The situation in Norway is luckily a bit better than that, but I’ve heard from friends that their mortgages became a bit more expensive the last couple of years. Shit, is it really that bad in the UK? People’s payments tripled or even quadrupled? Sounds like capitalist dystopia.
From what I can gather the payments didn’t increase near that much in Norway, and we have solutions like exemption from down payments among other things for situations like the one we’re in now. I know some people with really expensive homes sold them and bought smaller cheaper ones to lighten the economic load, and a lot of people defaulted on expensive car loans. I think the situation hit people with expensive homes and cars the hardest because a lot of those people weren’t willing to adjust to the reality.
If I was allowed to get a loan I wouldn’t have gone over 1/3 of my income, just like with the rent I pay today. I’d manage, but they’re incredibly strict with who gets one.
Seeing the way things have been going in different countries the last couple of years have given me a newfound gratitude for the country I live in. Even our most right wing party is left wing by any international standard.