Spain's Mortgages: Why Prices Are Rising

Key vocabulary

• hipotecaf.

  mortgage, home loan

  “El precio medio de una hipoteca es del 3,01%.”— The average price of a mortgage is 3.01%.

  Pattern pedir una hipoteca — to apply for a mortgage

  Compare préstamo hipotecario — mortgage loan

  Plural: hipotecas

  💡 From Greek hypotheke, meaning "pledge"

• bancom.

  bank

  “Los bancos suben los costes de los préstamos.”— Banks are raising loan costs.

  Pattern ir al banco — to go to the bank

  Compare entidad financiera — financial institution

  Plural: bancos

  💡 Note it is the same form as "bench"; distinguish by context

• subirv.

  to rise, to increase

  “El euríbor sube y esto afecta a las hipotecas.”— Euribor is rising and this affects mortgages.

  Pattern subir de precio — for the price to rise

  Compare aumentar — to increase

  Present: subo, subes, sube...

  💡 The antonym is bajar (to go down)

• preciom.

  price

  “Los precios de las hipotecas todavía son competitivos.”— Mortgage prices are still competitive.

  Pattern a buen precio — at a good price

  Compare coste — cost

  Plural: precios

  💡 Common phrase: al precio de (at the price of)

• familiaf.

  family

  “Muchas familias quieren comprar una casa.”— Many families want to buy a house.

  Pattern familia numerosa — large family

  Compare hogar — home

  Plural: familias

  💡 Note the pronunciation: the "lia" is linked

• comprarv.

  to buy

  “Muchas personas necesitan más dinero para comprar una casa.”— Many people need more money to buy a house.

  Pattern comprar una casa — to buy a house

  Compare adquirir — to acquire

  Present: compro, compras, compra...

  💡 The antonym is vender (to sell)

• mercadom.

  market

  “El mercado hipotecario en España está cambiando.”— The mortgage market in Spain is changing.

  Pattern mercado hipotecario — mortgage market

  Compare bolsa — exchange (in certain contexts)

  Plural: mercados

  💡 Note it shares a root with "mercancía" (merchandise)

• dificultadf.

  difficulty

  “Cada vez más familias tienen dificultades para entrar en el mercado hipotecario.”— More and more families have difficulties entering the mortgage market.

  Pattern tener dificultades — to have difficulties

  Compare problema — problem

  Plural: dificultades

  💡 The noun form of the adjective difícil (difficult)

Grammar spotlight

Sentence patterns to steal

• Los precios de las hipotecas todavía son competitivos, pero los bancos suben los costes de los préstamos.

  Mortgage prices are still competitive, but banks are raising loan costs.

  A todavía es + adj., pero B + verbo.A and B can be replaced with contrasting things; adj. with an adjective.

• Cada vez más familias tienen dificultades para entrar en el mercado hipotecario.

  More and more families have difficulties entering the mortgage market.

  Cada vez más + sustantivo + tienen dificultades para + infinitivo.sustantivo with a group of people; infinitivo with an action.