A land loan is different from housing or home loan granted by banks or financial institutes for those borrowers or buyers who aren’t ready to begin construction at this time or just wants to buy a plot. Usually, banks insist that the plot of land be purchased from a recognised authority such as the development authority of the city, from a society, or from a recognised developer. The loan amount has no relation to the market value of the property. Most banks specify a limit for the loan-to-value ratio that they would finance for a land purchase. It could vary from 70 to 80 percent of the registered value. The maximum loan amount that banks or financial institutes lend for the purchase of a plot of land differ from one bank to another.
Many different factors can go into an approval for a land loan, including future plans, and the down payment.In addition to the normal documentation, some additional documents are required to avail a land loan. These include original documents regarding ownership of land, no encumbrance certificate certifying that the land is not already mortgaged from the registrar’s office, layout drawing (as approved by the city development or planning authority) of the location where the plot of land is located with details of the precise location of the plot and its surrounding areas, no objection certificate from the society for sale and transfer of land, revenue receipts confirming payment of land dues to the government and tax receipts for taxes paid by the owner of the land.
The repayment of the loan is through equated monthly instalments (EMIs), just like in case of other home loans. However, the tenure of these loans is usually shorter – up to 10 years. It is to be noted that no tax benefits are available on land loans. The interest paid on the money borrowed for the purchase of land is not eligible for income tax deductions. However, once the borrower converts the land loan into a housing loan to finance the construction of a residential property, he can avail the tax benefits available under the Income Tax Act.