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Re:How to find a job as Software Developer in Germany by alkonaut on Thursday April 22, 2021 @01:20PM (#26905292)
> If you're not paying off the principal, you're just renting from the bank without the benefit of having a landlord to fix things.

Renting a house is more or less unheard of. If I want a house I need to buy one (or: “rent from the bank” as it were)

And the market price is basically “what two high income earners can afford if they pay interest only”.

So: if I want to live in a house at all, I need to buy it using borrowed money, and in the window I expect to live in a house (say 10-25 years) I couldn’t make a large dent in the principal regardless, because of the extremely low interest rates (around 1% now for mortgages) and the high prices that come from that. I don’t like it, but I don’t have a choice.

Also regulations strongly favor buying with borrowed money over renting. Interest can be deducted while those who rent from a landlord obviously pay interest too - indirectly through their rent - but in their case it isn’t deductible. So anyone who is forced to rent (e.g because they can’t afford the huge 15-20% down payment or aren’t paid enough to get the mortgage) is pretty much subsidizing the tax deductions of those who take mortgages.

Re:How to find a job as Software Developer in Germany by llampx on Thursday April 22, 2021 @06:22PM (#26908869)
Interest is not deductible in Germany., Unlike the US.
Re:How to find a job as Software Developer in Germany by pmh on Thursday April 22, 2021 @07:17PM (#26909288)
Since the tax changes in 2017, it's effectively not deductible in the US for most
Re:How to find a job as Software Developer in Germany by alkonaut on Friday April 23, 2021 @01:22AM (#26911239)
Yes I’m sure I would have a completely different calculation if I was in Germany.