Q1.: What Is The Loan Amount Which Can Be Sanctioned?
Q2.: When and how can an application be made for home loans?
Q3.: How much time does it take to get an application processed and the loan getting sanctioned?
Q4.: What are the types of home loans available?
Q5.: What are the fees and charges payable and when are they payable?
Q6.: What is the maximum home loan amount which can be borrowed?
Q7.: What is a fixed interest rate?
Q8.: What is a floating interest rate?
Q9.: What is the basis of interest rates calculation?
Q10.: What are Collateral Securities taken by the Housing Finance Companies?
Q11.: What are the repayment period options?
Q12.: What is Pre EMI?
Q13.: What is meant by an EMI (Equated Monthly Instalment)?
Q14.: Can one repay the loan ahead of schedule?
Q15.: How does one get a tax benefit on the loan?
Q16.: Does the property on which home loan is taken have to be insured?
Q17.: Does the agreement for sale have to be registered?
Q18.: Can a NRI avail of a housing loan?
Q1.: What Is The Loan Amount Which Can Be Sanctioned?
HFCs sanction loan amounts is based on eligibility depending
upon your repayment capacity (which takes into account your
age, qualifications, assets, liabilities, stability of occupation,
savings history) and according to your income. The maximum
loan that can be sanctioned varies with housing finance
companies and the generally, the maximum loan amount is
80 to 85% of the cost of your home.
Q2.: When and how can an application be made for home
loans?
An application for home
loans can be made any time after you have decided to
acquire/construct a property, even if the property has not
been selected or the construction has not commenced. An
application form along with the necessary documents has
to be submitted to the respective finance company after
which they would review the application and decide on its
status.
Q3.: How much time does it take to get an application
processed and the loan getting sanctioned?
The processing of a home loan application, if the documents
are in order takes around fifteen days and it takes another
week for the company to check out the property papers and
make the disbursement.
Q4.: What are the types of home loans available?
There are a variety of home loans made available by the
different finance companies.
| a) |
Home Purchase Loans |
| b) |
Home Improvement Loans |
| c) |
Home Construction Loans |
| d) |
Home Extension Loans |
| e) |
Home Conversion Loans |
| f) |
Land Purchase Loans |
| g) |
Bridge Loans |
| h) |
Balance-Transfer Loans |
| i) |
Re-finance Loans |
| j) |
Stamp Duty Loans |
| k) |
Loans to NRIs |
Q5.: What are the fees and charges payable and when
are they payable?
Processing fees and administrative fees, both payable upfront;
are the charges payable to the Housing finance companies
for sanctioning of Housing loans. The processing fee (fees
at the time of application) could range between 0.8% to
of the loan amount applied for, and is generally levied
to cover the costs incidental to the application. Once the
loan is sanctioned, an administrative fee of 1% of the loan
amount sanctioned will have to be paid.
Q6.: What is the maximum home loan amount which can
be borrowed?
The maximum home loan amount one can borrow depends on many
factors, which include the purpose of the loan, whether
for purchase of property, or improvement or purchase of
land for development. Also the residential status of the
applicant, whether resident in India or non-resident will
also have a bearing on the maximum quantum of loan that
one can borrow. Typically, a Resident Indian can borrow
up to 85% of the cost of the property, including cost of
land, subject to a maximum of Rs 5,000,000.
Q7.: What is a fixed interest rate?
A Fixed interest rate for Home loans is one where the rate
charged by the HFC on the loan amount is constant over the
tenure of the loan. A fixed interest rate protects the borrower
from a rise in home loan rates. While on the flip side,
he may not benefit if the market rates were to fall. Therefore,
it is advisable to go in for a fixed rate if you feel that
the rate of interests in the market have touched rock bottom
and the rates can only move upwards.
Q8.: What is a floating interest rate?
A Floating interest rate for home loans is a loan where
the interest rate which is payable is linked to the market
rate e.g. the bank lending rate. The interest rate payable
by you will also rise and fall as per bank lending rates
which may fluctuate.
Q9.: What is the basis of interest rates calculation?
Home loans interest rate in India is usually calculated
either on monthly reducing or yearly reducing balance. In
the Monthly reducing system, the principal on which you
pay interest reduces every month as you pay your EMI. While
in the Annual Reducing system the principal is reduced at
the end of the year, thus continuing to pay interest on
a certain portion of the principal which you have actually
paid back to the lender thus making EMI for the monthly
reducing system effectively lesser than the second system
of calculating interest.
Q10.: What are Collateral Securities taken by the Housing
Finance Companies?
Collateral securities are the additional securities taken
by the HFCs which may be in the form of guarantee from one
or two persons, assignment of life insurance policies, deposit
of shares and units or other securities. These additional
securities are taken so that if a loan is not paid back,
recourse may be taken to such securities instead of depending
upon the mortgage of the property which is the last resort.
Q11.: What are the repayment period options?
Repayment period options range generally from 5 to 15 years.
A 20-year repayment period option is also provided by a
few HFC's usually at a higher interest rate.
Q12.: What is Pre EMI?
Pre EMI is the amount of loan paid in simple interest as
agreed upon with the HFC for a property that's yet under
construction. The HFC makes the disbursement in parts as
per the stage of construction of your property. Once the
property is ready for possession and the possession letter
is produced to the HFC, the final disbursement is made.
You start paying your EMI from the month following which
the full disbursement is made.
Q13.: What is meant by an EMI (Equated Monthly Instalment)?
An EMI refers to the fixed sum of money that you will be
paying to the housing finance company every month against
a loan amount borrowed for a fixed period of time. An EMI
has two components, the principal component and the interest
component. . The amount of the EMI depends on the quantum
of loan, interest rate applicable and the term of the loan.
The loan carrying the lower EMI for the same tenure is the
cheaper option.
Q14.: Can one repay the loan ahead of schedule?
It is possible to repay a loan ahead of schedule. A form
of a penalty termed as a pre-payment penalty is payable
to certain institutions which varies from one HFC to another.
Q15.: How does one get a tax benefit on the loan?
There is eligibility for certain tax benefits on principal
and interest components of a housing loan under the Income
Tax Act, 1961. Moreover, you can get added tax benefits
under Sec 88 on repayment of principal amount. Moreover,
you can get added tax benefits under Sec 80 C on repayment
of principal amount up to Rs. 1, 00,000 p.a. that can further
reduce your tax liability by about Rs. 30,000 p.a.
Q16.: Does the property on which home loan is taken
have to be insured?
You will have to ensure that the property is duly and properly
insured for fire and other appropriate hazards, as required
by the HFC during the period of the loan and will have to
produce evidence each year and/or whenever required by the
HFC. The HFC will be the beneficiary of the insurance policy
and will be an additional cost that will add to the final
cost of purchase of the property.
Q17.: Does the agreement for sale have to be registered?
In many states in India, registration of the property is
lawfully mandatory the Agreement for Sale between the developer
and the home buyer. You are advised, in your own interest
to lodge the Agreement for Sale at the office of the Sub-registrar
appointed by the State Government under the Indian Registration
Act, 1908
Q18.: Can a NRI avail of a housing loan?
Yes, NRIs can
avail of a housing loan to buy a property in India. However,
the terms and conditions for a NRI loan offered by the banks
and HFCs are different than Housing finance granted to Residents
of India.
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