Akara continues to expand and is maintaining a stable return
215 million Swiss francs of fresh capital, seven acquisitions, and yet no jump in returns. The Akara Diversity PK property fund maintained its investment return at 2.56 per cent in…
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Lausanne plans to spend 200 million on property purchases
Lausanne is sticking to a policy of large-scale property purchases. The 2025 budget documents once again include a budget of 200 million Swiss francs for the right of first refusal…
Zurich’s affordable flats are coming under pressure from rising wages
18 percent of the Zurich city flats inspected exceed the income threshold, but under current law, any consequences will not be felt until later. This is precisely where two motions…
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US mortgages are putting the brakes on the housing market
Borrowing costs in the US are rising again, and the effect is already evident in the market. The average interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 6.71 per cent…
Uri blocks the second-home tax in the cantonal parliament
Uri does not intend to introduce a canton-wide property tax on second homes following the abolition of the imputed rental value. Instead, each municipality is to be able to decide…
Rotbuchstrasse is caught between housing development and tree conservation
In Zurich’s 6th district, a pending case before the Federal Supreme Court is holding up a project for 42 social housing flats. The case touches on a sensitive issue in…
48,000 apartments, and yet progress is still too slow
The Swiss construction industry gained momentum in the first half of 2026. Building construction is growing strongly, driven by residential construction and public projects. But behind the positive figures lies…
Münchenstein is making a fresh start in the blocked-off neighbourhood
Development of a large residential estate on the Van Baerle site in Münchenstein is getting back on track. Five years after the referendum result – a ‘no’ vote by a…
France’s election campaign is putting the brakes on rent-to-buy schemes
France’s landlords in slow motion. A recent survey shows that one in three French people are bringing forward or postponing their property purchase for rental purposes, depending on the outcome…
Seetalplatz is struggling with a lack of housing
In the new administrative building on Seetalplatz in Emmenbrücke, 12 out of 17 flats remain unlet for the time being. This slow start is affecting a site that is planned…
The cost of buying a flat in Zurich is coming under pressure
1,3 Milliarden Franken für 47 Liegenschaften, aber noch keine einzige neu realisierte Wohnung aus dem rechnerischen Ausbaupotenzial. Zürichs Kaufoffensive liefert Bodenreserven und Entwicklungschancen, öffnet zugleich aber Finanzierungslücken, Folgekosten und politischen…
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Simply speeding things up won’t be enough to tackle the housing shortage
Every year, there is a shortfall of thousands of flats in Switzerland, even though Bern is looking into ways to speed up the process. The root of the problem lies…
Berlin risks pulling the wrong lever when it comes to housing construction
The German federal government is pushing ahead with plans for its own housing association. However, a new IMK study dated 31 August 2026 warns of significant legal and financial risks…
High interest rates are stifling the US housing market
A 6.66 per cent interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages and a continuing shortage of supply are once again putting the brakes on the US housing market. Sales are falling,…
Vacancy rate halved; sales are clearing up the legacy issues
Peach Property Group has reported a significant operational boost for the first half of 2026. Falling vacancy rates, higher like-for-like rents and the largely completed sale of around 2,000 units…
Beijing cuts off the funding before construction is completed
China is radically overhauling its housing model. In future, developers will only receive deposits and mortgage funds from pre-sales once construction has been formally completed. For heavily indebted developers, this…
Sydney goes from being a bargain to a risk
Sydney is leading the way in Australia’s housing downturn. Falling prices, a slump in demand and the reform of the ‘negative gearing’ tax scheme are all putting pressure on the…
immo!nvest+ Benchmark interest rate halts further rent increases for the time being
The reference interest rate for mortgages in Switzerland will remain at 1.25 per cent as of 2 September 2026. For existing tenancies, this means that, for the time being, there…