India, Feb. 8 -- Despite earning Rs.1 lakh a month and having Rs.15 lakh in savings, a Bengaluru homebuyer said owning an affordable home still feels out of reach. What once signalled financial stability now barely covers the upfront costs, as soaring apartment prices, hefty down payments, registration charges, and long-term EMIs combine to make homeownership an increasingly distant goal for the city's salaried middle class, Redditors say.

In a Reddit post, the buyer said, "I did everything I was told to do, study, get a job, save money, but owning a home still feels very far away," the post read. Even a modest flat, the user said, demands a large down payment, followed by EMIs that would consume most of the monthly income, leaving littl...