Loans are of primarily two types: secured and unsecured. An unsecured loan means that a borrower does not need to submit any asset to the lender to avail of finances. Alternatively, a secured loan involves pledging asset/property/FD to the lending institution to avail of funds for various requirements. The requirements can be meeting critical financial needs like marriage expenses, kids’ education, business travel, vacation, etc. Lenders give prominence and more significant benefits to secured loans than to unsecured loans; the confidence level is higher in the former’s case.
What is a loan against property?
A Loan against property is a primary type of secured loan wherein a borrower can pledge his/her property to avail finances from the lending institution. Due to their secure nature, the interest rates are comparatively lesser, and the tenure is flexible with faster processing of loans. However, a relative understanding of such types of loans is vital to avoid any hassles during the loan and loan processing qualification.
Guidelines to qualify for a loan against property:
Analyzing your requirement: Getting a loan is a greater responsibility as you are also liable for the finances’ repayment in due course of time. Hence if you require funds, you need to figure out the tentative loan amount and not underquote or overquote the loan amount.
Research: A fair amount of research is quite essential for any borrowing process. You need to know which lending institution is customer-friendly, offers better loan against property interest rate, flexible tenures, and has hassle-free processing. Such research will not only help you to be discreet about your repayment phase but also fulfill your financial requirements without any bottlenecks. You would also need to know about additional charges like insurance charges, processing fees, preclosure charges, etc.
Knowing your eligibility criteria: One better way to speed up the entire loan process is to pre-qualify yourself for the loan. You need to be an Indian citizen and above an age limit that the lenders prescribe, to avail your loan. The financial institution would assess your income capabilities, and if you are salaried/self-employed, you should have minimum income criteria to qualify for the loans. Additionally, knowing your credit score makes a huge difference in the loan application. If you have a higher CIBIL rating/credit score, the banks/NBFCs would prefer you and provide you additional benefits and fasten the entire loan process. Your credit score would depend on your creditworthiness or your past credit history. Another way to know your prequalification is to assess your land/plot/property value so that you can negotiate and get the best loan amount from the financial institution. Note that the property value depends on various factors, and thus the loan amount can change based on the same.
Application process: You can apply for a loan both online and offline. The offline process requires you to visit the bank/NBFC premises and provide the necessary documentation to qualify for the loan. The online process would involve filling out the forms digitally, uploading the KYC documents, income proof documents, and details regarding your property. The lender would take some time to assess your property & other information and let you know about the loan amount, interest rate, tenure, and additional charges. The assessment would also extend to your current liabilities, credit score, income capabilities, associated risks, and other factors.
Points to consider for faster loan approval:
- Have the necessary documentation regarding your property without any legal complexities so that there is no delay in the loan processing
- Try to have a higher credit score before the application process. A good credit score can assure you better interest rates, longer tenure, and quicker loan approval
- Maintaining transparency in all transactions regarding loan application details and during the loan process
- Getting necessary clarification about any charges/details of your loan from your lender so that there is no miscommunication in this regard
Documents for a loan against property:
Salaried individuals need to submit below documents to qualify for the loan:
- Salary slips/certificate from the employer
- Bank account statements of the recent three months
- PAN card or Aadhaar card
- Address proof or related documents
- Mortgage property documents in duplicate
- IT returns documentation
Self-employed individuals need to to provide below documents for the qualification:
- Recent six-month bank account statements
- PAN Card or Aadhaar card
- Address proof or related documents
- Mortgage property documents in duplicate
- IT returns documentation
Conclusion
Availing a loan against property might look complicated on the surface. Still, with the necessary preparation and required documentation, you can make the best use of such loans to meet your financial requirements.