A family from Geneva, who moved to France only to return to Geneva five years later, was interviewed by the Geneva newspaper GHI about their hellish experience. Unable to buy in Geneva and attracted by cheaper property in France they moved to Annecy in 2010. Shortly after their dream started to turn into a nightmare. […]
Could driverless cars hit your house price?
New technology often creates financial winners and losers. Typically, the more disruptive the technology, the bigger the monetary hit. Which is why Credit Suisse has reflected on the impact that driverless cars might have on the value of our homes1. In the past, robots have assembled passenger cars, yet someday soon they could actually be […]
Swiss property prices on the way down
Credit Suisse’s recent annual property report describes the downward forces on Swiss property prices and explains why a soft landing is not guaranteed. The report also looks at the cities and regions most at risk. Swiss franc shock Swiss real estate was already poised to head into the downward part of the property cycle before […]
Latest Swiss rent reference interest rate announced
Every three months the rate of interest used to set Swiss rents is reviewed. If it goes down some renters have the right to request a decrease in rent. This time it remains unchanged at 2.00%. The interest rate used to set the reference rate was the average rate on Swiss mortgages at 31 December […]
French tax on Swiss inheritance becomes a reality
Since 1 January 2015 French residents receiving Swiss inheritance are subject to French taxes on it. Many are up in arms at what they see as a predatory French tax grab and are calling for further negotiations to establish a new agreement to replace the 60 year Franco-Swiss accord that ended at the end of […]
Property taxes: Is it worth buying in Switzerland?
Ever contemplated buying a property in Switzerland? Reading further might put you off. Providing useful information on the taxation of property in Switzerland is daunting. Given that the country effectively has 26 different systems – one for each canton – it is virtually impossible to say anything on the subject that can be used in […]
Property taxes: Is it worth buying in Switzerland?
Ever contemplated buying a property in Switzerland? Reading further might put you off. Providing useful information on the taxation of property in Switzerland is daunting. Given that the country effectively has 26 different systems – one for each canton – it is virtually impossible to say anything on the subject that can be used in […]
Swiss vacancy rates increasing
According to data recently released by the Federal Office of Statistics 45,748 dwellings were vacant in Switzerland at 1 June 2014. This is just over 1% of all dwellings and represents an annual 14% increase in vacancy rates. The biggest increases were in the Lake Geneva region, followed by the Mittelland, Zurich and eastern Switzerland. […]
Housing: Going up or down?
Given a growing return migration of Swiss and expatriate residents from across the border in France, but also economic uncertainty in Switzerland itself, there appears to be a contradiction in the way property prices are moving. Nation-wide, prices have continued to rise in 2014 – albeit at a slower rate. The Lake Geneva region, however, […]
Property buyers rush to dip into pension
BERN More and more people are rushing to use the second pillar of their pension plan to purchase a primary residence in the face of high prices and limited housing stock. While this may give a boost to the economy, especially the property market, not everyone is happy with the trend. There are three pillars […]
