Sattva Water's Edge

Sattva Water's Edge stands in Zuarinagar, part of Sancoale in South Goa, close to M.E.S. College. No pincode has been given for the site. The biggest daily fact of life here is the airport: Dabolim is roughly five minutes by car, so a Friday evening flight becomes a short taxi ride rather than a long drive across the state.

Trains are nearly as easy, with the Dabolim station around 1.7 km off. For a family living here all year, SMRC Hospital lies roughly 2.8 km away and Navy Children School roughly 2.9 km, so a school run and a doctor's visit stay short.

Weekends pull you towards Bogmalo Beach, around 5 km down the road. With a college and an airport nearby, this part of Sancoale keeps its shops and services open through the monsoon rather than shutting after the season.

Before you buy, drive up the approach road on the slope, since that is your route home every day. Stand on a balcony at the hour you would usually be in, and listen for planes. Also time the trip to the closest market for fish and vegetables.

Sattva Water's Edge offers three configurations, all measured as saleable area. One-bedroom homes range between 945 and 1,035 sq ft, a generous size for the type. Two-bedroom homes run between 1,645 and 1,710 sq ft, and three-bedroom homes between 2,355 and 2,415 sq ft. The builder has not given carpet areas; request them before you compare.

No developer price list exists. Listings show Rs. 45.88 Lakhs to Rs. 50.25 Lakhs for one bedroom, Rs. 79.86 Lakhs to Rs. 83.02 Lakhs for two, and Rs. 1.15 Crore to Rs. 1.17 Crore for three. At the entry figure the rate is near Rs. 4,900 a sq ft. In a building of five floors, the upper levels get the view, so expect a difference by floor.

GST does not apply to a flat whose block holds an occupancy certificate. If the block has no such certificate yet, GST is charged. Every purchase also carries Goa stamp duty and registration. Ask for a cost sheet listing:

• Base price and the saleable area it is charged on
• Floor or view premium, if any
• Car park charge and number of bays
• Clubhouse fee and estate management deposit
• GST as a separate line, if it applies
• Stamp duty and registration

Sattva Water's Edge carries the Goa RERA registration AGG004180065 in listings. The builder's own website leaves it out, so request the registration certificate and look the number up on the state's RERA website. Check that the promoter, the land and the plans on file match what you are being sold.

Because the project is sold as ready while the builder's website lags behind, the occupancy certificate is your first request. With it in hand, collect:

• The occupancy certificate for your specific block
• Construction licence and approved building plans
• Title papers for the land and an encumbrance search
• A draft sale deed with the unit's area filled in
• A cost sheet with taxes and deposits on separate lines

If the block turns out to be without that certificate, treat the deal as an under-construction purchase. You then want an agreement for sale with a firm handover date and a payment schedule tied to progress.

At handover, register the sale deed and move the house tax, power and water connections into your name. Buying resale? Add the seller's own deed and a letter from the estate office showing no maintenance dues.

Sattva Water's Edge puts five low blocks on a slope of close to 4.7 acres, each a stilt level with five floors above, and 96 households sharing the grounds. Launch material spoke of four blocks; the builder now names five, so ask for the sanctioned layout and see which blocks look out to sea and which look uphill.

A morning could begin on the yoga deck, then a session in the gym and a lap in the pool. Club Water's Edge is the clubhouse at the centre of things, with a games room for rainy days. Joggers get a track around the site, and there are cricket nets for anyone who wants a few overs before breakfast.

Children have a play area of their own, set among the landscaped gardens. In the evening the amphitheatre is the place for a small show or a community gathering, and the party area handles birthdays and family dinners. All of these are facilities as the developer planned them, and since the project is being sold as finished, walk through each one on your visit.

If you will be away much of the year, the estate management arrangement matters more than any single facility. Ask what it covers, how it is billed and how the association is run.