German policymakers, ever wary of rising prices, have begun to fret that their housing market could be developing a bubble.
In 2010 and 2011, house prices rose by 2.5% and 5.5% respectively. In Berlin and Munich, apartment prices increased by around 10% last year. Sales have soared: "German apartments are getting ripped out of people's hands", says Andre Adami of BulwienGesa. Rents are buoyant, having climbed by 8.3% in Berlin over the past 12 months.
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RICS: homebuyers are returning after stamp duty shockThe housing market has been subdued since stamp duty thresholds dropped in April, but there are signs of a recovery
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Reducing cash ISA limit will make lending difficult and expensive, warn providersAn open letter from the Building Societies Association has urged the chancellor to keep the cash ISA limit at £20,000. We look at whether a smaller cash ISA allowance will make it harder to get a mortgage or loan
