#Tips #Buy #Your #Flat

I bought my house - YOU can too

Buying a house can be an ordeal though I am not an expert in this matter, just sharing the experience I had while buying/selling out my flat.

When my hubby got a new job, we decided to move closer to his work place. Simply because our habitat was because of his job and this one was at the other end of Pune. Due to which we were missing family time. And we had to prioritise what was more important. Our older daughter is in L.K.G, so we knew we could get her admitted in a pre-school if we didn't get her mid-term admission in school. However, by God's grace we got her admission in proper school immediately on shifting.

For the initial 6 months i.e. during my husband's probation period, I started with online window-shopping, which we women are too good with. :) I did that because during my living in pune I was not at all aware of the area closer to his new workplace. 

We analyzed our family needs and desires and made a rough estimate of what we can afford. So that we set our sight on the best house our money can buy.

Then I decided to know the areas and the locality to help me when we actually go for the house hunt. I took the help of Google Maps to find the direction from my current stay to his work place. I jotted down the localities, areas etc. which were approximately 8-10 km, so that the drive from work to home be 15-20 min.

I wanted to buy a house we can pay for and keep up. Some areas are very posh while others under-developed.

I wanted to locate in a neighbourhood we will enjoy and be proud of today -and in the future years.

So I searched for reviews of different areas that I had shortlisted. 
I collected information - like prospective growth in the coming year, present market rate of properties, any problems that the area faces such water, electricity etc., are those areas under Pune Municipal Corporation or Gram Panchayat.
I also searched for Schools in those areas and reviewed it.

After narrowing our search of locality, I started looking for reviews of builders in those areas. Which builders had bad reputation, blacklisted, consumer complaints, unfinished projects etc.

Alongside I took the help of different site like magicbricks.com,99acres.com, Commonfloor.com,  Housing.com etc to know the market rate. We had decided on the budget and the no of rooms we wanted to go for and these sites really helped us.
Common floor gives you list of all the projects, Housing.com gives you map and aerial view of the neighbourhood the project is located, Magic bricks gives you reviews of localities.

We did all these only because we didn't want to go through a broker and brokerage.

Anyways, once we decided where we would like to locate; then we took the family car and cruise. We surveyed the neighbourhood, whether it is clean, neat and well kept – the kind of area my family will enjoy. The project proximity to schools, market, groceries, bakery,medical, clinic, hardware, beauty parlour, ;) etc

Then whichever projects we liked online on those housing sites we listed them down and started on-site visits.

We inspected every details of the project like the architectural design, the appearance, the quality of material used in building, the fixation (light switches/board/ taps), the amenities provided in the project etc.

We rated and compared the projects.

Here, initially we went for a resale flats, but since we wanted it with investment perspective, we decided to go for either under-construction or 1-2 yr. old projects. Now both resale and new has its own pros and cons.

I go through his blogs on any issue related to Real Estate

http://www.nitinbhatia.in/real-estate/resale-flat-or-under-construction-flat-which-is-better/

Anyways, so after 2 visits, and choosing the area we opt for selling out our flat, since only on that basis we would be able to buy a new one.

Even in this case we didn't want to involve broker, so we decided to sell our flat on our own.

And so within months’ time without any help from brokers we sold our house and with the token amount received we booked our new home. 

Read my journey in selling my house.
http://noviceexcursion.blogspot.in/2015/02/i-sold-my-house-in-month-you-can-too.html

Even if you are systematic, clear and reasonable in your thinking; things move much faster and prices jump much quicker and homes are sometime that much older. So you have to really get your head around the fact that a small and dank home can go for a half crore. So don't wait for long.

Selling and buying can be both frustrating and emotionally painful. And can be demanding. But all your hard work will pay off when you get your Dream Home.

OVO - LUSHlife, My Dream Home.

It was love at first sight. We were looking for a 2bhk in nibm-undri road. Since, we had never been to this part of Pune, we were shortlisting projects that fit in our budget with the help of sites like magicbricks.com, 99acres.com, Commonfloor.com, Housing.com etc and then checking the area virtually on Google map. We had selected the radius of 8-10 km from Magarpatta, his new work place. Since we wanted to buy keeping investment in mind, as we are in Pune only because of work base, we decided to go for a new construction i.e. 1-3 yr. old. Also, we did not want to go through brokers. Therefore, after many days of online research and seeing several projects in the vicinity when we visited the Lush Life -OVO site office, in our heart we said, “This is it.”

Since, this is our 2nd buy, we were more cautious here. We were scrutinizing every detail of the project, as we did not want to go through the bad experience we went through with our 1st buy. 

This project is surrounded by 2 big players in the building industry – Nyati and Goel Group. And the builder of this project being a rookie we had to really do our studies before investing. Now from the above 2, we had crossed Goel at the very beginning, any guesses why. Well, that was the builder whose project we owned our 1st home. Goel projects will give you lovely exterior, but a very cheap interior. It does cost cutting in practically everything that is used in your house. The result, within 1 st few months you see cracks in the wall, grouting from the tiles coming out, paint chipping off etc. 

So now the choice was between Nyati and Ovo, and we listened to our heart here, the design and architecture of Ovo appealed our eyes and we went for it.

However, the story does not end hear, our heart was sat on OVO but the flat was way too pricey for our budget. On our 1st visit they had given us a feedback form wherein we had to mention our budget. 2 weeks had passed by, my husband asked me to call them and find out what is the status.

In my heart, I wondered what I talk; as they would not come, that low for us and whether any flats would be available. Now the builder charges "floor-rise" in addition to per sqft. rate generally from 5th floor onward. Here they were charging from 3rd floor. And since the building construction was 90% complete, chances of availability of flats on lower floors was almost NIL.

While we were looking for houses, our buying banked on selling of our 1st flat, and I had received many negatives from the buyers for that flat mainly - no parking space, flat is not garden facing, small, not corner flat etc. And I would kneel down and cry to my Almighty that Lord I reject all these in our next buy. Since, the selling was taking a while, I had prayed that Lord you assign a flat that is just for me. Generally, you don't get to pick your choice flat when the building is completed. And this time unlike our 1^st buy we couldn't go for an under-construction building. 

So on Sunday night when my husband asked me to call them I prayed that Lord if this project is what You have chosen for us then let them call me first.

Next day, I was very restless and in total confusion whether to call or wait for their call. And in the midst of the turmoil the phone rang. It was my husband, and I wondered what I would tell him as to why I did not call them yet. He asked, did I call? And very softly I replied No, I will. And when I heard his next words, I for a moment was still. I didn’t know how to respond. God showed me the sign. My husband told me not to call as they called him and asked to come down. I was thrilled and so excited, my God doesn’t disappoint, If it is in HIS will, it will come to pass.

By the end of that week, our house was sold out, and we had received the token amount.

So this time we went with confidence to buy and not do window shopping. But still the uncertainty of getting the right house hung in the air. And the sales rep told us that there is a Garden facing, corner flat with covered parking available on 2^nd floor. When we heard this we said “Thank You Lord,” One of my prayer of not having any of the negatives was ruled out.

But the price factor still remained unsorted. And so after hours of bargaining, we got the deal done. We got the flat at best rate in compare to the current market rate, in addition we got a semi-furnished flat (builder is providing modular kitchen, and false ceiling and fans, etc.)

God even took care of this and the2 monthshs later when we went for the registration we came to know that this flat was not sold out because the builder had assigned it to people from whom he had purchased the land. And at the time when we went to look for the flat they had asked the builder to sell it out.

Now what can I say, some may say that it is a coincidence or mere luck but I believe that it is the grace of my living God.

The True Shepherd

When we came to Pune in 2009, immediately after our wedding, far away from friends and family, life seemed bleak. We started our life with a rental house, at that time we didn't knew whether we would be in a position to live in our own house. With the whole world in recession to receive, an upfront Job offer from a company like TATA was a miracle in itself. But with zero bank balance we wondered where are we going to get the down-payment amount. And owning a property seemed far-fetched. Then Elohim miraculously blessed us with money just enough for the down payment and we were able to buy our own 1st abode.

Then after 5 years of staying in Chinchwad, God decided to move us. Yet another miracle of a job offer as a Senior Software Programmer in Bentley Systems, Magarpatta. A job that Sushant had always desired and he got it without any interview. How cool is that!

However, moving is not easy. And we had to sell our 1st place in order to buy a flat closer to his workplace. And what happens when you decide to sell it without any help from broker? 

Well here I would like to quote the psalmist “where does my help come from, my help comes from the almighty God”. Truly, my God stood beside me when I walked through the valley of darkness, he was there when I didn’t receive any response to my Ads placed on various site. He was there when I got negative reviews from the buyer, He was there when the broker discouraged us by saying we are quoting high. But my God proved every one of them wrong and the sale happened in 1 months’ time. And we were able to book our 2nd abode before the builders raise the price i.e after Diwali.

I Cannot Live Without You

The Test of Obedience

Sometimes we get so caught up with our life, that we forget that God exist. We get so comfortable in our way of life, that we lose our passion and zeal for Christ. Just because He has promised that He will not leave us, nor forsake us, we start to take Him for granted. And when we stop valuing Him, it becomes necessary for Him to show us who He is and what we are if He is not in our life.

Have you ever given a thought about this; “what if God is not in our life? How will our life be, if He leaves us. As such we have made Him invisible, so what if He truly disappears. If you take God out of your perfect family picture, will you miss Him? Will His inexistence trouble you? Take a moment and think over it.

I cannot imagine living without Him, not that I have never offended Him, but because I have already experienced this and will never even for a second want to face it again in my life.

When I turned 24 my mum started getting worried over my marriage. And like evey mother does, she began to look out for a suitable Bohri groom for me. Now for those who don’t know me, I come from a Muslim ( Bohri) family where I am the only one who has accepted Christ as my personal Savior. By the way this was after my baptism, my parents knew about this and my mum was on edge, with that she was all the more in a hurry to get me married off to a rich Bohri guy.

At that moment I was totally cool about it. So far either my mum didn’t like the boys or they rejected me. So I took it lightly. But my peace was short-lived. And it’s quite obvious that this is not going to last like this forever, but I failed to realize this. I was like the foolish virgins, Jesus spoke about in his parable, who were on their way to get oil when the bridegroom arrived. This was my position. You must always be prepared, especially for the unexpected, especially for things to be delayed or to go wrong. Carelessness has consequences. And I had to pay for this.

Trouble came when my mum liked one of the Bohri guy and he liked me. Now what? I was totally unprepared for this. I had to race my mind for a solution and Ta-da!!  I got one, I told mum that you know I am not going to leave Christ and it would be wrong to hide it from him so before we proceed further I would like to tell him the truth. Now I thought that when he learns this he will definitely say a No. So since mum permitted me I went and told him on my next date. And as I had hoped for, he said, “ It’s alright with me”. What!! Now I was in a fix. I didn’t knew what to do so I ran to my discipler Aunty Shobha to inform her what had cropped up. She suggested “ Why not bring him to church, when he sees your involvement he will certainly say No.” Yippee.. Now that’s a great idea. So without delay I invited him to church and he agreed to come. And to my delight when he saw me during the praise and worship raising my hands and worshipping Christ he just left without saying a word. This was it.

Next day his mum called and guess what she said, “ We have no problem with your daughter going to church, it is a Yes from our end”. When I heard that, I felt time stand still, my knees went weak and I did’nt know what to do next.

As days passed by I decided to give him a try. I knew bible urges not to be unequally yolked, but at that moment it seemed alright. The boy is good-looking, well settled, has broad-minded family, they have no objection to my going to church, my parents are happy; what else do I need. The day I decided to tell him Yes I was in the train going to work at andheri. And no sooner had I convinced myself about my decision, I felt a voice telling me, “Are You ready to have a life without me”. I felt a pang in my heart. I was so numb that I couldn’t even hear the loud chatter of women in my compartment. And suddenly these voices started swirling through my mind. “ What if after marriage they stop you from going to church”, “they don’t allow you to pray”, “what if they say No to Christ”, Then what? I am stuck for ever. “What will happen if time comes when I have to chose between my husband and Christ” .

Suddenly I felt something warm over my cheeks and I realized I was crying, ladies in the train were staring at me but I simply couldn’t stop them. I was overwhelmed and I felt my heart being squeezed when I started thinking, “how will my life be without Christ.” I had got so used to having Him by my side always that I never presumed living without him. And instantly fear gripped me, all I could see was darkness. There was only 15 minutes left before I arrive at my station Andheri, but that day it seemed like it would never come.

Bible says in Psalm 23:4 ”Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.”

My life seemed meaningless, everything seemed of no importance – money, status, comfort, all that this marriage would give me didn’t make any sense to me if Christ is not in that. And my heart cried, “whom will I call in my times of trouble, whose hand will I hold when I fall down, who will lift me when I fail and break down, whose reassurance will I live on that He died so that I could live guilt free, what will I do when I cry out and He will not answer me. In the still of the night, in a moment of inner clarity, whom will I call, who will I pray to, who would know me intimately as Jesus does? Who will really care and wipe away my tears?” And I realized I am nothing without Jesus. My life is a incomplete picture without Jesus in it. There will be only emptiness and loneliness which cannot be substituted.

And I cried out to Him, “I cannot Live Without You”, at once my heart was filled with peace, Peace that bible says passes all understanding had covered me and at that very moment Fear left me. I was at Peace. I have never felt so relived, so alive and so happy in my life(other than my marriage day of course, but that was yet to come.) And later that evening, my parents told that boy “No”. I had not done anything to change their minds, God took care of it. 

Finally God blessed me with a Perfect Life Partner, and after few months was our marriage - the beginning of a sweet journey with my sweetheart, Sushant.

When I look back all I can say is, "All things work together for good to those who love God."

How did I fall in Love

It’s  2.00 a.m. in the morning and I got this strong urge to share this with you. And so I had to put pen to paper.

In 1995, I first met Him. My best friend Asha introduced me.  At that time I never thought that He would become the very and the only reason for my living. Initially I used to meet Him only for having some diversion, but as I started to know Him, with every meeting of ours; I started admiring Him. There are many characteristic of Him that I like, but the one that touched my heart the most is of Forgiveness. I still cannot fathom can someone really forgive those who hurt him, betray him. 

As our friendship  grew I became inquisitive about Him. I wanted to know  more about Him. He is so gentle like a still water that every time I am with Him I find rest. He is so full of love that it became hard for me to believe that can someone be really like this. My relationship was more of take take take and He was like give give give. And this made me wonder, how can anyone be so Selfless. 

It was almost 5 years since I knew Him that trouble started brewing. There came the ‘testing period’ of every relation. My parents started questioning my relationship. They started objecting my meeting Him.  I was being pressurized, emotionally blackmailed.  I became scared, my heart was filled with fear. I didn’t have the strength to face the society. Even though He kept saying “I am with You, I will never leave you nor forsake you”; my faith in Him was not strong. I didn’t have the courage to publicly acknowledge Him. 

And there came a time when I started ignoring Him. I started taking His goodness for granted, I would meet Him at my convenience. And finally stopped meeting Him completely. But even then He never complained. He still cared for me, His love for me did not change. He was waiting for me with His arms open. He was not a self-seeking person, but rather a self-denying person. He asked nothing for himself.

It was almost 10 years by then, and once again He demonstrated His agape Love for me. My mum was detected with cancer, and I was totally broken. There was no one who could share my pain, take away the burden from my heart, remove those dreadful fears from my heart except Him. And even though I had left Him; at that crucial point in my life He was there. Standing right beside me like a Rock. He did not condemned me. He refreshed my broken soul and filled the emptiness of my heart. He lifted my crushed spirit and regained my trust. He soothed my wounds and had compassion towards me. His unwavering love for me made me fall in love with Him all over again, and so eventually I admitted my Love to Him on 10th September 2006. I accepted Jesus as my King and Saviour.

Since then everything has changed. It's amazing, because I know that he loves me enough to die for me even though I basically spent 20 years ignoring him. I have heard of many martyrs, world's historic leaders who have died: they wanted to dominate men, to annex continents, to enslave people, to have prestige by forced allegiance. But no one died for Humanity. No one died to take your blame on their head. There are leaders  who are mocked or hit by people but no one said “ I Forgive You”  to the one who killed them . And so I've got absolutely no doubt that the way He sets out for me to live, in the Bible, is the perfect way for me to live, and that knowing Him is worth more than absolutely anything.