Over the past three years, thousands of people have had to sell their homes at a loss, research carried out by Dutch public broadcaster NOS shows. Since 2008, some 23,000 homes have been sold for less than what the owners paid.

In 2008, over 3,500 homes were sold for less than what the owners had paid. In 2011 the figure has more than doubled - to 7,253.

Most of the home owners affected were under 35 and most of their homes cost less than 300,000 euros. Nearly all of them had bought at the top of the market.

(cl/imm)

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