Loan survivor
Home buyers get confused about which interest to opt for: floating or flat rateTo own a house is every person’s dream. But with every bank in the street offering myriad home loan options, you might end up paying a heavy price if you do not zero in on the one that best suits your financial profile. Most potential home buyers are confused whether to opt for a loan on floating or fixed rate. This is mainly because a rising rate regime makes fixed rates look attractive. However, once you fix it and when the interest rates start falling, then floating rate begins to look better. And given the fact that a home loan is generally for a 10 to 20-year period, it is natural that one would get into a cycle when the rates would be rising or falling for three to four-year periods.

Baddi gets Brand aid

With quality malls making an advent in the industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh, the region is all set to witness a resurgence in shopping. Hitherto acclaimed as Himachal’s industrial hub, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of the business investment, it now has malls as a predominant presence. Among the pioneers in the area is the Homeland Mall, which is sprawled across about 4 lakh sq ft.

MALL ROAD: This will be the new face of the Baddi region once various malls get completed.

GREEN HOUSE
The Namesake
Many a time, there is confusion about the identity of the plants which causes gardeners problems while procuring them from nurseries. This is due to the availability of look-alikes, the miniature forms or wrong nomenclature. The wrong name thus given even becomes familiar, at times, the world over with no attempt at correction. Let us familiarise ourselves with some of the ‘similar sounding’ plants and also put the record straight in other cases.

'Pride of India', the Lagerstroemea tree. — Photo by the writer

Tax tips
HUF & puff
Q. My grandfather created H.U.F in 1991 having as members me (his grandson), my wife and my two sons. My father (his only son) had expired in 1978. My grandfather (karta) expired in 2004. According to my CA my grandfather's H.U.F should merge into mine since members of both HUFs are the same.

Puravankara to promote 300-cr project
Bangalore-based Puravankara Projects Ltd, one of the leading real estate companies, is promoting a Rs 300-crore standalone project in Chennai's IT corridor. It has acquired over 10.5 acres in Kelambakkam in the IT corridor. It is creating a land bank in and around Chennai to promote large residential townships around the city. Puravankara's first residential project in OMR, Chennai's IT corridor, Purva Swanlake, will have 600 apartments of two and three bedrooms. The apartments, whose sizes vary from 1,250 to 1,750 sft, will be priced at Rs 3,490 onwards per sq ft.