More buying questions: NRI, resale, plots, scams and site visits

Builder reputation and complaints

Search the promoter's name on the Karnataka RERA project status page to see registered projects. The Act has promoters disclose their recent projects, with any delays and pending cases, when they register, so look for that detail on the record. Compare filed completion dates with what you can see on site. Visit a project delivered a few years ago and speak to residents about water, lifts, seepage and maintenance. Our builder pages list the projects and registrations in our records. They are factual lists, not ratings.

Builders directory

Builder reputation and complaints

We do not rank builders or call any builder good or bad, because a fair answer needs delivery records, resident feedback and legal history that we do not hold. Use things you can verify instead: the registration status of the specific phase, filed against actual dates on older projects, complaints and orders on the portal, and what residents of a delivered project tell you. Then compare the offers in writing, and have a lawyer review the agreement.

Builders directory

Builder reputation and complaints

Ask for the registration number of the exact phase, the declared completion date, the sanctioned plan, a written cost sheet, the payment schedule, the draft agreement for sale and the carpet area of the unit. The Act says the sanctioned plans and the stage-wise schedule must be made available at booking, and it limits what a promoter may take before a registered agreement for sale. Ask what happens to your booking money if you cancel. Get the answers in writing and have a lawyer read the draft before you pay more than a small token.

First-time buyer and site visit checklist

NRI buying

The Reserve Bank of India's FAQ says non-resident Indians and overseas citizens of India may buy immovable property in India, other than agricultural land, plantation property and farm houses. The rules come from foreign exchange law and can change, so check the current rule on the RBI site, with an authorised dealer bank and with a lawyer before you commit. Registration, stamp duty and the project checks that apply to any buyer still apply.

Documents to check before booking

NRI buying

The RBI FAQ says payment for the property has to be received in India through banking channels, either as an inward remittance or from NRE, FCNR(B) or NRO accounts. It says travellers' cheques and foreign currency notes are not allowed. It also says payments are subject to taxes and duties in India. We could not open an official list of documents, so ask your bank, the developer and a lawyer for the current list for your status and the right account to pay from, and check the current rule.

Documents to check before booking

Resale versus new

We do not say whether resale or new is better; compare the factors for your own case. A resale flat can be inspected as it stands, whereas a new project is judged from plans and a schedule. The checks differ: the chain of past registered documents, khata and e-khata status, an encumbrance certificate, any dues, society transfer papers and the condition of the building. Kaveri offers an encumbrance certificate application. Have a lawyer read the sale documents before you pay.

Under construction or ready to move in

Resale versus new

Beyond the standard set, ask for the previous sale deeds, the khata and civic tax receipts, an encumbrance certificate, the society no-dues letter, loan closure papers if the owner had a loan, and the occupancy certificate. The Act defines the occupancy certificate as the document that permits occupation of a building with civic infrastructure. A lawyer should read the chain of title, and the seller's name should match across the documents. The local civic body that governs the address issues the khata, so confirm with it.

Documents to check before booking

Resale versus new

It can reach some resale buyers. The Act defines an allottee to include a person who later acquires an allotment through sale or transfer, which can bring a buyer in a registered project within it. The Act also lists cases that need no registration, such as projects that already had a completion certificate before it began. Whether and how the Act applies to your flat depends on the project and the facts, so ask a lawyer, and do the usual document checks.

Agreement, sale deed and agreement to sell

Plots, apartments and villas

It depends on what you want to do: build, live, rent out or wait. A flat comes as a defined unit in a building, while a plot needs approvals and construction on your side. We give no recommendation. The RERA Act covers plots as well as apartments, but small projects can fall outside registration, so check whether the layout or project you are considering has a registration number and verify it on the portal. Whichever you choose, check approvals and documents before any payment.

Documents to check before booking

Plots, apartments and villas

Check who owns the land, the layout approval, the land-use position, the khata, an encumbrance certificate, the boundaries, and whether the project has a RERA registration where one is required. The Act asks a registering promoter to declare legal title and encumbrances on the land, which you can compare with the documents you are shown. Walk the plot with the survey papers, have a lawyer read the title chain, and do not rely on a brochure for approvals.

Documents to check before booking

Red flags and scams

Common warning signs are a registration number you cannot find on the portal, pressure to pay quickly, a refusal to give documents or a draft agreement in writing, a brochure that differs from the sanctioned plan, and requests to pay a personal account. The Act expects an advertisement to show the regulator's website address and the registration number, and expects the project to follow its sanctioned plan. A red flag is a reason to ask and verify, not a verdict.

Red flags and data gaps

Red flags and scams

It is pressure to book now because units are almost gone, with nothing in writing. Treat urgency as a reason to slow down. Ask for written availability and the cost sheet, check the registration and documents yourself, and do not pay a large amount on a verbal claim. The Act limits the advance a promoter may take before a written, registered agreement for sale, so ask what you would be signing and when.

Red flags and data gaps

Red flags and scams

Pay through traceable banking channels to the account named in the agreement or cost sheet, and get a receipt for each payment. Check that the payee name matches the promoter on the registration. The Act expects a registering promoter to declare a separate bank account for project money, so ask which account is used. Keep statements and messages. If a request arrives by chat or phone with new bank details, call the developer's known office to confirm before you send anything.

Red flags and data gaps

Comparing projects

Put them in one table with the same fields: exact-phase registration, status, filed completion date, developer-stated possession, configurations, carpet area basis, total cost sheet, brochure state and documents. Mark what is missing instead of guessing, using the same words for each gap. Our compare tool lays out the fields we hold side by side, with labels such as Developer states and Not verified. We do not rank projects or developers; use the table to decide what to ask.

Compare projects

Site visit tips

Carry the registration number, the sanctioned plan and your questions. The Act expects the promoter to make sanctioned plans and specifications available at booking, so ask to see them. Check the actual stage of construction, the access road, the model flat against the written specification, noise and smell at different times, and the condition of nearby buildings by the same developer. Take photographs and notes, and ask for answers in writing.

First-time buyer and site visit checklist

Site visit tips

Fix your budget using the full costs, check what a lender may offer, shortlist areas by your real routes, and verify the exact registration of each shortlisted project on the Karnataka RERA portal. Then ask for cost sheets and draft agreements and have a lawyer read them. The Act limits the advance a promoter may take before a written, registered agreement for sale, so check the current rule and do not pay large sums before the paperwork is checked.

First-time buyer and site visit checklist