Home Loan

With EMIs unlikely to change immediately, the focus shifts to optimising tenure, prepayments and spreads

As RBI holds policy rates, the gap between floor and ceiling rates means a borrower's credit score and lender choice are now the primary drivers of long-term housing costs

With EMIs steady after the MPC's first 2026 decision, experts say borrowers should reassess loan terms instead of waiting for fresh rate cuts

Rates stay competitive across banks and housing finance companies, led by public sector lenders

Home loan demand is moving away from core metropolitan markets, with Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities emerging as the dominant contributors to growth in 2025, a report said. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities recorded an 81 per cent year-on-year growth in home loan volumes in 2025, significantly higher than the 52 per cent growth seen in Tier-1 cities, fintech-led mortgage distribution platforms Urban Money said in a report. "This sharp expansion has increased the contribution of Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets to 64 per cent of total home loan volumes in 2025, compared to 60 per cent in 2024, highlighting a structurally broader and more distributed housing finance cycle," it said. The findings indicate that housing demand growth is no longer concentrated within a few large metros or premium price segments, it said. Instead, it said, improving infrastructure connectivity, expansion of employment hubs and sustained availability of mid-income housing are driving stronger homeownership demand across emerging

First-time and mid-income buyers fuel home loan growth across smaller cities

Individual term plan stays with the borrower even if the loan is prepaid, refinanced or transferred, and payout goes directly to the nominee

Data highlights sharp premium differences between online and bank-sold home loan insurance

Public banks remain cheapest, while private lenders and HFCs price loans higher

Be warned that incomplete, outdated and inconsistent documents can delay loan approval and disbursal

State Bank of India (SBI), the country's largest lender, is poised to achieve another milestone with its home loan portfolio expected to cross the Rs 10 lakh crore mark next fiscal year, driven by robust demand and a favourable low-interest-rate regime. "Today my home loan portfolio is more than Rs 9 lakh crore...this is the single largest business unit in the bank, over 20 per cent of our total assets," SBI Chairman C S Setty told PTI. At 14 per cent growth rate, SBI is well on the path to achieve a milestone of Rs 10 lakh crore home portfolio next financial year, he said. SBI's home loan portfolio crossed Rs 9 lakh crore mark last month, making it the biggest mortgage loan provider in the country. The bank closed FY25 with the home loan book at Rs 8.31 lakh crore, registering 14.4 per cent growth over the previous financial year. SBI has built a home loan portfolio in a gradual and steady manner over the years - from Rs 1 lakh crore milestone in March 2011 to Rs 9 lakh crore in

A high credit score is critical as it enables the borrower to secure the new loan at an attractive rate

While property prices remain high, state-owned lenders are providing vital relief by holding interest rates at competitive levels

Following the RBI's repo rate cut, major public-sector lenders are offering relief to home and auto loan borrowers

Public-sector banks have the lowest entry rates but borrowers should note that private banks and HFCs maintain wider rate spreads

RBI rate cut: A fourth rate cut in 2025 has brought the repo rate to 5.25 percent, giving homebuyers room to save through lower EMIs, shorter tenures, and better lending rates

Rate gaps are wide, with state-owned banks offering the most competitive terms

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Public and private banks keep rates steady; some lenders offer loans starting as low as 7.35% this month, shows Paisabazaar data

A new rule from the RBI means banks can now reduce the 'spread' part of your floating-rate home loan sooner - and borrowers are waking up to the opportunity.