DO you remember having the time of your life on your 15th birthday, only to have your elder sister storm in and put off the music? She was the party pooper because she brought the party to a grinding halt.

We are hoping that taxes and fees won't do the same to the real estate party that is rocking our country today. People have made their fortunes, educated their children and travelled the world through smart investments in real estate.

Before you sink a pile of cash, beware of the party poopers.

Sandeep Sadh, CEO, Mumbai Property Exchange, identifies four of the biggest villains starring in the property drama.

Now starring: Capital gains tax (aka Cruelty)!
Until last year, if you sold your property and invested the sale proceeds in specific bonds issued by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and the National Housing Bank, you would save capital gains tax on the sale proceeds.

Even with their lock-in period of 3 years, and minimal returns, they were the hot favourites if you wanted to escape tax.

But the party soon ended. The Finance Ministry decided to restrict the tax benefit to investments in National Highways Authority of India and Rural Electrification Corporation bonds as well as fixed a ceiling of Rs 6,500 crore (Rs 65 billion).

With these two avenues of investment filled, the government has no plans to raise the limit or come out with any other viable option.

If you are congratulating yourself on a Rs 30 lakh (Rs 3 million), profit for a house bought for Rs 50 lakh (Rs 5 million), and then sold it three years later at Rs 80 lakh (Rs 8 million), pause a bit.

You might stand to lose 22.44 per cent as income tax, ie, nearly Rs 6.75 lakh (Rs 670,000)!

It is worse if you don't hold on for three years, in which case you will pay 33.66 per cent!

Photograph: Allauddin Khan/Associated Press