Your guide to check the home loan interest rates

Posted by Hitesh Chavan on July 28th, 2016

Buying your house means spending hours visiting location for property inspection, doing background checks and finally scouting for the best deal on a home loan.  In India, leading private sector banks and finance companies offer a range of housing finance products including home loan, property loans, home improvement/renovation loans, home extension loans, etc.

While taking housing finance the most important part is home loan interest rates. Just comparing home loans interest rates of various lenders in not enough. You need to ensure that your housing loan doesn’t turn out to be too expensive over the duration of the loan. Your home loan interest rates depend on various factors like availability of money in the market, inflation and monetary policies. If you opt for a floating rate loan, your home loan instalment will keep changing with fluctuations in the interest rates.  Alternatively, a fixed rate loan might mean that your premiums will go at a slightly higher interest rate even.  Thus, to keep your interest rates at the minimum you will have to know whether it is time to opt for a fixed or a floating rate loan.

Different banks charge different interest rates for home loans. The rate of interest also varies based on the quantum of the loan, period for which loan is intended to be availed, etc. It becomes important for the consumers who wish to avail housing loan that they are able to get the loan at the lowest rate of interest so that they could save on their EMIs. The interest rate for most home loans is linked to the lender's base rate. It is decided by the banks based on the Reserve Bank of India guidelines.

Some leading banks offer home loans interest rates as low as 9.45 to 10 %  with a mere processing fee of around 0.5% or INR 2000 whichever is applicable, plus applicable taxes.   Lenders set terms and condition pertaining to prepayment. Borrowers must clarify the terms related to settlement/foreclosing the outstanding amount, transferring the balance to another lender's account, prepaying a part or full amount of home loan, and other things, before finalizing a lender.

Fixed home loans interest rates provide you protection from rate fluctuations and give you a sense of security and certainty in terms of your cash flow even when the market rates are rising or volatile. Generally, they have higher exit charges and pre-payment penalties. They may also have more restrictions on partial pre-payment. These interest rates are revised every five years and the reset rate always remains higher than the prevalent floating rate by the fixed margin.

Floating interest rates offer more flexibility in terms of pre-payment, but it is important that you monitor regularly with the changing interest rate scenario and its impact on your cash flow.  Before taking a loan, it is always a good idea to consult an expert on home loans interest rates so that you get the best deals for your homes. It is advisable interest rates are  low and you need a loan for short term, a fixed rate loan might be a good choice.