US Housing Market Data Response Mortgage Applications (Jan.) The latest weakness of mortgage applications for home purchase may suggest that the recent improvement in home sales is not built on solid foundations. While strict credit scoring and widespread... 8th February 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update REO to rental programme could be the best housing fix so far Among the myriad of programmes rolled out to help the housing market, the proposal to sell the government’s stock of real estate owned homes to rental investors could just be the most effective yet. 6th February 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Halifax House Prices (Jan.) The latest rise in the Halifax house price index does little to detract from the underlying downward trend on this measure. And given rising unemployment and the fact that valuation metrics suggest... 6th February 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Chart Pack Mortgage demand and house prices mark time Most of the housing market activity and price data were little changed this month. That could be setting the tone for a year of subdued demand and static house prices. But with the economy poised to... 2nd February 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response CoreLogic House Prices (Dec.) Signs of a modest housing market recovery are noticeable everywhere but in the house price data. Today’s CoreLogic release shows that prices were still falling at a reasonable clip in the final month... 2nd February 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Nationwide House Prices (Jan.) It is still too early to tell whether the latest fall in the Nationwide house price index is confirmation of a renewed downward trend. However, given that the economy is already contracting... 1st February 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Case-Shiller House Prices (Nov.) There are still no signs that house prices are on the verge of turning around, with the Case-Shiller measure falling for the seventh month in a row in November. But things should be different in six... 31st January 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Mortgage Lending (Dec.) With the economy now contracting again and further job losses to come, it was perhaps not surprising that the recovery in mortgage approvals seems to have run out of steam. 31st January 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response BBA Mortgage Lending (Dec.) In aggregate, December’s rise in the BBA measure of mortgage approvals only made up around half of last month’s fall. And given the prospect of tighter credit conditions and a renewed recession, the... 25th January 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus How will UK property markets fare in 2012? A few local hot-spots aside, 2011 was not a great year for UK property markets. But the signs are that 2012 will be worse. Activity will remain weak and both commercial and residential property prices... 25th January 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Focus Is now the time to buy? If house prices and rents evolve as we expect then, over a normal holding period, it will be better to own rather than rent the average home. This should go some way to reviving Americans’ appetite... 23rd January 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update Early signs that mortgage credit conditions are loosening Credit conditions in the US have stopped tightening and there are signs that they are now loosening. We expect this to continue, supporting home sales and putting a floor under house prices. But any... 19th January 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Housing Starts (Dec.) The fall in housing starts in December was driven by a steep decline in the often volatile multi-family sector, while starts of single-family homes actually rose slightly. In any case, December’s fall... 19th January 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Chart Pack Activity showing first signs of improvement The magnitude of the decline in existing home sales since the start of the housing market crash has been revised up significantly, but sales now appear to be rebounding as banks begin to lend more... 13th January 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Outlook Downside risks dominate the 2012 outlook House prices remain overvalued on most measures. This suggests that there is ample scope for tighter mortgage credit conditions and rising unemployment to push average house prices lower during 2012... 11th January 2012 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Mortgage Applications (Dec.) Weekly data show that the bulk of the gain in mortgage applications for home purchase in the two months to early-December has now been eroded. Nevertheless, looser credit conditions should see... 11th January 2012 · 1 min read
