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Thursday, 24 December 2015 - 13:05
Only “happy few” can afford property in Amsterdam, Utrecht
Owning property in Amsterdam and Utrecht is a luxury reserved only for the "happy few" due to the "madness", in the housing market, according to NVM chairman Ger Hukker in an interview with the Telegraaf.
"Only the happy few, who are sponsored by father and mother and therefor not dependent on termination claused financing, can still buy a house in Amsterdam", he said to the newspaper. "Then an owner asks 290 thousand euros and papa makes it 350 thousand. And thereby also say that he needs no mortgage. As brokers we find that unrealistic. But it is unstoppable."
The same applies to Utrecht. And the common man is being driven out of the city. "They cannot pay 4 thousand euros per square meter."
Last week the NVM sounded the alarm about this situation in a special meeting with the Amsterdam city council, though the NVM can't see a solution to this development. "Ultimately it is just market forces, I said to the alderman. The only balm is to build additional homes", Hukker told the newspaper.