The jump in market interest rates following the ill-advised “mini” budget has forced quoted mortgage rates up to over 5%, a level not seen since 2009. That will turn the slowdown in demand already evident in the survey data into a collapse, as higher interest rates make it too expensive for many prospective buyers to borrow enough to purchase a home. Even though mortgage rates are likely to drop back to 4% by 2024, we suspect that house prices will have to fall by 12% before affordability improves enough for demand to recover and the fall in prices to bottom out.
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