The Istat picture on the Italian real estate market is clear: Italians buy fewer houses. In 2011 there is a slight decrease in sales (-0,1%) compared to the previous year. But compared to 2006, the year preceding the start of the crisis, total sales are decreased by 26,6%, those for residential use of the 26,3% and those for economic use of the 28,3%.
In the fourth quarter of 2011, the purchase and sale of real estate units increased by 1,7% compared to the same period of 2010. 93,1% of the conventions concerned residential property, 6,2% real estate units a economic use. Sales for economic use decreased in all territorial divisions with the exception of the South (+3,2%) and the Islands where they recorded an increase of 20,4%.
For sales for residential use, the trend increase observed in large cities (+2,2%) is slightly higher than that of the others (+2,1%). Sales for economic use, on the other hand, decreased equally (-4,8%) in large cities and in other centres.
The decrease in mortgages was strong in 2011. In the year, compared to the previous year, there was a decrease in the total subscription of new mortgages of 14,3%. Compared to 2006, the decline is 29%.
In the fourth quarter of 2011 mortgages (144.709 in total) fell by 31,3% compared to the same period of 2010. In particular, those with a real estate mortgage (100.022) decreased by 19,6%, while unsecured mortgage loans (44.687) decreased by 48,2%
