House Price Movements Research Articles

Housing market stability, mortgage market structure, and monetary policy: Evidence from the euro area

This paper investigates how monetary policy stance and mortgage market structure affect non-fundamental house price movements in eleven Euro area countries. Based on a three-stage approach, our empirical evidence suggests that a one-time monetary-easing shock can significantly trigger house price booms in Euro area countries with liberal mortgage markets. Such shocks can explain over 20% of the forecasting error variance of non-fundamental house price runups in Ireland and Spain. We find that, in countries with more regulated mortgage markets, monetary policy stance does not significantly affect non-fundamental house prices. Policymakers may wish to focus on limiting mortgage equity withdrawals and on monitoring loan-to-value ratios and tax policies in order to minimize the side effects of accommodative monetary policies on housing market stability for Euro area countries. We posit that this is especially true for peripheral countries, which are more likely to be subjected to overly loose monetary policy stances.

Wavelet Linkages of Global Housing Markets and Macroeconomy

This paper proposes a novel approach to uncover the linkages of the housing market and macroeconomy for fifteen OECD countries. One of the limitations of conventional approach is that it does not distinguish the time domain from the frequency domain. However, econometric and economic rationale suggests that this distinction is crucial. We address this issue by proposing a semi/non-parametric approach of Wavelets which capture the relationship in the time-frequency space. The Cross-Wavelet coherence plots clearly show that the relationship varies significantly across countries, time, frequencies, and the direction of causation. Overall, house price movements are related to interest rates at the higher frequencies (short-run) and per capital income growth at the lower frequencies (long-run). Furthermore, the role of industrial production and income growth is found to switch over time at lower frequencies, particularly in Finland, France, Sweden, and Japan. The stock market's nexus with the housing market is significant mainly at high to medium frequencies around the recent financial crisis. However, throughout the 1976-2016 period, the U.S. stock market's relationship is significant, although it has gradually transitioned from medium to low-frequency movements. The direction of causation between the housing market and macroeconomic variables also differs across time and frequencies.

Housing Price Forecastability: A Factor Analysis

AbstractWe examine U.S. housing price forecastability using principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares (PLS) and sparse PLS (SPLS). We incorporate information from a large panel of 128 economic time series and show that macroeconomic fundamentals have strong predictive power for future movements in housing prices. We find that (S)PLS models systematically dominate PCA models. (S)PLS models also generate significant out‐of‐sample predictive power over and above the predictive power contained by the price–rent ratio, autoregressive benchmarks and regression models based on small datasets.

The market value of energy efficiency in buildings and the mode of tenure

Concerns about global warming and growing scarcity of fossil fuels require substantial changes in energy consumption patterns and energy systems, as targeted by many countries around the world. One key element to achieve such transformation is to increase energy efficiency of the housing stock. In this context, it is frequently argued that private investments are too low in the light of the potential energy cost savings. However, heterogeneous incentives to invest in energy efficiency, especially for owner-occupants and landlords, may serve as one explanation. This is particularly important for countries with a large rental sector, like Germany. Nevertheless, previous literature largely focuses on the payoffs owner-occupants receive, leaving out the rental market. This paper addresses this gap by comparing the capitalisation of energy efficiency in selling prices and rents, for both types of residences. For this purpose data from the Berlin housing market are analysed using hedonic regressions. The estimations reveal that energy efficiency is well capitalised in apartment prices and rents. The comparison of implicit prices and the net present value of energy cost savings/rents reveals that investors anticipate future energy and house price movements reasonably. However, in the rental segment, the value of future energy cost savings exceeds tenants’ implicit willingness to pay by a factor of 2.5. This can either be interpreted as a result of market power of tenants, uncertainty in the rental relationship or the ‘landlord–tenant dilemma’.

Housing price and transaction intensity correlation in Hong Kong: implications for government housing policy

Examination of the causal relationship between housing price and transaction intensity helps us understand the housing market dynamics better. The housing market is a very unique asset market as demand for housing comes from both demand for investment return and demand for a shelter/accommodation. Empirical analysis on this causal relationship therefore provides government with important policy considerations. In this paper, we will examine such correlation between housing price movements and transaction intensity in Hong Kong with a core objective of getting a better understanding of the housing market behavior in this city so that more effective government housing policy could be devised. We examine the price–transaction correlation observed in the Hong Kong housing market by means of a bivariate vector autoregressive (VAR) model, with a time series spanning over the period from 1993 to 2014. Without examining other macroeconomic variables such as employment and gross domestic product, our Granger causality test shows a strong evidence, suggesting that housing price Granger causes transaction intensity in the housing market of Hong Kong, but not vice versa. The findings buttressed by the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and the bounds test results on cointegration relationships support our conclusion. Based on these results, we question the current government housing policy which aims mainly at suppressing demand and hence transaction intensity, if the objective of government intervention is to bring housing price level to a more affordable level. Housing policy therefore should aim at effectuating the supply channel so that there is a clearer signal of constant and effective supply of housing units, which will eventually help stabilize housing price.

House price return volatility patterns in Turkey, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze volatility properties of the house price returns of Turkey and Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir provinces over the period of July 2007-June 2014.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses conditional variance models, namely, ARCH, GARCH and E-GARCH. As the supportive approach for the discussions, we also use correlation analysis and qualitative inputs.FindingsEmpirical findings suggest several points. First, city/country-level house price return volatility series display volatility clustering pattern and therefore volatilities in house price returns are time varying. Second, it seems that there were high (excess) and stable volatility periods during observation term. Third, a significant economic event may change country/city-level volatilities. In this context, the biggest and relatively persistent shock was the lagged negative shocks of global financial crisis. More importantly, short-lived political/economic shocks have not significant impacts on house price return volatilities in Turkey, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Fourth, however, house price return volatilities differ across geographic areas, volatility series may show some co-movement pattern. Fifth, volatility comparison across cities reveal that Izmir shows more excess volatility cases, Ankara recorded the highest volatility point and Istanbul and national series show lower and insignificant volatilities.Research limitations/implicationsThe study uses maximum available data and focuses on some house price return volatility patterns. The first implication of the findings is that micro/macro dimensions of house price return volatilities should be carefully analyzed to forecast upside/downside risks of house price returns. Second, defined volatility clustering pattern implies that rate of return of housing investment may show specific patterns in some periods and volatile periods may result in some large losses in the returns. Third, model results generally suggest that however data constraint is a major problem, market participants should analyze regional idiosyncrasies during their decision-making in housing portfolio management. Fourth, because house prices are not sensitive to relatively less structural shocks, housing may represent long-term investment instrument if it provides satisfactory hedging from inflation.Originality/valueThe evidences and implications would be useful for housing market participants aiming to manage/use externalities of housing price movements. From a practical contribution perspective, the study provides a tool that will allow measuring first time of the return volatility patterns of house prices in Turkey and her three biggest provinces. Local level analysis for Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir provinces, as the globally fastest growing cities, would be found specifically interesting by international researchers and practitioner.

Are mortgage lenders guilty of the housing bubble? A UK perspective

ABSTRACTExisting theoretical models of house prices and credit rely on continuous rationality of consumers, an assumption that has been frequently questioned in recent years. Meanwhile, empirical investigations of the relationship between prices and credit are often based on national-level data, which is then tested for structural breaks and asymmetric responses, usually with subsamples. Earlier author argues that local markets are structurally different from one another and so the coefficients of any estimated housing market model should vary from region to region. We investigate differences in the price–credit relationship for 12 regions of the UK. Markov-switching is introduced to capture asymmetric market behaviours and turning points. Results show that credit abundance had a large impact on house prices in Greater London and nearby regions alongside a strong positive feedback effect from past house price movements. This impact is even larger in Greater London and the South East of England when house prices are falling, which are the only instances where the credit effect is more prominent than the positive feedback effect. A strong positive feedback effect from past lending activity is also present in the loan dynamics. Furthermore, bubble probabilities extracted using a discrete Kalman filter neatly capture market turning points.

What Drives Urban Consumption in Mainland China? The Role of Property Price Dynamics

This paper adds to the literature on wealth effects on consumption by disentangling house price effects on consumption for mainland China. In a stochastic modelling framework, the riskiness, rate of increase and persistence of house price movements have different implications for the consumption/housing ratio. We exploit the geographical variation in property prices by using a quarterly city-level panel dataset for the period 1998Q1 – 2009Q4 and rely on a panel error correction model. Overall, the results suggest a significant long run impact of property prices on consumption. They also broadly confirm the predictions from the theoretical model.

What Drives Urban Consumption in Mainland China? The Role of Property Price Dynamics

AbstractThis paper adds to the literature on wealth effects on consumption by disentangling house price effects on consumption for mainland China. In a stochastic modelling framework, the riskiness, rate of increase and persistence of house price movements have different implications for the consumption/housing ratio. We exploit the geographical variation in property prices by using a quarterly city‐level panel data set for the period 1998Q1–2009Q4 and rely on a panel error correction model. Overall, the results suggest a significant long‐run impact of property prices on consumption. They also broadly confirm the predictions from the theoretical model.

Detecting Malaysian Housing Bubbles

This paper examines whether Malaysia is facing an impending housing bubble by using a graphical analysis, logical deduction and two statistical tests. Our research results are robust and supported by a three prone approach: Logical deduction working on the historical price trend based on most recent research findings on bubble; testing the stability of the price cycle and a statistical test modified and formulated in accordance with the Malaysian context to analyze the price trend in the local property market. We show that housing bubble burst is not imminent as yet in Malaysia which is in agreement with Bank Negara Malaysia Report. However, our findings reveal that Malaysia has been experiencing a continuous and increasingly steeper upward movement of house prices without breaks since mid-2009. Exuberant expectation of investment profit seems to be building up continuously, an indication of a strong likelihood of a housing bubble building up. Our findings call for the attention of the government to this development and to take necessary intervention measures.

(Un)expected housing price changes: Identifying the drivers of small business finance

In this paper, we use the Kauffman Firm Survey to examine the effect of housing price changes on small business financial variables. We apply macroeconomic forecasting techniques to decompose housing price changes into expected and unexpected components. In addition to investigating the effect of predictable and unpredictable movements in housing prices, we argue that our use of forecast errors allows us to identify plausibly exogenous variation in housing prices. We show that for several measures of small business financing, the unexpected housing price changes have particularly large effects on small business balance sheets. Analysis of specific measures of credit access points to the channels of transmission of housing market disruptions on small business outcomes and suggests that small business owners absorb negative shocks to housing wealth through relatively expensive sources of credit and not through loans from the banking sector. We conclude with policy proposals for reducing the effect of housing market disruptions on small businesses.

(Un)Expected Housing Price Changes: Identifying the Drivers of Small Business Finance

In this paper, we use the Kauffman Firm Survey to examine the effect of housing price changes on small business financial variables. We apply macroeconomic forecasting techniques to decompose housing price changes into expected and unexpected components. In addition to investigating the effect of predictable and unpredictable movements in housing prices, we argue that our use of forecast errors allows us to identify plausibly exogenous variation in housing prices. We show that for several measures of small business financing, the unexpected housing price changes have particularly large effects on small business balance sheets. Analysis of specific measures of credit access points to the channels of transmission of housing market disruptions on small business outcomes and suggests that small business owners absorb negative shocks to housing wealth through relatively expensive sources of credit and not through loans from the banking sector. We conclude with policy proposals for reducing the effect of housing market disruptions on small businesses.

The Dynamic Relationship Between Housing Prices and the Macroeconomy: Evidence from OECD Countries

This paper studies the dynamic relationship among house prices, income and interest rates in 15 OECD countries. We find that any disequilibrium in the long-run cointegrating relationship among these variables is corrected by the subsequent movement in house prices in most of these countries. This error-correction property of house prices implies that most of the variations in house prices are transitory, as compared to the movements in income and interest rates that are permanent, suggesting that the short-run movements in house prices are independent of the movements in income and interest rates. The results suggest that only the permanent movement in house prices, income and interest rates are associated with each other. We also find that the correlation in house price cycles across different OECD countries has changed over time with the highest correlation during the boom period of 1998–2005.

Momentum and Reversion to Fundamentals: Are They Captured by Householdss Subjective Expectations of House Prices?

Numerous studies have found that actual house price movements exhibit momentum (short-horizon serial correlation) and reversion to fundamentals (long-horizon mean reversion). Using data from the Michigan Survey of Consumers and the Case-Shiller Survey, this paper finds that households’ subjective house price expectations capture momentum but not reversion to fundamentals. Instead, their expectations diverge from the long-run equilibrium, i.e., if the current house price is above (below) its fundamental value, households will have an even higher (lower) expectation of the future appreciation rate. The expectations of households with lower education or income diverge from the long-run equilibrium to a higher degree. The irrational expectation pattern found in this paper may affect people’s house purchasing and selling decisions and thus play an important role in driving actual house price dynamics.

THE DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSE PRICES AND OUTPUT: EVIDENCE FROM US METROPOLITAN AREAS

This paper investigates the long-run and short-term dynamics of 351 US metropolitan statistical area housing prices in relation to personal income. We apply a panel cointegration approach on annual data from 1993 to 2011 and find a long-run relationship between local house prices and per capita personal income. The causal direction is then assessed based on an autoregressive distributed lag specification that also accommodates for error-correction. Results from Granger-causality tests reveal the existence of a bi-directional causality between real house prices and real per capita personal income over both long and short-horizons. Our results continue to be robust, when our bivariate system is extended to include additional MSA-level (employment and population) and national-level variables (real stock price and mortgage interest rate). We conclude that changes in personal income can predict house price movements and vice versa.

Policy Uncertainty and Precautionary Savings: Does a Possible Reduction of the Mortgage Interest Deduction Increase Savings in the Netherlands?

We analyze whether uncertainty related to the outcome of future policy results in precautionary saving. We focus on an important cause of policy uncertainty for households in the Netherlands: the possible limitation of the mortgage interest deduction. To isolate the eect of policy uncertainty on saving we survey participants in the Dutch CentERpanel. We elicit the subjective distribution of house prices in both a policy neutral scenario and a realistic but simplied reform scenario. We nd that the subjective measures of house price uncertainty contain useful information and that households do recognize both aggregate house price uncertainty and policy uncertainty. Households who are more uncertain about aggregate house price movements (ceteris paribus) save more than households who are less uncertain. We also nd that policy uncertainty alone increases precautionary saving. We discuss that a reform that is not credible could ex post exacerbate rather than mitigate precautionary saving which leads to an additional welfare loss.

International Transmission Mechanisms and Contagion in Housing Markets

AbstractThis paper explores international transmission mechanism and its role in contagion effect in the housing markets across six major Asian cities. The analysis is based on the identification of house price diffusion effects through a global vector autoregressive (GVAR) model estimated using quarterly data for six major Asian cities (Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Bangkok) from 1991Q1 to 2011Q2. The empirical results indicate that the open economies heavily relying on international trade such as Singapore, Japan (Tokyo), Taiwan (Taipei) and Thailand (Bangkok) show positive correlations between the economy's openness and house prices, which is consistent with the Balassa–Samuelson hypothesis. Interestingly, some region‐specific conditions also appear to play important roles as determinants of house price movements, which may be driven by restrictive housing policies and demand–supply imbalances such as Singapore and Bangkok. These results are reasonably robust across several model specifications. The findings bear significant implications for formulation of investment strategy and public policies.

Expectation Formation

We use novel survey data to estimate how personal experiences affect household expectations about aggregate economic outcomes in housing and labor markets. We exploit variation in locally experienced house prices to show that individuals systematically extrapolate from recent locally experienced home prices when asked for their expectations about US house price changes over the next year. In addition, higher volatility of locally experienced house prices causes respondents to report a wider distribution over expected future national house price movements. We find similar results for labor market expectations, where we exploit within-individual variation in labor market status to estimate the effect of own experience on national labor market expectations. Personally experiencing unemployment leads respondents to be significantly more pessimistic about future nationwide unemployment. The extent of extrapolation is unrelated to proxies for how informative personal experiences are, and is more pronounced for less sophisticated individuals.

International Real Estate Review

This paper models one facet of the relationship between housing market price shifts and income migration among U.S. regions: how income migration relates to regional housing price clusters. The tremendous negative slide in national housing prices from 2006 to 2012 had an uneven spatial distribution. These differences are explored within the context of net income and net population migration (movement of money with people). Median housing prices for urban areas from 2005 to 2010 and IRS county-to-county migration data are used to compare income migration among urban clusters of similar housing price trends. Selective migrations of people and income in and out of these housing clusters have either exacerbated the housing bust or softened its decline. Income effectiveness, or the gain or loss of money caused by migration, is a helpful measure that can be used to help predict future housing price movements.

Anticipated vs. unanticipated house price movements and transaction volume

Using data from England and Wales, we analyze the relationship between house prices and transaction volume (number of houses sold) and find that there is a negative relationship. When we decompose price changes into anticipated and unanticipated components we find that while anticipated house price changes positively affect transaction volume, unanticipated price changes have a negative effect. These findings give insights for the theories which try to explain the relationship between house prices and transaction volume. Our findings are inconsistent with the “down-payment effect” approach developed by Stein (1995) and Ortalo-Magne and Rady (2006), and with the “loss aversion behavior” approach discussed by Genesove and Mayer (2001). However, our results support the evidence of asymmetric decisions on the buyer and seller side documented in Case and Shiller (1988) and partially support the mechanisms in search and matching models.