India, June 14 -- We often come across headlines highlighting the booming demand in the luxury real estate segment, with properties worth crores flying off the shelves. While many of these homes are being snapped up by business owners and startup founders, it raises a broader question: Who else is buying such expensive properties? And if you're drawing a healthy salary, how expensive a home can you realistically afford? Probably not a Rs.10 crore apartment, but what about something more modest, like a flat worth Rs.2 crore?

Take, for instance, Bengaluru-based IT professionals Raktim Mitra and Rupsa Mitra, both in their 40s. The couple recently purchased a home worth nearly Rs.2 crore. With a combined annual income of Rs.75 lakh, they fal...