but what if the prices are then 100-200-300 THOUSAND EUR higher again, what then?
Prices can't rise that much more, because then really no one could afford a house anymore. Current prices are so absurd because of the back then cheap interest rates of 0.x %. Explanation follows shortly.
so the "tense housing situation" probably won't ease...
Yes, but at the earliest in 1-2 years. Currently, order books are still fully loaded. Precisely because interest rates were so cheap for a long time, many people could suddenly afford a house without equity. Then came the panic about rising interest rates and rising prices. The expiring KfW subsidies also really boosted sales again.
but for the properties where the broad mass exists, it will continue to be difficult (earlier I said: at 400k is the broad mass, now rather at 500k)
Exactly, and why was 400k the broad mass and now 500k? Because the mass of people buy and spend what they can afford at most per month. I keep saying it, the market regulates that. The limit is the ability to service capital, not the living area, the price, or anything else related to the property. Now with 2.5% interest rates, it goes sharply back down to 400k for the broad mass. The original poster had to painfully experience that already. He wrote in the opening post that 500€ more in interest has to be paid than shortly before. The only bad thing is that the city cannot and does not want to simply adapt the land costs. But as far as the house is concerned, waiting a bit would not be wrong now, because now the unfavorable situation is: full order books, risk premiums due to material, old high prices, and still high interest rates. A really nasty combination. Unfortunately, it will take at least 1-2 years until this settles again. Therefore, I stick to my opinion now to secure the land and build in a few years. Someone aptly wrote that you have to look closely at the exit clause in case construction then is not possible and one should have looked into another crystal ball instead.