In December, there were 27,308 loan applications. That’s 40 percent less than the same month last year, according to data from data collector HDN. It is the third consecutive month that the number of applications is tens of percentage points lower than the previous year.
The decrease is partly due to the increase in mortgage interest rates. Banks and other mortgage lenders have raised their rates considerably over the past year. Due to the high interest rates, it is more difficult for beginners to get sufficient financing.
It is also less interesting to transfer the mortgage. HDN’s data thus shows that many homeowners have “brought their mortgages with them,” while in the fall of 2021, few have.
Earlier, data from Statistics Netherlands also showed that fewer homes were sold in recent months.
