SBI, HDFC offer discounted home loans at 8.40% as part of festive sales

Despite rising interest rates, leading home loan players SBI and HDFC have announced discounted interest rates beginning at 8.40 per cent as part of their festive offerings.

SBI in a statement said that its home loan book has topped the Rs 6 lakh crore mark, a first in the industry. The leading lender said it is offering up to 25 bps discount on interest rate to new home loan borrowers, making the entry level rate at 8.40 per cent and the offer will run up to January 31, 2023.

The largest pure-play mortgage player HDFC, which is awaiting its merger with its banking subsidiary HDFC Bank, said it's also offering discounted interest rates to new borrowers to the tune of 20 bps or at 8.40 per cent.

According to HDFC website, the festive offer is valid up to November 30, and the low rate will be applicable to those borrowers who have a minimum credit score of 750.

Leading banks and mortgage players have increased their lending rates by up to 0.50 percentage point after the Reserve Bank of India last raised its repo rate by 50 bps to tame inflation.

State Bank of India did not offer details such as the credit score conditions or the ticket size of the loan to avail of the lower rates. It further said the festive offer also includes waiver of the processing fees, balance transfers/takeovers and top-up loans.

The bank had crossed the Rs 5 lakh crore-mark home loan mark in January 2021.

SBI said while the new loan comes up to 0.25 percentage point lower than its existing rates, new top-up loans will be 0.15 percentage point cheaper, and loans against property will be cheaper by 0.30 percentage point. None of these offerings will have processing fees.

Commenting on the milestone, chairman Dinesh Khara said SBI has over 28 lakh home loan customers.

Alok Kumar Choudhary, the managing director-retail banking & operations, said, while interest rate for new loan buyers and loan takeovers starts at 8.40 per cent and top-up loans start at 8.80 per cent.

Meanwhile, HDFC told PTI that its retail home loan book stood at Rs 5.363 lakh crore in the June quarter and its developer loan book at Rs 1.351 lakh crore, taking the overall AUM to Rs 6.714 lakh crore. The mortgage lender has not disclosed the Q2 numbers yet.

Earlier in the month, HDFC had said it sold individual loans worth Rs 34,513 crore in the second quarter, up from Rs 27,199 crore, closing its gap with SBI to just about Rs 29,187 crore.