Book Review Real Estate – The Good, The Bad and The Unanswered by Deepesh Salgia
A brilliantly fused fact meets fiction splaying the 125 years of the origin, emergence, rise, and complete history of real estate in India, Real Estate: The Good, the Bad, and the Unanswered by Deepesh Salgia is a hands-on guide for anybody from academia or outside to learn and understand in depth about this field through a host of means adopted for explaining it, including analyses, debates, blog extracts, dialogues, discussions, and much more.
A compendium of the most important facts, research, and all the data you need to know about real estate, its origin, and its history dating back to 1900, Deepesh Salgia’s Real Estate: The Good, the Bad, and the Unanswered is your perfect all-in-one guide to understanding the world of real estate and housing.
Engineering is about sharpening the intellect. MBA is about learning smartness and real estate is about developing wisdom through experiences.
Indeed, real estate in today’s times has become totally varied. Synonymous with this growing change, a tightly rolled content that touches all aspects of real estate and housing, especially in a country like India, where all parameters are governed by changing dynamics and regulations, I had rarely come across a book that incorporated and put across all aspects of this ever-changing platform in a single, simplified manner.
Confused? Well, it’s really simple. Examining and exploring the ergonomics of rent control laws, cooperative housing society norms and regulations, the DDA Act, the Pagdi system, and PoA transfers, as well as the challenges of home buying faced especially by the middle class, Deepesh Salgia, director at Shapoorji Pallonji and also an avid blogger of such related issues, has put forth all of this in a simplified, relatable format that is simple to peruse, understand, and most importantly, adopt and adhere to as far as rent and real estate housing are concerned.
Yes, the issue is sure of utmost importance if you ask me, especially since, as very astutely said therein, Laadi, Gaadi, and Waadi, aka woman, car, and house, are the three epicentres upon which rest the dynamics of anyone’s life.
If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of 10 years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people
Confucius
This line, which I found commencing the first chapter of the narrative, actually sums up Deepesh’s intent and his complete vision and idea behind the book. As Deepesh candidly puts it, the experience of writing actually helped him analyse the finer nuances of the real estate industry, decode and appreciate the complexities related to policy formulation and legislative challenges, and most importantly, crack and decode the ultimate home buyer’s mindsets. An intellectual catharsis, this alleviating experience shared by him has also been an equally enlightening and elevating journey, which has been equal parts fun as well as an eye-opener, I feel.
So, along with presenting a notable history of real estate, the narrative also dealt with noteworthy issues of affordable housing, which have seldom been broached before now. Analysing all the eras (4 to be precise), Deepesh has not only provided a clear insight into the darker side of real estate, whilst including the role of a parallel economy and legislative system, but sensitive issues like politics and black money have also been handled with clear objectives, sounding them off wholly and not only academically.
Imagining the entire concept to be conveyed using the fictitious “Pinnacle” institute, I was able to understand and finely explore all aspects of housing while also drinking in its history, thanks to Deepesh’s engaging narrative.
I was also one of those who felt that with historical legacies dictating fiscal policies in our country, an unclear sort of status for real estate, a somewhat miffed kind of consumer psychology that eventually reduces supply, and people eventually making homes and living expenses through their own acts, real estate prices have been an unapproachable topic. Although thanks to this narrative, all such preconceived notions have been shattered, this was an eye-opener for affordable housing. Routing the discussion around how human behaviour impacts property prices and also how wrong expectations have actually created a flawed system in the economy, the discussions put forth by Deepesh, albeit in a fictional setup, nevertheless broke the shackles of many previously unhinged bottlenecks that had kept the sector unapproachable before now.
I was also amazed to understand how political parameters actually many times help in the betterment of the city, vis-à-vis the infamous thought that politics can seldom benefit the city or country. I mean that example where Deepesh candidly described how, during the 80s, when a section of the Muslim population wanted to have an international community gathering, then Shiv Sena head Late Shri Balasaheb Thackeray saw the greater good peeping in the garb of “city first,” allowing them to “landfill” and use the area, which today is a chunk of BKC.
In describing all four eras of real estate in India, Deepesh has given an insight that is engaging and informative and has cleared a lot of misconceptions, at least for me, pertaining to real estate knowledge.
With genuinely created expert tips for real estate success and expert advice, making the right smart realty decisions is no longer a complex procedure thanks to such candid narratives by the “pinnacles” of the field. A truly insightful read, this one is a gold mine not only for home buyers but anyone interested in dabbling in knowledge and info related to realty, investment in it and much more. Candid, concise and written in a simple, indulgent fashion, Deepesh has created a brilliant handbook of realty which actually clocks wisdom in a subtle yet subversive manner, sublimely covering not only the broader aspects but the finer points too. A must-read, I feel, for everyone.
About time, you made yourself acquainted with data and knowledge you should make yourself privy to, for your own betterment and future. Thus, to sum it up, through a multi-point perspective, aka developers, regulators, and most importantly the consumers, Deepesh has synopsized realty knowledge apt for theorists, consumers, practitioners and all those who wish to partake of this wealth of information.
So, I hope you guys liked my book review Real Estate – The Good, The Bad and The Unanswered by Deepesh Salgia
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