UK Housing Market Chart Pack Active housing demand depressed despite fall in mortgage rates A few indicators suggest that the recovery in housing market activity is losing some traction. But with mortgage rates at record lows, employment at record highs and house price expectations rising... 7th May 2015 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Mortgage Delinquencies (Q1) The latest decline in the share of households suffering mortgage payment problems provides more evidence that the housing market is slowly normalising. To the extent that it encourages lenders to ease... 6th May 2015 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Focus Are high construction costs holding back housebuilding? The latest dip in housing starts has been accompanied by a sharp rise in construction costs. But it is shortages of labour and materials, rather than an increase in their costs, which seems to be... 6th May 2015 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Mortgage Applications (Apr.) The sharp rise in home purchase mortgage applications in April suggests that the market could finally be turning a corner after several years of stagnation. It’s early days yet, but the conditions... 6th May 2015 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response CoreLogic House Prices (Mar.) Although the CoreLogic index of house prices surged again in March, we suspect that it is somewhat overstating the true strength of the market. 5th May 2015 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Mortgage Lending (Mar.) Mortgage approvals for house purchased flatlined in March according to the Bank of England. Some buyers may be holding back to make use of the various home buying inducements currently being promised... 1st May 2015 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly The RBA’s dilemma laid bare The Reserve Bank of Australia can’t have its cake and eat it. The only way to ensure that the Australian dollar weakens, which would support the real economy, is to reduce interest rates further, but... 1st May 2015 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Land Registry Repeat Sales Index (Mar.) The Land Registry reported a not insignificant fall of 0.8% in house prices in March. While that may appear to contradict yesterday’s far stronger Nationwide report, looking through the monthly... 30th April 2015 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Land Registry Repeat Sales Index (Mar.) The Land Registry reported a not insignificant fall of 0.8% in house prices in March. While that may appear to contradict yesterday’s far stronger Nationwide report, looking through the monthly... 30th April 2015 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Nationwide House Prices (Apr.) A strong 1% rise in house prices during April brings the Nationwide into line with other measures which show that prices have been picking up since the start of the year. Record high employment... 29th April 2015 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Homeownership & Vacancy Rates / Case-Shiller (Q1/Feb.) Although today’s data suggest house price growth slowed slightly at the start of the year, they support our view that rental inflation could soon reach a 25-year high. 28th April 2015 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response BBA Mortgage Lending (Mar.) According to the BBA, mortgage approvals for house purchase increased at the fastest monthly rate for over a year in March. Despite the slowdown in GDP growth in the first quarter, the economic... 28th April 2015 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Stamp duty holiday will provide little help to first-time buyers Labour’s proposal for a three year stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers will distort the market and will not address any of the market’s deeper failings. That won’t help FTBs. Indeed, it could... 27th April 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Chart Pack Russia’s economy slumps, growth weakens in Turkey The region’s two largest economies – Russia and Turkey – have continued to struggle over the past month. Russia’s economy appears to have contracted sharply by around 3% y/y in Q1. Meanwhile, we... 27th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Are Irish and Spanish housing bubbles reflating? Revivals in Spain’s and Ireland’s housing markets should help to support their wider economic recoveries. While Spain’s housing recovery is likely to be slow, Ireland’s is already going strong. This... 27th April 2015 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response New Home Sales (Mar.) The fall in new home sales in March is more likely to be a temporary payback after strong growth in previous months rather than a sign that housing activity is starting to cool again. In any case... 23rd April 2015 · 1 min read
