Housing Market in Latvia

From the IMF’s latest report on Latvia:

“Macroprudential policy should remain flexible considering high uncertainty. After augmenting their macro-prudential toolkit in mid-2020 with several borrower-based measures, the authorities broadened the scope of these tools to cover credit institutions of other EU countries operating in Latvia with or without local branches. Although real estate prices increased, they appeared to be in line with wage growth and remained less buoyant than in the other Baltic countries. However, housing prices could surge, if the already-low supply of housing is further constrained by the rising costs of capital, labor and materials, and delays in the construction sector due the spillovers of the war. A close monitoring of these developments is warranted, so that macroprudential policy can be re-calibrated accordingly in a timely manner. Credit risks could emerge due to the elevated share of high variable-interest loans to both households and non-financial corporations (87 and 94 percent of outstanding loans respectively).

(…)

Macroprudential policy should stand ready to respond to changing housing market conditions. Given the new risks caused by the war, the frequent reviews of macroprudential measures should continue to ensure the right balance between financial stability and the need for credit in the economy.”

Posted by at 5:57 PM

Labels: Global Housing Watch

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