U.S. land and real estate markets went on a roller coaster ride in the 1980s and early 1990s. The combination of economic growth, demographic change, and federal tax and banking policies that stimulated this boom-bust cycle affected regional economic performance, the affordability of housing, and local governments' fiscal health. This report discusses whether and how local government should attempt to mitigate the effects of such cycles and examines a range of available land and tax policy tools.

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.

The financial crisis showed, once again, that neglecting real estate booms can have disastrous consequences. In this paper, we spell out the circumstances under which a more active policy agenda on this front would be justified. Then, we offer tentative insights on the pros and cons as well as implementation challenges of various policy tools that can be used to contain the damage to the financial system and the economy from real estate boom-bust episodes.

Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom? author David Lereah, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, asks. We are experiencing a historic wealth-building opportunity. To ensure that your don’t miss out, Lereah provides the tools, information, and analysis you need to become a savvy real estate investor. And he shows how to integrate real estate into your overall investment strategies and financial planning goals. Among the information you’ll find in the book: How to become a master at dealing with real estate agents, brokers, and lenders. Which home improvements will result in the greatest long-term gains. How to identify the vacation homes and regions that will increase the most in value. How to finance a first-time home—with or without a big down payment. Why will the real estate boom continue into the next decade? Low interest rates are part of the story. Although mortgage rates have notched up slightly over the last year, they still remain historically very low. Technological advances from online real estate listings to automated underwriting to an explosion of financing options have reduced home ownership costs and simplified the process of buying and selling. Continued high demand from baby-boomers buying larger homes, second homes, and retirement homes, and a new wave of immigrants and “echo” boomers buying first homes, ensure that the boom will continue into the next decade. The long-term fundamentals for housing remain strong into the foreseeable future, claims Lereah. Far from a real estate “bubble,” what we are experiencing today is a phenomenon that takes place only once every other generation: a long-term real estate market expansion. Isn’t it time you started taking advantage of it today? Are you missing the real estate boom? Can you increase your wealth from it? For most people—including current homeowners—the answer is a resounding yes. But it’s not too late to increase your stake in the greatest real estate boom of our generation. Whether you are a first-time buyer or already own your home, Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom? will show you how you can dramatically increase your overall wealth. Author David Lereah, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, shows why the real estate market is poised to climb higher over the next decade—and explains what you can do to profit from it. Lereah calls today’s market a “once-in-every-other generation opportunity.” Today's boom is not just driven by low interest rates—there are a host of demographic and economic reasons why real estate will continue to outpace other investments, from the growing needs of the baby-boomer generation and the rise of the “echo” boomer generation to the new ways real estate is marketed and sold. Are you a first-time buyer? A current homeowner considering whether or not to trade up? There has never been a better time to do so, Lereah convincingly claims. In Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom?, Lereah explains what to look for when you’re buying a home; which improvements add the most value to your current home; what to consider when purchasing rental properties; how to evaluate real estate investment trusts (or REITs); and the pros and cons of second homes. Full of detailed information on how to work with a real estate agent and a mortgage lender, how to analyze local markets and regional fluctuations, and how to best finance your investment, Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom? offers readers the seasoned advice they need to invest with confidence and reap outsized rewards.

Not employment or inflation as argued during the Great Depression and years of Reaganomics, the mechanism that drives the business cycle is proven to be the housing and property market in this analysis of the instability of financial markets. The consequences of how neoclassical economics ignores the importance of land are presented in a discussion of the dot-com crash. Agricultural, industrial, and commercial property and the housing market are examined to suggest that policymakers must revise their treatment of land in economic decisions to avoid the next economic crash, predicted for 2010.

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.

Why are house prices in many advanced economies rising faster than incomes? Why isn’t land and location taught or seen as important in modern economics? What is the relationship between the financial system and land? In this accessible but provocative guide to the economics of land and housing, the authors reveal how many of the key challenges facing modern economies - including housing crises, financial instability and growing inequalities - are intimately tied to the land economy. Looking at the ways in which discussions of land have been routinely excluded from both housing policy and economic theory, the authors show that in order to tackle these increasingly pressing issues a major rethink by both politicians and economists is required.