Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Prajna Capital

Prajna Capital


Serviced Apartment as a Leased Property

Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:17 AM PDT

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Call 0 94 8300 8300 (India) 


   Did you know that your vacant apartment can earn some money for you and, that too without having to rent it out? Lot of people who buy residential property in other cities for the sake of investment are often wary of renting it out to some unknown tenants. The common fear is that the tenant may lock into a long-term contract and ultimately cause problems when asked to vacate the property. If this is what is keeping you from renting your property, then you can look at serviced apartments as an investment avenue.


A serviced apartment is often a fully furnished accommodation which is available for short-term or long-term stays. These apartments come with basic amenities for daily use, which include a kitchen with cooking range, kettle, microwave, a washing machine etc. If you don't want to cook or do the routine chores, you can even sign up for a complementary breakfast, laundry etc. The concept of serviced apartments was started in the US and was adapted in India by the early 2000s, as more and more expatriates started to live in India for a medium-term period. The concept was easy to handle as India has a legacy of high-quality services and excellent hospitality. "Most obviously, the concept was implemented first in locations like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. The market segmentation for the same is almost entirely corporate, who engage serviced apartments for their managerial staff and long-stay expatriates. Key demand drivers for service apartments are IT/ITeS, biotechnology, services sector, BFSI and medical tourism. Even while the concept of serviced apartments is well understood, the actual number of serviced apartments is fewer than the actual market potential in India.

RISING DEMAND

The concept of serviced apartments works very well in the metros and larger tier-II cities, where starred hotels are notoriously overpriced. Serviced apartments are the emerging trend in the corporate hospitality sector. Often, the executive traffic of many MNC and domestic companies is too erratic to justify a standalone company guesthouse.


Also, the needs of such business occupants are very different from those of the usual hotel occupants. Serviced apartments, which invariably offer a suitable 4-star service and facilitation level, are the natural choice. Serviced apartments offer business travellers facilities such as fully-equipped kitchens with self-catering facilities and various bedroom choices, and are far more costeffective than hotels in the vicinity of workplace hubs.

HOW TO TAP THE RIGHT CLIENTS?

There are a number of operators whom you can engage to run a serviced apartment. This will help you to reach out to the right clients and improve the flow of customers and your business. Economic viability can be achieved by engaging the services of an expert who can take away your headache of finding potential takers and run the business for you. The nature of operations and design, of course, are totally different for an individual to attain economic viability on his own. Alternatively, an individual could market the serviced apartment by approaching the administration/human resources department of companies in the surrounding areas. Another marketing initiative could be the choice of various property websites which have a separate segment for listing service apartments. One can also create a website, which can target a larger audience looking for service apartments.

LOCATION IS KEY

With a booming economy and IT and ITeS sectors being in demand, a growing number of expat professionals are looking to oversee business operations in India. And this is exactly the fraternity that is pushing the growing demand for service apartments in India. "There is a good demand for well-run serviced apartments in India, particularly in the six major metros in India which can easily absorb the current supply of service apartments. There is substantial potential for this market to grow, though the base is pretty small right now, particularly due to the services sector and increased penetration in not just primary, but secondary and tertiary markets as well. The concept works best in business oriented cities. The best locations are in and around the city's CBD and SBD areas. Currently, India's highest demand and rate of development in serviced apartments is in Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad.

SERVICE APARTMENTS VS HOTELS

Serviced apartments are 20% cheaper vis-à-vis hotels for longer stays. Hence, many companies opt for serviced apartments for a medium-to-long-term stay for their employees. A company wanting to house a large number of its employees on a four-month training programme in a metropolitan city would opt for serviced apartments, as the cost of a star hotel would be prohibitive. Similarly, employers look at serviced apartments for expatriate relocation where the quality of housing is a key concern.


Serviced apartments provide a good option, both in terms of services as well as in terms of value for money. Increasing domestic leisure travel, where people/ families may prefer to rent apartments rather than stay at hotels, particularly at destinations. Opting for a serviced apartment makes sense when the comparative cost of a quality hotel room for an extended stay is prohibitive. It is a good option for international executives who shuttle between cities and require cost-effective short/medium/long-stay options, and for domestic business travellers shuttling internally between regional offices, say experts.

A VIABLE PROPOSITION?

It is certainly an option, though the returns on leasing it out would be lower than actually operating it on a business level. There are two main advantages of leasing out a serviced apartment. Firstly, it provides an incentive to maintain the house. Secondly, it does not lock the tenant into long-term stay and lead to unpleasant situations. However, you should spend considerable time/investments as the nature of operations is very different from an individual letting out.

Home Away from Home

Serviced apartments work best in business-oriented cities


• Quick Factss


• Serviced apartments are popular in metros and the larger tier-II cities, where starred hotels are overpriced

• They are 20% cheaper visà-vis hotels for long stays

• They are basically targeted at business and frequent travellers

• Service apartments offer a suitable 4-star serviced and facilities

• International executives
who need to shuttle between cities and require cost-effective short/medium/long-stay options should opt for serviced apartments


• How to position your property in the serviced apartment market?


• Engage a serviced apartment operator who can find potential clients and run the business for you

• Approach the admin/HR department of the companies in the neighbourhood

• Register on popular property websites which have a separate segment for listing serviced apartments

• Create an individual website, which would target a larger audience looking for serviced apartments


• Advantages of of leasing your property as a serviced apartment:


• It provides incentive to maintain the house

• It does not lock the tenant into long-term stay and thus helps avoid unpleasant situations like the tenant not vacating your property

 

Happy Investing!!

We can help. Call 0 94 8300 8300 (India)

Leave your comment with mail ID and we will answer them

OR

You can write back to us at PrajnaCapital [at] Gmail [dot] Com

 

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      2. ICICI Prudential Focused Blue Chip Fund
      3. Birla Sun Life Front Line Equity Fund
    2. Large and Midcap Funds Invest Online
      1. ICICI Prudential Dynamic Plan
      2. HDFC Top 200 Fund
      3. UTI Dividend Yield Fund
    1. Mid and SmallCap Funds Invest Online
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      2. DSP BlackRock Small & Midcap Fund
      3. Sundaram Select Midcap
      4. IDFC Premier Equity Fund
    1. Small and MicroCap Funds Invest Online
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Common Mistakes in Choosig the investment products

Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:24 AM PDT

SEVERAL investors associate financial products with specific time frames. An investment decision is typically defined in terms of how much to invest over what time frame, and when the money would come back. This probably stems from purchase of traditional products such as bank term deposits and saving certificates. This mindset of investors tends to foster few sharp practices among sellers of financial products. Investors should guard against them in their own interest.

The first set of products comes with a lock-in period. The lock-in period is imposed on products where a tax-concession is available. The intention is to defer taxes. If the withdrawal happens into retirement, when income levels are lower, the investor is able to provide for along-term goal using the tax concession, while earning and paying a higher tax. This benefit is loss of several investors, who look upon any investment with a lock-in period, as one that has to be redeemed at the end of the period. A three-year lock-in in an equity-linked saving scheme is typically redeemed at the end of the period. A three-year period is too short to realise the benefits of equity investing. Over longer horizons, the product is likely to generate a good level of capital appreciation, riding through at least one bull cycle in the equity markets.

The second product where investors have an erroneous holding period view is the unit linked investment plan (Ulip). Here, the minimum contribution period of five years is mistaken for the maximum contribution period for the payment of premium. Eager to save taxes, investors commit to high premium, pay it with difficulty over the minimum period, and hope to get the money back after that period. Later, they realise that much of the premium they paid has gone into paying commissions and costs, and the investment is not worth a lot. The truth is that Ulip is a long-term product that needs to be held for 10-15 years, to derive any benefit at all.

The third common error is using a fixed-time period as the frame in choosing investments with low rates of return. Investors routinely invest in products such as endowment plans of insurance companies, since they believe that the discipline of regular investing is good. They do not check whether the return is adequate.

They are happy to receive a lump sum at the end of the investment period, which can be deployed to meet large expenses. The focus is on putting money aside and getting it back, with little attention to whether the money has grown at a reasonable rate over time. Investors buying into gold-saving schemes of jewellers also fall into the same trap. They invest small amounts for a fixed period, happy to be able to buy gold with the money accumulated at the end of the period. What they fail to ask is whether the money they part with has earned a market rate of return, which it should. Else, they are providing cheap funding to the jeweller.

The fourth and the more serious error in judgment is when investors buy into spurious schemes, only because there is a fixed schedule of investment and return presented to them. From the days of teak farms and finance companies, there have been conmen, who have created products with fixed contributions by investors and a promise to return a fixed amount years later. The credibility of the proposition is enhanced by making risky ventures look certain, in a neat table of cost and benefits.
 
It is important to see that fixed holding periods are a thing of the past. Investors today can decide on any investment horizon they like, and choose from flexible investment options that enable entry and exit at their convenience.

Happy Investing!!

We can help. Call 0 94 8300 8300 (India)

Leave your comment with mail ID and we will answer them

OR

You can write back to us at PrajnaCapital [at] Gmail [dot] Com

 

---------------------------------------------

Invest Mutual Funds Online

Transact Mutual Fund Online

Download Mutual Fund Application Forms from all AMCs

Download Mutual Fund Application Forms

Best Performing Mutual Funds

    1. Largecap Funds Invest Online
      1. DSP BlackRock Top 100 Fund
      2. ICICI Prudential Focused Blue Chip Fund
      3. Birla Sun Life Front Line Equity Fund
    2. Large and Midcap Funds Invest Online
      1. ICICI Prudential Dynamic Plan
      2. HDFC Top 200 Fund
      3. UTI Dividend Yield Fund
    1. Mid and SmallCap Funds Invest Online
      1. Reliance Equity Opportunities Fund
      2. DSP BlackRock Small & Midcap Fund
      3. Sundaram Select Midcap
      4. IDFC Premier Equity Fund
    1. Small and MicroCap Funds Invest Online
      1. DSP BlackRock MicroCap Fund
    1. Sector Funds Invest Online
      1. Reliance Banking Fund
      2. Reliance Banking Fund
    1. Tax Saver Mutual  Funds  Invest Online
      1. ICICI Prudential Tax Plan
      2. HDFC Taxsaver
      3. DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund
      4. Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund
    2. Gold Mutual Funds Invest Online
      1. Relaince Gold Savings Fund
      2. ICICI Prudential Regular Gold Savings Fund
      3. HDFC Gold Fund

 

Birla Sun Life Dynamic Bond

Posted: 22 Oct 2012 08:02 PM PDT

It delivers superior annual performances and has often been a top quartile performer. Of the 29 quarters of its existence, the fund has underperformed in just four. Though it's dynamic mandate allows it to take bets across the yield curve, the average maturity has exceeded four years only twice, at one time touching 11.

 

On the other hand, there is no hesitation in taking large cash exposures with allocation going to a fifth of the portfolio on numerous occasions. This conservative approach has resulted in a low volatility product but also in missed opportunities.

 

The fund refrained from high maturity bets when yields fell in the quarter ended December 2008. The fund's portfolio maturity was just 2.68 years in December 2008 (category average: 8.15 years). The fund delivered 4.79 per cent that month (category average: 8.23%).

Large asset base, low (although fluctuating) expense ratio, low volatility coupled with good returns gives investors a good deal of comfort.

 

 
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Download Tax Saving Mutual Fund Application Forms from all AMCs

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These Application Forms can be used for buying regular mutual funds also

 

Some of the best Tax Saving Mutual Funds available ( ELSS Mutual Funds )

  1. HDFC TaxSaver
  2. ICICI Prudential Tax Plan
  3. DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund
  4. Birla Sun Life Tax Relief '96
  5. Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund
  6. IDFC Tax Advantage (ELSS) Fund
  7. SBI Magnum Tax Gain Scheme 1993
  8. Sundaram Tax Saver

Happy Investing!!

We can help. Call 0 94 8300 8300 (India)

Leave your comment with mail ID and we will answer them

OR

You can write back to us at PrajnaCapital [at] Gmail [dot] Com

 

---------------------------------------------

Best Performing Mutual Funds

    1. Largecap Funds Invest Online
      1. DSP BlackRock Top 100 Fund
      2. ICICI Prudential Focused Blue Chip Fund
      3. Birla Sun Life Front Line Equity Fund
    2. Large and Midcap Funds Invest Online
      1. ICICI Prudential Dynamic Plan
      2. HDFC Top 200 Fund
      3. UTI Dividend Yield Fund
    1. Mid and SmallCap Funds Invest Online
      1. Reliance Equity Opportunities Fund
      2. DSP BlackRock Small & Midcap Fund
      3. Sundaram Select Midcap
      4. IDFC Premier Equity Fund
    1. Small and MicroCap Funds Invest Online
      1. DSP BlackRock MicroCap Fund
    1. Sector Funds Invest Online
      1. Reliance Banking Fund
      2. Reliance Banking Fund
    1. Tax Saver Mutual  Funds  Invest Online
      1. ICICI Prudential Tax Plan
      2. HDFC Taxsaver
      3. DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund
      4. Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund
    2. Gold Mutual Funds Invest Online
      1. Relaince Gold Savings Fund
      2. ICICI Prudential Regular Gold Savings Fund
      3. HDFC Gold Fund

 

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