UK Housing Market Data Response BBA Mortgage Lending (Feb. 13) Mortgage approvals for house purchase declined for a second consecutive month, indicating that the Funding for Lending Scheme is struggling to make a sizeable impact on mortgage lending. 25th March 2013 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Existing Home Sales (Feb.) The increase in the number of existing home sales in February is more evidence that the housing recovery is continuing unabated. But the real news in this morning’s NAR numbers is the rise in the... 21st March 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Forecast change The Chancellor’s ‘Help to Buy’ scheme is likely to provide some additional support to average house prices, over and above that already coming from the Funding for Lending scheme. We have amended our... 21st March 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Budget 2013 helps to keep house prices inflated We doubt many first-time buyers will be celebrating ‘Help to Buy’. Most just want to see house prices fall. But by saddling them with more mortgage debt, that is an outcome this policy will help... 20th March 2013 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Teranet-National Bank House Prices (Feb.) Despite the past weakening in existing home sales and rising number of properties for sale, the annual growth rate of house prices remained at 2.7% in February. As sales continue to trend lower... 20th March 2013 · 1 min read
China Economics Update The view from the ground – Q1 2013 Confidence is rising, but business leaders in China are less upbeat about conditions for their own firms than they are about the wider economy. This suggests that sentiment may be running ahead of... 19th March 2013 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Housing Starts (Feb.) Homebuilding volumes increased in February and, despite the homebuilder recovery coming up against a few snags, there’s good reason to think that the rebound in construction activity has much further... 19th March 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus Is a mansion tax a good idea? An annual tax on residential property is in many ways a good idea. But the proposed mansion tax is not the best way to go about it. A better option would be to reform the council tax system to ensure... 19th March 2013 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Housing starting to boost industry and employment In addition to the direct boost to GDP from homebuilding, the housing recovery has started to provide an indirect boost by supporting both industrial activity and employment. The possibility that the... 18th March 2013 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update Return of housing equity withdrawal here to stay For the first time in four years households are withdrawing more cash from their homes than they are putting into them. Rather than being a temporary blip, we think that this marks the start of a... 18th March 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Will prime central London house prices continue to outperform? Interest in prime central London property may be waning, with improved sentiment in the euro-zone and poor rental yields both weighing on demand. Further large price gains are therefore unlikely, but... 15th March 2013 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update Lenders' capacity constraints still a brake on recovery Capacity constraints in lenders’ mortgage departments are one of the few remaining bottlenecks in the housing recovery and one of the factors contributing to the marginal role being played by mortgage... 14th March 2013 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Update Is stagflation the next threat to property values? If growing fears of a sustained rise in inflation proved well founded, this will present another obstacle to a meaningful recovery in commercial property values. But a repeat of the 1970s experience... 14th March 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Budget 2013 – Can the Chancellor kick-start homebuilding? Further measures to boost homebuilding will reportedly form part of next week’s Budget. But past attempts have had little success. So what more could the Chancellor do, and with what effect? 13th March 2013 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Housing downturn gathering force The downward trend in both existing home sales and housing starts indicates that the housing slowdown is unfortunately becoming more broad-based. As demand and supply imbalances intensify this year... 13th March 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response FSA Mortgage Lending Statistics (Q4 12) According to the FSA, gross mortgage lending declined in the fourth quarter compared to a year ago. That provides further evidence that the FLS has yet to boost mortgage lending, despite the continual... 12th March 2013 · 1 min read
