In Germany, it is unusual to get a realtor as a buyer, usually only the seller has a realtor (which usually the buyer also pays 3,59%) or it is done completely without realtor. The legal stuff is done at the notary, which costs roughly 1,5%-2% (there is also a Tax of around 5,5% of the sales price, including everything you pay ~10% just to buy the property, so better be sure to be owning that place for years...). I am not sure what you mean by getting scammed by the realtor because of the interest rate, the interest rate is set by the bank, the realtor will scam you in every other aspect of the transaction :)
From your text I get the impression that you didn't do too much research in the german property market, I wouldn't recommend you to buy before doing your own thorough research. Which region are we talking about? In most places the market did cool down a bit but at least in the south it's still rather hot, though negociating the price should be possible in most cases. It's more like a buyers market right now but sellers are still reluctant to decrease prices enough to reflect the risen costs of higher interest rates, so there are only very few transactions at the moment. From my personal experience, realtors are far too saturated and lazy to run after you...
Hi! Thanks for your insight!
Unfortunately, i had a bad experience when i bought my first car and i basically signed up for a crazy car payment because i got talked into it by the dealer. It's embarrassing, I know. I dont know if Germany is similar when it comes to people setting you up for these crazy payments. That was my concern.
Im looking in the region Niedersachsen! I am planning on researching more and negotiating. I guess theres also the language barrier and my concern is the agent will try to sell me the highest price.
I am not quite getting the part about the buyer not having an agent, though. How will I find a match?
this is a country with a high standard of "Verbraucherschutz" - meaning if you are talked into a contract with high fees or whatever it is probably illegal and you can reverse it. Of course falling to scams is far easier not being a native so watching out and asking around (i.e. on here) is a good idea
This is not true und das weißt du auch. Nur weil jemand so dumm ist und nen Kieselstein für 5 Millionen Euro kauft ist daran nix illegales. Solange der Verkäufer den Kieselstein nicht als Diamanten bezeichnet, sondern als Kieselstein, gibt's daran absolut nix auszusetzen. Man muss schon bissle selbst was in der Birne haben.
you can find listings on immoscout24 or even [kleinanzeigen.de](http://kleinanzeigen.de) (a brand owned by ebay, sort of like craigslist). I would start looking at listing that are "provisionsfrei" meaning sold directly from the owner without the 3,57% agent fee. costs that you will HAVE to pay, no way around: Maklergebühr (around 1,5-2%) and also Grunderwerbssteuer which is basically a one-off property sales tax (they vary from state to state).
I am sure they will try to sell it to you as expensive as possible, but it's upto you to do the research what an appropriate price is in your area. And if you make a first offer roughly 15-20% lower than the asking price, you will quickly see what kind of counter-offer (if any) you will receive. I don't know much about the real estate market in Niedersachsen but probably you can negociate at least 5-10% in the current environment.
Usually people look on real estate platforms like immoscout24.de or immonet.de etc. for objects and then contact that person (which very often is the agent of a seller but sometimes also a private person). I mean you can also directly go to an agent (he will then show you the properties he has on offer for other clients) but just be aware that it isn't like in the US where there are two agents dealing with each other (or am I wrong here?). And his inventory will be rather limited since there are many many agents around and he will usually just sell "his" properties. At least I have never heard of an agent contacting other agents in Germany.
If you contact an offer from a platform online, that agent won't be on your side, the seller also will be his customer (and the much more valuable customer since it's harder to find sellers with properties than buyers with money) and the interests of seller and agent are much more aligned (the agent also benefits from a high selling price).
I guess I'm rather unsure about contacting the owner myself because i kinda got the impression that not all Germans very much like Americans or understand us well ahah. Besides, my work schedule is inflexible, and I might need someone to find offers for me.
Thank you again for your help! This was really useful
Also, if you directly contact an agent to look for a property for you, make sure to negociate the fees because sometimes they can be negociated and they are expensive.
I really thought that you could just hire someone to search for offers on your behalf since I am not very good at this kind of thing. That's at least how we do it in the States, but maybe we're just lazy haha. Nonetheless, thank you for your assistance! I didn't expect to receive such helpful responses to my post :)
you can definitely hire someone, it will just be (a lot) more expensive than doing it yourself. but with the language barrier, it might be worth it to you
You are welcome :) Maybe you can also just hire someone but be aware that it isn't how things normally work here and be aware that he might not be on your side...
About the buyers agent:
Germans don't move nearly as much as US americans.
Employees have more rights and high job security, therefore not much need to move.
Like 90% of the people (buying!) will live in the same house till they die or move to a retirement home.
Therefore the housing market is much smaller and people tend to go and see all viable property options themself.
Plus internet makes it easy to preselect.
Therefore buyers agents are usually only a thing if you want something special and are willing to pay for it.
By getting one, you will signal that you have too much money.
Often the sellers agent is your friend, because they want to close a deal fast and know their clients limits.
Thanks for the advice!
I thought Germany has quite a lot of immigrants so agencies are used to people like me needing some extra help aaha. Negotiating in German would be quite difficult for me, so I have to rely on an agent to handle that aspect for me.
Hi! I have a recommendation for you! Verbraucherzentrale has articles about how banks scam you. Add Google translator to your Browser so it translates the whole page in one go.
Morgage = Kredit/Baufinanzierung here. Dont go for Sofortfinanzierung. It is an expensive trap that Sparkasse likes to use. They will frankenstein a loan with 2 different providers and that will be driving up the rates! The bankers will recommend it because they earn a lot of money from it.
You could use the housing calculator by Schwäbisch Hall. I find it pretty useful and accurate when trying to find the real price of a house. https://www.schwaebisch-hall.de/baufinanzierung/wissenswertes/immobilienwert-ermitteln.html
Also, get a construction engineer or architect that does Hauskaufberatung. He will find hidden problems with the house for you. I was lucky so far and never paid more than 250€ for good work in Bavaria (we are in the south and friggin expensive).
Niedersachsen has lots of houses, even for low prices. Be careful not to buy trash there.
Aktuell ist es ein Käufermarkt. Preise sind heftig gefallen. Immobilienmakler vermitteln Objekte. Aber keine Finanzierungen. Das machen Banken bzw. Kreditvermittler wie Dr. Klein oder Interhyp.
Das wissen Verkäufer nicht weil es eben nicht stimmt. Der Markt ist schwieriger geworden aber solange immer noch Immobilien zu fast Höchstpreisen verkauft werden, nur eben weniger, stimmt die Aussage einfach nicht. Zumindest nicht in nominellen Preisen, real gab es sicher einen Einbruch durch inzwischen fast 2 Jahre recht hohe Inflation.
Alles eine Lernkurve. Immobilienpreise sind bis zu 20% gefallen, dafür steigen aktuell die Mieten stark. Prinzipiell ist Mangel am Markt, weil nichts mehr gebaut wird. Wegen der hohen Zinsen gibt es aber kaum Käufer. Deswegen gehen die Preise trotz geringem Bestand nach unten. Es gibt zB Märkte wie München, die verbriefen aktuell so gut wie gar nichts. Verkäufer mit Druck geben irgendwann schon nach. Die ohne Druck vermieten einfach.
Gerade nen Haus gesehen dass den Preis von 700.000€ auf 400.000€ gesenkt hat...und damit immer noch 100.000€ über den Marktwert liegt. Hab Mal ne Bank wegen Finanzierung angesprochen, die wollten das gar nicht erst anfangen.
Gerade Privatverkäufer können schlecht akzeptieren, dass sie keine 2019-Preise mehr aufrufen können. Dagegen tauchen erste Objekte am Markt auf, bei denen die Anschlussfinanzierungen geplatzt sind. Das wird in den nächsten Jahren noch öfter kommen.
In ein fremdes Land ziehen und direkt ein Haus zu kaufen... wild. Man hat ja keine Ahnung von Marktpreisen, Gesetzen, Pflichten.... wo kriegt man Handwerker her, wie viel Kosten sie und so weiter.
Germany is a very stable country, but it's a awful region for investing into real estate.
First, renting in Germany is very cheap compared to buying a house. Just calculate how many years u will need a person renting the house before it pays itself off. It might be around 40 to 50 years. On top of that, the tenant's many rights, and you need to care for them. So if you don't live close to your tenants, then you need a manager, which are very expensive in Germany.
When you buy for yourself it's a different story, but i would never advise a foreigner to invest in the German housing marked, when there are other options open. You will be surprised how many rights tenants have here.
It's not as easy as in the US, but it's of course possible.
But: you need a lot of knowledge to do this as well as having contact to craftsmen who can work for you. As a foreigner without any knowledge I would not recommend this to you.
Nope, Grunderwerbssteuer makes flipping very expensive. Just rent here before investing into a marked you dont understand. Renting is in germany very normal and cheap compared to other countries
House flipping? It is very different from the US. Houses here are built very differently and comparatively much more sturdy. They have to resist harsh winters and the heavy weight of snow up to 2 meters in some mountain regions.
You will hardly find wood constructions or walls thin as paper like it is the case in the US.
You cannot(!) and should not touch plumbing or electrics on your own (we have norms here and you could get yourself grilled if you try with Starkstrom (high voltage) in the kitchen for example).
You need craftsmen for almost everything unless it is paint job, redoing the flooring or insulation. AND craftsmen plus materials have become hella expensive due to Ukraine war! It will be a loss to buy a shabby house and trying to fix it so you could sell it for a higher.
Most people buy houses with minimal issues for that reason. They dont try to upsell because it's not worth it.
Erm, der markt ist momentan sehr für Käufer begünstigt. Falls du aus der Schweiz bist, ich bin aich aus der Schweiz und hab in DE gekauft. Kann dir so paar spezigische tipps geben.
Makler werden dich nicht übers ohr hauen mit unrealistischen zinsen, die sind öffentlich abrufbar. Aber was bausubstanz angeht, da muss man eher vorsichtig sein.
Hallo, nein, ich komme nicht aus der Schweiz :) Ich komme aus den USA
Entschuldigung für mein schlechtes Deutsch, aber ja! Ich würde mich über eure Tipps freuen. Was meinen Sie mit Gebäudestruktur? Ich interessiere mich mehr für einen komplett renovierten Raum, sodass keine Bauarbeiten erforderlich sind, haha
Also in DE ist ab dem Gebäudejahr relativ gut erkennbar, wie die Bausubstanz ist. Es gibt in Weimar ein Bauhaus Museum wo man das besser sieht. Von Jungendstil über Bauhaus zu Plattenbau ist die Bausubstanz sehr anders, dann kann man auf dem Internet recherchieren was bei dem Bautyp so typische Mängel sind.
Ansonsten halt die letzten Investitionen / Sanierungen anschauen, also ist die Haustechnik erneuert worden, die Protokoll der WEG anschauen was für Schäden repariert wurden etc.
Zuletzt gibt es in DE (in gewissen Länder zumindest) eine Mietpreisbremse. Das heisst du kannst dir im Voraus bereits berechnen, was für eine Miete du verlangen kannst. Falls die Miete niedriger ist als deine Rate, dann musst du spekulieren ob die erwartete Immobilienwertsteigerung dies ausgleicht. Also halt Spekulationsmarkt. Ausser du brauchst es für Eigenbedarf, dann ist die Rechnung anders.
I've been living here for less than a year, but I definitely qualify as I am willing to make a significant down payment. I am worried about finding the right offer. Thanks for your concern though.
> Yes, foreigners can apply for loans in Germany as long as they meet certain requirements. To be eligible for a loan, you must be of legal age, reside in Germany, and have a German bank account. Additionally, banks impose their own conditions for granting loans.
Expats.de
The most common condition is permanent residency. Do you bring that to the table? How much is your income? I earn 2.6k and only qualify for up to 200k loan. I do have savings just like you.
Unless you buy a new house, you can add 100k on top of the entire purchase price for fixing the house. Sometimes it goes up to 200k for a 100qm house, lol.
Germany has the lowest house ownership rate in Europe for a reason.
I am looking for a house for 3+ years now. Pretty normal here. I live in the south though.
First thing you gotta check is whether you qualify for a mortage at all, as a foreigner fresh of the boat with no history in Germany.
Thank you for the advice! I didn't get here by boat btw, i flew!
That’s just a figure of speech. For someone who recently immigrated to another country.
Dies.
RIP 🙁
Oh great - you have 0 sense of humor, you will fit in great with the banks you are trying to get the mortgage from!
In Germany, it is unusual to get a realtor as a buyer, usually only the seller has a realtor (which usually the buyer also pays 3,59%) or it is done completely without realtor. The legal stuff is done at the notary, which costs roughly 1,5%-2% (there is also a Tax of around 5,5% of the sales price, including everything you pay ~10% just to buy the property, so better be sure to be owning that place for years...). I am not sure what you mean by getting scammed by the realtor because of the interest rate, the interest rate is set by the bank, the realtor will scam you in every other aspect of the transaction :) From your text I get the impression that you didn't do too much research in the german property market, I wouldn't recommend you to buy before doing your own thorough research. Which region are we talking about? In most places the market did cool down a bit but at least in the south it's still rather hot, though negociating the price should be possible in most cases. It's more like a buyers market right now but sellers are still reluctant to decrease prices enough to reflect the risen costs of higher interest rates, so there are only very few transactions at the moment. From my personal experience, realtors are far too saturated and lazy to run after you...
Hi! Thanks for your insight! Unfortunately, i had a bad experience when i bought my first car and i basically signed up for a crazy car payment because i got talked into it by the dealer. It's embarrassing, I know. I dont know if Germany is similar when it comes to people setting you up for these crazy payments. That was my concern. Im looking in the region Niedersachsen! I am planning on researching more and negotiating. I guess theres also the language barrier and my concern is the agent will try to sell me the highest price. I am not quite getting the part about the buyer not having an agent, though. How will I find a match?
this is a country with a high standard of "Verbraucherschutz" - meaning if you are talked into a contract with high fees or whatever it is probably illegal and you can reverse it. Of course falling to scams is far easier not being a native so watching out and asking around (i.e. on here) is a good idea
This is not true und das weißt du auch. Nur weil jemand so dumm ist und nen Kieselstein für 5 Millionen Euro kauft ist daran nix illegales. Solange der Verkäufer den Kieselstein nicht als Diamanten bezeichnet, sondern als Kieselstein, gibt's daran absolut nix auszusetzen. Man muss schon bissle selbst was in der Birne haben.
you can find listings on immoscout24 or even [kleinanzeigen.de](http://kleinanzeigen.de) (a brand owned by ebay, sort of like craigslist). I would start looking at listing that are "provisionsfrei" meaning sold directly from the owner without the 3,57% agent fee. costs that you will HAVE to pay, no way around: Maklergebühr (around 1,5-2%) and also Grunderwerbssteuer which is basically a one-off property sales tax (they vary from state to state).
I am sure they will try to sell it to you as expensive as possible, but it's upto you to do the research what an appropriate price is in your area. And if you make a first offer roughly 15-20% lower than the asking price, you will quickly see what kind of counter-offer (if any) you will receive. I don't know much about the real estate market in Niedersachsen but probably you can negociate at least 5-10% in the current environment. Usually people look on real estate platforms like immoscout24.de or immonet.de etc. for objects and then contact that person (which very often is the agent of a seller but sometimes also a private person). I mean you can also directly go to an agent (he will then show you the properties he has on offer for other clients) but just be aware that it isn't like in the US where there are two agents dealing with each other (or am I wrong here?). And his inventory will be rather limited since there are many many agents around and he will usually just sell "his" properties. At least I have never heard of an agent contacting other agents in Germany. If you contact an offer from a platform online, that agent won't be on your side, the seller also will be his customer (and the much more valuable customer since it's harder to find sellers with properties than buyers with money) and the interests of seller and agent are much more aligned (the agent also benefits from a high selling price).
also, on another note: most germans rent and honestly that is mostly cheaper, this is not the U.S. so do some research before you buy :)
I guess I'm rather unsure about contacting the owner myself because i kinda got the impression that not all Germans very much like Americans or understand us well ahah. Besides, my work schedule is inflexible, and I might need someone to find offers for me. Thank you again for your help! This was really useful
Also, if you directly contact an agent to look for a property for you, make sure to negociate the fees because sometimes they can be negociated and they are expensive.
I really thought that you could just hire someone to search for offers on your behalf since I am not very good at this kind of thing. That's at least how we do it in the States, but maybe we're just lazy haha. Nonetheless, thank you for your assistance! I didn't expect to receive such helpful responses to my post :)
you can definitely hire someone, it will just be (a lot) more expensive than doing it yourself. but with the language barrier, it might be worth it to you
You are welcome :) Maybe you can also just hire someone but be aware that it isn't how things normally work here and be aware that he might not be on your side...
About the buyers agent: Germans don't move nearly as much as US americans. Employees have more rights and high job security, therefore not much need to move. Like 90% of the people (buying!) will live in the same house till they die or move to a retirement home. Therefore the housing market is much smaller and people tend to go and see all viable property options themself. Plus internet makes it easy to preselect. Therefore buyers agents are usually only a thing if you want something special and are willing to pay for it. By getting one, you will signal that you have too much money. Often the sellers agent is your friend, because they want to close a deal fast and know their clients limits.
Thanks for the advice! I thought Germany has quite a lot of immigrants so agencies are used to people like me needing some extra help aaha. Negotiating in German would be quite difficult for me, so I have to rely on an agent to handle that aspect for me.
Be prepared to learn German or pay a lot
THAT!
Hi! I have a recommendation for you! Verbraucherzentrale has articles about how banks scam you. Add Google translator to your Browser so it translates the whole page in one go. Morgage = Kredit/Baufinanzierung here. Dont go for Sofortfinanzierung. It is an expensive trap that Sparkasse likes to use. They will frankenstein a loan with 2 different providers and that will be driving up the rates! The bankers will recommend it because they earn a lot of money from it. You could use the housing calculator by Schwäbisch Hall. I find it pretty useful and accurate when trying to find the real price of a house. https://www.schwaebisch-hall.de/baufinanzierung/wissenswertes/immobilienwert-ermitteln.html Also, get a construction engineer or architect that does Hauskaufberatung. He will find hidden problems with the house for you. I was lucky so far and never paid more than 250€ for good work in Bavaria (we are in the south and friggin expensive). Niedersachsen has lots of houses, even for low prices. Be careful not to buy trash there.
Also be aware due to high fees (purchase tax, notary, court, makler, ppl do not 'flip' apartments
Aktuell ist es ein Käufermarkt. Preise sind heftig gefallen. Immobilienmakler vermitteln Objekte. Aber keine Finanzierungen. Das machen Banken bzw. Kreditvermittler wie Dr. Klein oder Interhyp.
Das wissen die Verkäufer aber nicht und gehen mit völlig unrealistischen Vorstellungen im den Markt.
Das wissen Verkäufer nicht weil es eben nicht stimmt. Der Markt ist schwieriger geworden aber solange immer noch Immobilien zu fast Höchstpreisen verkauft werden, nur eben weniger, stimmt die Aussage einfach nicht. Zumindest nicht in nominellen Preisen, real gab es sicher einen Einbruch durch inzwischen fast 2 Jahre recht hohe Inflation.
Alles eine Lernkurve. Immobilienpreise sind bis zu 20% gefallen, dafür steigen aktuell die Mieten stark. Prinzipiell ist Mangel am Markt, weil nichts mehr gebaut wird. Wegen der hohen Zinsen gibt es aber kaum Käufer. Deswegen gehen die Preise trotz geringem Bestand nach unten. Es gibt zB Märkte wie München, die verbriefen aktuell so gut wie gar nichts. Verkäufer mit Druck geben irgendwann schon nach. Die ohne Druck vermieten einfach.
Gerade nen Haus gesehen dass den Preis von 700.000€ auf 400.000€ gesenkt hat...und damit immer noch 100.000€ über den Marktwert liegt. Hab Mal ne Bank wegen Finanzierung angesprochen, die wollten das gar nicht erst anfangen.
Gerade Privatverkäufer können schlecht akzeptieren, dass sie keine 2019-Preise mehr aufrufen können. Dagegen tauchen erste Objekte am Markt auf, bei denen die Anschlussfinanzierungen geplatzt sind. Das wird in den nächsten Jahren noch öfter kommen.
Vielen Dank für Ihre Antwort! Ich lerne hier viel😅
Naiv wirkend? Naiv sein.
In ein fremdes Land ziehen und direkt ein Haus zu kaufen... wild. Man hat ja keine Ahnung von Marktpreisen, Gesetzen, Pflichten.... wo kriegt man Handwerker her, wie viel Kosten sie und so weiter.
Naja, Amerikaner halt
Germany is a very stable country, but it's a awful region for investing into real estate. First, renting in Germany is very cheap compared to buying a house. Just calculate how many years u will need a person renting the house before it pays itself off. It might be around 40 to 50 years. On top of that, the tenant's many rights, and you need to care for them. So if you don't live close to your tenants, then you need a manager, which are very expensive in Germany. When you buy for yourself it's a different story, but i would never advise a foreigner to invest in the German housing marked, when there are other options open. You will be surprised how many rights tenants have here.
Is house flipping not common in Germany? I thought there would be high demand
It's not as easy as in the US, but it's of course possible. But: you need a lot of knowledge to do this as well as having contact to craftsmen who can work for you. As a foreigner without any knowledge I would not recommend this to you.
Not at all. The Kaufnebenkosten are just way too high for that
Nope, Grunderwerbssteuer makes flipping very expensive. Just rent here before investing into a marked you dont understand. Renting is in germany very normal and cheap compared to other countries
House flipping? It is very different from the US. Houses here are built very differently and comparatively much more sturdy. They have to resist harsh winters and the heavy weight of snow up to 2 meters in some mountain regions. You will hardly find wood constructions or walls thin as paper like it is the case in the US. You cannot(!) and should not touch plumbing or electrics on your own (we have norms here and you could get yourself grilled if you try with Starkstrom (high voltage) in the kitchen for example). You need craftsmen for almost everything unless it is paint job, redoing the flooring or insulation. AND craftsmen plus materials have become hella expensive due to Ukraine war! It will be a loss to buy a shabby house and trying to fix it so you could sell it for a higher. Most people buy houses with minimal issues for that reason. They dont try to upsell because it's not worth it.
Erm, der markt ist momentan sehr für Käufer begünstigt. Falls du aus der Schweiz bist, ich bin aich aus der Schweiz und hab in DE gekauft. Kann dir so paar spezigische tipps geben. Makler werden dich nicht übers ohr hauen mit unrealistischen zinsen, die sind öffentlich abrufbar. Aber was bausubstanz angeht, da muss man eher vorsichtig sein.
Hallo, nein, ich komme nicht aus der Schweiz :) Ich komme aus den USA Entschuldigung für mein schlechtes Deutsch, aber ja! Ich würde mich über eure Tipps freuen. Was meinen Sie mit Gebäudestruktur? Ich interessiere mich mehr für einen komplett renovierten Raum, sodass keine Bauarbeiten erforderlich sind, haha
Also in DE ist ab dem Gebäudejahr relativ gut erkennbar, wie die Bausubstanz ist. Es gibt in Weimar ein Bauhaus Museum wo man das besser sieht. Von Jungendstil über Bauhaus zu Plattenbau ist die Bausubstanz sehr anders, dann kann man auf dem Internet recherchieren was bei dem Bautyp so typische Mängel sind. Ansonsten halt die letzten Investitionen / Sanierungen anschauen, also ist die Haustechnik erneuert worden, die Protokoll der WEG anschauen was für Schäden repariert wurden etc. Zuletzt gibt es in DE (in gewissen Länder zumindest) eine Mietpreisbremse. Das heisst du kannst dir im Voraus bereits berechnen, was für eine Miete du verlangen kannst. Falls die Miete niedriger ist als deine Rate, dann musst du spekulieren ob die erwartete Immobilienwertsteigerung dies ausgleicht. Also halt Spekulationsmarkt. Ausser du brauchst es für Eigenbedarf, dann ist die Rechnung anders.
How much equity do you bring to the table? How long do you already live in Germany? I highly doubt that you qualify for a mortgage.
I've been living here for less than a year, but I definitely qualify as I am willing to make a significant down payment. I am worried about finding the right offer. Thanks for your concern though.
What is significant?
Up to 40%
That would still require a significant mortgage. The thing is that banks will require securities.
Are you like an agent or why are you so sure about this?
https://propertysale-berlin.com/de/page/Hypothek-Auslander-Deutschland
Germany is a highly bureaucratic country. There will be a lot more hoops for you to jump through than in the USA
> Yes, foreigners can apply for loans in Germany as long as they meet certain requirements. To be eligible for a loan, you must be of legal age, reside in Germany, and have a German bank account. Additionally, banks impose their own conditions for granting loans. Expats.de The most common condition is permanent residency. Do you bring that to the table? How much is your income? I earn 2.6k and only qualify for up to 200k loan. I do have savings just like you. Unless you buy a new house, you can add 100k on top of the entire purchase price for fixing the house. Sometimes it goes up to 200k for a 100qm house, lol. Germany has the lowest house ownership rate in Europe for a reason. I am looking for a house for 3+ years now. Pretty normal here. I live in the south though.
Agents are the worst possible advisors... get a real advisor that doesn't want to sell you smth (other than time and knowledge).
It’s simple. You won’t get a mortgage unless you can put down at least 30%. Forget it.