ENJOY BRATISLAVA: The situation that only repeats itself once in several decades
Rozhovor Ing. Veroniky Komorníkovej, šéfredaktorky Kompletného TRH-u Nehnuteľností v časopise Enjoy Bratislava.
http://www.enjoybratislava.sk/images/stories/archive_pdfs/januar.pdf
Ing. Veronika Komorníková,
Property analyst, editor in chief of Kompletný TRH Nehnuteľností
Can we assess the direction of property prices in 2009 and how will the current financial crisis reflect on loans?
I dare not predict how the property market will look in 2009. All I can do is to assume. There are a lot of people waiting for prices to reach the bottom so they can buy cheaper property, but I think these prices will only stay for a very short period and nobody knows exactly when it will happen. Therefore, there will be only a few who manage to catch these low prices. I think that selling prices will start to quickly rise again then. There is a chance at the moment to buy a more expensive flat than maybe in spring 2009, but there is still a chance to get a lucrative mortgage, which might not be available next year. In regard to this I would like to say that it is important to compare the state the flat is in, to its price. It is important to remember that the price of 30 to 60 years old flat with used distribution lines, channelled steel and holes in panel joints and with an expected lifespan without major general repairs between 20 and 50 years cannot be the same as that of a new flat at the beginning of its lifespan. It is possible that prices of older flats will drop further but new flats will keep their value because there is no room to go any lower. There is also a great possibility that developers will stop development of new projects in the near future or they will build them with the use of cheaper materials and cheaper standards. Over the long term, there is even the risk that if we limit supply of developers, they will leave the market and we will get to the same level as in 2006 when there was such a low number of developers that they not only asked high prices (with high margins) but they also asked for 100 percent of the sum “on the paper”. If we destruct the competition in offer, it would be us who will suffer at the end. hen it comes to mortgages, I can definitely say that period of 100 percent mortgages is over. In 2009, 50 percent mortgages will be possible and its charges will go up. Also, if people need to buy a flat right now, it is important to solve the mortgage situation, because they might not get it later.
