Gold has lost its lustre while real estate has grown in popularity among women investors.
At least 65 percent of women homebuyers now prefer to invest in real estate, followed by 20 percent favouring the stock markets. Just 8 percent of women respondents favour gold and 7 percent prefer fixed deposits, according to real estate consultant ANAROCK’s Consumer Sentiment Survey.
Among the women real estate investors, a majority of Indian women prefer to invest in the affordable housing segment priced between Rs 45 lakh to Rs 90 lakh.
About 36 percent of women prefer to invest in the affordable range, 27 percent in premium homes priced between Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1.5 crore and 20 percent prefer luxury homes priced more than Rs 1.5 crore.
Of the 5,500 survey participants, 50 percent of respondents were women and among these, more than 80 percent considered the current time as ideal for buying homes.
Also, more women are buying real estate for investment. The ratio of women buying properties for end-use and investment has changed from the previous survey standing at 77:23 now against 82:18 previously.
"Over the last decade, women have emerged as a major residential real estate buyer segment, especially in the urban centres. Their preferences are also distinctly shaping newer trends -- from bigger homes, and ready-to-move properties to specific budgets, they know exactly what they want. And like millennials, their preferences now influence the supply that developers put on the market."
Lower stamp duty
Stamp duty charges are lower if the property is registered in the name of a woman, though this varies by state. The exemption varies from 1-2 percent across states, and may even vary within a particular state, based on the classification of regions as 'urban' and 'rural'.
Women homebuyers are exempt from paying stamp duty in states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.
Many banks, including SBI, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, offer women lower home loan rates than men. This, too, varies by bank, with a difference of around 0.25 percent.
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