The Riksdag will vote first. But that is probably a formality. From April 1, new mortgage rules will come into force, according to the government's proposal. One aim is to make it easier for young people to buy their first home.
The ceiling on how much you can borrow is being raised from 85 to 90 percent of the home's value. At the same time, one of the amortization requirements is being abolished - the requirement to amortize one percent of the loan if the debt exceeds 4.5 times your gross salary.
But more lenient lending rules will likely make homes more expensive because buyers will be able to afford to borrow more. This will at least offset some of the effect. The down payment will still be lower even if prices rise, but interest costs will be higher.
More activity
Forecasts from various analysts point to housing price increases of around 5 percent this year. This prediction includes not only the impact of easier lending regulations, but also the fact that interest rates have fallen and that the economy is expected to pick up.
And that's about the same amount that would make these changed rules stop working, if you put it that way; it could be plus or minus zero, says Christina Sahlberg.
But forecasts are forecasts; it could be different, she adds.
Erik Wikander, CEO of Svensk Fastighetsförmedlingen, does not believe in any major price increase for first- and second-hand properties, which young people are likely to demand primarily.
Some price effect, yes, but rather more transactions, which in turn eases the moving chains, he says.
Big-city winners
If prices now rise as a result of the new rules, it may be most advantageous to buy early; otherwise the potentially higher prices risk eating up the benefit, according to Christina Sahlberg, who in a study has calculated where in the country the winners may still be found.
It is in the big cities that you can mainly benefit from the easier loan rules. For most people who buy in smaller cities, housing prices are lower in relation to salary and you also don't have this stricter amortization requirement (which is now disappearing), says Sahlberg.
The removal of the extra, mandatory amortization requirement benefits all highly leveraged borrowers. But Sahlberg still sees first-time buyers as the potentially big winners.
Young people who have previously been unable to buy their first apartment will benefit. This reduced 1 percent extra amortization will make the banks' calculations work out better for them, she says.
Of course it will benefit first-time buyers, adds Erik Wikander.
