While in 2019, real estate broke all its records in France due to a large number of loans granted at very low rates, the banks were asked to tighten their conditions, thus hurting many households among which young first-time buyers, and the most modest rental investors.

In 2019, the amount of mortgage loans jumped 20% compared to the previous year. A time now gone, the conditions for obtaining a mortgage having tightened since the beginning of the year. Indeed, for fifteen days, contracting a mortgage can only be done on condition of meeting certain requirements. For example, it is impossible to obtain a loan without a contribution covering at least the costs of notaries.

The reason for this? Too many loans granted in recent years by banks, and at a very low rate. In response, at the end of 2019, the High Council for Financial Stability asked the banking establishments to pull themselves together, in the face of an overheated market. The message has got through, and the measure is now well and truly applied.

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Young first-time buyers, the first impact

Consequence: many households are injured. Starting with the young, explains Maëlle Bernier, spokesperson for Meilleurstaux.com, at the microphone of Europe 1. According to her, two categories are already suffering from this hardening of conditions: "young first-time buyers with no input "not being fortunate enough to receive help from their parents; and 'the most modest rental investors ", those who already have wealth or available savings who can access this investment.

And these are not the only repercussions. Although real estate rates remained stable, it still became more difficult to obtain a loan of less than 1%, even with an excellent record.