The concrete family tree Vinay Kamat It is fun to write about Goa. Everyone has a take on the sunshine land. Goans lament their sunny paradise has become a grab-land, with filthy-rich outsiders gobbling up farms, flats and mansions. Outsiders feel guilty about turning a virgin paradise into a realty show, but continue to buy property.
If you are a property shopper, you should avoid visiting realty exhibitions in India's metros; instead, you should take a flight to Goa. Almost everyone there has at least a veranda to sell. Property prices, as they say, are decided after a few rounds of feni, Goa's most popular spirit. Genuine buyers range from non-resident Goans to Bangalore's techies; speculators range from local investors (who see a five-bagger opportunity) to national punters (who believe Goa is the next Florida). Then, there are potential buyers who would love to own small bungalows in Goa to spend their retired lives but are simply slogging because property is polevaulting while salary is crawling. Still, yuppies of Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore aspire for a pad or penthouse in Goa. So how do you go about getting your prized possession? Here's what TJ, a farmer-turned-broker, told me, even as he described the benefits of Goa's realty explosion: More at: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1142215 ~(^^)~ Avelino
