Will Indian Real Estate Industry Shake in Dubai Crisis?
December 16th, 2009 by adminA widespread apprehension has spread across the real estate Indian industry as to whether the ongoing Dubai crisis will shake it. Reportedly, the real estate industry along with the oil and other major industries which control the financial nerve of the Middle East is in crisis and there is a fear in India that its it will have detrimental ramifications in the Indian Industry. However, the widespread apprehension notwithstanding, the investment and infrastructure development companies in India are savvy and sanguine that they will remain unaffected by the Dubai crisis. This is because, they aver and argue, the Indian property market has only very limited exposure to the Dubai market and it remains with its insular operations. Though their assertions and assumptions exude confidence, the real estate stocks along with the rest of the market at first dipped a little, though recovered later.
The apprehensions as to whether the Indian real estate Industry will shake in the Dubai crisis seem to be out of place when we consider the averments of industry veterans. They hold that the effect of Dubai on Indian market is two-fold. In the first place, some developers in Indian had plan to invest in Dubai. Secondly, The Government of Dubai and other Middle East infrastructure developers wanted to start project in India. However, Anuj Puri, chairman and country head of the international real estate consultant Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj avers: “This would not have a major direct impact on India’s real estate market, which is largely locally driven.” Further, he adds “Dubai’s real estate market was not sustainable in the long-term, as it was not driven by end user demand.” The executive director of the Indian real estate major DLF, Rajiv Talvar says: “Our contacts with Dubai-based entities were minimal. Luckily for us, we do not have any exposure to that market. The one deal for which we were negotiating fell through.” “The plans to enter Dubai have been postponed for a while,” said a DLF spokesman.
Revelations of other Indian real estate majors as to whether real estate properties in India,industry will shake in the Dubai crisis are also hopeful. Pradeep Jain of Parsvnath Developers and Sanjay Chandra of Unitech triumphantly said that they have nothing to do with any Dubai-based entities. However, another construction major Omaxe’s subsidiary Rohtas Holdings (Gulf) are reported to be in the early stage of two residential projects in Dubai. Also, the Mumbai-based builder, Hiranandani Group is in the midst of the construction of the tallest residential project of the world, the 90-storey structure, 23 Marina Dubai. Hopefully, officials at Hiranandani say that the project has been very well received with only 15 percent of work remaining and 30 percent of the payment outstanding.
The Mysteriously Shifty Interest Rate And Housing Industry
December 4th, 2009 by adminMortgage rates dropped yet again early last week, but then ended on a sour note as prices of mortgage backed securities fell steeply. The average rate on 30-year fixed mortgages fell further below 5%, according to the weekly survey issued by Freddie Mac. Losses on mortgage backed securities continued all the way into the close of the day, which forced banks to reissue higher mortgage rates. We do have some potentially market moving data being released this week which could help slow the pace of rising mortgage rates, mainly the Fannie/Freddie news releases late in the week.The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.87% for the week, which was the lowest since May. The average for the week prior was 4.94% and the year prior was 5.94%. Also, rates on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages were 4.33%, which is the lowest interest rate of it’s kind on record. But, how is this effecting the mortgage industry, and where are mortgage rates expected to go? In order to secure a mortgage in todays economic climate, the borrower generally must have 20% for a down payment and a FICO above 740. This limits the pool to a small percentage of borrowers eligible for optimal financing or refinancing. However, the falling rates have spurred an increase in refinancing activity, which reached a 19-week high last week. The number of U.S. mortgage applications fell last week with a 5 percent rise in interest rates on 30-year mortgages.
The Mortgage Bankers Association said rates on the most widely used loan, 30-year fixed mortgages, rose above 5 percent for the first time in a month after falling to a four-month low. Mortgage rates being below 5 percent is regarded as a psychological threshold, and has increased mortgage refinancing activity dramatically. Any positive statistic in the housing and mortgage industry has been attributed to low mortgage rates, high affordability and the federal government’s $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers. But this silver cloud has a grey lining. The stimulus inspired tax credit is soon to expire, and mortgage defaulted properties make up a large portion of home sales this year. So, any forward momentum in real estate and mortgage activity is not an indicator of the long-term outlook. Thomas Lawler, a housing economist, does not see the merit in extending the tax credit. “It is extremely expensive and the program does not directly impact the core issues facing the housing market, namely a weak jobs market and slow growth in household formation,” he said. To make matters worse, the American jobless rate in September hit a 26-year high at 9.8 percent. “The biggest cloud over the housing market right now is by far foreclosures and if it were not for that issue people should be feeling pretty good,” Lawler said. “People cannot look at the number of loans that are delinquent and not be worried.” The housing market, however, has shown some signs of stabilization. Home sales have begun to rise for the first time in over a year. And house price declines are leveling throughout the country, home prices in some areas have risen. Mortgage Rates are watched closely by those who regard them as the rudder to the real estate market.
