>Where I live (southern Germany), you cannot find a house under 600,000 EUR. The average net household income in Germany is around 43,000 EUR. That means that house prices here are over 16 times the average household income. Yupp, it's bad.
1.65 % for a 5 year fixed mortgage at sparda bank. While inflation is at 7.4% in germany...
Each year you don't pay any interest, you are paid 5.75% to have debt. They(mainly retirees) are giving you roughly $34,500 each year to buy a house. Mind you, they(mainly retirees) want to sell their homes. Hence the beneficial arrangement for you.
Even when inflation gets under control and they get back to ~2%. You'll still be earning some small stipend.
If you don't buy a house, your rent is literally equity that you lost. That's coming out of your retirement fund.
Moreover, that $600,000 isn't going to be paid in 5 years. You'll amortize it for ~25 years. In 15 years the remaining mortgage will feel like it's nothing. Your salary will be $100,000 or more and the remaining mortgage will be nothing.
In high inflation, low interest rate environments. Buying a house is a no brainer with only 1 exception. Are you betting the housing market will crash? That you'll be able to buy homes for much cheaper and possibly cheaper rates? That's the only bet you're playing right now.