UK Housing Market Focus What will the pension changes mean for the housing market? The changes to the pension system due to come into effect next year will impact the economy in a variety of ways. But while it may lead to some rise in the demand for homes as retirees search for... 9th May 2014 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus Why are so few homes being put up for sale? Recent months have seen a resurgence in first-time buyers, desperate to buy before house prices are pushed even further out of reach. But this has not been matched by a rise in the number of homes put... 10th March 2014 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus Is the housing market in a new bubble? Viewed in isolation and given the wider economic recovery, it seems premature to label the housing market upturn as a bubble. Yet, the recovery has come from a point where prices already appeared too... 27th January 2014 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus Will Mark Carney need to rein in the housing market? The recovery in house prices has been accompanied by concerns that an unsustainable bubble is developing. At the moment, the indicators on housing market activity favoured by the Bank of England are... 18th December 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus Why are mortgage repayments on the rise? Increased housing transactions and a decline in the stock of interest-only mortgages have boosted mortgage principal repayments, and allowed lenders to advance more mortgages without having to... 13th November 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Will the housing market give consumers a boost? Past housing market upswings have all coincided with above-average rates of consumer spending growth. But it is easy to overstate the strength of the direct linkages between the two. Therefore, unless... 9th September 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus Will mortgage guarantees be as successful as equity loans? After the success of the Help to Buy equity loan scheme, there are concerns that the potentially much larger mortgage guarantee aspect of the scheme could trigger a new house price boom when it is... 19th August 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Will the Government get the housing market going? The Chancellor’s efforts to engineer a sustainable, demand-led recovery in mortgage lending and housebuilding are unlikely to succeed. One possible outcome is that prices simply surge, pushing housing... 27th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus Why do estimates of the average house price differ? The discrepancy between estimates of the average house price is essentially due to some measures being close to the mean, while others are closer to the median price. Housing valuations are best... 22nd May 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus Is a mansion tax a good idea? An annual tax on residential property is in many ways a good idea. But the proposed mansion tax is not the best way to go about it. A better option would be to reform the council tax system to ensure... 19th March 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Can the UK build its way to a recovery? The construction sector has endured a terrible recession, with double-digit declines in output and employment. In theory, there is scope for a sharp comeback. But given the squeeze on credit and... 7th March 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus The outlook for buy-to-let in 2013 The buy-to-let market will expand modestly over 2013, with the demand for, and supply of, private rented property edging up. But affordability constraints will mean that rental growth will be lower... 14th February 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Autumn Statement 2012: More of the same There were few surprises in this Autumn Statement, which simply represented a continuation of the existing strategy. The Statement will do little to get the economy out of its current malaise and a... 5th December 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
UK Economics Focus Autumn Statement 2012 Preview The Chancellor remains hemmed in by the fiscal position. Indeed, he may well have to choose between introducing even more austerity in the Autumn Statement and letting at least one of his fiscal rules... 22nd November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus Could a surge in housebuilding lead to a house price crash? Fears that a surge in housebuilding will lead to a house price crash, and therefore limit the potential boost to the economy, are unfounded. New-build supply is just too small a proportion of the... 15th October 2012 · 1 min read
