The interest being charged on your home loan determines how expensive or affordable the loan product becomes. Choosing the right loan saves a lot of money in the long run.
If you are looking for your dream home, you may also be looking for a good home loan to fund the house’s purchase. The high costs of real estate in India make it impossible for most people to buy a house without borrowing a home loan. However, taking a home loan is the easy part – there are many options in loan products and several prominent housing finance companies who offer the best in class loan products with minimum hassle.
If this is your first house purchase, you might be a little daunted at the huge sums of money involved in the loan. The housing finance company provides up to 80% of the house’s cost by way of the home loan – lending institutions like PNBHFL may provide up to 90% of the house’s price for loans up to Rs 20 lakh – and the remainder must be paid from your own reserves.
The best time to take a home loan is NOW
Meanwhile, it is important to know the rate of interest being charged by the lending institution. The interest has a direct bearing on how expensive or affordable the loan becomes. In terms of interest rates, now is the perfect time to invest in a property of your choice. Whether a first home or a weekend house, home loans are more affordable with a drop in interest rates.
Post-demonetisation in November 2016, premier banks and financial institutions in India cut the lending rates on home loans – this was a response to a sudden influx of funds in their coffers. The first wave of rate cuts dropped home loan interest from the range of 9.6% to about 8.6%. Current home loan rates are hovering in between 8.5% to 9% across banks and housing finance companies.
While SBI Bank offers the lowest rate at 8.5%, reputed housing finance companies like PNBHFL offer interest rate from 8.9% onward. However, PNBHFL’s Ghar Utsav scheme offers 8.5% interest rate for 12 months after taking the loan, and the interest rate is adjusted later in accordance with the rates being offered at that time.
Current home loan rates being at their lowest point in several years spells good news for potential home buyers. The lower the interest rate, the more affordable the home loan becomes, and the lower is the amount of money the buyer repays to the lending institution. It translates into a lower EMI, thus making more of your monthly income available for other expenses in the house.
Normally, the EMI must not exceed 50% of the monthly income. An EMI amount higher than this can strain your monthly budgets. Thus, it is important to shop around for loans with lower interest rates, to save on repayments.