Return to the homeland - how much credit can I afford?

If the air traffic doesn’t bother you, you can live there well. I wouldn’t aim for Buchschlag, Dreieich, or Langen – too loud. Rather head out towards Bad Vilbel. Train connections are always worth it during rush hour around Frankfurt. Of course, you can also drive a few kilometers to the train – in good weather, also by bike. I find it very nice with acquaintances in Kirdorf. Apparently others do too, because the prices are now very high.

My comment about schools actually referred to ordinary public schools which are often significantly better in Germany than in many other countries. I would normally not consider private schools.

I think that is a very good attitude.

Here in my big city, the international daycares and schools are by far the worst institutions. Constantly changing staff at minimum staffing levels and also changing sponsors. But which institutions are really good, you only find out on site from other parents. What is the perfect school for us is an absolute no-go for other parents because it is a non-denominational school and/or has mixed-age classes. I am still surprised that the issue of religion or lack of religious education in schools is so significant in the middle class. Wherever you live now or next year: good schools can be hiding at the other end of the city.

A high-society case I know has his children driven by chauffeur over an hour each way to school in Düsseldorf :rolleyes:

International referred to shopping, restaurants, etc.

International restaurants are clear to me, but what exactly is international shopping? What do you want to buy there? How often do you want to do that and would you be willing to accept an hour’s drive for that?

In Dreieich-Sprendlingen and Buchschlag, despite being close to the airport, you don't hear any airplane noise. What can be really annoying, though, is the railway line. Not because of the noise, but there is no underpass (so only a level crossing); the regional trains, long-distance trains, and the S-Bahn all pass there. You can easily stand at the crossing for 25 minutes straight. It annoys me every time I go to a friend's place in Sprendlingen.

Regarding your financial question: yes, you can borrow up to 180 times your annual net income.

180 times the ANNUAL income? Are you sure? :)

I don't know how it is with high earners, but for regular people they usually talk about 108 times the monthly net income, right?

+ additional bonuses + equity of 400/500k should actually not be a problem for the OP to raise something around 1.5 million.

I thought the children weren’t even here yet, right?

No, I certainly know more lifestyles than just my current one. From personal experience (I am also a business economist with work experience).

Why I have to laugh: the self-image does not fit at all with the wishes expressed here. Between the lines, various (pre-)judgments flash by. Together with the almost childlike questioning about the situation around Frankfurt.
If someone with this income were modest, then he (rightly) wouldn’t have any financial fears at all. So what are the questions about?

In my opinion, the OP doesn’t have any question at all: he knows about real estate, he has significantly above-average securities, knows what he wants, and can use the internet. That’s all that’s needed. He doesn’t want more either, because both pagoni and I get a rejection on our statements. Yes, that’s a way to do it and also legitimate. This just makes the dissonances stand out even more. Interesting, isn’t it.

What kind of self-worth? Just because I worked hard and saved for years so that I can buy a house later? I’m not ashamed of money or salary, I come from very little and otherwise live modestly, even though I could afford much more. A nice house has always been one of my few other wishes, and I worked on that for a long time.

Of course I am generally knowledgeable about real estate and finances, just not about the German market. I don’t know the Frankfurt suburbs that well, either. So far there have been some great tips on what to watch out for, and I am very grateful for that!

I have no prejudices, only wishes. But from experience in my early life, I know that as a non-white person with a strange accent, it is not so easy in some areas. I don’t want to deal with that, and I don’t want to put my children through that either.

If you don’t mind the air traffic, you can live there well. I wouldn’t aim for Buchschlag, Dreieich, or Langen – too loud. Rather head out towards Bad Vilbel. Train connections are always worthwhile during rush hour around Frankfurt. Of course, you can also drive a few kilometers to the train – also by bike in good weather. I find it very nice at friends’ place in Kirdorf. Apparently others do too, because prices have become very high there.

Cool! Thanks! Air traffic doesn’t bother me and I’m used to it anyway.

I think that’s a very good attitude.

Here in my big city, the international daycare centers and schools are by far the worst facilities. Constantly changing staff at minimum levels and also changing sponsors. But which facilities are really good, you only find out locally from other parents. What is the perfect school for us is an absolute no-go for other parents because it is a non-denominational school and/or has mixed-grade classes. I’m still surprised that the topic of religion or lack of religious instruction at school is such a big issue in the middle class. Wherever you live now or next year: good schools can hide at the other end of the city.

A high-society case I know has his children driven by a chauffeur over an hour each way to school in Düsseldorf :rolleyes:

International restaurants are clear to me, but what exactly is international shopping? What do you want to buy there? How often do you want to do that and would you be willing to accept even an hour’s drive for that?

I don’t know, just a few nice delis. Just a nice downtown area where you can nicely have a coffee on weekends and maybe afterwards look at some shop windows. Bad Homburg has all that, but it doesn’t have to be that big.

In Dreieich-Sprendlingen and Buchschlag, despite the proximity to the airport, you don’t hear any aircraft noise.
What can be really annoying, however, is the railway line. Not because of the noise, but because there is no underpass (only a level crossing). Regional traffic, long-distance traffic, and the S-Bahn all go that way. Sometimes you stand at the barrier for 25 minutes at a stretch. It annoys me every time I drive to a buddy’s place in Sprendlingen.

Annoying, but I could still tolerate that!

By the way, what I have heard from quite a few people who are now adults, former children of international and well-off parents, is that they found it terrible at an international school.

It can also be coquettishness. ;-) Attending a private, international school is not yet very common in Germany and it is usually considered inappropriate to make one's privileges too obvious.