Rentals are generally charged at 2-3 per cent of the property value while home loan rates are at about 7 per cent. Until 2-3 years ago, this gap used to be over 6%. In purely mathematical terms, even now, renting an apartment is better than buying if the property appreciates less than 5 per cent per year on an average. However, if laying down roots is a priority and the resale value of the apartment is not the most important criterion, this is the best time to buy in over two decades. The tapering off of property prices, rising incomes (slowly and gradually), and the lowest interest rates India has ever seen make it a great time to buy. Given the plethora of property choices at various price points that Indian consumers now have, the next few years will see strong growth in the housing finance sector led by end consumers.