HOUSING PRICE COMPARISON BETWEEN KAZAKHSTAN AND FORIENG COUNTRIES

Sadvakasova Aigul
Êazakh National Medical University named after S.D. Asfendiyarov

Doctor of economic science, Associate Professor at the Department of management in Public Health and Pharmacy http://management.kaznmu.kz/

 

Real estate prices in many countries of Europe and America are higher than the are in Kazakhstan. However, the level of the population income often considerably exceeds the Kazakhstan income rate. The Richmond Realty company found out to what extent the housing purchase is available for the average Kazakhstan citizen and this indicator was compared to the indicators of six other countries in the world.

To define the degree of housing affordability we have compared a definite situation in different countries and cities by three criteria [1]:

1. Number of square meters of residential real estate that can be obtained with an average salary.

2 . What share from the average salary the monthly mortgage payment takes?

3 . Number of years required for apartment purchase at present prices.

The basic data used for this were: the cost of housing square meter in each of the countries and in each estimated city, the level of average salary and the minimum rate of mortgage crediting available at the relevant market at the time of drawing up a rating. All prices are given in US dollars at the exchange rate to the time of rating compilation [2].

The price of the conditional apartment of 60 sq.m in the respective city or country was used for assessment of mortgage expenses and number of years for purchase. The crediting term amounted to 20 years and the size of initial contribution - 30%.

The USA became the rating leader as it provided with the most affordable housing in certain cities, as well as in the whole country [3]. So the American citizen with the average salary (4140 USD) is able to buy 3.34 sq.m of real estate (1238 USD for sq.m) whereas the Kazakhstan citizen with the average salary (718 USD) can afford to buy only 0,6 sq.m of the real estate in Kazakhstan (1156 USD for sq.m).

Unfortunately, Kazakhstan in the ratio of salary to mortgage payments is far behind not only the USA but also other six countries that have place in the rating. Taking into account the fact that today in the USA it is possible to obtain a mortgage loan on a rate of 2.5% per annum and in Kazakhstan it should be not less than 12.5%, the average American gives only 6,64% of the salary for mortgage payment (276 USD monthly) and the Kazakhstan citizen has to pay more than 76% (551 USD).

Due to the affordable mortgage credits with floating rate attached to the international rates of interbank financing of LIBOR and EURIBOR in Russia the average Russian citizen who can pay 60% of the salary for mortgage gets the wind of the average Kazakhstan citizen.

Germany occupies the second place in the rating of countries on housing availability. An average Germany citizen can afford to buy 1.89 sq.m of real estate by one salary and it is possible to earn for the apartment in 2.5 years [4]. Spain takes the third place in this rating but has the lowest mortgage rate (1.76% per annum) among the other countries. The average Spanish with a salary of 2528 USD can buy about 1.3 sq.m of residential real estate and will give 16% of a salary for mortgage service.  

Bulgaria, Great Britain and Kazakhstan are respectively located on 4, 5 and 6 places of the rating. Russia in the ratio of salary (849 USD) to housing cost (1,628 USD for sq.m) holds the last place of the rating.

The first three places in the rating of housing availability are held by the American cities: Las Vegas, Chicago and Los Angeles. Further there are British Manchester, German Cologne and Spanish Torrevieja. Berlin, Miami, New York and Spanish Alicante round out the top ten of the cities.

It is curious that in Las Vegas which is the capital of the USA gambling business and the leader of our rating it is possible to get more than 5 square meters with the average salary, though the cost of one housing square meter there amounts to 903 dollars. At the same time in Kostanay (18th place in the rating) where the real estate price has already become equal to the price in Las Vegas (883 dollars) the citizen with the average salary can buy only 0.59 square meters. The situation in Karaganda seems to be a little better (17th place) as its citizens can buy 0.62 housing square meters with their average salary.

The Kazakhstan capital cities rank even the lower place in the rating (Astana - 19th place, Almaty - 22nd). For example, Almaty citizen with the average salary (952 USD or 144.3 thousand tenge) spends 98% for monthly mortgage payment (938 USD or 142.1 thousand tenge monthly) whereas Barcelona citizen gives less than one third (30.69%), Madrid - about one quarter (26.52%), New York - the fifth part (18.06%), Berlin - about 16%, Manchester and Los Angeles - 13%, and Chicago - less than 7%.

Despite the equal housing price level in Almaty and Astana the capital citizen is in a little more advantageous position due to the higher average salary (1025 USD or 155.3 thousand tenge) as s/he has to pay about 92% of a salary or 945 USD (143.2 thousand tenge) on mortgage.

It is remarkable that Astana takes adjoining positions with London in the hosing availability rating in respect of ratio of the average salary to housing square meter cost, though it considerably loses by criteria of mortgage/salary (92% in Astana and 44% in London). The average Astana citizen as well as the average Londoner will be able to buy only about one half of square meter by one salary and it will take approximately 9 years and 8 months for them to buy the two-room apartment.

Moscow has appeared to be an outsider of the housing availability rating as Moscow citizen with the average salary can afford to buy only 0.3 square meters and the mortgage payment amounts to 99.8% of salary. The Muscovite will be able to buy the apartment only in 16 years.

The data analysis points to an obvious imbalance between the price level on real estate and income level of the population in Kazakhstan. Furthermore, the imbalance is more considerable in capital cities. In spite of the fact that the real estate cost in such cities as Madrid, Berlin and New York is for many times higher than in Astana and Almaty, the high salary rate increases the chances to make a housing purchase in Europe and the USA.

It sounds unbelievable but it is much easier to buy the house in London or New York for the local citizen than to buy it in Almaty for the Almatian. The housing in Barcelona, Manchester or Los Angeles is more affordable than it is in Kostanay or Karaganda [5]. Unfortunately, in the countrywide rating of housing affordability Kazakhstan gives way not only to the developed Great Britain and crisis Spain but also to agrarian and tourist Bulgaria.

Except disproportionate high housing prices there is a problem of mortgage crediting in Kazakhstan. Taking into consideration that the average Kazakhstan citizen will have to save up for the apartment of 60 sq.m for not less than eight years monthly postponing the whole salary, the credit housing purchase becomes the only acceptable option for the majority. High mortgage rates in Kazakhstan provided the cities with four penultimate positions in a ratio of monthly credit payment to the average salary, having outstripped only the capital of Russia. Kazakhstan has the highest crediting rates among the compared countries.

For the purpose of making equal the housing affordability levels in Astana and New York the price for one square meter should be reduced to 833 dollars or the average salary should be risen to 2 417 dollars. Implementation of one of these options in foreseeable prospect is improbable.

The positive examples of the real estate markets in the countries of Latin America prove that one square meter of economy class housing can cost 250-300 dollars.

In Caracas it is planned to build more than 40 000 apartments instead of Fuerta slums for the indigent population and the housing accommodation will be given for them absolutely free of charge. The cost of one housing square meter will amount to merely 250 dollars and the apartment of 40 sq.m will cost 10 thousand dollars.

At present time, according to official sources 342 586 houses and apartments are under construction in Venezuela. Besides, in the nearest future the construction of 2 512 houses with the help of population and support of the Ministry of social protection of the population, the state company "S. A. Petroleos de Venezuela" and regional corporations will begin.

After 29 months from the moment of launching the state program "Great housing mission of Venezuela" developed specially for the solution of housing deficiency in this South American country, 450 408 houses have already been built. Thereby, the government strives to provide till December 31 with a worthy housing accommodation all needy families that live in shelters after destructions caused by pouring rains in previous years. "Great housing mission of Venezuela" intends to construct 3 million houses by 2019.

 

List of used literature

 

 

1.       Foreign experience of state regulation of the housing sphere: economical and legal aspects // 2012 ( online resource): http://metropolys.ru/ artic/21/01/c-0024-03254.html

2.       The state stimulates housing construction// 2013 ( online resource): http://www.orangesmile.com/ru/netherlands/netherlands-stroitelstvo.htm

3.       Experts predict to the housing market of the USA growth by 5%// 2012  ( online resource): http://www.kn.kz/ru/news/view/id/40968/

4.       State housing policy of Germany// 2011 ( online resource): http://www.inestate.ru/pub/0/0/2289

5.       Materials of meeting of the Government of RK. 2013// ( online resource): www.zakon.kz/kazakhstan/4556346-onlajjn-transljacija-zasedanija.html