UK Data Response Halifax House Prices (June) The 1%m/m rise in the Halifax index in June does little to alter the underlying trend which shows that house prices are grinding lower, albeit only slowly. 5th July 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Inflation outlook improves The near-term inflation outlook has improved significantly in recent weeks. Inflation has fallen below 3% for the first time since the end of 2009. It will come under further downward pressure from... 4th July 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Will the euro-zone crisis undermine London property values? Prices in London’s prime property markets, especially residential, look very vulnerable to a major financial market shock, or anything that might undermine investors’ desire to use London property as... 4th July 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Housing Equity Withdrawal (Q1) The low level of housing equity withdrawal is an indication of how the subdued housing market may be limiting households’ ability and willingness to spend. 4th July 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Mortgage Lending (May) May’s decline in mortgage approvals was surely related to the fact that lenders are once again reducing the availability of mortgage credit. Against a backdrop of renewed recession in the UK and the... 3rd July 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response CoreLogic House Prices (May) May’s 0.4% m/m rise in our seasonally-adjusted measure of CoreLogic house prices marks the fifth successive month in which prices have increased. While the recent strong pace of monthly house price... 2nd July 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Land Registry Repeat Sales Index (May) The North/South house price split widened further in May. On an annual comparison, house prices rose strongly in London and there were smaller gains in the East and South East. Elsewhere, house price... 2nd July 2012 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Industry easing, but housing healing It is striking just how quickly the easing in demand in Europe and certain parts of Asia has taken a toll on America’s industrial recovery. Thankfully, other parts of the economy have been affected by... 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update Is something amiss with seasonally adjusted house prices? Problems with the seasonal adjustment process, caused by the unusually high share of distressed sales in recent years, may be giving a misleading impression of the strength of house prices over the... 28th June 2012 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Data Response Bank of England Credit Conditions Survey (Q2) The availability of credit in both the residential and commercial property markets fell in Q2. And because of tight wholesale funding conditions, surely related to problems in the euro-zone, lenders... 28th June 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Nationwide House Prices (June) On its own, the latest modest drop in the Nationwide house price index is not hugely significant. But since the turn of the year, the picture of flat house prices seems to have given way to a new... 28th June 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response BBA Mortgage Lending (May) May’s mortgage lending data were unambiguously weak and offered further grounds for concern about the impact that the escalating euro-zone crisis is having on both UK confidence and credit conditions... 27th June 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Case-Shiller House Prices (Apr.) The recent strong upwards momentum in house prices may not be sustained for much longer. Nevertheless, 2012 should mark not only the end of the US house price downturn, but the first year since 2006... 26th June 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response New Home Sales (May) Despite the unusually high price of new homes relative to their pre-owned equivalents, new home sales rose strongly in May. The implication appears to be that Americans are becoming more willing to... 25th June 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Tighter mortgage rules likely to curb housing activity The finance department's surprise announcement earlier today to tighten the screw further on mortgage insurance rules starting in early July is prudent action in our view, given the elevated risks... 21st June 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Higher value mortgage approvals - a sign of tighter credit conditions? Since the turn of the year, the average value of new mortgages being approved has jumped by 10%. Unfortunately, that rise is more likely to be evidence that credit conditions are deteriorating than a... 21st June 2012 · 1 min read
