Kerala has one of the highest numbers of expatriates in the country who live in many parts of the world including the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. Kerala also has very high remittances from abroad compared to most other regions in India. As the real estate market is booming here, many NRIs are investing to increase their assets and earn lucrative returns. Before investing, there are certain important aspects that the NRI investors should consider.
We will discuss these in this blog.
1. Legalities
The real estate transactions for NRIs fall in FEMA – Foreign Exchange Management Act has laid out the guidelines. As per these, NRIs are allowed to buy and rent property in India and transfer the earnings into their NRO or NRE accounts. NRO and NRE accounts are bank accounts that NRIs are allowed to manage their earnings in India and abroad.
NRIs are allowed to take loans from banks to fund their real estate investments and use rental income to repay these loans. They can repay these loans through the NRI and NRE accounts.
2. Research
NRIs should have an investment plan to make outlining their investment objectives clearly. This will help them decide the quantum of investment and the properties they should invest in. Builders in Kerala offer many options for real estate investments. For instance, Kochi flats for sale fall under the luxury, mid-segment, and affordable category. Investing in properties that meet the goals and objectives of the investor makes more sense than following a blanket rule for investment.
3. Residential and Commercial properties
NRIs can choose to invest in residential or commercial properties depending on their investment objectives. Although commercial properties give higher returns, they are difficult to rent out or sell. Residential properties are easily rented or sold due to rapid urbanization across cities in Kerala that have a high demand for housing. Luxury properties are in demand amongst home buyers as they can afford them due to rising incomes. Renting these out or selling them will earn higher returns for NRIs investing in them. Investing in villas, luxury apartments, and similar properties that have high market value are good options for NRIs. New projects offering flats in Vytilla can yield better returns than those in the older suburbs of Kochi.
4. Locations
Most cities in Kerala are growing at a rapid pace. Cities like Kochi, Trivandrum, and Kozhikode have an ideal balance of urban living and natural surroundings. Choosing to invest in these cities can ensure growth in returns every year. Smaller cities like Thrissur and Kottayam are also good destinations for investing with many luxury properties to choose from. Flats for sale in Thiruvalla can be good options for NRIs who want to retire in the calm areas.
Investment in Kerala can fetch NRIs good returns. They must hire local lawyers specializing in property investments who will help them with the policies and procedures laid out by RBI and the government.
