Several signs point to a recovery in the housing market, according to Kauppalehti, which examines recent trends in Euribor rates.
The Euribor is short for the Euro Interbank Offered Rate and is based on the average interest rate at which European banks borrow from one another.
The most common reference rate for Finnish housing loans, the 12-month Euribor, fell to 2.548 percent last week. Market forecasts expect it to dip to around two percent by next spring — a trend expected to boost the housing market, which is already seeing signs of revival. Prices of older homes outside urban centres are higher than they were a year ago — something not witnessed in over two years, according to the business daily.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has cut its key interest rates three times this year: in June, September, and October. Danske Bank's chief analyst, Minna Kuusisto, suggests there will be another cut in December, with rate reductions continuing quarterly into next year.
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Nato nation
Finns widely support the stationing of Nato troops in the country. A survey by the agricultural paper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus finds that only ten percent of respondents oppose the deployment of these forces on Finnish soil.
"Support for Nato in Finland turned very quickly when Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, support has remained at 'North Korean' levels in a positive sense," said former commander of the Finnish Defence Forces and current MP Jarmo Lindberg (NCP).
Overall, attitudes toward international defence cooperation in Finland have changed rapidly and permanently—likely as a result of Russia's brutal acts of aggression, MT reports.
Snow season
Winter is on the way, says Iltalehti, claiming that an area stretching from Lahti to Lappeenranta will see up to 15 centimeters of snow on Friday.
Weather service Foreca forecasts snow showers and strong gusts of wind for the weekend.
According to IL, the capital area will see its first snowflakes on Friday, but the white stuff won't cover the ground for long, unlike in Kainuu in the east, where driving conditions will turn wintry on Saturday. More snow is in store for northern Finland on Sunday.
Lapin Kansa meanwhile says Thursday night was the coldest of the season so far, with the temperature dropping to -16.7 degrees Celsius in Savukoski, Lapland, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).
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