Billionaire broker Nikhil Kamath buys home, leaves internet debating on renting vs. owning a house
Oct 20, 2024, 14:32 IST
In a surprising turn of events, Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of India's biggest discount brokerage firm Zerodha, left the internet divided by purchasing a house, despite recently having advocated voraciously for renting property in his popular podcast "WTF."
Comedian Sonali Thakkar Desai took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight this U-turn, noting that "Nikhil Kamath has bought a house after advocating for so long about how “renting is the best; only fools would buy property." So let this be a lesson to literally everyone who listened to him or any other finance bro and based their real estate decisions on rubbish reels."
She further added that "Mutual funds and Nikhil Kamath's opinions are subject to market risk".
Kamath, who has a net worth of $3.1 billion, acknowledged that a lack of control over one's living situation is one of the biggest drawbacks of renting, noting a personal incident where he had to unwillingly and unexpectedly move out of a house. However, he maintained his skeptical attitude toward real estate as an investment, calling it illiquid and arbitrarily priced in the high-end housing market.
Kamath also highlighted that due to the sky-scraping costs associated with buying property, like stamp duties of 5-6% on property transactions, it is not economically feasible to frequently buy and sell real estate, as opposed to other asset classes like gold, stocks, and more.
On his podcast, Kamath also highlighted that renting does not always translate into a profitable business. "I think nobody makes money from buying and renting a place. You do not have occupancy throughout the year for something like AirBnB. Accounting for inflation and interest rates, the return on this investment is negligible," he said.
Kamath's decision has reignited the never-ending debate between renting and buying property. While some social media users pointed out that for the wealthy, the choice between renting and buying is largely inconsequential, others emphasized the immense emotional and stability benefits that came along with homeownership.
Kartik Rangappa, who heads Zerodha's Varsity, recently tweeted that it is okay to keep the math and Excel sheets behind buying a house aside if it gives you a sense of security and peace of mind.
"Owning a house versus renting is an endless debate often backed by elaborate excel sheet math. Keep the math aside and buy a home if it make you feel secure and gives you peace of mind. Peace of mind >> Excel sheet math," he tweeted on October 16, 2024.
There is no denying the fact that owning a house is an expensive affair and a long-term financial commitment as well. Recent report from FICCI and ANAROCK suggest that the average budget range for a 2BHK in Gurgaon is anywhere between Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1.3 crore. Getting a 2BHK in Noida, another prominent satellite town of Delhi, can cost up to Rs 85 lakh to Rs 1.20 crore.
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Comedian Sonali Thakkar Desai took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight this U-turn, noting that "Nikhil Kamath has bought a house after advocating for so long about how “renting is the best; only fools would buy property." So let this be a lesson to literally everyone who listened to him or any other finance bro and based their real estate decisions on rubbish reels."
She further added that "Mutual funds and Nikhil Kamath's opinions are subject to market risk".
Kamath, who has a net worth of $3.1 billion, acknowledged that a lack of control over one's living situation is one of the biggest drawbacks of renting, noting a personal incident where he had to unwillingly and unexpectedly move out of a house. However, he maintained his skeptical attitude toward real estate as an investment, calling it illiquid and arbitrarily priced in the high-end housing market.
Kamath also highlighted that due to the sky-scraping costs associated with buying property, like stamp duties of 5-6% on property transactions, it is not economically feasible to frequently buy and sell real estate, as opposed to other asset classes like gold, stocks, and more.
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Kamath's decision has reignited the never-ending debate between renting and buying property. While some social media users pointed out that for the wealthy, the choice between renting and buying is largely inconsequential, others emphasized the immense emotional and stability benefits that came along with homeownership.
Kartik Rangappa, who heads Zerodha's Varsity, recently tweeted that it is okay to keep the math and Excel sheets behind buying a house aside if it gives you a sense of security and peace of mind.
"Owning a house versus renting is an endless debate often backed by elaborate excel sheet math. Keep the math aside and buy a home if it make you feel secure and gives you peace of mind. Peace of mind >> Excel sheet math," he tweeted on October 16, 2024.
There is no denying the fact that owning a house is an expensive affair and a long-term financial commitment as well. Recent report from FICCI and ANAROCK suggest that the average budget range for a 2BHK in Gurgaon is anywhere between Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1.3 crore. Getting a 2BHK in Noida, another prominent satellite town of Delhi, can cost up to Rs 85 lakh to Rs 1.20 crore.
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As it is, with the central bank not looking to cut rates anytime soon, home loan interest rates are set to remain elevated, meaning higher EMI outflows from your pockets if you are looking to buy a home in the present environment.