Module 12: Housing and Mortgages (The Basics)

For most people, owning a home is a dream. But to finance that dream, we take on enormous debts. A house quickly costs a few hundred thousand euros, and almost no one has that sitting in cash at the bank. That is why we turn to a bank for a mortgage.

A mortgage, just like consumer credit, is a loan, but the legislation around it is completely different, because a brick-and-mortar building serves as security. In this module we discuss the legal basis, the various ways to pay off your debt, the buyer's costs (kosten koper) and the LTV, and the government's safety net: the Nationale Hypotheek Garantie (the Dutch National Mortgage Guarantee).