In the third quarter of 2012, nationwide real estate unit sales agreements totalled 134,984, down by 23.7% over the same period for the previous year. Of these, 125,903 (93.3%) concerned homes and appurtenances and 8,065 (6%) real estate units for business purposes.
In relation to the type of use, sales of residential properties fell by 23%, whereas sales of properties for business use fell by 25.7%.
In the third quarter of 2012, transfers of properties of real estate units registered a negative trend in all the geographical areas. The North-East (-25.4%) and the North-West areas (-24.7%) registered the worst trends. Also negative, but however below the national average (-23.1%), the sales respectively in the Islands (-22.7%) and in the South area (-17.4%).
In general, this negative trend is common both to sales of real estate units for residential use and appurtenances and for business use.
Transfers of properties for residential use recorded in metropolitan city notarial archives indicated a smaller decrease (-21.6%) compared to that recorded in the remaining district archives (-24.1%), while transfer of properties for business purposes indicated an higher decrease in metropolitan city notarial archives (-28.5%) compared to that recorded in the remaining district archives (-24.0%).
In the third quarter of 2012, nationwide 59,155 mortgage-secured loans were stipulated.
All the geographical areas showed a negative trend: decreases above the national average (-37.8) were in the Islands (-43.9%) and in the South areas (-42%), whereas under the national average the North-West (-36.8%), the North-East (-36.2%), and the Centre (-36.1%).
With regard to the type of district notarial archives, mortgage-backing loans stipulated on the territory of the archives located in metropolitan cities showed a smaller decline (-36.8%) than the value recorded in those located in other cities (-38.5%).
In the Italian version of Istat website a set of tables containing regional details is also available.