Is a cooperative share equivalent to owner-occupied real estate as a retirement provision?
Owner-occupied residential property occupies a special position as a form of assets. No credit against Hartz4, protection against seizure, interest can be deducted, and advantages for self-employed individuals, Riester... Do these characteristics also apply if the privately used space was acquired as a cooperative share? The German government says "the acquisition of shares in housing cooperatives is also rewarded". This refers to retirement provision. Does owner-occupied real estate differ at all from cooperative shares, and if so, how? Is a cooperative share suitable for retirement provision, and with what limitations? I am particularly interested in this question from the perspective of a self-employed individual.
