Homebuyers Face New Odds

After an initial downturn, the pandemic gave an unexpected push to the real estate sector last year. Changing lifestyle needs increased the demand for bigger houses and Covid-related uncertainty made investors seek comfort in homes they owned even if it meant moving away from the humdrum of bigger cities or city centres. With the changing nature of homebuyer demand, developers repurposed the supply with better designs and more amenities. The all-time low loan rates and affordable prices of homes were further incentives for buyers. The landscape, however, may be changing now, with geopolitical conditions and rising inflation expected to push up real estate prices and interest rates already on an upward curve. In this changing scenario, what should buyers do? Here’s an analysis of what pepped up the real estate sector in the past and which direction it’s expected to go. The...