FINANCING OF PRIVATE REAL ESTATE

When financing a private property, many people seek support and advice to escape the banking jungle. Especially in times of rising property prices and stricter lending guidelines, it is often a major challenge to find the right financing solution. To shed light on the matter and obtain valuable tips, we spoke with David Savasci, CEO of miracl, about real estate financing.

miracl has already supported numerous of our clients in financing their real estate projects. We spoke with them about the current developments in the real estate market, the various financing options, as well as important factors such as equity, interest rates, and repayment.

Whether you already have a property in mind or are just at the beginning of the process, this interview provides valuable information and advice to optimize your financing.

HOW DO I OPTIMALLY FINANCE A PRIVATE PROPERTY?

The optimal financing that fits all customers does not exist. The best solution is always "tailored" and dependent on various individual factors.

·      Are there already properties?

·      How long should the financing term be? 

·      Do I want to repay the loan faster? 

These are just three of many questions that we clarify with clients during our consultation meetings in order to select the best financing option. A significant problem is the very different internal conditions and policies of banks, which make it very difficult for individuals to maintain an overview and to make the offers comparable. With the help of our software, we can effortlessly create an overview and extract the parameters for comparability, providing assistance in one of the most significant financial decisions.

WHAT TYPES OF FINANCING FOR PRIVATE REAL ESTATE ARE THERE?

There are variable and fixed-rate financing options. The advantages and disadvantages of these two options depend on the customers' situation as well as the current market situation and are very individual. In addition, the term of the financing can be adjusted, which can last up to 35 years. There is also the possibility of a mixed financing, where, for example, 30% of the term is variable and 70% is fixed-rate.

HOW DO I PROCEED, WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO OBTAIN FINANCING?

There are different options available here. You can either go directly to your house bank, apply there for the review of the financing project, and then receive an offer. Or you can go to a loan broker like miracl. We compare all reputable banks and automatically look for the best offer for our clients. We then discuss the initial details and conduct an online consultation, where we work together to develop the best financing offer for the project. After that, all documents are uploaded to the miracl platform and we prepare the necessary documentation for the bank, so our clients do not have to deal with unnecessary bureaucratic tasks. The documents are sent to the bank, and within 5-7 business days, we receive an approval from the bank. Then, the purchase agreement is created and sent to the bank so that the loan contracts can be prepared. We accompany our clients from the initial inquiry to the handover of the keys. However, these two options do not exclude each other in any case. If clients have already been to their house bank before contacting us, we can check the existing offer in just a few moments and provide our assessment. 

WHAT CRITERIA ARE IMPORTANT TO OBTAIN FINANCING?

There are 2 criteria that must be considered in every financing. On one hand, the ratio of the monthly loan payment to income, which must not exceed 40%. On the other hand, the equity ratio is a main criterion for banks. Due to a decree from the financial market authority, at least 20% of the purchase price of the property must be available in the form of equity. However, if one of these criteria cannot be met, banks have a so-called special quota of 20%, which allows for financing customers who do not meet one of these criteria.

WHAT INTEREST RATE DEVELOPMENT AWAITS US THIS YEAR?

For fixed interest rates, we expect a slight increase in 2023. In our assessment, they will stabilize in 2024, which means that the rates will remain at about the level of the end of this year. Variable interest rates will increase slightly again in July, and we also expect a slight increase at the next adjustment. Due to these developments, fixed interest rates are likely to remain lower than variable rates in the coming years.

The following graphic illustrates the development of fixed interest rates in the year 2023 (25 years term).

Thank you for the interview!