The king is dead, long live the king: What you need to know about changes in home loans?

The Otthon Start program, launched on September 1, 2025, significantly reshaped the Hungarian housing market by directing buyers towards state-supported loans, initially contributing to rising property prices. The program offered favorable loan conditions, leading to a surge in housing transactions and a notable increase in the share of state-supported loans. However, the program's benefits primarily favored wealthier individuals, as evidenced by the high percentage of loans taken by the top income brackets. Despite the initial success, the housing market began to cool down in 2026, with a decline in transactions and a slowdown in price increases. The introduction of the Wekerle Plus program, which imposes stricter conditions, is expected to further impact the market, limiting access to loans for many buyers.