Home truths
Our latest round-up shows that many housing markets are still in the dumps
THE house-price boom that preceded the financial crisis was remarkable for its scope and scale. With a very few exceptions, there seemed only one way for prices to go: up. Things have been more diverse since, and our latest review of house prices is a picture with dramatic chiaroscuro. A brightening outlook for America stands out against the darkening tones of the beleaguered economies on the periphery of the euro area.
In the countries we track, house prices are rising and falling in equal numbers. Over the past year prices have jumped most in Hong Kong (see table), prompting further government efforts to cool the market. They have dropped by 9.3% in Spain, the heaviest faller. The overall trend is down, however, since in three of the countries where prices are rising they are doing so at a slower pace than a year ago—in Canada, for example, they are up by 3.3% compared with 7.1% 12 months ago.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline "Home truths"
From the January 12th 2013 edition
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