Both new and existing home sales dropped back in April and the May pending home sales index points to further declines in existing sales over the next couple of months. House price growth of over 13% y/y and a rise in mortgage rates since the start of the year have stretched affordability and alongside record low inventory that is weighing on housing market activity. But unlike the mid-2000s, we doubt an unsustainable boom in house prices is on the horizon. Credit conditions tightened last year, and we expect only a gradual easing over the coming months. Price growth will therefore soon follow the downturn in home sales. Rental demand is recovering swiftly as the economy has reopened and vacancy rates are now falling. We expect that trend will continue, pushing rental growth up to 2.0% y/y by the end of the year.
Become a client to read more
This is premium content that requires an active Capital Economics subscription to view.
Already have an account?
You may already have access to this premium content as part of a paid subscription.
Sign in to read the content in full or get details of how you can access it
Register for free
Sign up for a free account to:
- Unlock additional content
- Register for Capital Economics events
- Receive email updates and economist-curated newsletters
- Request a free trial of our services