Pyramids & Vaastu Shastra !!

‘Pyra’ means fire and ‘Mid’ denotes the energy resonating at the midpoint. The word Pyramid is a Greek word derived from “pyramidos” means a geometrical object, whose base is a polygon (3, 4, 5, etc.) and whose sides meet at one point – the apex of a pyramid. From ancient times, the Pyramids of Egypt have been known as powerful structures designed in such a way that connects all kinds of energy forces. Pyramidal shape has been proven to possess the geometry that radiates healing powers.

When we observe the energy flow patterns in a pyramid by mapping it by energy field imaging system Kerlian photography or Polycontrast interface technology (PIP) , we see that there are broadly two specific phenomenon-

(1.)      Concentration of energy that takes place around the vertical axis passing through the apex of the pyramid, at one third the height from its base.

(2.)     Energy coming out of the summit of the pyramid is in spiral form

Pyramid

A pyramid is such a structure in which its shape is roughly that of a pyramid in the geometric sense i.e. its outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single point at the top. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three outer triangular surfaces (at least four faces including the base). The square pyramid, with square base and four triangular outer surfaces, is a common version. Hindu temples are made in similar style so as to resonate energy particle at the one third of the height of temple.

Pyramids have been built by various civilizations in many parts of the world  for thousands of years, the largest structures on Earth were pyramids—first the Red Pyramid in the Dashur Necropolis and then the Great Pyramid of Khufu, both of Egypt, Khufu is among  Seven Wonders of the Ancient World  built mainly of limestone (with large red granite blocks used in some interior chambers), and is considered an architectural masterpiece.

The Egyptians must have been aware of these energy patterns as they used this knowledge to build the kind of tomb that could preserve bodies within them. Thus whatever was placed at a height of one third from the base would remain fresh, so this was the “King’s Chamber”. This way, the body of the king was preserved for decades, hundreds of years perhaps? The effect of structures and the impact on human beings and energy levels in modern day terminology is known as Geo Biology or Bio Geometry.

Similarly, Bio Geometry studies indicates effect of structures and dimensions on the human occupants living within, analyzing their energy levels and watching how the square, conical ,pyramidal patterns affects to health of living organisms. Energy conservation, flow and transmission are explained in Feng shui and Vaastu in their own way.

What is energy and how it flow and can be conserved and transmitted is a very complex and how does it affect the lives of occupants living within a structure? The scientific definition of energy is the ability to produce an effect. Our feelings, thoughts and vitality are run by  energy. The structures and the environment, including the interior and furnishings of any premise absorbs and emits energy and a harmonious shape and supportive structure and environment ensure good flow of energy so the effect then is good, in and around the occupants. Engineers, architects, interior decorators, and Vastu and feng shui expert or a group of experts make the things happen in ideal way.

Ancient Egyptian pyramids were in most cases placed western of the river Nile because the divine pharaoh’s soul was meant to join with the sun during its descent before continuing with the sun in its eternal round. The most famous pyramids are the Egyptian pyramids — huge structures built of brick or stone, some of which are among the world’s largest constructions. They are shaped as a reference to the rays of the sun. Most pyramids had a polished, highly reflective white limestone surface, in order to give them a shining appearance when viewed from a distance. The capstone was usually made of hard stone – granite or basalt – and could be plated with gold, silver, or electrum and would also be highly reflective.

The Principles of Vastu are similar to the principles of Quantum Physics in that it emphasizes that “Everything Vibrates and Pulsates”. Vastu also asserts the notion through Vedic Philosophy that “everything is interconnected.” Vastu had a great impact in the design of ancient temples and architecture of the early civilizations of India and its influence is still prevalent in modern times.

Considering magical power in pyramidal shapes in modern world have inclined to develop pyramid shape buildings like hospitals, hotels, houses etc. Some of the examples are as under-

1.       The Louvre Pyramid in Paris, France, in the court of the Louvre Museum, is a 20.6 meter of glass structure which acts as an entrance to the museum.
2.       The Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, United States, is a 30-story true pyramid with light beaming from the top.
3.       The 32-story Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee (whose name itself was derived from the name of one of its pyramids).
4.       The Walter Pyramid, home of the basketball and volleyball teams of the California State University, Long Beach, campus in California, United States, is an 18-story-tall blue true pyramid.
5.       The 48-story Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, California, designed by William Pereira, one of the city’s symbols.
6.       The 105-story Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, Northern Korea.
7.       A former museum/monument in Tirana, Albania is commonly known as the “Pyramid of Tirana.” It differs from typical pyramids in having a radial rather than square or rectangular shape.
8.       The Slovak Radio Building in Bratislava, Slovakia. This building is shaped like an inverted pyramid.
9.       The Summum Pyramid, a 3 story pyramid in Salt Lake City, Utah, used for instruction in the Summum philosophy and conducting rites associated with Modern Mummification.
10.    The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in Astana, Kazakhstan.
11.    The Pyramids at Osho Commune in Pune, India (for meditation purposes).
12.    The three pyramids of Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas.
13.    The Co-Op Bank Pyramid or Stockport Pyramid in Stockport, England is a large pyramid-shaped office block in Stockport in England.
14.    The Ames Monument in south eastern Wyoming honoring the brothers who financed the Union Pacific Railroad.
15.    The Bellenden Pyramid, at Bellenden in rural Queensland is a 15 meter folly pyramid made from blocks of local granite.
16.    The Karlsruhe Pyramid is a pyramid made of red sandstone, located in the centre of the market square of Karlsruhe, Germany. It was erected in the years 1823–1825 over the vault of the city’s founder, Margrave Charles III William (1679–1738).
17.    The GoJa Music Hall in Prague.
18.    The Muttart Conservatory greenhouses in Edmonton, Alberta.
19.    Small pyramids similar to those of the Louvre can be found outside the lobby of the Citicorp Building in Long Island City, Queens NY.
20.    The Pyramids of the City Stars Complex in Cairo, Egypt.
21.    The Steelcase Corporate Development Center near Grand Rapids, Michigan.
22.    Sunway Pyramid shopping mall in Selangor, Malaysia.
23.    Hanoi Museum with an overall design of a reversed Pyramid.
24.    The Pyramide des Ha! Ha! by artist Jean-Jules Soucy fr: Jean -Jules Soucy in La Baie, Quebec is made out of 3 000 give way signs.
25.    The “Pyramid” culture-entertainment complex and Monument of Kazan siege (Church of Image of Edessa) in Kazan, Russia.
26.    The “Phorum” of Expocentre business-exhibition complex in Moscow, Russia.
27.    Few pyramids of the Marco-city shopping-entertainment complex in Vitebsk, Belarus.
28.    The Time pyramid in Wemding, Germany, a pyramid begun in 1993 and scheduled for completion in the year 3183.
29.     Triangle, a proposed skyscraper in Paris.
30.    The Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid, a proposed project for construction of a massive pyramid over Tokyo Bay in Japan.
31.    The tomb of Quintino Sella, outside the monumental cemetery of Oropa.
32.    Pyramid building belonging to The Digital Group (TDG), at Hinjwadi, Pune, India.
33.    The main gopura of theThanjavur Temple pyramid
34.    Other Examples of India includes Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, The Brihadisvara Temple was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987;
35.     Temple of Gangaikondacholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram were added as extensions to the site in 2004
36.    However the largest temple pyramid in the area is Sri Rangam in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu.

Research and experiments have shown that Pyramids or the Pyramid shape have excellent healing and regenerative power.

It was found that-

1.       Water placed in a Pyramid-shaped enclosure loses chlorine and generally tastes better.
2.       Plants grown under a Pyramid shape grow twice as fast in early life.
3.       Food kept under a Pyramid shaped structure stays fresh for two to three times longer than food placed elsewhere.
4.       Razor blades are kept sharper longer when placed under a Pyramid shaped container, in between uses.
5.       Yagna kunds are also made having a shape of inverted pyramids.
6.       Indian villages storage of grains is done by conical husk mounds
7.       Shri Yantra made on the same principles The Sri Yantra is a configuration of nine interlacing triangles centered around the ‘bindu’ (the central point of the yantra), drawn by Superimposing five downward pointing triangles,
8.       In India, it is quite common to find homes having a Pyramid roof top more towards the centre of the home (known as Bramhasthana in Vastu) as it is supposed to act as a “Bio cosmic generator’ for the entire house
9.      Shree Yantra in strategic position in the common area of the home or altar can enhance the positive energy fields in a premise and increase the comfort levels of the occupants.

10.    And then there is the true story of what they did in India to reduce traffic accidents by Alex in Auto & Transportation, Paranormal Travel, July 2010. Most accidents happen because of the negative energy surrounding these places. Suicides, accidents and murders happen when people are surrounded by negative energy. Using pyramids, we can try to correct the negative energy,” said Vastu expert Sushil Fatehpuria, 50, who offered his service for free to Nagpur police.”  The pyramids are placed on posts at the corner of the chosen intersections.  So far, the results have been very positive, and the city has indicated they are going to expand their pyramid program to more accident troubled sites. That is just another indication of the power of pyramids and proof that the energy power not only exists, but works, and in a very positive way.

11.    This next video is really quite amazing.  It shows the energy being drawn up into the pyramid in the first part, and then shows how the energy is concentrated in the middle of the pyramid and goes up and out the apex in the second part. It’s a simple video, but certainly shows the existence of the power of pyramid energy.www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UExBtWtu2Y

 looking to buy a house but don't want to wait for three to four years that developers take to complete projects? Or do you want to live in an area where basic infrastructure is already in place? If yes,your best chance is buying a house in the resale market. This will reduce the waiting period for developing the property and the locality.

Though this will eliminate some risks, still there are many things you must remember while buying a property in the resale market.

RESALE UNITS
Such houses are not necessarily old. The market has a large number of recently-built houses that are owned by investors who want to cash out.

Properties in the resale market can be put into two categories. First, ready houses owned independently. Second, units in projects which are in the construction phase. In such projects, the seller does not own the property yet, but has an agreement with the developer entitling him to ownership in the future.

One reason for buying a house in the resale market but  can be non-availability of new projects in the area where you want to settle. "In big cities, new residential properties tend to be scarce or non-existent in many central locations," says Om Ahuja, chief executive officer, residential service, Jones Lang LaSalle India (JLL), a real estate advisory firm.

Or, in areas where new properties are coming up, they may have been sold out. This is particularly true in speculator-driven markets such as the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). With investors booking at launch so that they can sell out as the project gets going, anyone looking to buy later has no option but to approach them.

PRICE FACTOR
A property in resale is not cheaper than a new one-unless, of course, the structure is old. In urban locations, where land accounts for a very big part of the cost, the difference, if any, between a new and an old structure is small.

You should also find out the reasons the owner is selling the property. "If the seller is an investor, there may be valid reasons. The property may have appreciated sufficiently to make a sale attractive," says Ammul Goel MD Pushpganga Ventures , Pune .The situation is different for projects in which a lot of people have booked houses at discount at the time of launch with the intention of booking profit before the project is complete. In locations such as the Pune, Mumbai and Bangalore, such properties are being sold at 5-20% less than the latest prices that developers are offering.

"In today's scenario of oversupply and plateaued returns, resale properties are available at a lower price in many markets, especially where there is high investor participation. Investors usually sell when they get a reasonable profit and when they feel the valuation has peaked or started to stagnate. They attract buyers by offering a lower price compared to the fresh stock in the market," says Ganesh Vasudevan, chief executive office, Indiaproperty.com, a real estate brokerage website. There may not be any price difference between ready-to-move houses and underconstruction houses close to the possession date.

"If the under-construction project is close to completion, the price difference will be minimal. The difference will be more in the initial stage, but in such a case the risk will also be higher," says Ahuja of JLL.

TRANSFER CHARGES
Though under-construction houses may cost less in resale, you must factor in the transfer charges levied by developers to know the total cost of ownership. Many developers charge Rs 100-500 per square foot for such transfer. So, if the transfer fee is Rs 500 per sq ft, the buyer will pay Rs 5 for a 1,000 sq ft apartment. Builders levy this fee to safeguard their interest as otherwise they risk losing new customers when early birds who have booked at a lower price sell their houses for less than the price they are asking for the fresh stock.

"Typically, the launch price is Rs 500 -1,000 per sq ft less than the market price of ready-to-occupy flats in the vicinity. This period is used by investors and speculators to buy below market rates. The transfer fee is levied to deter speculators from selling at less than the developer's price," says Shreekant Shastry, vice president, business development and strategy, Ozone Group, a Bangalorebased developer.

Apart from discouraging sale by early investors until all the units have been sold, the fee also helps developers claim a share in investors' gains.

The fee also covers the cost and effort required to execute the ownership change, the reason cited by builders for the levy.

"Transfer fee is charged to meet administrative expenses as transfer of booking involves a lot of administrative and documentation work. It also involves legal issues, which the developer has to address," says RK Arora, chairman and managing director, Supertech, a New Delhi-based developer.

Supertech does not charge anything for the first transfer, like a lot of developers. Some developers do not charge anything if the transfer is to a family member.

One more reason developers charge the fee is heavy churning of properties by speculators. The ownership of units in under-construction projects often changes multiple times before the end-user gets the possession. Such active trading pushes up prices.

"The fee is at times justified to control active investor participation. But in recent times, developers have increased the fee drastically," says Vasudevan.

You don't have to pay the fee at some locations. "The fee has been abolished in Maharashtra. It is hoped that the other states will follow suit. It is a regressive system with no logical basis," says Ahuja.

DUE DILIGENCE
You make big purchases only after necessary enquiries. You should conduct due diligence before buying an under-construction property in resale as well. The checks include verifying title records and ensuring that the property specifications conform to the claims.

"Some of the documents one should review before buying are the builder-buyer agreement and original payment receipts against the installments paid. One should also check if any dues are pending with the builder," says Anshuman Magazine, chairman and managing director, CBRE South Asia, a property advisory.


"If the property is being sold by someone who had originally intended to live in it, there could be negative reasons. For instance, the developer may not have met the timelines. Even the completion of the project may be in question," adds Ahuja.

A property in a housing society requires the buyer to check its rules. Housing societies control various aspects of services, charges and even sale of properties based on their bylaws. You should get a copy of the rules and regulations from the society and invest only if you are comfortable with all of the housing society's rules.

"Society bylaws are drafted as a collective check to ensure that the society's core values, stated during registration, are safeguarded. These can cover any and every aspect of the lifestyle experience offered by the society to its members," says Vasudevan of IndiaProperty.com.

For additional safety, you can go for a loan as banks usually do due diligence on the property. Many home buyers get their homes part-funded for this additional check even when they have adequate funds
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NRI & Indian Real Estate Scenario !! Property Trends In India !!

Real estate is one of the preferred asset class for investors and is popular among NRIs. Do you know as an NRI what type of property you are eligible to buy in India? What are mandatory documents for acquiring property in India or getting home loan in India? Before you know the process of NRI buying a property, you must know what differentiate an Indian and NRI investment in India.

Who is an NRI?

In simple words, a Non-resident Indian (NRI) is a person resident outside India but an Indian. The Income Tax Act and RBI classify residential status of a person into ‘Resident’ and ‘Non-Resident’. Resident further divided as Resident and Ordinarily Resident (ROR) and a Resident but Not Ordinarily Resident (RNOR). Non-resident is further classified into Non-resident Indian (NRI), Person of Indian origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) commonly known as ‘Dual Citizenship’ but not a dual citizenship.

To determine whether a person is ‘Resident’ or ‘Non-Resident’ he/she has to satisfy condition or definitions under the RBI or Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 – [FEMA] or the condition or defined under the Income Tax Act,1961.

The status of a person as a resident or non-resident depends on his period of stay in India. An individual who is an Indian Citizen and not satisfying any of the basic conditions for ROR or RNOR will be a non-resident generally termed NRI.

How an NRI can acquire immovable property in India?

Non-resident Indians (NRI) can acquire immovable properties in India and there are no restrictions while investing in commercial or residential properties. Other than agricultural land, plantation property and a farmhouse, NRI can acquire any immovable properties in India. NRI can buy plots of land, prelaunch properties, under-construction properties or ready for possession properties.

NRI cannot acquire agricultural land but can acquire the same by inheritance or eligible to possess, if acquired before acquiring NRI status. An NRI can receive immovable property as a gift from Resident of India, NRI or POI. But NRI is not eligible to receive an agricultural land as a gift.

*Documents required for buying property

• Pan card (Permanent account number)
• OCI/PIO card (In case of OCI/PIO)
• Passport (In case of NRI)
• Passport size photographs
• Address proof
• Notarized power of attorney to someone in India

NRI Home Loan

Like resident of India, NRI too can apply for Home Loan in India. The reputed banks offer NRI home loans for acquiring new or resale flats, construction on owned plots, buying of plots or alteration to existing property etc. The NRI who meets the terms and condition of RBI can get loans from his/her employer in India. Inward remittances, debit to an NRE/FCNR/NRO account, Rental income or other income from India are eligible for loan repayment.Copies of the passport, valid visa and work permit, contract of employment, work experience certificate, salary certificate and statements of NRE/NRO accounts are some basic document required for the Home Loan in India. NRI is eligible to get the Home loan of up to 80 per cent of the property price.

Tips for NRI investment in India

Indian rupee’s depreciation, deregulation of interest rates for NRE accounts in India, attractive investment option, key builders offering property expo in abroad etc are attracting NRI to invest in India. According to the source, there is an increase in NRI investing in real estate in India in last one year. If you are an NRI and looking to earn good returns from real estate or buy a property as an investment, here are some useful tips for your investment.

• Clear title properties: The title of the property plays vital role in buying and selling a property in India. Ensuring the property you are buying has clear title states that the property you are investing are free from debts and undisputed title or ownership.
• Mode of payment: The mode of payment for purchase of residential or commercial property in India can be made from normal banking channels, funds held in NRE / FCNR (B) / NRO account or home loans received from financial institutes in India.
• Taxation in India: NRIs are taxable on income accrued or received in India. The mere acquisition of property does not attract income tax. However, any income accruing from the ownership of it is taxable. In such case, if you already have a home in abroad and investing on residential property in India, the second home, whether you rent it out or not, will be deemed to be given on rent. You will have to calculate deemed rental income and pay the income tax for the same in India. Even for second home obtained by inheritance or gift in India will be eligible for Income tax in India.
• The Repatriation of sale proceeds: There is no restriction for the number of properties an NRI can acquire but there are restrictions on the repatriation of sale proceeds that is two units.
• Power of Attorney (POA): You can execute a POA to representatives in India to act on your behalf. If the representative in India is your family member, you can easily get home loan and the process of buying property in India can be simplified. The POA needs to be attested by notary from Notary public or getting attested from Indian embassy paying proper stamp duty. Know the difference between General Power of Attorney and a special Power of Attorney. To prevent property fraud and other misuse of your POA, you can execute a Special Power of Attorney. In Special POA, mention clearly acts you do not want your representatives to do other than what specified therein.
• Real estate trend: Before you invest in real estate, do your homework to know the trend in Indian real estate and top cities for your investment. Location, connectivity, neighborhood, property size, budget and extra charges like Stamp duty, Service Tax, legal expert charge, maintenance charge, EDC, clubhouse etc are some basic things to consider before you invest in property in India.
• www.pushpgangaventures.com

Policy change required to boost affordable housing

Rapid urbanisation and growing urban population has been triggering the housing problem to be tackled with appropriate planning by the authorities. The urban population in India stands at 377.10 million as per 2011 census, which is almost 32% of total population of the country. Urban population is slated to grow up to 45%-50% by 2050, indicating the need of solving the urban housing equation. No other component is is more complex than affordable housing in urban scenario of India.

Demand-supply gap in affordable housing

There exists a glaring mismatch between demand and supply of affordable homes in India. During the period between 2008 and 2011, total supply of homes in price category of Rs 10-20 lakh in the top five cities of Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, was just around 85,000 between the demand stood at 17 lakh homes. Even in the Rs 20-40 lakh category, the supply stands at 2.3 lakh homes which is much lower than the total demand of 6.3 lakh homes during the same period.

Demand for affordable homes stands at about five million at present and of the 5,00000 homes to be delivered this year, large chunk is to be constituted by the affordable homes. The absurdly low supply of affordable homes suggests that there are factors ailing the sector which needs to be handled by the government.

Problems associated affordable homes

The main cause behind deterring developers from affordable housing is high land cost. Scarcity of land in urban centres have propelled the land prices to shoot through the roof. Even when developers find land plots at an affordable rate, the place would be lacking in adequate infrastructure like road connectivity, power or sanitation.

The other deterrent for affordable housing is that they do not bring as much financial gains for the developers as the luxury segment. There is no incentives promised by the government to encourage the developers to go for affordable housing,

The real estate sector in India is faced with acute liquidity crunch, leading way for developers to get trapped in debt. The demand from buyers has hit low ground as inflationary pressures has been affecting the national economy. The residential real estate has witnessed a decline of about 50 per cent in investment as compared to office space realty sector, signalling that investors are looking to invest more in commercial sector to earn better returns. Faced with all these obstacles, to promote an environment where affordable housing can be promoted, government needs to come up with effective policies.

Policy change to incentivise affordable housing

Government needs to address the ailing mass housing sector with a view to find a solution in a long term basis. For this to happen, change in government’s policy and outlook is a must.

The first step would be to set up real estate investment trusts,i.e, investment trusts that own and manage commercial properties and mortgages and other real estate assets on behalf of shareholders. A positive gesture has been the setting up of an urban housing fund by National Housing Bank (NHB), worth Rs 2000 crore. The fund is launched to promote affordable housing in India and it aims to construct about 500000 affordable homes across the cities.

2013 budget offers tax benefit on home loan, which would be reaped primarily by developers in tier II and satellite towns of metro cities. However, as the lion share of the affordable home supply come from the top metros, there is a need to incentivise developers through offering tax exemption on low income homes to be developed in the outskirts of metros.

One of the primary suggestion to incentivise affordable housing is that the government should provide for land acquisition at a rate lower than market rate. To make it easier for developers to lend from banks is also at the top of the list. Developers would be better off to develop affordable houses if public private partnership is encouraged and commercial borrowing becomes easier.

There has also been suggestion of raising home loan limit for affordable homes in the metros and tier I cities from Rs 2.5 million to Rs 3.5 million, which will give a definite push to both supply and consumption of affordable homes

Simple Tips To Create a Liveable Bedroom For Yourself !!

The average person spends around 3000 hours a year in their bedroom, and while, admittedly, a lot of that time is in the dark, that’s an awful lot of time to spend in one room.

Bedrooms should be more than a place to sleep. They are an opportunity to create a haven from the world, somewhere that relaxes and refreshes you, and they should be as individual as you are.

Here are some bedroom ideas to get you dreaming…

Opulent

If you’re the dramatic sort and you want your bedroom to make a luscious statement, you’ll love this look. Walls are rich vibrant colours plum, red or deep pink. Fabrics should be really tactile, velvets, satins and silks.

Choose a dramatic style bed, in wrought iron, or dark wood. Pile the bed up with glamorous cushions and finish up with a deep pile carpet to sink your toes into.

Natural

Indulge your nesting instincts with a natural style bedroom. Nothing should grab the eye; everything should work quietly together to create a calming space. Use soft natural shades of cream and brown, and choose furniture in materials such as wood, bamboo and rattan.

Floors should be wooden, or carpeted in neutral shades, or some natural flooring such as sea grass matting. Use cottons and linens for blinds or curtains and bedding, and add some accessories in wood and stone. Candles add a soft touch to the look.

Romantic

Choose pale colours and light fabrics for a pretty, romantic look to your bedroom. Antiques look good with this style, and the more battered, the better. Pick an old fashioned bed, and cover it in pretty bedding in floral prints or applique.

Keep walls soft with pastel shades, colour wash looks nice, and hang soft voile or lace at the windows. Keep floors wood or plain carpet, with rugs, and add a pretty beaded chandelier or lamp to finish.

Clean

If you prefer Gap to Laura Ashley, the clean minimalist look may be best for you. Simplicity is the key, with walls painted in cream or white, and plain flooring. Furniture should also be simple, but in bold interesting shapes.

Use plenty of wood, but add a touch of chrome for a modern look. Choose unfussy bedding in crisp white linen, soft jersey, or denim. Keep the room light, and put away all that clutter!

Feng Shui And Trees !!

Trees are vital part in our surroundings for our well-being, synonymously called the “lungs of the earth”. They act like the purifiers of every breath that we inhale. They are also responsible for preventing ground water run-off and soil erosion. With growing population and commercial growth, trees have become the most cherished part of our mother land.

Apart from their beauty, they have the mother like quality to provide shelter, warmth and a place to climb on for fun and enjoyment. They also provide nutrition in the form of fruits, nuts etc. Substantially they play a strong role in our homes in the form of Feng shui. Hence, it has become essential for us to protect the trees surrounding our homes. Do you know what else it has in stock for us? Let’s go through the Feng shui aspects of the trees.

1. Trees provide good amount of support. When planted at the backyard of house, they provide “Mountain Support” at the rear of the property. Generally, all the dwellings and commercial properties are situated with the rear of property at raised level. If this rise is not present (i.e. landscape is flat) then vital support from trees can be missing out and resulting in struggle in major areas of your life. This support in the rear of the property is considered to be as a critical element in Feng Shui. It is suggested to plant a row of 5 trees in the backyard of the property in order to simulate the missing support.

2. Planting Bamboo in the backyard may bring good fortune in one’s life. If bamboo is planted in the rear of the house then gives solid support. If planted in East direction, it gives splendid dragon energy (best form of energy as per feng shui). If planted in the front of the house, it gives essential auspicious energy for opportunities and wealth. The front side of any property is considered to be as the highly auspicious location for plantation. So it is recommended to preferably plant bamboo in the front of the house.

3. Trees giving flowers bring reward. As per Feng shui Orange trees are believed to bring wealth and are specifically beneficial when planted in South-East corner of the yard. Lemon/lime trees are also helpful in bringing opportunities and wealth especially for houses facing South-East direction. Orange and Lime trees when planted at the front of the dwelling bring great opportunities in the form of advancement and wealth.

In order to promote good relationships one should plant Apple trees in the home. Planting Pomegranates stimulates love. In the west of the yard prefer to plant peaches to bring overall family happiness.

4. To raise the amount of essential Chi energy, trees should be planted. If your house or office slopes down towards the left side or is at low level, trees should be planted to increase the Chi energy resulting in making the essential “Dragon Energy” more under control. Always make sure to plant trees on both the sides of the house to keep the harmony inside house balanced. Trees planted on left and right side control the anger of husband and wife respectively.

5. Trees can also promote growth and good health. When trees are planted on the East side of the house, they can promote personal growth and good health. Always choose large hardwood varieties of trees to plant of this side of the house.

6. Pines are there for longevity of life. Pines are believed to be effectively auspicious when planted in the East corner of the garden.

7. Always keep on removing dead trees if there. Dead trees tend to draw huge amount of energy out of the house. Make sure to remove dead trees specifically when someone is ill in the house.

8. Trees should not touch any sort of house construction. If any tree is touching the construction, it will give “yin” energy to the house which you don’t want because it is Negative energy.

9. Also trees should be away from the centre of the house, South-West corner and North-East corner. Trees planted in the center of the house tend to cause severe financial troubles. Trees in the North-East corner create educational problems and trees planted in South-West corner tend to create relationship problems.

10. Also trees should not be planted in the front of the main door. Trees blocking the door also blocks opportunities and causes financial and career troubles. If possible, remove the tree or cut the tree down, after cutting place a gazing ball to push tree energy back.

Planning For A Hone Loan In Joint Read This - Joint home Loan: Benefits And Risks !!

What is a joint loan ?

A joint loan is when money is borrowed from the bank by two or more borrowers. An advantage of joint loan is that there is more than a single income holder to pay EMIs and also one can get approval for a higher loan amount. Additional borrowers also bring in better credit and collateral to help one qualify for the loan.

 Joint home loan: Benefits 

As property prices are reaching unrealistic heights, joint home loan is sought after by home buyers more than ever before. The main benefits of a joint home loan are 

1. You can qualify for a higher loan amount. As incomes from more than one sources would be put together, it would present you the opportunity to avail a higher budget for a bigger home in a city.

2. All the borrowers are subject to tax rebate under Section 80 C for principal repaid and Section 24 for interest repaid. The cap for tax rebate stands at Rs 1 lakh for principal rebate and Rs 1.5 lakh for interest repaid.

3. Joint home loan renders the opportunity for maximum tax relief as all the borrowers can avail the tax rebates simultaneously.

4. While applying for a joint home loan, all the co-owners of the property should also be co-applicants. However, it is not mandatory that all the co-applicants should be co-owners of the property.

Who is eligible for a joint home loan ?

A married couple or a parent and child can take a joint loan. Some banks may allow brothers to take a joint home loan provided they will both be co-owners of the property. Usually the banks insist that all co-owners of the home must be co-borrowers in a joint home loan.

Apart from the above, sisters, friends and couple in live-in relationship may not be eligible for home loan.

Disadvantages of a joint home loan

It has become a trend among the married couple to apply for joint home loan in India. The reason being joint loan presents them with an opportunity to avail a loan higher than what they would have been eligible for if applied by any only one of them. However, if somehow your relationship with your spouse becomes shaky, then the equation may change for you forever. If the property is registered in the name of your spouse, then you may have to continue paying EMIs even if you would never get possession of the house.

When applying for a joint home loan, you must be absolutely sure of your responsibility in the agreement in the loan agreement. If the primary borrower passes away then it becomes the responsibility of the co-applicant to settle the loan in full.

Your repayment ability of the joint home loan affects your CIBIL score. If your co-applicant or partner in the joint home loan is not regular in repaying the loan, then your CIBIL score may suffer; thereby dimming your chance of qualifying for loans in future.

As the home loan is repaid over a long period of time, if either of the partners fall on hard days in future, then the picture becomes bleak for both them. It may also obliterate the chance of either of the co-applicants to settle down for a job with less remuneration.

When should you go for a joint home loan ?

Go for a joint home when you are absolutely confident about the responsibilities you would share. Make sure that the property is registered on your name as well and not just on your partner’s name. It would enable you to avail tax rebate.

You should draw up and sign an agreement with your spouse on splitting the liability, so that a future clash between the co-borrowers can be avoided.

Proceed with a joint home loan only when you clear all the doubts regarding issues such as who would be responsible for making payments? Who owns the property? How can you get out of the loan? What happens when one of the partners die? Etc.

How to earn more rent from your home?

Renting out a house is one of the successful real estate businesses. You can earn a handsome amount through rent and considering the rental market is shooting up evermore, landlords/home-owners are in a position to earn a substantial rent today. If you own a house which you rent out or wish to rent out, then here are few tips for you to earn good rentals.

1. Give an attractive look to your house

Ensure that your house look clean. Before renting out, make sure that every fixture and appliance in the house is in order and working perfectly. While there are external things like narrow lanes and busy traffic which you cannot change, you can always take care of how the house looks.

Here are the common ways to make your house look attractive to people looking for house to rent:

(i) Paint the walls to make the rooms look attractive and new. Choose neutral colours like beige or grey or cream as tenants would move in with their own furniture and may not like bright colour on walls. You can provide them the option of painting the walls with bright colours as long as they agree to paint it back in neutral colours before leaving. Also, go for semi-gloss or satin paint as it would later be easier to wipe off stains of grease or crayon marks.

(ii) If you think the flooring of the rental home is not as desirable as you would want it to be and yet you are short on money to go for a complete makeover; you can opt for carpet tiles. Carpet tiles are small squares of carpeting that serves your purpose of rendering a good flooring at an affordable rate. They can be easily removed as well.

(iii) Clean the house extensively. A clean house is what everybody is looking for. Remove all the stains from areas like kitchen and bathroom. If your house have sparkling clean tube, sink and toilet; then the tenants would be ready to move in as quickly as possible.

2. Keep the house in ready condition

Keep your house in ready-to-move-in condition so that the tenants get a vive that they can shift immediately into the house. A ready house implies that the tenant can occupy the house without any delay and also that they do not have to spend anything on renovations. It increases your chance to demand more rental.

 3. Price it right

Always do your research before putting up a price tag for rental house. Many a times potential tenants are averted from renting a house they would like to move in because of unreal rental value. Keep a track of current market price in the vicinity and decide your rent. Check out magazines and online portals to form a clear picture in your mind regarding the price and negotiation offer.

4. Get a good agent/portal

A real estate agent is usually well versed with market price and may be more handful in fetching a better rental than yourself. However, picking a perfect agent with honest background and reputation can prove to be a tedious affair. As an alternative for going to agents, you can post your property in real estate portals like www.commonfloor.com. That way, you have a better platform to find tenants at a preferable rent. Online advertising is the need of the hour as techno savvy young professionals and students are the primary target audience of rental market.

Simple Ways To Personalise Your Room

Since you spend most of your time in your bedroom, fixing up your bed is a wonderful way to add some warmth to it.

Here are gives simple suggestions to help you. One way to do that is to make use of luxury decorative pillows. They will make an enormous difference to your bedroom.

You are also no longer restrained by standard shapes like square or rectangular. There are a lot more shapes to select from these days, for example round, tubular, or triangular. Try to do something different by choosing unique shapes and colours.

Further, bed comforters and covers are other options to make your room more stylish. Bed comforters are available in various fabrics like goose down, cotton, chanderi, satin, polyester and many more. Some of the popular colours in bed covers are light pink, beige, peach, light blue and other pastel colours.

Extra large floor pillows could make a difference to any room. Pillows are a great way to reveal your individual style and selecting them in different shapes and sizes is a lot of fun.

Don’t shy away from being different while making these choices for your room.Because this small small things are going to make a huge difference the feel of personal touch 

Integrated Townships: Future Face Of Indian Real Estate !!

An integrated township is a cluster of residential houses and commercial businesses within a marked area. The housing and business establishments enjoy associated infrastructure like roads, drainage, schools, hospitals, convenience shopping facilities, water treatment plants, sewage facilities, etc.

Urban areas across the country are getting ever more populated and due to rapid housing expansion, it has become increasingly difficult to ensure infrastructure development in future. Under the scenario, integrated townships offer the probable solution where infrastructure development can be planned and ensured for the residents at and as well as in future.

Integrated townships are designed as models of a city – a breathing city inside a city. The emphasis is on creating a sustainable ecosystem with formidable infrastructure backed by water, power, roads, drainage and sewage. These townships usually have lower Floor Area Ratio (FAR) than other residential complexes and have more open spaces. Although 100 acre is usually the minimum required land for integrated townships, the norms are subject to change as per state regulation.

Benefits of integrated townships

The biggest dream of everyone is owning a house; with location and comfort being the determining factors in most of the cases. However, to get access to shopping facilities or entertainment hubs or medical care or even to commute to workplace remain a problem area in most of the neighbourhoods in Indian cities.

Even if you buy property in a posh locality, you may face the hurdle of walking much of a distance to reach a supermarket or a mall, or may have to drive in busy traffic to get to a hospital during emergency situation. Precisely to encounter these problems, was the idea of integrated township conceived.

Integrated townships make it possible for you to walk down to the supermarket for shopping or your kids to cycle their way up to the school and to access ancillary facilities like hospitals or entertainment centres within a short distance.

Integrated townships are the hubs offering all the avenues of modern living that a standard gated community has – swimming pools, joggers’ park, children’s’ playground, club house, etc.

Integrated townships are pegged to be the future face of real estate sector in India. While one may be able to own a house in a desired location in a metropolitan city, infrastructure development may take a long time to come by. In contrast, one can get ready access to basic infrastructure facilities like water, roads or drainage in integrated townships.

Integrated townships provide much needed security to residents, which otherwise is a big headache in any of the metros. Rapid urbanisation has posed serious concerns for metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore,Chennai & Pune and it is become harder to provide infrastructure suitable to fast paced housing development in these cities.

As the new age buyers have higher expectations of lifestyle and are well versed in global living trends, integrated townships seem to be the residential solution awaiting cities in India. They are free from ills of overburdened urban centres – limited access to emergency services, lack of adequate parking space, water and power shortage, poor infrastructure, etc. Hence, developers are coming up with more number of integrated townships not only in metros but also in tier II cities to attract home buyers.

Location holds the key for integrated townships. Integrated townships are sought to be set up near industrial estates or software/technology parks so as to be able to provide a world class home to the buyer near his/her workplace.

The government is also favouring integrated townships as they reduce the pressure on city infrastructure and urban development. FDI in to integrated townships are increasing, marking more development in future.

Confused About What To Do? Buy A House Or Save For Retirement?

The most important investment decision a professional faces is: whether to save for his/her retirement or to go for a home? While owning a home remains the biggest dream of any individual, if you do not have access to traditional pension means, then life post retirement is something you need to concern yourself with.

Home budget is usually the biggest liability in one’s personal balance sheet. Home loan repayment on an average consists of about 40% of your monthly income. If you are faced with the dilemma to choose between buying a home or saving for retirement, then it may prove to be a complex one to work your way out.

Let us weigh both the options here.

Buying a home

Home is usually the most desired possession of an individual. To buy a home for oneself means creating a shelter for yourself as well as for your family. Owning a home also saves amount you dish out as rent per month. If one talks of post retirement savings, home can be useful investment even in your post retirement days. Reverse mortgage can guarantee good returns and you can lead a comfortable post retirement life.

The ever rising price of property market makes it even a stronger case to make owning a home your first investment decision. Above all, buying a home is associated with more cultural values than an investment decision as you would like to invest in a house as there are social values and expectations associated with it.

Investing in real estate may be more fulfilling than investing in financial instruments as the former gives the feel of investing in concrete, physical asset. Recent meteoric rise of home prices have made buying properties an inevitable first choice for a employed professional. Property prices in cities have continued to rise at an average of 10%-12% even during 2012, when the real estate sector in India has been struggling due to inflationary pressures plaguing the economy and sluggish home sales.

Retirement savings

Retirement savings is hard reality the foreshadow of which you have to face, especially when you work in private sector and do not have traditional means of pension savings at your disposal. The foremost reason why buying a home should take a back seat than putting your savings into retirement account is that if you are in a job that requires you to be moving from one city to another, then it may not be the right time for you to buy a home.

If you are in a transferable job, then buying a home means you would have to rent it out. However, the rental values may not go up proportionately as the property price moves up. You may invest the the money payable as down payment in bonds and securities and rear a possibility of earning much more than the rent you would be earning.

If you are starting out your career, then you can consider living in suburban locations or outskirts of a metro, where the rental is lower and land prices are high.

The decision that you need to take is how long you should defer saving for retirement so that you can accumulate enough down payment to buy a house. However, you should also ask yourself whether even after accumulating enough down payment, will you be able to handle the ongoing costs of owning a home without jeopardizing your current financial security.