The top real estate news from India for this week are:

.Five lakh low-cost houses to come up in Mumbai

The city is all set to witness the mushrooming of affordable housing with five lakh units of middle and lower income housing expected to come up in the next five years. Announcing this, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad said this move is expected to bring down the cost of housing in the city.

.Triangle realty fund buys 27% in Prozone arm

The real estate fund, co-promoted by ICS Group and Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments, has inked an agreement to invest Rs 457 crore for a 27 per cent stake in a Prozone Enterprises. The firm has stake in four projects being developed in Aurangabad, Indore, Nagpur and Jaipur, covering approximately 16 million sq ft.

.Indiabulls gets shareholders’ nod for acquiring Dev Property

The company has received shareholders’ approval for the acquisition of Dev Property Development Plc for 138 million pounds. The shareholders have approved the acquisition of all shares of Dev Property.

.Mantri Realty to invest 500 cr in Madhya Pradesh

Real estate firm Mantri Realty plans to invest Rs 500 crore at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh to set up a residential township and an IT SEZ. The township, christened Mantri City, would comprise of 10,000 houses on 16 million sq ft, while the IT SEZ would cover 5-million sq ft.

Other important real estate news from India include:

.Pune Builders join hands to float national association

In the first week of March, seven city real estate associations signed bilateral agreements with the newly formed National Association of Realtors – India (NAR- India), which in turn has forged an alliance with National Association of realtors, USA to give itself an international appeal. NAR-India has also kick-started the process of training estate agents for transnational referrals.

.Emaar MGF join hands with Marriott to develop hotels

The real estate developer has partnered with Marriott International Inc to design, construct and equip luxury-branded JW Marriott Hotels with total investment of over $400 million. The hotel projects are likely to be completed by 2010 end and will come up in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and a Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Amritsar.

For more details on Real Estate News India, log on to magicbricks.com

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Real estate segment in India is growing beyond leaps and bounds. Property segment has seen record investments in the last one year. Many foreign investors have shown their interest in the Indian property segment. The number of realty funds catering to the Indian real estate is also on the rise.

Magicbricks.com scans media reports for real estate news. Here are the top current headlines.

• Moneylenders funding realty boom in hard times

• With banks increasingly restricting loans to developers, moneylenders have stepped in to play their part. Builders have been approaching them in droves for loans at phenomenal interest rates ranging anywhere from 20% to 36% annually.

• Real estate gains await Modern India

• Mumbai-based Modern India is bucking the bearish wave that has engulfed real estate companies of late. Over the last one week, the stock has gained close to 16%.

• Rs 8,000 crore premium realty projects face delay

• According to industry estimates, around Rs 8,000 crore of real estate projects covering over 40 millon square feet are facing delays. Analysts said the construction cost for large commercial projects was Rs 2,000 per square foot, on average.

• Relax FDI, PE norms for small city builders

• The real-estate industry in Coimbatore wants the Centre to tweak the FDI and foreign Private Equity (PE) investment norms in real estate in small cities so that these fund sources are able to extend them a lifeline.

• You may have to pay more for home loans

• Rising home loan interest rates have affected the real estate industry. The property prices in Jaipur are stable for the past one-year. Many of the major projects in the city have not got buyers during this period.

For more detail on Real Estate News India, log on to magicbricks.com

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The real estate market tends to be cyclical with some periods favoring buyers and other periods favoring sellers. As with other free markets, the pricing and availability of real estate is directly related to the forces of supply and demand. While many real estate markets in the United States are experiencing a substantial slowdown, other markets remain robust, and some even continue to grow. What makes the situation even more complicated is that even within a particular city or county, there may be some areas that are hot and others that are cold.

In regions of the country in which the real estate market is slowing, there are some things homebuyers can do to increase their chance of getting the property that they want on terms that are favorable. Below are some strategies to consider:

1. Clarify What You Want. Be sure to understand what kind of property you want (e.g. bedrooms, bathrooms, size, yard, location, etc.). Identify items that you “must have” and items that you would be willing to forego if your other priorities were met.

2. Consult Experts. You’ve no doubt heard the saying that “all real estate is local,” so arm yourself with the best information available. Consult a local real estate expert who can guide you about what communities are hot and which ones are not. Obviously, you are more likely to find deals in communities that have excess supply and limited demand than vice versa.

3. Understand Market Data. Obtaining and evaluating data can be one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. Identify communities that you find desirable and ask your real estate agent to provide you relevant sales statistics. For example, your agent can provide you:

a. A summary of how many properties are available in communities that you deem desirable.

b. How long properties are taking to sell this month, last month, last quarter, last year, etc.

c. How many properties have sold this month, last month, last quarter, last year, etc.

d. Changes in the median and average price of properties for a community this month, last month, last quarter, last year, etc.

e. Data on the sales price to list price ratio (SP: LP). This ratio provides information about how much, on average, sellers are reducing their price.

f. Detailed data on properties that are similar to the type of property you desire (often known as “comparables” or “comps”).

4. High Inventory Communities. Identify, or ask your agent to identify, communities that appear to be particularly slow, and that have an unusually large inventory of homes. You will have a broader variety of options in these communities, and you may increase the likelihood of finding a better deal.

5. Loan Pre-Approval. Be sure to consult with your bank or mortgage broker and obtain a loan pre-approval document. This not only let’s you know how much you can afford, but it also demonstrates to sellers that you are a serious buyer and that your offer is worthy of serious consideration.

6. Seller’s Motivation. While information about why a seller is selling is usually confidential, there are situations in which the seller will allow their agent to disclose important factors regarding their personal situation. Be sure to ask your agent to inquire about any information that the seller has disclosed to his/her agent that can be conveyed to your agent. This information may help you decide on making an offer on a property and the price you wish to offer.

7. Home Inspection. A home inspection conducted by a qualified inspector can provide you valuable information about the condition of a property. Moreover, if there are items that need repair or replacement, you can use this information to modify your offer price or terms.

8. Expand Search Scope. As mentioned above, even within a particular city or county, there may be some areas that are hot and others that are not. Be sure to provided detailed information about what you want to your agent, so that he/she can provide you a variety of community options.

9. Be Patient. Time is on your side when there is excess supply and insufficient demand. Try not to “fall in love” with a house so much that you cannot be objective. It may be that multiple offers and counter-offers occur before you either get the property you want or decide to walk way from a deal. You may also want to look at more properties than you normally would, so that you are exposed to a variety of options.

While the above is not an exhaustive list of strategies, it is a good starting point of issues to consider when buying real estate, particularly in a market that favors buyers. Obtain the services of a knowledgeable Real Estate agent who can provide you with additional strategies to help you reach your real estate objectives.

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Did you know that women who live alone are more likely to own their homes than single men? It’s true, statistics show that women are the second largest home-buying force next to couples, and the percentage of female homeowners is growing. So how are women buyer’s needs different, and what special challenges might home ownership present to them?

Women buy homes for all the same reasons anyone does: for stability and as an investment. But there area lot of factors that might come into play that affect where, what and when they buy. Women may be buying in an area that is close to their aging parents. While grown children of both genders may well take care of their parents, single women do so more often than their siblings with children. This is probably because the demands of children are a huge challenge in themselves, taking time away from helping out the grandparents.

Many women are also buying homes that are close to their jobs. Very few people enjoy a long commute, and a downtown living situation is very suitable to a single person, whereas a family with young children might sacrifice the convenience of being close to work for the benefits of having a bigger, private yard. If the home owning woman in question is a single mother, then being close to a good school is probably very high on her list of priorities. The perfect home would be close to both her work and child’s school, to minimize commutes between the two.

As sad as it is, it’s still a reality that women’s wages are a fair bit lower than men’s, on average. This impacts home buying, in that women buyers often choose modestly priced homes or condos. But modest prices doesn’t mean cheap homes. Women want something that’s low maintenance. This isn’t said to perpetuate a stereotype that women aren’t as handy at fixing things as men, because actually, quite the opposite is true. The growing number of women becoming skilled at home repair and other Do-It-Yourself building is matching, if not surpassing, the growth of women buying homes. So while a woman may not want to be fixing the leaky roof of a dive in her off time, when it comes to improving an already nice home, statistics show they are quite motivated.

Women often choose condos, or smaller, two bedroom homes. Interestingly, women are less likely to buy new construction. This may be because of cost, or maybe because the home just isn’t tried and tested. It could also be out of ecological concerns, preferring something pre-existing to a freshly bulldozed site. Or perhaps because most new development is out of the downtown core. It’s hard to say.

Wherever and whenever, women buying homes are looking for, and getting, financial freedom. As they get older, home equity, or the income from a rental home, will prove to be a valuable addition to their retirement fund.

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As a Carlsbad real estate agent I had to find enough time to find a good inspector, the home purchasing importance. It could very well be the most decisive factor in the unpredictable period of time. It is therefore very important to ensure you make the right decision to hire a good inspector.

When the lawyer to physically inspect your prospective home, first to determine whether it is primarily his work. Can you imagine the disaster that could occur if the inspector his first job was as a wedding singer,? Inspector classifies as a full time inspector verify that they are doing no less than 250 inspections annually.

In addition to knowing how to inspect homes, well-qualified inspector will be in architecture, general contracting or engineering background. They should also take continuing education courses to keep current on the latest codes in your area and create a new system implementation.

If you are looking for well-qualified inspector first place to start is requested in real estate, friends, family members and neighbors who have used them before. Make sure your inspector is a good area you buy your home. This may be a general problem with the construction of certain areas that you look for an inspector that may be overlooked. Communication is also an important job to someone who can explain his statements at the industry’s jargon. If you do not understand the message that you may be overlooking something that could be devastating down the road.

The home inspector is working to provide you with all the physical assets of the facts, but not give you their opinion on whether they think it is a good home purchase. Your job is to fully understand the inspection report for the feedback. It is up to you to the information available to continue the transaction.

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