The expert named alternatives to family mortgages in 2026

In December last year, demand for housing increased sharply: according to Sberbank, Russians issued mortgage loans for 613 billion rubles, while 76% of them accounted for a family mortgage with a rate of 6%. The excitement is due to the fact that new terms of the program will come into force in February 2026, which will significantly narrow the range of potential borrowers. Natalia Shipilova, Sales Director of the Belye Peski residential complex, told Izvestia on January 28.

According to her, one of the key changes will be the principle of "one family, one mortgage." The expert notes that the program is becoming more targeted and losing its versatility as a tool for solving several housing problems at once. As a result, more and more buyers are looking for other ways to purchase a home at a reduced rate.

Mortgages in new territories remain one of the most affordable programs. It operates in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), Zaporizhia and Kherson regions and is available to any Russian citizen provided there is no previously issued preferential mortgage after December 23, 2023. The rate on it is 2%. Shipilova stressed that the program does not provide for restrictions on age, marital status or income, and you can purchase both an apartment and a private house. According to her, interest in such facilities is supported by lower prices and government investments in infrastructure, which makes the market attractive to investors.

Another popular tool remains the IT mortgage, designed for employees of accredited companies in the industry. The rate starts at 6%, the maximum amount of a preferential loan is 9 million rubles, and you can purchase housing in any city in the country except Moscow and St. Petersburg. The expert recalled that in order to participate in the program, it is necessary to check whether the employer has the accreditation of the Ministry of Finance of Russia, the list of such organizations is published on official resources.

"The advantage of an IT mortgage is that there are no relocation requirements. The borrower can work remotely in Moscow or St. Petersburg, but must be registered with a company registered outside of these cities. At the same time, you can purchase real estate both for investment purposes and for living. I would advise considering million-plus cities like Yekaterinburg or Novosibirsk, as well as places where the tourist flow is consistently growing: Sochi, Kaliningrad, Dagestan, Crimea, Altai and others," the expert notes.

Forbidden lot: family mortgage is not available to residents of almost half of the regions

The average salary does not allow servicing even a preferential loan in Crimea, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar and other regions.

A separate niche is occupied by corporate mortgages, which are offered by large companies in partnership with banks. According to Shipilova, such programs may include reduced rates, assistance with a down payment or compensation for part of the payments, and in some cases they allow you to purchase housing on the secondary market. However, the main risk remains the binding of conditions to the employer: upon dismissal, the rate may be revised to the market rate.

For those who are ready to consider moving, the Far Eastern and Arctic mortgages with a rate of 2% remain relevant. The first one operates in 11 regions of the Far Eastern Federal District and is aimed at young and large families, teachers, doctors, employees of defense industry enterprises, as well as members of their families and their relatives. A prerequisite is registration in the purchased housing for five years. Similar requirements are provided for in the Arctic program, which differs only in the territory of the purchase of real estate and more severe climatic conditions.

The expert stressed that in case of violation of the registration conditions, the benefit is canceled and the loan is recalculated at the market rate, so such options are suitable primarily for those who really plan long-term work and life in the selected regions.

According to the expert, the preferential mortgage lending market in 2026 remains diverse, but requires a more balanced approach from buyers. To choose the optimal program, borrowers need to compare the requirements of their profession, place of work, and willingness to move with their career and life plans, since these factors will determine access to the most favorable conditions.

Earlier, on January 21, it was reported that the second half of 2025 was a record year for mortgage lending in the secondary housing segment. Experts from Sberbank Domclick noted that secondary loans increased by 215% compared to the first half of the year, and lending volumes consistently exceeded 50 billion rubles per month, peaking in December at about 85 billion rubles.

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