UK Housing Market Update First look at the impact of the Funding for Lending Scheme It’s still early days, but the first set of data for the uptake of the Funding for Lending Scheme are underwhelming. Only six of the 35 institutions signed-up had borrowed any money by the end of... 3rd December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Data Response IPF Consensus Forecasts (Q4 12) Respondents to the latest IPF Consensus forecasts envisage rental values beginning to edge higher next year. But with capital values also expected to drop further in 2013, the implication is that any... 30th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus When will the UK housing market turn the corner? With house prices still high and lending criteria tight, the increase in demand necessary to stoke a revival in house prices will not be forthcoming anytime soon. Prices are currently being supported... 30th November 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Focus Is the housing recovery the real deal? The housing recovery faces an array of headwinds, but we continue to think that it is sustainable. Although the recovery remains narrowly dependent on cash buyers and investors, outside of a few... 29th November 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus How the core should respond to a euro break-up Sharp appreciations in the euro-zone’s core countries would threaten to damage their exports and GDP in the event of a euro-zone break-up. But there are various policies that could be implemented to... 29th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response RICS Lettings Survey (Oct. 12) The slight strengthening in lettings market activity in the three months to October, suggests that many households remain unable or unwilling to obtain a mortgage. And alongside the weak outlook for... 29th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Nationwide House Prices (Nov. 12) & Mortgage Lending (Oct. 12) Mortgage approvals are continuing to rise, helped by a further marginal fall in mortgage rates. But they remain far too low to kick-start a sustained recovery in house prices. 29th November 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response New Home Sales (Oct. 12) The small fall in new home sales in October, and the downward revision to September’s figures, mean that the recovery in new home sales is looking a little weaker than we were previously led to... 28th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Land Registry Repeat Sales Index (Oct. 12) Despite the best efforts of a still very buoyant prime London market, house prices in England and Wales as a whole dropped for the second consecutive month. 28th November 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Case-Shiller House Prices (Q3) The third successive quarterly rise in national house prices is additional evidence that housing is experiencing a sustainable upturn. The fundamentals of very favourable housing valuations and... 27th November 2012 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Housing recovery an upside risk to inflation Unless the housing recovery proves to be much stronger than we expect, it won’t provide a worrying boost to core CPI inflation. Nonetheless, the housing market poses an upside risk to our view that... 27th November 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly US housing recovery welcomed news for exporters The nascent US housing recovery is welcomed news for Canada's exporters, though a full fledged US economic recovery is likely to remain elusive for another year or two. Nonetheless, we anticipate some... 26th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response BBA Mortgage Lending (Oct. 12) October delivered another healthy rise in mortgage approvals, which have now increased for four months in a row. But with significant headwinds on the horizon, we doubt this is the beginning of a... 23rd November 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Housing stagnation comes before the fall The recent decline in the sales-to-listings ratio points to home price stagnation ahead, a prospect that has already begun to scare away some condo investors. In Vancouver and Toronto, existing condo... 21st November 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Housing Starts (Oct.) The further rise in housing starts in October confirms that the previous month’s very strong gain was not an unsustainable surge. With housing starts rising by 41.9% over the past year, it’s clear... 20th November 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Existing Home Sales (Oct.) The improvement in existing home sales, which continued in October, is being driven by the very favourable level of housing valuations and affordability. The combination of rising demand and tight... 19th November 2012 · 1 min read
