for housing finance in very short period of time.
According to sources PNB has sanctioned housing loans of 50 crore just after Oct 99 , that is just after they participated in HOUSING FINANCE 2000, an exhibition organised by Accommodation Times.
Dena Bank, Union Bank of India, Syndicate Bank, UCO Bank, Andhra Bank, Oriental bank of Commerce, Bank of India, Central Bank and other nationalised banks are offering housing loans and have identified intensive housing finance branches all over the country.

In Cooperative bank sector major players like Saraswat Co-operative Bank Ltd., New India Co-operative Bank Ltd. Bharat Co-operative Bank Ltd., Maharashtra Co-operative Bank; a bank from Federation of Co-operative societies in Maharashtra which also gives loans to housing societies for repairs etc, Mandvi Co-operative Bank Ltd and most aggressive Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank Ltd. are giving retail and most attractive offer in housing finance sector. IndsInd Bank, Citi Bank NA, Anz Grindlays Bank Ltd., HSBC are catering easy finance for local as well NRI housing finance.
LIC housing finance Ltd., is one of the largest and oldest housing finance institute, is offering one of the best services in the industry. Having its branches all over India, it offers variety of loans like housing finance for new purchases, re-constructions, renovations, NRI housing finance etc. GIC Housing Finance Ltd., a company from the house of General Insurance Company is also having very strong clientele in recent years. A silent company, but very vibrant in its performance, is also gearing for new land marks in the industry.

Last but not the least, HDFC, one of the best housing finance company in the country is all set to take on the challenges of housing finance sector. With reduced interest rates, starting from 12.75 %, the company is having its name as synonymous as, housing finance, also giving yeomen service to the industry.

The company has recently modified most of its schemes and interest rates for giving customers advantage. Gruh Finance, a subsidiary of HDFC is also giving very good business in Gujarat.