High interest rate and low demand in primary housing hamper hypothec in Bashkortostan

The hypothec market in Bashkortostan demonstrates rather high upsurge. Within the period between January and June 2011 the amount and the number of hypothec credits have increased more than two times. The sum of the distributed credits exceeds 5,2 billion rubles and by this showing Bashkortostan holds the third place in Volga federal district.

“The assistance in supplying our population with flats is one of the prior directions in activity of the bank sector RB” – the chairman of the National Bank RB Rustem Mardanov stated, taking the floor at the last meeting, devoted to work balance of credit organizations for the last six months – “We are watching substantial upsurge in this segment of housing crediting. At the same time we haven’t yet reached the pre-crisis level”.

As the representative of the Russian Savings Bank Sergey Popov says, only 10% of all hypothec credits, given out by his bank, falls on primary housing, while in 2010 this figure was equal to 23%. The main reasons of such situation are the shortage of newly erected housing and the fact that 40% of the primary housing don’t correspond to the permissive documentation. As for the average hypothec interest rate, in Bashkortostan it is equal to 12,7% of interest per annum in rubles against 12,3% in Russia and 12,1% - in Volga federal district.

The Republican program for subsidizing a part of the hypothec interest rate for the buyers of new economic-class housing still doesn’t work and the main reason is low demand in primary housing and low activity of the program’s participants – both the developers and the banks.

“Only 3 banks of 13 are actively working according to the program now, but other participants have to join it too” – the Prime-Minister of the Government RB Azamat Ilimbetov mentioned at the same meeting. He has also underscored that house-building is the strategically important direction for the Republic. He has also reminded that the problem to increase the house-building putting into exploitation in the region up to 3,7 million square meters per year by 2015 is posed before the Government of Bashkortostan. “The aim is difficult but quite real” – he mentioned – “I am sure we will be able to make the hypothec credits available for citizens”.