Canada Economics Update Housing's rebalancing act unlikely to be painless The downward trend in housing starts supports our long-held view that a housing correction is underway. More importantly, the slump in pre-construction condo sales and dwindling number of new project... 8th May 2013 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Mortgage Applications (Apr.) Mortgage applications for home purchase have risen in seven of the past eight months, including in the most recent data relating to April. Taken alongside the Fed’s latest Senior Loan Officer Survey... 8th May 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Halifax House Prices (Apr. 13) The Halifax reports that house prices continued to rise in April, and at a fairly strong pace. But other housing market data are not so positive, and taken together that suggests prices are just... 8th May 2013 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response CoreLogic House Prices (Mar. 13) The further rise in house prices in March may prompt further concerns that prices are entering bubble territory. But a closer look suggests that it would take several more years of prices increasing... 7th May 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Chart Pack Housing market flat over first quarter of 2013 Various Government interventions, particularly the FLS, have given the housing market a gentle upwards nudge. But early hopes that 2013 would be a year of strong recovery will not be realised, and... 7th May 2013 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update Homeownership rate likely to fall further yet Tight credit conditions and the backlog of foreclosures still to be worked through mean that the homeownership rate will slide lower over the next year or so. But with owner-occupation still the... 2nd May 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Nationwide House Prices (Apr. 13) The very slight drop in house prices recorded in April points to a housing market holding its ground. While prices in London are likely to see some further gains in coming months, prices for the UK as... 1st May 2013 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Homeownership & Vacancy Rates & Case-Shiller (Q1/Feb) Some 14 months after the trough in house prices, the homeownership rate is still declining. In other words, although there are some signs that conventional, mortgage-dependent buyers are playing more... 30th April 2013 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Improving sentiment still not matched in hard data Despite the widespread optimism about the benefits that “Abenomics” may eventually bring to Japanese businesses and households, the hard data continue to disappoint. In particular, industrial... 30th April 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Mortgage Lending (Mar. 13) After two consecutive months of declines, mortgage approvals for house purchase staged a partial come back in March. A raft of Government interventions is likely to lead to further marginal increases... 30th April 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Land Registry Repeat Sales Index (Mar. 13) Land Registry data for March showed that house prices are essentially flat, rising by just 0.1% during the month. It is hard to see what will generate price rises, but in the absence of a major shock... 29th April 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Buy-to-let lending will not be main beneficiary from FLS extension The extension of the Funding for Lending Scheme to include mortgage and housing credit corporations has led to some concerns that the buy-to-let sector will be the main beneficiary. But the link to... 25th April 2013 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Deleveraging in Denmark: what lessons for other Nordics? Household spending in Denmark has barely recovered since its housing bubble burst in 2007 and there appears little respite ahead for households. With rising debt now fuelling housing booms in Sweden... 25th April 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response BBA Mortgage Lending (Mar. 13) According to the BBA, the number of mortgages approved for house purchase ticked up in March. Alongside other Government support, the extension to the Funding for Lending Scheme will help approvals... 24th April 2013 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response New Home Sales (Mar. 13) After the weaker than expected existing home sales figures, the increase in new home sales in March comes as a bit of a relief. The rise was only slight, but the indications are that activity will... 23rd April 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Is demand from buy-to-let investors about to boom? According to a recent survey, letting agents think that more landlords are currently buying property than at any time since the height of the buy-to-let (BTL) lending boom in late 2006. But landlords... 23rd April 2013 · 1 min read
