Home sales see 44% leap in May

The sale of homes increased significantly when compared with this time last year, it was announced by the office of land registry on Wednesday. The organisation registered 11,966 sold homes last month, 43.6 percent more than May 2013. Comparing this to the last month, they calculated an increase of 11 percent. The sale of corner residencies grew the most, jumping up by 49.6 percent. Terraced houses saw the smallest gains, with an increase of 32.3 percent. Home sales showed noticeable growth in all Dutch provinces last month. In Utrecht, the level rose by 63.4 percent, matching gains seen a month earlier. Home sales grew by 17.5 percent in the southern province Zeeland, which was the most modest gain in the country. New mortgages also grew by 17,775, a 40.7 percent increase over last May's tally. It was not all good news for the country's real estate market, as the office also pointed to a 33 percent rise in foreclosure auctions. The agency said 207 properties were auctioned off in foreclosure sales in May.