The fairy tale of high home prices

• Many young families currently have the feeling that the dream of owning their own property cannot be realized for them.
• However, the international and historical comparison paints a different picture: owning your own four walls has seldom been more affordable than it is today. However, the demands have also increased significantly.
• At the same time, politicians are making it difficult to own a home with increasing additional purchase costs and few subsidies.
• “You also have to learn to do without,” says the psychologist and financial expert Monika Müller and advises a willingness to compromise when looking for real estate.

For the Schneiders, the dream of owning their own home has burst for the time being. Before the rise in interest rates last year, the family, who does not want to read their real name in the Handelsblatt, had their eye on a property in the Cologne area and even had initial financing talks. But it is now clear to the Schneiders: Even with two academic salaries, they cannot currently manage it.