A Bengaluru techie’s Reddit post has sparked a debate on housing affordability after he said being laid off caused ‘no immediate stress,’ largely because he chose to stay on rent near work instead of buying a home on EMI.
The tech professional, who said he had been recently laid off from a large technology firm, shared that he had deliberately chosen to rent rather than purchase a ₹2 crore home, despite having the financial capacity.
“Last year, I was on the lookout for a 3BHK in Bangalore. My net worth (including stocks) was enough to comfortably buy a 2 crore house. But since I was directly working on a team working on AI migration, I had a fair idea of what was coming in the next 2-3 years. I decided to stay on rent closer to the office instead of buying a house 1 hr away and paying EMI for it. Last week I got laid off, and I couldn’t be happier. I didn’t take up a huge EMI. I can just focus on planning my next career move,” he wrote.
He argued that a large portion of Bengaluru’s housing demand is structurally tied to salaried IT employees who rely on easy credit and long-term income stability. According to his estimate, 70–80% of such buyers are employed in service-based firms, where roles could increasingly be automated over the next three to five years.
AI and geopolitical instability continue to delay decision-making
Redditors said that concerns around global conflicts, rapid AI adoption, and rising housing supply are prompting many buyers to delay decision-making, with several indicating they would rather wait for the next two years.
“Global War, AI adoption, too much supply. I will wait for another 2 years and be okay if the prices shoot up again. But the downside of not investing right now is very obvious. Peace of mind imaginary real estate FOMO,” one of the Redditors said.
Other buyers also pointed out that many are eager to wait longer before buying a house. “Frankly, I was in a similar scenario. I almost finalised a 3 cr property, but the way the AI advanced, I can clearly see that if they cut my team in half, it would have zero impact on our deliverables. I just decided to wait it out and see,” one of the Redditors wrote.
“Mirrors what I think. I was inches away from buying a home a few months back, had the legal work done, and got laid off during that time. Luckily, I stepped back, prepared for my next role, and landed it quickly. Can’t imagine the stress if I had EMIs on my head,” another user wrote.
Buyers also said that poor infrastructure and water quality in Bengaluru do not justify the sharply elevated prices of residential flats, with many questioning the sustainability of such home prices.
One user claimed that developers often project near sell-outs to create urgency, while unsold inventory continues to be marketed through brokers.
“I personally went and visited 20+ projects from Thannisandra to Varthur around August 2025. Almost all developers told me they have only 2-3 units left; the rest is sold out. I still get calls from these builders to buy at prices less than what they were 6 months back. They just create FOMO to hype up the demand. Most units are bought by brokers and insiders and offloaded at FOMO prices,” the Redditor said.
Rising EMIs likely to add financial pressure for homebuyers
Financial advisors caution that increasing home loan EMIs are becoming a significant burden for urban buyers, especially in a job market marked by uncertainty. Buyers stretching their budgets to purchase property may find themselves particularly vulnerable, as high monthly repayments leave limited room for other expenses, even in dual-income households, they said
Financial planner Suresh Sadagopan highlighted that many individuals fail to fully account for how quickly fixed commitments like EMIs can erode disposable income. Once these obligations, along with routine living costs, consume a large share of earnings, households may find it difficult to handle unforeseen expenses such as medical emergencies, education costs, or temporary income loss.
He said that sustaining high EMIs often requires disciplined financial management, including curbing non-essential spending, avoiding additional debt, and closely monitoring monthly cash flows.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
