Mortgages in Germany explained

Hypofriend News

Affordable housing requires more new buildings

Fewer building permits were issued in Berlin in 2020 than in the previous year. This will further exacerbate the situation for purchase prices.

Customer Stories

Oliver and Rhianon's experience buying a property in Germany

Rhianon and I started looking at apartments for sale in Berlin and tried to work out who to borrow money from. We were being offered rates that were really high and offered loans that were a maximum of 5-8 years.

First Time Buyers

Life insurance in Germany & how it works

The topic of death is a very sensitive one, and you probably don't want to deal with it right after your mortgage application. Nevertheless, this is a good time to think about securing your loved ones with a term life insurance in Germany.

First Time Buyers

The ten steps to homeownership in Germany. The notary process in Germany explained.

The legal process to buy a home in Germany with a mortgage is rather complicated, with plenty of legal jargon, and rather different from other countries. It is also costly and time-consuming. This deepdive therefore spells out all the steps, the terminology and the choices you have.

First Time Buyers

Home Affordability in Germany: Some buyers can now afford up to 24% more house

Berlin, 23. December 2020 --- Dr. Chris Mulder, Hypofriend Co-founder, sees no stop to house price increases: "Many of our clients expect that they can afford more house as a result of reduced agent fees in the revised law on real estate commissions and we agree. With interest rates low, and limited supply house prices will keep rising, despite Corona."

First Time Buyers

Buying an Apartment in Berlin: Prices & Key Info (Guide)

Homebuyers in Berlin save 35 percent on average compared to renters. Since Berlin houseprices are still moderate, read our guide about buying a property in Berlin.

First Time Buyers

How KfW loans help you save money on your German Mortgage

If you are planning to buy your first home in Germany, build or renovate a property, you should always take a look at KfW loans and subsidies. KFW provides low interest and subsidised mortgages in Germany. Here is an overview of what you need to know.

First Time Buyers

Building a house in Germany - What you should consider

When building a house, you can design the property according to your wishes and you can even get away cheaper. Hypofriend explains to you what you have to consider.

First Time Buyers

The 6 types of insurance in Germany that are important for you and your property

Finding a mortgage shouldn’t be your only financial consideration when moving into your new home: you should also consider looking into your insurance needs in Germany.

Deep Dive

Are houses and apartments overpriced in Germany? Not at all if you look at the long run

At regular intervals we see news in the German press warning about overpriced houses. Those views are nearly all based on the relative rapid increases of the past five or so years. But frankly that is misleading. It overlooks what’s happened in the preceding 45 years.

First Time Buyers

4 Mistakes you should avoid with your mortgage in Germany

Buying property makes you wealthier. This is conclusion of several studies. Therefore it is important that you avoid four mistakes with your mortgage in Germany.

Deep Dive

Why Buy-to-Let is so attractive in Germany

Have you ever thought of buying a property to rent it out? If not – here´s your chance to think about it. Germany has an unusually generous system for Buy-to-Let properties!

First Time Buyers

Don't fall for low mortgage rate advertising

Interest rates for you mortgage that are too good to be true? There's a hook and we tell you why.

Deep Dive

Mortgage for Blue Card holders: should you buy now or buy later?

Buying a home is the pathway to long-term financial health and wealth. Waiting a year can cost you about 40% of your income, each year ! Here we spell out the mortgage options you have as a Blue Card holder (BC) to speed up the house buying journey and when it makes sense to wait.

First Time Buyers

Commitment fees Germany: how much to pay when your new built house is not ready?

A new built project is always a lot to do and most of the time you hava a tough schedule. That´s necessary if you don´t want to pay commitment fees to the bank.

Deep Dive

German house prices under Covid: should we be worried or is this an opportunity to buy?

Covid 19 is creating an unprecedented shock to the German economy. Should we be worried if german house prices will decline or take this as an opportunity to buy?

First Time Buyers

Buying a new build in Germany – what you need to know

Nothing can go wrong with a new build? It's not quite that simple. There are pitfalls waiting here, too. Hypofriend explains what you need to consider.

First Time Buyers

10 tips how you negotiate the price of your future home

You want to negotiate the purchase price of a property? Hypofriend gives you 10 tips how to do it and what you need to consider before.

First Time Buyers

How Couples Can Split the Mortgage Cost and Value of the House

You and your partner plan to buy a home together? This often leads to the questions how you split the mortgage cost and who owns the house. A good hearted advice.

First Time Buyers

A new law on real estate commission: How much do you have to pay from 23.12.2020 onwards?

Up to now it was in the hands of the states to decide who has to pay the real estate agent and to what extent. This changes end of december and supports the home buyer.

First Time Buyers

Sondertilgung: a Popular but Overrated Option

Who doesn't like the idea of repaying extra on their mortgage to avoid penalties? That is what sondertilgung is, and virtually every mortgage borrower wants it. It is a great sales argument for advisors: if you would use your extra payments/savings/bonuses then you can be done already in year 'X' with your mortgage.

First Time Buyers

How to buy property in Germany: A Step-by-Step Guide:

To a first-time buyer who is looking to buy property in Germany, the buying process can appear overwhelming and hard to understand with all its different steps. Even if you are fluent in German..

Deep Dive

A New German Law Allows you to Pause your Mortgage Payments for 3 Months--Some Practical Guidance

With the recent outbreak of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, many property owners with mortgages are faced with reduced incomes. To alleviate the financial...

Hypofriend News

Hypofriend Insights: Women are Strongly Underrepresented in Property Purchases

Women are much less likely to buy real estate than men. That is why we are launching the Hypofreundinnen-Initiative. A network for women.

Customer Stories

Meet Aoife and Giacomo, two of Hypofriend's happy new homeowners

Aoife and Giacomo (and little Luca of course) approached Hypofriend to buy their first home in Berlin. In the following interview they share some of their experiences and what they ran into.

Deep Dive

What does the Coronavirus mean for your home buying journey and mortgage plans?

First of all it is a human tragedy, but in terms of death toll the spread of the virus is still extremely well contained and the toll does not compare even to a normal influenza yet--the death toll of.

Customer Stories

Stephen and Alice bought their first home in Berlin, read their experience.

We moved to Berlin from New York at the beginning of 2017. We had no plans for how long we wanted to stay, but we fell in love with the city. Especially since we now have 1 kid and another..

First Time Buyers

Which documents do you need when you apply for a German mortgage?

Germans banks are very meticulous when it comes to paperwork. And they'll be sure to take their time when it comes to requesting your documents.

Customer Stories

Buying a Home with Hypofriend by Kinga

The process of buying a flat in Berlin -- at least from the moment I found a place -- was much smoother than I expected it. No doubt, there were lots of steps and -- at times -- it was hard to follow which is the next one to take, but looking at it in retrospect, it was...

First Time Buyers

6 Tips on How to Find a Property in Germany

As an expat, it can seem difficult to find the right sources of information when it comes to buying a property in Germany. Here are a few handy resources that can help you find your dream home. Besides subscribing to Hypofriend’s property radar when you signup, you can use the following tips:

Deep Dive

Should I Refinance my German Mortgage now?

The following article will deep dive into your follow-up financing options as a German mortgage owner. In Germany, there are three main forms of refinancing options, we will describe each in the following article below:

First Time Buyers

Can I get a mortgage with a temporary residence permit in Germany?

This is a question that Hypofriend advisors receive on a daily basis. As a short answer: yes, it is possible to get approved for a German mortgage as a non-EU citizen..

First Time Buyers

How to get a Mortgage in Germany: key decisions and terms illustrated

This section walks you through the key terminology you need to know when you intend to apply for a mortgage in Germany.

Customer Stories

Getting a Mortgage in Germany with Magda and Richard

Overall it went quite smoothly, mainly because we connected with Hypofriend right from the start of the process. Richard found them online while beginning his research on the Berlin housing market.

First Time Buyers

Buying Property in Germany: 6 Things You Need to Know

In this interview, our partners from BPS dive into the intricacies of viewing properties in Berlin. Here are the top 6 issues you should watch out for when viewing properties to ensure you avoid unforeseen pitfalls, such as unexpected costs, and have a safe home buying experience.

Deep Dive

6 German tax law issues residential property owners should know about

This expert interview features Timo Blum. Timo has been a tax consultant since 2009. He has gained extensive experience in a medium-sized tax consulting company and worked for an international commercial law firm and a boutique specializing in real estate.

First Time Buyers

Special child allowance for new home owners (Baukindergeld)

To help you buy your first German home the government provides a subsidy of €12,000 baukindergeld per child. It is for:

Deep Dive

Berlin’s New Rent Cap | An Interview with a German Real Estate Lawyer

Mr. Tobias Scheidacker is a specialist lawyer for tenancy law and condominium law with IKB-Law in Berlin. He represents owners, property managers and real estate companies..

Deep Dive

Does a Bausparvertrag make sense when buying a home in Germany?

A Bausparvertrag is a type of loan that is still quite popular in Germany and is provided by building societies (Bausparkassen). These are complex products that many people (including unfortunately most mortgage advisors) don't understand well. They can be quite beneficial but also problematic. At Hypofriend we therefore have built special calculators for this product that help us to evaluate with you, if the product makes sense for you.

First Time Buyers

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Mortgages in Germany explained

Affordable housing requires more new buildings

Oliver and Rhianon's experience buying a property in Germany

Life insurance in Germany & how it works

The ten steps to homeownership in Germany. The notary process in Germany explained.

Home Affordability in Germany: Some buyers can now afford up to 24% more house

Buying an Apartment in Berlin: Prices & Key Info (Guide)

How KfW loans help you save money on your German Mortgage

Building a house in Germany - What you should consider

The 6 types of insurance in Germany that are important for you and your property

Are houses and apartments overpriced in Germany? Not at all if you look at the long run

4 Mistakes you should avoid with your mortgage in Germany

Why Buy-to-Let is so attractive in Germany

Don't fall for low mortgage rate advertising

Mortgage for Blue Card holders: should you buy now or buy later?

Commitment fees Germany: how much to pay when your new built house is not ready?

German house prices under Covid: should we be worried or is this an opportunity to buy?

Buying a new build in Germany – what you need to know

10 tips how you negotiate the price of your future home

How Couples Can Split the Mortgage Cost and Value of the House

A new law on real estate commission: How much do you have to pay from 23.12.2020 onwards?

Sondertilgung: a Popular but Overrated Option

How to buy property in Germany: A Step-by-Step Guide:

A New German Law Allows you to Pause your Mortgage Payments for 3 Months--Some Practical Guidance

Hypofriend Insights: Women are Strongly Underrepresented in Property Purchases

Meet Aoife and Giacomo, two of Hypofriend's happy new homeowners

What does the Coronavirus mean for your home buying journey and mortgage plans?

Stephen and Alice bought their first home in Berlin, read their experience.

Which documents do you need when you apply for a German mortgage?

Buying a Home with Hypofriend by Kinga

6 Tips on How to Find a Property in Germany

Should I Refinance my German Mortgage now?

Can I get a mortgage with a temporary residence permit in Germany?

How to get a Mortgage in Germany: key decisions and terms illustrated

Getting a Mortgage in Germany with Magda and Richard

Buying Property in Germany: 6 Things You Need to Know

6 German tax law issues residential property owners should know about

Special child allowance for new home owners (Baukindergeld)

Berlin’s New Rent Cap | An Interview with a German Real Estate Lawyer

Does a Bausparvertrag make sense when buying a home in Germany?

5 reasons why you should consult a mortgage advisor

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Should I Rent or Buy in Germany

German mortgage calculator

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