US Housing Market Update The contrasting outlook for new and existing home sales Existing home sales as a share of population have been close to their long-run average since 2013. So while pent-up housing demand suggests they will rise over the next few years, the increase will be... 26th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response BBA Mortgage Lending (Apr.) and Housebuilding (Q1) BBA mortgage data show a temporary slump in lending in April, following the stamp duty surcharge coming into force. And while housing starts fell in Q1, easing production constraints suggest that this... 26th May 2016 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response New Home Sales (Apr.) The 16.6% m/m gain in new homes sales in April was the biggest monthly rise since the start of 1992. A lack of existing homes for sale is driving the growing number of home buyers to look at the new... 24th May 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Focus US-style collapse unlikely, but house prices will still fall A US-style collapse in house prices in Australia is unlikely when lending conditions during the good times have not been as loose as in America and Australian banks are better placed to cope with the... 23rd May 2016 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Existing Home Sales (Apr.) Existing home sales rose by 1.7% m/m in April – a little more than we were expecting. But the overall picture from the last year has been of only limited upward movement. And while demand for homes... 20th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update A bumpy ride ahead New buyer enquiries in London fell sharply in both March and April, as did house price expectations. With house prices already very high, the data point to a sharp slowdown in price growth and... 20th May 2016 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update What can homebuilder share prices tell us about housing starts? Homebuilder share prices have flat lined since early 2015, which could be a sign that the recent soft patch in housing starts is set to continue. But the past relationship between the two is far from... 18th May 2016 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Housing Starts (Apr.) April’s rise does not alter the fact that housing starts have failed to deliver any sustained growth over the past year. However, with housing demand rising gradually and builders growing more... 17th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Has London’s housing market reached a precipice? April’s RICS data showed that London’s new buyer enquiries balance fell to its second lowest level on record. History, however, suggests that on its own, the slump in buyer demand is more likely to... 16th May 2016 · 1 min read
China Data Response Hong Kong GDP (Q1) Hong Kong’s economy contracted in Q1, with output dragged down by falls in exports and household spending. We don’t expect a major rebound in the quarters ahead as interest rates rise further and the... 13th May 2016 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update How keen are households to buy homes? The share of US households who think that now is a good time to buy a home is close to previous highs, but the share of households who plan to buy in the near future is more subdued. The contrast... 12th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response RICS Residential Market Survey (Apr.) New buyer enquiries fell into negative territory for the first time in over a year in April, as the higher rate of stamp duty for additional homes came into force. And the effects of the new tax... 12th May 2016 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Chart Pack Buyers continue to outnumber sellers Demand for homes is rising thanks to mortgage rates that are close to record lows and an improving labour market. Mortgage applications for home purchase in April were at their highest level since... 11th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update What do the low level of lettings instructions tell us? The relatively subdued level of new lettings instructions is a reminder that, despite its high profile in recent quarters, BTL lending is only one measure of the health of the private rented sector... 11th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Halifax House Prices (Apr.) House prices fell in April according to the Halifax index. And with economic sentiment cooling, house prices high and demand growth slowing, we see house price growth softening further over the... 9th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Chart Pack March data show spike in Transactions This month’s data provided evidence of the extent to which buyers have brought forward purchases ahead of the stamp duty surcharge. And given the size of the boost to activity, transactions may be... 6th May 2016 · 1 min read
