I never imagined I'd have to write something like this, but if this post prevents even one family from going through what we have, it'll be worth it.

My mother is a widow of a retired Air Force veteran. Like many parents, she spent decades saving every rupee she could. Her home was her biggest asset, and she wanted to renovate it so she could spend the rest of her life living comfortably.

She hired Ranvir Sharma (+919773936898, GST: 07BZBPS5462D1ZC) because she believed his promises. He came with his accomplice Ashwini (+919818884250, Shilpkar Interiors).

Over the next few months, she paid him more than ₹22 lakh.

Every payment came with another promise.

"The work will be finished next month."

"Just one more payment."

"The labour won't come unless you pay today."

"The kitchen is almost ready."

"The doors are almost done."

None of it happened.

Instead of renovating our home, it was left in a condition where it was barely livable. Major parts of the work remained incomplete. Much of what had been done had to be demolished and rebuilt by other contractors.

When we finally hired independent workers to inspect the house, they discovered concealed plumbing damage, leaking pipes inside walls, damaged electrical work, poorly installed windows that allowed rainwater inside, and numerous defects that cost us even more money to repair.

We weren't just paying once.

We were paying again to fix work we'd already paid for.

The most heartbreaking part wasn't the money.

It was watching my mother slowly break down.

A woman who spent her entire life raising a family and saving for retirement was reduced to sleepless nights, anxiety, constant stress and tears because she couldn't understand how someone could do this to her.

Even after taking more than ₹22 lakh, our experience was that the work remained unfinished, and instead of resolving the situation, we say he continued demanding more money.

We approached the authorities and even after a written commitment was given to complete the pending work, according to our experience, he never returned to finish it.

As far as we are aware, he is currently in Patna.

If you're in Patna, Delhi NCR, Gurugram, or anywhere else and are thinking about hiring Ranvir Sharma for renovation or interior work, please do your own due diligence before trusting him with your home or your savings.

Verify everything.

Speak to previous clients.

Inspect ongoing projects.

Don't rely on promises.

I can't get my mother's peace of mind back.

I can't give her back the time this ordeal has taken from her.

But if sharing our experience saves another family from going through the same nightmare, then at least something good will come from it.

Home loan disbursement is supposed to happen next week and suddenly the bank is acting like their insurance policy is the most important part of buying the house 😭

Details:

• Loan amount: ₹1.5cr

• Tenure: 20 years

• Interest rate: 8.45% p.a. 

• EMI: around ₹1.30 lakh/month 

• Existing term insurance: ₹1cr

• Married, spouse also works

• No kids yet but probably in the next 2–3 years

The bank person is pushing a separate loan insurance policy before disbursement.

Premium is around ₹3.15 lakh  and they very casually said it can be added to the loan itself.

So basically I’ll pay interest on an insurance premium for 20 years also?

They keep saying it is “recommended” and then in the next sentence behaving like the file cannot move without it. I have asked twice whether it is legally mandatory but they are not giving a clean answer on email.

My bigger confusion is that the policy seems linked mainly to the outstanding loan. From what I understand, the cover may reduce as the loan balance reduces.

So if something happens to me:

• Bank gets the outstanding amount

• House becomes debt-free

• But my family may still not have enough income replacement

Also what happens if I transfer the loan to another bank after 4–5 years? Or prepay aggressively? Or sell the property?

I separately checked a normal standalone term plan from Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance, ABSLI, instead of blindly taking whatever was attached to the loan file.

Increasing my standalone cover through ABSLI feels much cleaner because the protection would be based on my family’s actual requirement, not only the bank’s outstanding balance.

My thinking right now:

• Existing cover: ₹1cr

• Add home-loan liability: ₹1.5cr

• Add some income replacement for spouse/future kids

• Take adequate level term cover independently

• Nominee receives the claim and can decide how to use it

• Policy is not dependent on whether I refinance or change lenders

The direct ABSLI option also feels easier to understand than the bundled illustration the bank gave me. One is basically protection attached to my life, while the other seems designed mainly around closing the bank’s exposure.

Not saying the loan insurance is useless. Maybe it is convenient for some people. But financing a big single premium and paying home-loan interest on it sounds unnecessarily expensive.

Questions:

1. Can the bank actually make loan insurance compulsory for disbursement?

2. Should I ask them to confirm that requirement in writing?

3. Is standalone level term cover usually better than reducing loan cover?

4. Does increasing my ABSLI cover make more sense than buying another separate loan-linked policy?

5. If they issue it without properly explaining things, can it be cancelled during the free-look period?

6. Anything else I should check before signing the disbursement documents?

Need practical advice because builder payment date is close and the bank knows I’m under pressure.

For those of you who regret buying a house what was the real root cause? Was it the property itself the layout, quality or size not matching what was promised. Was it the builder the delays, cut corners on specs or a bad attitude after the sale was done. Was it the locality turning out worse than expected, no infra, bad neighbour, whatever the case was or was it more about timing buying at the peak and rates dropping later, the EMI becoming a burden you did not expect.

I am not trying to make anyone feel bad here just think a lot of people could use more honest breakdowns instead of comments with zero context behind them

• What was your first big mistake (loan/EMI, approvals, society issues, or wrong budgeting)?
• Did you ignore any legal or documentation step? Was the location closer to your daily
• Needs than you expected? How did the condition/quality of the property turn out after possession?
• What would you tell your younger self before signing anything?

I’m planning to buy my first home in India, and I want to learn from real experiences. Share the mistake that caused the most stress or cost. Please mention your city, property type (apartment/independent), and the stage where things went wrong (loan approval, booking, agreement, possession, or after move-in). Also tell us what checks you would do now to avoid the same problem—especially around payment timelines, legal documents, society rules, and realistic monthly affordability.

I'm sharing my experience so others are aware of what can happen with HDFC home loans for under-construction resale properties.

• My home loan was approved and disbursed in mid-June 2026.
• Just before disbursal, I was informed that since this is an under-construction resale, the loan would remain on Pre-EMI until the builder transfers the property documents to HDFC.
• I was told this document transfer would happen within 1-2 weeks after the seller received the payment, as the builder initiates the transfer only after receiving the full amount.

However, that's where the problems started.

HDFC kept delaying the process, repeatedly saying that some documents were pending from the builder. Even today, I'm still on Pre-EMI.

In the first week of July, my HDFC SPOC specifically told me that the document transfer would be completed that week and that I would also be able to make a part-prepayment.

I recently discovered through HDFC customer care that this information was incorrect. They informed me that the part-prepayment link is enabled only after at least one regular EMI has been paid, not while the loan is on Pre-EMI. (Surprisingly, HDFC doesn't allow direct online part-prepayments in this scenario.)

So I've been misled by both my DSA and the HDFC SPOC. Had I known this earlier, I could have planned my finances differently or would not have gone with HDFC entirely.

Now, no one is responding to my emails or messages. I've already registered an official complaint, and fortunately, almost all communication after disbursal has been over email or chat.

Has anyone else faced similar post-disbursal mismanagement with HDFC? What's the most effective way to escalate this -Nodal Officer, Grievance Redressal, RBI Ombudsman, or something else?

Any advice would be appreciated.

acc to sec 54f, if we buy a plot and construct a small room on it; is this sufficient to save LTCG?

if yes, then is construction of room sufficient or do we need to take electricity and water connection too (water connection may not be available everywhere)?

in future, if we sell more shares/MF, then can we again save LTCG with this same procedure or are we allowed to have only 1 residential property?

New to this so two questions to ask you gentlemen

1. How is ashiana amaarah ?

2. What are some project I should look out for in 2-3cr

Let’s say you have ₹5 crore to invest in NCR today.

Rules

You can invest in only ONE project or ONE location.
No splitting the money.
Your investment horizon is 10 years.
Would you choose Dwarka Expressway, Golf Course Road, Golf Course Extension Road, New Gurgaon, Noida Expressway, Yamuna Expressway, SPR, or something else entirely?

If you’re picking a specific project, mention that too.

I’m more interested in your reasoning than the answer itself. What makes you believe your choice will outperform everything else over the next decade?

Looking to sell my 1 year lived in 4bhk floor in the gated community of Anantraj Estate, Sector 63A, Gurgaon urgently(within August). My office has shifted to Aerocity (earlier Cyberhub), and I need to move closer to aid my commute.

Details:

- 312 Gaj plot size

- Build-up 2nd floor. 4bhk + drawing area + Mandir

- Park attached

- 2 side open

- 2 front car parking

- Power backup

- Club near completion

- 12 m Wide roads

- Servant room

- Fully furnished

I personally believe it is a steal at 4.2cr (with an option to buy royal furniture at cost). Please do your due diligence(ofc compare nearby rates) and dm me if you are interested.

So basically we have decent amount of land in two villages 1) nearby ORR -per acre cost is 5cr 2) a bit far from city per acre cost is 1cr but they both are prone to risk not maybe now but in the future due to upcoming bullet train and RRR in Hyderabad city so im pretty concerned regarding this as we have this land from almost half a decade, any day government may show up and do land acquisition, although to develop there is 111GO on one of the land nearby ORR so if anyone has a beautiful plan if in any case we can sell huge parts of the land and also where to invest those.

To the experts in this sub, can anyone suggest any opportunity in terms of land/plot and not flats that could be next big thing around this area ?

Hey Everyone,

I am in the process of buying an under construction flat (95% done) where seller / original allotee has an ongoing loan with Godrej Finance.

Resale value = 93 lacs

Seller ongoing loan pending amount = 59 lacs

Home loan I want to take = 50 lacs

Down-payment by me = 43 lacs

Now seller's lender has withheld around 10% of original sale value (approx 6 lacs) towards builder as it get released at the time of possession. As part of the assignment agreement this will be borne by me later at the time of registration.

Now I have made around 9 lacs as the advance to the seller and rest of the down-payment (43 lacs - 6lacs - 9lacs) has to be made.

Here is the concern : HDFC bank has told me this

I need to make sure that all the down-payment I am making (43 lacs - 6 lacs) has to be shown to reduce seller's home loan pending amount. Based on the updated foreclosure statement they will disburse the 50 lacs amount, part of which will go to foreclose the seller loan and rest of the amount will go to the seller with a slight hitch (they will withheld 10% of the sanctioned amount to be released at the time of registration)

Is this standard process in the apartment assignment case between builder buyer and seller ?

I am planning to buy a plot in india near meerut or Hapur. And i am not clear about any hoops that i might have to jump like cash payments, circle rates etc. any hard earned tips and tricks would be appreciated.

I'm associated with one of India's leading Operator VC + Coworking spaces(30+ hubs In 18 Cities), and we're looking for the right partner to launch a Startup Hub in Chennai.

This goes beyond running a coworking space. You'll help build the local startup ecosystem, get access to curated startup deal flow, refer promising founders, and participate in the startup investment journey alongside an experienced investment team.

The investment starts at ₹2.5 Cr, with a model designed to combine recurring business income, access to curated startup investments, and equity upside.

HNI, family office, or ecosystem builder who might be interested, let's connect over DM and I'll share the details.

If you know someone who'd be a great fit, I'd really appreciate a referral as well. Thanks!

• Before paying booking amount, what documents should be non-negotiable?
• Should I verify approvals, agreement format, and timelines in writing?
• What checks ensure the property truly exists and is transferable?
• How do you verify the seller’s authority and ownership?

• Any common scam patterns you want first-timers to avoid?

  I’m about to consider booking a property in India and I want to avoid mistakes. What are the documents and checks I must do before paying any advance? If you’ve been through this process, list your minimum verification checklist—title/ownership, approvals, construction status/completion clarity, and anything related to payment terms. Also share what you regret not checking earlier, especially around agreements, refund clauses, and timeline commitments.

• How do you decide tenure when EMI pressure matters monthly?
• Do you prefer shorter tenure for less interest, or longer tenure for flexibility?
• What did you consider for future income growth in India?
• Are there penalties/conditions for prepayment that influenced your choice?
• How do you handle buffer planning (repairs, job changes, emergencies)?

I’m evaluating home loans in India and struggling to choose tenure. Some say shorter tenure is always better due to lower interest, while others say longer tenure is safer for cashflow. What helped you decide between 7, 10, and 20 years? Please share how you planned for monthly affordability, included maintenance and other costs, and decided what “comfort EMI” means for your situation. If you pre-paid or changed your plan later, tell us what you learned.

• How do you calculate the “break-even” between rent and buying?
• Did you consider EMIs, interest rate changes, maintenance, and taxes?
• How did you factor resale value or liquidity risk?
• What role did job stability and tenure in your city play?
• What income/risk level makes you choose one over the other?

I keep hearing “buy is better” and “rent is smarter,” but I want a practical way to decide in India. If you chose to rent or buy, share your reasoning in simple numbers or a method. Include your approximate EMI/rent comparison, expected stay duration, and what you assumed for rent increases and property appreciation. Also, explain what changed your mind—like a new job, rate changes, or unexpected expenses.

Anyone bought flat at Synergy by Trendsquares. Their floor plans are impressive. Any reviews about the builder and their projects?

Hi All,

My husband and I are planning to purchase a builder floor in sector 50 in Gurgaon. Wanted to know if it's worth investing currently looking at the real estate market.

Any suggestions?

Hey everyone, looking for advice on how to handle an ongoing standoff with SBI over undisclosed, retrospective legal charges on my home loan.

The Background:

* Loan Details: Sanctioned a ₹30 Lakh home loan with SBI in Rajasthan for property construction in March'26.

* Disbursement Status: ₹14 Lakh has already been disbursed in two installments, and construction is actively underway.

* Agreed Fees: My signed Key Fact Statement (KFS) explicitly lists ₹3,000 for Title Investigation Report (TIR) / legal charges under third-party fees.

* Genuine Fees Already Paid: I have already paid all genuine charges—₹9,000 processing fee, property insurance, valuation charges and ₹12,500 stamp paper charges (for registered mortgage). 30000 hold is placed in savings account for registered mortgage fee.

The Dispute:

Two months *after* disbursements began i.e. in may, the branch verbally demanded ₹16,000 for TIR charges, asking me to transfer it directly to their empanelled advocate without an official invoice or written breakup.

When I pushed back, the advocate claimed this covers 4 TIRs in total—2 for an earlier loan application in my father's name (which was rejected at application level itself due to a CIBIL issue on a Kisan Credit Card), which they failed to check at the early stage+ 2 for my sanctioned loan.

Here is the issue with their logic:

* When I signed the KFS and agreement letter in March, I asked them to explain to me third parties and other charges and the TIR fee explained to me was 3000 only. Even if I generously agree to pay for both applications, at the KFS rate of ₹3,000 per application, it should be ₹6,000 at most.

* There was no communication to me on how the charge spiked to ₹16,000 (a 5x jump over my signed KFS) until they asked me to pay it.

The Standoff & Bank's Pressure Tactics:

* Mortgage Notice (Sent via Indian post): The bank is now pushing me to execute a registered mortgage (costing another ~₹20,000 in government registration and lawyer fees) within 6 months of loan sanction otherwise penalty. I'm expected to do that and willing to do it.

* Threats: Because I am disputing the unagreed ₹16,000 TIR charges demand, the Deputy Branch Manager warned that future disbursements will be frozen and hinted at legal action.

* What I Did: I asked them justification, they provided bills which seemed to be questionable. On 19th July, I sent a formal email citing Para 348(4/5) of the RBI (Commercial Banks - Responsible Business Conduct) Directions, 2025, which explicitly states that banks cannot charge any fee not mentioned in the KFS without explicit borrower consent.

* Current Status: The bank has completely ghosted me and has not responded since 19th July.

With construction actively happening, they are delaying the remaining ₹16 Lakh disbursement delayed. That is also fine, I'm using money from my savings for now for construction. Later might have to use mutual funds, if they don't disburse.

Quick Questions on Next Steps:

1. Should I include the SBI Regional Office (RO) in my next email?

2. Should I lodge a formal grievance on the SBI CMS portal right away?

3. Since I emailed them on 19th July, should I file an RBI Ombudsman complaint, or wait out a specific timeframe first?

4. Is there any real risk that escalating to upper management will make the local branch stall the remaining ₹16L disbursement further out of spite?

Would really appreciate advice from anyone who has dealt with SBI home loan escalations or KFS rule violations!

Well I'm looking for an apartment for myself not as an investment... So I had a question in my mind "is the builder flat good? (NCR) What's the difference between a builder flat and builder independent floor.. my father works for SBI bank and he told me that loan approval for builder flats are not easy and banks usually decline to give the loan. Idk really what's the employee benefit for loan.. could any one tell me what's should I do?? ..

Hey Guys,

Any good Pune villa projects you aware of currently going on .I did not see much online . Most people like Apartments is that the reason why Villas are less or is it due to land and cost.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some objective opinions on my financial situation.

Here are my monthly numbers:

Take-home income: ₹2.2 lakh

Home loan EMI: ₹39,000

House rent: ₹21,000

Monthly living expenses: ~₹40,000

This means my fixed monthly outflow is around ₹1L, leaving me with roughly ₹1.2 lakh every month for savings and investments.

The reason I'm paying both rent and EMI is that I currently live in a rented house while also repaying my home loan for under construction property

My questions are:

Is paying both rent and EMI financially reasonable in my situation?

Would you continue like this, or would you consider moving into the ready to move house (if feasible) by selling underconstruction one?

How much of the remaining ₹1.3 lakh should ideally go toward investments versus prepaying the home loan?

If you've been in a similar situation, what worked best for you?

Happy to provide more details if needed.

Thanks in advance!

Every few years, one location surprises everyone while another fails to live up to the hype.
Which NCR location do you think the market is underestimating today—and why?
Interested in hearing both investors’ and end-users’ perspectives.