We just published an article in ArticlesBase on what an A register is and how to use it to verify ownership information when buying properties in and around chennai.
Check out the article at this link… “What is an A register?”
Here’s a sample A register extract. It’ll make more sense when you read it along with the article
If you ask the high-rise builders, they’ll say ‘yes’. Most small time builders don’t even know what it means. But the good news is that Chennai is in a Zone II area, which means you can expect earthquakes of only upto 4.9 on the Richter scale. An earthquake of 4.9 may not be as damaging as the Mar 2011 Japan earthquake, but depending on the epicenter, it could damage a lot of properties.
The local paper, The Hindu, carried an article on Chennai and earthquakes and it sounds a little scary. The key take away from the article is
- There’s no certification required for buildings to be earthquake resistant
- There’s no department in the city to certify that a building is earthquake resistant
So, we are left with builders ‘code of ethics’ to make sure that their buildings withstand a reasonable earth quake. With many builders interested in making a quick buck and taking short cuts such as thinnner walls, poor cement to sand ratio, shorter curing span, etc. you wonder which builder really took the effort to make their buildings earthquake resistant.
Up for rental in June 2011 is this beautiful 950 Sq. ft, 2BHK, single family home in Sowmya Nagar, Medavakkam.
Key Highlights
Oh, another important point, it comes with great neighbors! 
Rent: Rs. 10k
Where? you ask. Sri Perumbudur and Oragadam it is.
Check out Wiki for the growing list of companies in and around these two areas. With the increasing inflow of companies and plenty of new housing, plot values are rising as well. Investing in these areas is a sure bet, unless there’s another economic calamity.
There are not many plots near Chennai for that price. A quick look into 99acres and Magicbricks would give you a list of vendors selling plots in those areas. But the key is this… to buy plots at 10 to 20% lower than the asking price in those sites. Most of the vendors you see on these sites have big marketing budgets which is added to the price of the plot. Instead, the savings lie in finding owners/local brokers with clean papers. If you don’t know how to get started, start by visiting a few tea shops in those areas, talk to people, check out newspaper Ads, ask friends and family – In Chennai, pretty much everyone knows a land broker.
Property management in Chennai, or India for that matter is a whole different ball game. First, the scope of PM is wider and critical than in other countries and second, the common PM functions are much more challenging.
The top 4 challenges for a property manager are
Although, the scope is wider and no shortage of challenges with common PM functions, Property management is still a rewarding job.