The Unassuming Economist

“Strong household credit growth reflects substantial home refinancing and some equity withdrawals. While borrowing can help support a recovery in domestic demand, competition among banks has made high LTVs more common (e.g., through higher LTV mortgages or topping up regular mortgages with housing loans). Although real estate prices remain subdued and household debt is not high, this practice could lead to overborrowing by consumers. Adoption of a regulation on LTV or debt-to-income ratios could help prevent an excessive build-up of risks for borrowers and banks,” according to latest IMF economic report on Slovak Republic.

“House prices in Norway rose strongly in recent years but stabilized in late 2012. Various factors have been contributing to rising house prices, including high income and wage growth, immigrant inflows, and supply constraints. Nevertheless, there are signs of overvaluation with a sustained increase in the price-to-income ratio and a large deviation in the price-to-rent ratio from its historical average. Staff’s updated estimates on house price valuation gaps, based on the three measures of valuation used in the background papers for the 2013 Nordic Regional Report and Norway Article IV report, suggest a slight correction in the degree of overvaluation in 2013, but prices remain above equilibrium by varying degrees according to different estimates,” says the IMF’s new annual economic report on Norway.

“A longer-term solution to rising house prices and mortgage levels will require alleviating housing supply constraints. Insufficient housing supply growth is a fundamental factor behind the rise in residential property prices, especially in metropolitan areas, where ongoing urbanization and immigration trends boost demand. This has resulted in higher housing prices, driving up the size of mortgages. While some steps have been taken, containing house price pressures will require a continuing effort to expand the stock of affordable housing and further reforms to zoning, permitting, and the rent-setting process. Public infrastructure investments, coordinated with municipalities, would also make private housing investments more attractive,” according to the IMF’s latest economic report on Sweden. 

“In Q4:2013, prices of mid- and high-end condominiums in upscale areas of metro Manila (only available price series) rose by 13 percent, y/y, similar to growth rates that prevailed prior to the GFC. However, in real terms, condo prices remain below their peak that prevailed prior to the Asian financial crisis. This likely reflects in part the large supply increase in this market segment in recent years. In fact, according to the official Philippine Housing Industry Plan for 2012‒30, supply of units in the mid­- and high -cost segments of the housing market is adequate, while the low-end of the market is characterized by severe shortages. Despite the recent price increases, residential price-to-rent ratios have remained relatively stable at around 14 percent,” says the IMF’s latest report on the Philippines. 

See the IMF’s latest report on Lebanon here.