A Mumbai-based chartered accountant (CA) has set off a lively debate online after arguing that his father made excellent returns on a property deal, despite
selling it for exactly the same price he paid seven years earlier. The post has prompted thousands of people to rethink what the word "returns" actually means when it comes to buying a home. The debate began when CA Dhanesh Gianani shared his father's experience on X, formerly Twitter. His post read: "Dad bought a 2BHK in Mumbai for Rs 5 crore in 2019. Dad sold it for Rs 5 crore in 2026. He actually made crazy returns. Few understand this." At first glance, the numbers confused many readers. The buying price and the selling price were identical, which suggested that no profit had been made at all. Yet the post spread rapidly, drawing thousands of responses from people eager to work out what Gianani actually meant.
The Rent Argument
The most popular explanation that emerged in the comments was straightforward. The family had lived in one of Mumbai's most expensive housing markets for seven years without paying a single rupee in rent. In a city, where renting a two-bedroom flat can cost anywhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh per month, the savings over seven years would run into several crores. When viewed through this lens, the family effectively got years of comfortable, stable housing for free, which many users argued is a very significant financial benefit in itself.
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"First He saved Rent. If rent was ₹1–1.5L/month → that's ₹12–18L/year Over 7 years → ₹80L–₹1.2Cr saved not considered appreciation on rent. Second since selling price is same as buying price of registry then he saved in capital gain tax...however he earned huge gains in cash and invested somewhere," said a social media user.
"Crazy how people only look at the selling price and miss the real gains. He lived in Mumbai for 7 years in a prime asset, likely saved massive rent, enjoyed appreciation cycles, and parked money in a stable market. Returns aren’t always just profit on paper — sometimes it’s lifestyle + inflation hedge + zero loss. That’s a win most people don’t understand," said another.
Capital Preservation and Inflation
Another school of thought in the thread focused on what the family managed to avoid rather than what they gained. Mumbai's real estate market, like most property markets, can be unpredictable. Prices can fall, properties can become difficult to sell, and owners can be left sitting on assets that are worth less than what they paid. The fact that Gianani's father recovered his full Rs 5 crore investment after seven years, without any loss, was seen by many as a genuinely good outcome.
"the dad earned strong rental income (yield) from the Mumbai 2BHK over 7 years, even though the sale price matched the 2019 purchase price nominally. Total returns = rent collected + any capital gain. Most people fixate only on appreciation and miss the steady cash flow from rent. That's the "crazy returns" point. What do you think??"
Some users also raised the point of inflation. While the flat's price stayed the same on paper, the real value of Rs 5 crore in 2026 is lower than it was in 2019 because of inflation. However, the same argument applies to almost any asset, and many commenters felt that simply preserving capital in a volatile market, while enjoying the property throughout, was still a respectable result.
The debate continues online, but the central question it raised is one that anyone considering buying property would do well to think about: what does a good return on a home actually look like, and is a rising price the only way to measure it?
