Defensive offer, or have house prices become so expensive?

Or you have to camp for days in front of the town hall, see Gutenzell-Hürbel Whereas I now believe that this was intentional to give preference to the locals without having to introduce a point system. When the outsiders saw this in the media, it was certainly too late

You’re lucky there are enough plots available. In some regions, it’s sometimes the same because there are no new development areas.

Yes, it was from the municipality in 2019. Are there still any plots for sale privately at all? I’m following the market just out of interest, but if anything, I see really nasty hillside plots or undeveloped 1,100 sqm plots in remote backwaters. Nobody willingly gives up a prime plot without a construction obligation anymore unless they urgently need the money. There’s currently no better investment, and the 10-year-old grandchild might also want to build in town someday. And somehow, no mayor dares to confront the owners unwilling to develop their land.

Yes, it was from the municipality in 2019. Are there still any plots to buy from private owners at all? I am following the market purely out of interest,

There are no plots from the municipality or community here at all.

Every now and then, a small new development area appears, which is either directly built on by the developer with terraced houses or some old former sites are turned into building plots that are gone before you even hear about them.

There is still a building gap one street away here, a great plot. We once tried to track down the owner, but all the neighbors already told us that many others had tried their luck. The owner does not sell..

I also continue to follow the market in the hope of eventually finding THAT plot :)

We only got the opportunity because we were fast (although in two other cases we were the first too....so that doesn’t always help). Came in on Friday evening, wrote immediately. On Monday my husband had the day off and called the office first thing in the morning. The employee then said she had just circulated the house among interested parties (600!). An appointment for viewing was made that same afternoon, we slept on it overnight after discussion, and then agreed first thing the next morning.
Anyone who knows us knows that this is not our nature at all.

Is there still anything to buy from private owners when it comes to plots of land? I follow the market purely out of interest, but if anything, I only see really nasty hillside plots or undeveloped 1,100 sqm plots in remote villages.

Yes, there’s hardly anything left. In our search area, there are 5 plots included. One private beach, 277 sqm directly on Lake Constance, one garden, one plot with a three-family house, and twice half of our neighbor’s plot. That has also had a steep career... the municipality sells them for €98/sqm, the listing wants €99k for 320 sqm... Actually, the municipality has a right of repurchase for undeveloped plots, but I’m afraid that doesn’t apply if you either build one half with a semi-detached house and sell the other half, or if you sell the plot with a developer commitment...

Is that then in major metropolitan areas, if I may ask? I'm somehow always just at home in provinces where dealing with plots of land is still somewhat manageable. Although the standard land value here where we live now is still at the old rate, plot prices have also risen sharply. It was at €50/m² here for decades, then we bought at just under 80, the new development area in the municipality was already at 120 a year later. And where the next one will be, who knows.