US Housing Market Outlook Softer economy unlikely to derail housing recovery The softer pace of economic growth in the second half of the year may lead to a slight moderation in the pace of house price gains. But the bigger picture is that growing buyer interest and a tight... 6th September 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Will the house-building package deliver? Of the raft of policies announced since the Government returned after the summer break, today’s measures to boost house-building are perhaps likely to have the biggest economic impact. That said, they... 6th September 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Focus Ten key questions about China’s property market China’s economic prospects depend in large part on what happens to its property market. In this Focus, we answer the key questions on affordability, empty housing and over-investment that will... 6th September 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Halifax House Prices (Aug) The small drop in house prices in August provides further evidence that prices are on a gradual downwards trajectory. And there is little in either the housing or wider economic data to suggest that... 6th September 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Bank persists with tightening bias The Bank of Canada continues to insist that its policy rate will eventually need to rise from the current 1.0%, even as the global economic slowdown intensifies and the domestic housing boom shows... 5th September 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Mortgage Applications (Aug. 12) Mortgage applications for home purchase fell sharply in August, providing further evidence that mortgage-dependent buyers are barely contributing to the recovery in housing market activity. Without a... 5th September 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response CoreLogic House Prices (Jul.) Despite the slowdown in the pace of wider economic growth, house prices are growing strongly. Moreover, the recovery looks broad based, encompassing both distressed and non-distressed homes. 4th September 2012 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Data Response Construction PMI (Aug.) and Mergers & Acquisitions (Q2) For the first time since early 2010, August saw the commercial property construction PMI dip below 50. Meanwhile, mergers and acquisitions activity remained very low in Q2. As signals of continued... 4th September 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Nationwide House Prices (Aug. 12) This month’s strong rise in house prices is something of a surprise, given the weak level of activity in the housing market and economy more generally. It is therefore unlikely that price rises will... 31st August 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Why isn’t tenant demand stronger? In contrast to the first ‘dip’, strong increases in rents are currently constraining the rise in tenant demand typically seen during recessions. In turn, this is due to a relatively low supply of new... 30th August 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Mortgage Lending (Jul) As expected and in line with BBA data for July, mortgage approvals rebounded slightly from June’s 18-month low, when lending was constrained by special factors. But the poor economic outlook argues... 30th August 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Land Registry Repeat Sales Index (July) Once again, strong price rises in London drove July’s rise in national average house prices. But with prices in the North continuing to fall, the North/South divide is growing ever wider. 29th August 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Can the economy recover without a rebound in property? When the global financial crisis hit, a surge in real estate investment helped China’s economy escape the slump. The government in Beijing is trying to engineer a recovery from the current downturn... 29th August 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Case-Shiller House Prices (Q2) The moderation in the pace of economic growth does not appear to have had a significant detrimental impact on the recovery in US house prices. At the end of the second quarter, prices on the National... 28th August 2012 · 1 min read
Bank of Canada Watch Bank of Canada close to dropping hawkish bias The Bank of Canada's policy statement next week is likely to retain its hawkish bias about the need to raise interest rates. Given the faltering global economy and stalling domestic housing market... 28th August 2012 · 1 min read
China Activity Monitor Weak start to Q3 The Capital Economics China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that the economy slowed in July after steadying at the end of Q2. A further deterioration in exports and real estate construction has... 27th August 2012 · 1 min read
