Dropping idea of buying a house/flat

[Khushi]

I'm 33, female, working in an MNC in Bangalore with a good post‑tax salary (over 2.5 L per month). Together with my husband, our combined income is around 4 L per month, so financially we're decent. Our daughter is just three months old and I'm already worrying about her education costs. We're renting a flat in Bangalore – the rent is already high and expenses are soaring – so the dream of owning a flat or house feels like a huge financial burden now. With AI advancing, I'm not sure how secure my job will be, so buying a property worth more than 1.5 Cr seems unreasonable. Many of my friends are in the same boat; a few have taken 15‑plus‑year loans and I'm amazed how they manage. I'm too scared to take that risk with a baby in the picture. Our kids will probably move around once they grow up and we might return to our ancestral home after retirement. Am I the only one feeling hopeless, or is this the new norm?

Note – My husband has a transferable job and is currently based in a small city in Assam. He travels here every month after our daughter was born (I used to travel earlier too). Our combined income is about 4 L per month. We have a joint account for shared expenses like flight tickets and family gifts. Being North Indians, visiting our families adds another cost. We manage our personal expenses separately, so I can't give exact combined numbers.

Since our daughter's birth I've been staying in Bangalore while he visits monthly.

Note 2 – I do monthly SIPs, invest in stocks regularly, and have bought land in my hometown hoping for good future returns. My husband also has his own stock and land investments.

This is just a rant about inflation, not a claim of poor financial planning. We have a decent corpus saved, but we don't want to use a large chunk of it for a tiny 2‑BHK. We could buy a house, but we don't want to because we don't think it's worth it.

[Govind]

You're not alone. Buying a home is a major investment and commitment for most of us. If technology or geopolitics cause a downturn, it could become a headache, but it all depends on how strong your financial backing is and how risk‑averse you are.

[Harish]

If someone earning 2.5 L per month worries about buying a home, it usually means one of two things:
A – The economy feels doomed.
B – Their personal finance management needs work.

[Ronit]

You're not the only one; this has become the norm.

My wife and I earn over 3.5 L per month after taxes.

We have no kids and honestly don't plan to have any. I grew up poor, we have no ancestral land or wealth, so when we retire we'll have nowhere to go unless we build something ourselves.

I already support my retired parents financially. We pay EMI on an apartment in our hometown (8 years left) plus their monthly expenses. That flat won't be our retirement home – it's old and only enough for their old age.

So if we want our own land and house, we need to save a lot and build it. With these goals, raising a child and creating a safety net becomes difficult.

Hence, with a child to raise, you're making the right choice.

[Gauri]

Buying a house in today's economy is a bit risky with AI advancements, but it also depends on how much you can put down upfront. A 1 Cr loan is doable given your combined income.

[Vasant]

If you don't buy now, you might miss the chance later. It's okay to never own a home, but waiting for a perfect moment is a myth – it never arrives.

[Laksh]

This really puts things into perspective! By the way, what's your household income?

[Deepika]

Your future self will thank you for staying on rent. I lived on rent for my entire career – 21 years – and put the surplus into mutual funds and gold. That helped me retire early in a Tier‑2 city with a solid corpus. I'm still renting, but I could buy a house outright anytime if I wanted. Being loan‑free means no EMI burden and I'm not tied to any location. I don't think I'll ever buy real estate in India; the market is opaque, artificially inflated, and the infrastructure is sub‑par.

[Navya]

Consider buying farmland on the outskirts if you can finance at least an acre. Plant fruit trees; in about five years the fruit sales can cover the land cost, while you only pay EMIs for the first five years. By retirement you could gift a flat to your kids when they're ready to settle.

[Shivam]

My candid advice – stay away from real estate for the next 18‑24 months.

Demand is tightening; many corporate employees, like you and me, are rethinking a 20‑year loan when jobs feel risky.

Park your surplus in a hybrid or multi‑asset fund.

Based on my assessment, there's a 70 % chance prices will stay the same in the next 18‑24 months, a 20 % chance they'll drop 5‑10 %, and a 10 % chance they'll rise 5‑10 %.

The days of 20‑30 % jumps in a year are behind us.

[Aarti]

If you're already paying high rent, think about buying a ready‑to‑move‑in apartment. Ideally, the rent you'd save should cover 50‑60 % of your EMI. For example, a ₹1.2 Cr loan at 8.5 % for 30 years gives an EMI of roughly ₹92 k (assuming a 20 % down payment from your savings).

If your current rent is around ₹50‑55 k, you'd only need to bridge an extra ₹40 k per month. Since rents typically rise 5‑10 % annually, you'll eventually reach a point where rent and EMI are comparable. Treat that extra outflow as an investment in your own home. Whenever you get a bonus or windfall, try to pre‑pay the loan to cut down interest.

Buying a house is a major commitment. Please consult a financial advisor and review your finances and contingency plans before deciding.