What are the Advantages for Women Applicants in Case of Home Loans?

Posted by Jenny Dsouza on April 3rd, 2017

If you are a woman who is planning to buy a residential property, you’ve got some reasons to cheer. It is a known fact that home loan for women in India enjoy certain benefits when it comes to loans, more so in case of home loans. They need to pay lower interest rates as compared to men. It is because there is a general perception that women pay their dues on time and are less likely to default.

The financial sector in India at large provides special benefits and concessions to women whether it is about opening an account, tax exemption or borrowing a home loan for women.

Home Loan Advantages Enjoyed By Women in India

One of the most crucial factors in case of a home loan is the interest rate at which it is offered. The interest rate helps in determining the financial institution as well. Every small variation in the loan interest rate can make a huge impact on your monthly EMIs (Equated Monthly Installments). Since home loan involves a huge sum of money, having a concession in interest rate can help you save a good amount over the entire loan period. This is one of the most important benefits that Indian women can have while applying for a home loan. However, a woman can get preferential or lower interest rates only when she becomes a primary applicant or co-applicant for a home loan.

Banks Promote Women Empowerment by Providing them Loans at Concessional Rates

Banks highly promote loan assistance at concessional rates to the womenfolk. By doing so they encourage financial empowerment and independence of women. Besides, they also believe that women have a lower risk profile as compared to men. Interest rates have a close relation with the perceived risk profile of the applicant. However, for an applicant with higher risk profile, the home loan interest rates will be higher. Having said that, whether woman or a man, no bank will extend a home loan or any sort of financial assistance to an applicant without a satisfactory credit score as well as necessary documentation.

Special Home Loan Offers for Women from Different Banks

Different banks have come up with their own home loan for women packages for women applicants. While SBI has its ‘Her Ghar’, HDFC has named it as ‘Women Power’. ICICI too offers home loans to women at concessional rates. As of July, 2015, the lowest rate at which a woman applicant could borrow a home loan was 9.85 percent, whereas the same for a male applicant was 9.90 percent. Similarly, stamp duty for house registration is lower in some states if the house is registered in the name of a woman. Although banks do not mention these schemes in their advertisement, they usually show interest in accepting home loan applications from women applicants and co-applicants.

Source: http://www.biz2credit.in/blog/2015/09/08/what-are-the-advantages-for-women-applicants-in-case-of-home-loans/