Explains how we got into the current economic disaster that developed out of the economics and politics of the housing boom and bust. The "creative" financing of home mortgages and "creative" marketing of financial securities based on these mortgages to countries around the world, are part of the story of how a financial house of cards was built up--and then collapsed.

This open access book discusses booming housing markets in cities around the globe, and the resulting challenges for policymakers and central banks. Cities are booming everywhere, leading to a growing demand for urban housing. In many cities this demand is out-pacing supply, which causes house prices to soar and increases the pressure on rental markets. These developments are posing major challenges for policymakers, central banks and other authorities responsible for ensuring financial stability, and economic well-being in general.This volume collects views from high-level policymakers and researchers, providing essential insights into these challenges, their impact on society, the economy and financial stability, and possible policy responses. The respective chapters address issues such as the popularity of cities, the question of a credit-fueled housing bubble, the role of housing supply frictions and potential policy solutions. Given its scope, the book offers a revealing read and valuable guide for everyone involved in practical policymaking for housing markets, mortgage credit and financial stability.

We examine the properties of house price fluctuations across 18 advanced economies over the past 40 years. We ask two specific questions: First, how synchronized are housing cycles across these countries? Second, what are the main shocks driving movements in global house prices? To address these questions, we first estimate the global components in house prices and various macroeconomic and financial variables. We then evaluate the roles played by a variety of global shocks, including shocks to interest rates, monetary policy, productivity, credit, and uncertainty, in explaining house price fluctuations using a wide range of FAVAR models. We find that house prices are synchronized across countries, and the degree of synchronization has increased over time. Global interest rate shocks tend to have a significant negative effect on global house prices whereas global monetary policy shocks per se do not appear to have a sizeable impact. Interestingly, uncertainty shocks seem to be important in explaining fluctuations in global house prices.

This book describes in full the major approaches used to evaluate investment in real estate and shows how theory informs decision-aid methods and tools to support such evaluation. The inclusion of numerous examples makes it also a practical guide to assessing the suitability of an investment property. The first part of the text is devoted to an analysis of the housing market through the study of micro- and macroeconomic variables influencing supply and demand, with illustration of how these two components of the market interact. Special attention is given to market research and other preparatory activities able to influence the outcome of the investment. In fact, the quality of the parameters used for the evaluation depends on these activities. The final chapters describe the valuation techniques and highlight their essential features, limitations and potential in relation to ability to manage the investment risk. The book is aimed at graduates who wish to deepen their study of the real estate market and of the methods used to support investment decisions in real estate but also at professionals and managers of companies operating in the real estate market.

This practical handbook aims to show planners and managers throughout the financial services industry how to compete successfully by improving the quality, selection, and delivery of services. It presents step-by-step methods for designing and implementing financial service packages that will satisfy customers' needs. It offers practical advice on how to determine customers' wants and how to translate these into an individualized package tailored to their particular needs Business Information Alert In recent years, the U.S. housing market has been characterized by rapid changes in housing prices, quality, and availability. This handbook is a highly readable examination of the various theories that have been advanced to explain the economic behavior of today's housing market. Emphasis is put on developing an understanding of the sophisticated economics underlying the market, thus enabling the reader to carry this knowledge over into a rapidly changing marketplace. The book begins with a brief look at the historical development of U.S. housing markets and government intervention in these markets. The study goes on to develop a conceptual framework that can be used to evaluate the effects of the economic environment and government policy on the housing market. Throughout the book, real-world data is employed to verify and illustrate the major points of the presentation.

A state of the art overview of theoretical and empirical aspects of housing market research.