Do this
โข Maintain CIBIL 750+ โ saves 0.25โ0.50% p.a.
โข Add a woman co-borrower โ most lenders give 0.05โ0.10% extra off
โข Compare at least 3 lenders before committing
โข Apply during festive offers (OctโNov) โ many lenders waive processing fee
โข Ask specifically: "What is the final rate after all loading?" โ the advertised rate is often the floor
โข For โน75L+ loans, SBI's special schemes often beat NBFCs
Avoid this
โข Taking the first offer from your salary bank without comparing
โข Ignoring processing fee โ โน30Kโโน60K is real money
โข Multiple hard enquiries in short time โ each one drops your CIBIL by 5โ10 points
โข Choosing fixed rate without understanding the lock-in period implications
โข Overlooking prepayment penalty clauses in the fine print
Rates as of November 2024. These are base floating rates โ your actual sanctioned rate depends on CIBIL, income, property type, LTV ratio, and internal bank assessment. Processing fees range from 0.25%โ1% or โน5,000โโน25,000 flat (whichever is lower at NBFCs). Always get a written Rate Offer Letter before submitting all documents.