
Rising real estate prices despite COVID-19
Despite the coronavirus crisis, condominiums were on average 1.3 percent more expensive in the second quarter of this year than at the beginning of the year. The current housing index from research company F+B shows an increase of almost 6 percent compared to the second quarter of 2019.
surprisingly, the increase in condominiums was exceeded this time by price increases for single-family and two-family houses. These rose by 2.9 percent compared to the previous quarter and by as much as nine percent year-on-year. This trend is particularly unusual given that prices for condominiums in Germany have almost always risen significantly more than those for houses over the past ten years.
Price increase for single-family homes
The Housing Index does not provide any information on whether the sharp rise in prices for single-family homes is due to increased demand resulting from the coronavirus crisis, for example because families are looking for more space and gardens. In any case, the timing is striking. One possible explanation offered by economists is that the effects on the real estate market always occur with a time lag. Price reductions are still possible and are closely linked to the further course of the coronavirus crisis.
No increase in rents
Unlike purchase prices, rents have hardly risen at all in the past two years. In the second quarter, rents for new contracts rose only minimally, by 0.4 percent compared to the previous quarter and by one percent year-on-year. Existing rents rose by 1.3 percent compared to the previous year.
The real estate boom in Germany has now been going on for a good ten years. A correction would therefore not come as a surprise. The long period of strong economic growth, rising incomes, and the shortage of housing in cities have driven up prices enormously in many places. Low interest rates are also making real estate financing cheap, and investors are increasingly looking for returns in the housing market.
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Not found what you're looking for?
- https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/6654/umfrage/immobilienpreise-fuer-eigentumswohnungen-in-deutschen-staedten-2008/
- https://www.deutschlandinzahlen.de/tab/deutschland/finanzen/preise/immobilienpreisindex
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immobilie
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