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Tuesday 31 March 2015

ASPECTS CONCERNING HOME LOANS


When you decide to take the services of a Home Loan Financial Institution to fulfil your particular need, some parameters have to be borne in mind at the time of selection.It is very hard to obtain the ideal financier in each of the parameters.You are most likely to make a compromise according to your priorities.

Some of the most significant parameters are as follows:
1.You may have to decide on the type of product the financier has to offer, whether it is a loan product to meet your needs, such as for buying land and so on.

2.You have to see if the financier offers the tenure of loan, you want.

3.Whether the rate of interest type is the type you want, i.e., fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest.


4.It is important to know the quantum of maximum loan amount offered by a financier so as to know whether the financier can finance the amount you require.

5.It is also important for you to decide the actual rate of interest value.  You should always compare the effective interest rate after considering all upfront fees etc.  You should also consider the manner of interest calculation i.e., monthly reducing, annual reducing etc.

6.Home Loan Financial Institutions may have some schemes that suit customers of certain professions. You have to check whether you fall into any of those schemes, if so, whether the said scheme suit your requirements.

7.Home Loan Financial Institutions  also may have separate schemes for some projects also.

8.Most of the Home Loan Financial Institutions have an upper limit on the amount they are willing to finance.  If you want a very large amount, you have to consider such factor.

9.You will have to take into account the factor of minimum age of customer to know, if you are suited to the age standards laid down by the Home Loan Financial Institutions.

10.The maximum loan that you would get as regards the value of your house has to be considered.

11.The income norms of the Home Loan Financial Institutions or minimum income will be a parameter to influence your decision.

12.Certain Home Loan Financial Institutions insist on a personal guarantor and you should check this out if you have any doubts regarding providing a guarantor.

13.If you want to buy a house with a co-owner you have to find out whether the Home Loan Financial Institutions accepts the relationship between you and the co-owner.

14.The Home Loan Financial Institutions may insist on only some relationships when joining your application as a co-applicant and you need to check this out.

15.Certain Home Loan Financial Institutions charges some prepayment charges, when you decide to prepay your loan either in par or in full.

16.Home Loan Financial Institutions charge some fees as processing fees which h you needs to pay when you submit your loan application.

17.Home Loan Financial Institutions also charge administrative fees/charges, documentation fee etc., according to the loan amount approved by them and this is different from one Home Loan Financial Institutions to another.

18.Different types of documents are insisted upon by different Home Loan Financial Institutions before approving your home loan application, and this would vary from one Home Loan Financial Institutions to another.

19.Should you be purchasing a property on resale, the parameter of maximum age of property at the time of application would be important, as Home Loan Financial Institutions may have a limit on the age of the property when they sanction and disburse the loan.

20.Majority of Home Loan Financial Institutions have a pre-approved list of properties available for which there would be simpler documentation.

21.Home Loan Financial Institutions may have a special rate for the employee of one of its preferred list of employers.

22.Above all and apart from all these, there may also be some other different norms or documentation procedure, for the Home Loan Financial Institutions if you are purchasing a property from any of their builders who are already on their pre-approved list.

The above aspects are only some of the parameters, and you will have to look into prior to your decision on finalizing the Home Loan Financial Institutions from where to avail the Home loan finance.

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Thursday 26 March 2015

MAINTAINING THE LAWNS


Every one loves greenery. Even when people don't have a place for a garden they try to have a small lawn inside the house. There are two kinds of lawns, interior lawn and exterior lawn. The plants in the interior or lawn would not require much of sunlight, they can do with the lights in the room.

These lawns will have a water proofing to avoid the water leaking into other walls and good drainage system to drain all the excess water. Exterior Lawns are created for aesthetic use in gardens. They are typically planted near homes, often as part of gardens, and are also used in other ornamental landscapes and gardens. Many different species of grass are used, often depending on the intended use of the lawn.


Before the invention of mowing machines, big lawns were maintained by the labour intensive methods of scything and shearing. They were even maintained through grazing by sheep or other livestock, Areas of grass grazed regularly by rabbits, horses or sheep over a long period often form a very low, tight sward similar to a modern lawn.

To have a great looking lawn, you need to know the tips and tricks of maintaining it.


Mowing : The way that you mow your lawn is one of the most important things to keep in mind. The mow height is important and should be maintained at 2.5 inches. Mowing too low will cause weakening of the grass root system which causes weeds to grow there. This weakening allows weeds to grow much easily.

Pattern Matters : Another element to consider is the direction that you cut in. Always try to change the pattern each time that you mow. Instead of going in the same direction each time, this will allow you to cut into the leaf surface of those dreaded weeds that are leaning in one way. In addition, doing this also helps to keep your soil from being compact. It improves the turf wear too.


Your Blades : Another thing to consider with lawn care is your mower blade. The blades need to be sharp. To have them sharpened; take the lawn mower in to the professionals at the beginning of the season to have the work done. By doing this every year it will help provide your lawn with a great growing pattern all year long.

Watering : Just as important in lawn care is the way that you water. When you water, water infrequently and be sure to water a long time so that it is deep and helps to develop deep roots. Measure the local rainfall and be sure to water at the same level so that your lawn gets the water it needs without being overly saturated.


Pest Control : Yet another lawn care requirement is to monitor for pests. If you believe you have turf diseases, you may be mistaking things like dog urine and fertilizer burns for a pest problem. Have a professional handle the right treatment method for these troublesome creatures.

Using these lawn care tips, you will improve the quality of your lawn and enjoy an easy care caring for your lawn as well.

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Wednesday 25 March 2015

ZOOM THROUGH YOUR HOME IN AN ELEVATOR


Having an elevator at home may be rather a novel concept, but it is a wonderful choice for comfort and convenience.

Home makers once looked upon it as only an option for the elderly but today lavish homes have it as a standard and status feature.  Homes with two or more storeys can very conveniently fit in a residential elevator during the construction stage. An existing home can have one retrofitted with a few changes to the available space.  It may not be a standard feature in Indian homes, but it may be wise to have one for future exigencies.


Design your elevator imaginatively as you would any other room in your home. The style of flooring and wall covering can be chosen by you with a chair or bench at the back in case you don’t wish to stand.Safety features commonly found in a commercial elevator should be fitted.

A residential elevator need not look like a general commercial elevator. If it is carefully planned it can be designed in such a way that it blends in with the design scheme of the house.It is added by some home owners when remodeling their homes.

You may need to make room for some structural changes in your home if you intend to fit a lift in an already existing home.  You can do it without being too intrusive by attaching a shaft to the side of the house like a countryside chimney.  An unused closet can be a location particularly if there is open space below the closet on the ground floor.  Apart from space for the lift shaft there is need for a pit in the floor for the cables and a machine room.


A home elevator need not look odd in your home.They can be custom-designed according to your home décor and three basic areas of design for the home elevator exist-the door, the cab and the control panel. A streamlined wood door that can open on a hinge or be operated as a pocket door would be ideal. For the lowest level you can choose a stylish hardwood door and different styles for the remaining floors.  If you are planning on connecting the elevators to the floor of your children’s or guest rooms you could design it according to their taste.

Residential lifts are available in different styles and sizes and they can be fitted into the existing floor plan in many ways.  There may be varying styles and many ways to retrofit lifts into the existing floor plan.  There are many models to suit most home-owner’s space needs. Residential elevators mostly use a winding drum or cable system, a counter-balance weight system or a hydraulic system. There must be cable system engines, nearby but they can be fitted in an attic.  Several manufacturers are changing traditional machine systems according to the space limitations of a house.

It can be a good choice to have an elevator in your home keeping in mind the future scenarios.

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Monday 23 March 2015

FALSE CEILING ADDS TRUE CHARM


When you have a good ceiling, one would wonder what is the need for a false ceiling. False ceiling enhances the beauty of the interior space, where the services like electrical wires or cables passing through the ceiling can be concealed that gives a neat look. False ceiling provides good designs to homes, offices and commercial spaces.

There are different kinds of false ceilings like gypsum board ceiling, grid ceiling, specialty ceiling and decorative ceiling.

Gypsum  Board  Ceiling
It is created out of gypsum particles, which is suspended on a galvanised iron framework.  It is non-structural and doesn't take any weight. Gypsum board ceiling can be moulded in any shape or size. It can be painted with any colour to give a good finish. Wallpapers can also be used for gypsum board ceiling. It is normally used in residential and corporate offices and showrooms. It has poor acoustical properties and it is difficult to open for services.

Grid  Ceiling
It is commonly used in the commercial and industrial interiors.  It is generally moulded with aluminium or steel panels or strips that fit together. It is fabricated to facilitate wiring and lighting. It comes in a wide array of finishes like power coated, perforated, brushed or ribbed. Grid ceiling is a costly affair but extremely easy to use and can be conveniently maintained. It has very good acoustic properties. Some of the types of grid ceiling are mineral fibre, PVC and metal.

Mineral  Fibre
The mineral fibre board is a high-grade interior decorative material.  It is made up of slag or volcano ash, which is a raw material.  This raw material undergoes processing, burdening and storming then drawing, cutting, surface finishing and spray coating to get the final product. It has a very good acoustic property, easy to install, fire retardant and high moisture assistant.  There is a point to be noted that if the right type of mineral fibre board is not installed, the particles may disintegrate in air conditioning while cutting the title and when the air is inhaled it would cause lung problems.


PVC
It is light weight, moisture free and the surface is ultra-violet stable and will not discolour. It also solves the problem of unhygienic ceiling. It is used in petrol pumps or airports, where the ceilings are high. It is water proof, termite proof, economical and maintenance free. Easy to install and comes in the form of clip on system.  The grids will not be seen because of the screws.

Metal
It is almost similar to the PVC.  It is used in the big areas. It is expensive and it doesn't have any acoustic quality. This can be used in toilets.


Specialty  Ceiling
Some places require being a bacterial free, like research and development and health care. For this kind of ceiling, one can go for specialty ceiling. It is widely used in lab rooms. This ceiling has an entrance only from outside. There is no need to get into the room to service the false ceiling. This is a bacterial free ceiling.


Decorative  Ceiling

Glass, acrylic and wood ceiling is used for rich interior ambience. It adds grandness to the interior space.  It can be backlit for bold segment like reception and lobby where brand colours from the company logos are used. It is expensive. Acrylic is cheaper.

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Thursday 19 March 2015

SIGNIFICANT FACTORS- OFFICE SPACE


Our Country’s commercial and social settling has been transformed by the presence of IT Sector in the Country.It is looked upon as a most profitable centre for multinational Companies (MNCs) to operate resulting which the prominence of the Real Estate Sector has grown immensely through the years, particularly in the commercial sector.

There has been a tremendous growth in commercial real estate and it has led to growth in a city or city location as retail, residential and hospitality projects and the same are designed around commercial areas across the country. Certain factors are of critical importance for the end user such as human resource availability, quality of the project, political stability, location, infrastructure of the city and operational costs.

It is not only difficult but complex for companies to select property as it depends on several things. Every Company keeps real estate as one of the key portfolio of its over all strategy as it belongs to the high cost category. Human resource planning, financial planning and operational factors are all interlinked with it.  The location and development that a Company propose as to have several plus points such as physical proximity to social infrastructure like housing, digital connectivity, energy factors and better design and services specifications.

The quality of the project decides the selection of the development. Quality consists of basic construction quality, design efficiencies, infrastructure like Power load and car parking, effective use of IT in running the project, savings in energy and the delivery of the project on schedule.  Redundancies in power and telecom are specially emphasized by these MNCs.


The feasibility, suitability and acceptability of a Project are determined through exhaustive qualitative and quantitative analyses. A multitude of factors have to be objectively analyzed apart from only pricing. The soaring cost is one of the main hurdles faced by a developer who cannot handle sudden increases in cost and this leads to cost-cutting which affects the quality and delivery of the project.  The cost of construction ranges from between Rs.4,500 to Rs.5,000/- per Sq.ft., to Rs.6,000/- per Sq.ft. Timelines for completion vary according to the project. Availability of labour, plant and machinery besides various statutory approvals affect the project deliveries.

A Company which propose to expand or begin its operations will find that deciding upon the location itself is one of the key elements. As Central and suburban regions in Tier- 1 cities face lower supply, the marks in the peripheral regions have become more eminent. As the operational costs in Tier 2 and Tier – 3 cities is comparatively lower, they are also fast becoming alternate destinations for commercial activities.  

Regions in the periphery around 75 KMs from the centre of metros are more affordable in real estate options than the central or suburban ones. Testimonies to this shift can be seen in certain predominant areas in Bangalore, Hyderabad and in Chennai.  More than 75% of the total supply in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities comes through the peripheral regions. The costs of land in these areas being much lower might be the obvious reason in comparison to sites closer to or in the heart/centrally located places in city. Expanding in the peripheral region has its own problems such as high costs of transportation, lack of suitable social infrastructure and unwillingness of employees.

MNCs usually prefer peripheral locations as they can bring together their facilities in the form of a campus and thereby make their own environment.  According to statistics peripheral areas have the most new developing projects such as residential townships, shopping malls and other kinds of social infrastructure.  One can witness in the coming years wherein multi-tenanted developments will take root in peripheral locations and if MNCs will be drawn to the infrastructure developments in these regions or whether the MNCs will itself turn to them for making their own excellent campuses.  Integrated townships that are scheduled to be set up in these locations, in Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, Pune and Hyderabad are expected to influence the real estate market in marked manner in the near future. 

Cost benefit and availability of talent are some of the factors that are viewed when small cities are considered, as compared to peripheral locations.  Some of the cost benefits are lesser cost of real estate, lower cost of living, anchor tenant opportunities and hardly any transportation costs. Smaller cities have the advantage of possessing a fresh talent pool and this makes them good locations to expand and operate from. Government support is another important benefit.  Smaller cities are often given a fillip by concerned State Governments so hat pressure from metropolitan cities is eased where providing infrastructure is concerned, and they offer free land, fiscal rebates etc., as incentives to them.   Smaller cities also struggle with large scale issues in infrastructure like connectivity to main cities, entertainment areas, cultural problems, quality of transportation, roads and high quality infrastructure.

Corporate requirements have specifications that need more attention and the city selection is not the only part of the location selection. Sectors like marketing, banking etc., that are non-IT sectors usually give preference to city centers or suburbs from which to operate if permitted by the availability and costs. However, IT or IT related companies require a larger amount of space which limits them to peripheral or suburban locations.  A large part of Office development projects occupy space in IT parks. The relaxed floor space index and the speedy growth of the IT and IT related sectors serve to attract more number of real estate developers.

Because of the advantage of location possessed by IT parks in prime areas in a city they are still sought after as they save the cost of transporting employees and give a good working environment.  Small and medium sized companies usually prefer such places as they want to be located in a certain part of a city.  The flexible timelines to develop at the Company’s own pace are offered by campus developments.  As privately owned land has very high prices causing the need for a very large investment initially, setting up own campuses can be rather costly. MNCs usually opt for leasing space unless land is offered in Industrial parks promoted by the Government at subsidized rates.

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Monday 16 March 2015

ASPECT TO BE LOOKED INTO FOR SELECTION OF HOUSE


The region or the area you are contemplating for your next house should be considered as to how that environment can affect your real estate purchase. Be conscious of streams or run-offs that could classify the region as a flood plain and note any obvious indications of bug infestation or mold. Pay attention to adjacent transport hubs that could affect noise levels, like airports, ambulance stations or railway stations. Stop by at night to see if the noise level increases and if the streets are well-lit. It all comes down to real estate education with respect to local impacts.


An additional important factor to be  considered is as to how easy your community has the access by using different transportation modes. Check for bicycle lanes and pedestrian crosswalks with nice wide sidewalks. Observe how cars navigate through the streets and if there are areas where possible bottlenecks could impede motorists during rush hour. Also find out if the buses or subways that service the community would get you to work and back easily.

Picking up just the right neighbourhood is another important factor in any house purchase, and buyers are showing increased allure in communities that encourage healthy, sustainable lifestyles. Neighborhoods consist of the people who live there, so make certain that you are compatible with the kinds of people currently living in that locale. If you are looking for a quiet life, moving onto a street near a college or school may mean more commotion from a younger population. On the other hand, if  you are  interested in having an active homewith lots of guests and events, think about a location that attracts individuals who will welcome your energetic attitude. Everyone has different lifestyles that they feel most accustomed to, so take a little time to study the overall flavour of a neighbourhood to determine how well it matches your temperament. Look into the location of security and police stations by contacting any homeowners' associations that have formed in the area. Learn about the regional traditions and how they normally celebrate holidays, seasonal events and various activities that involve the whole neighborhood.

Joint Ventures

A lot of sustainable neighborhoods are designed to keep expansion at bay by developing green corridors and instituting rules that apply to population density and property size. Review civic developments that can have long term effects on the region, such as new roads, subways, major shopping malls or continuing road improvement plans. Also determine the ability of an area to expand with your needs, and see if the overall community structure will allow you to remain in the same school system if you find that you require a bigger home down the road.

Neighbourhood planning is beginning to display this natural approach by adopting design traits that focus on green spaces, reduced residential traffic and recycling services. Having a good notion of exactly what type of feeling and surroundings you require in a  neighbourhood can save you a lot of time in your house hunting journey.


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