House Prices

Housing boom goes global

For the first time a house price and spending boom is international - affecting New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Britain, Spain and other European countries at the same time.

Thursday, October 28th 2004

Household debt levels are much higher than in the past and house prices are high compared with incomes - arguably more overvalued in many countries than ever before.

The Economist magazine recently argued that US consumer spending was driven by high home prices rather than higher incomes, but some of that wealth was simply "phoney".

Higher house prices did not mean an increase in productive resources - allowing Americans to earn and spend more.

And homes are a big part of living costs.

The "wealthier" home owners would be offset by "poorer" home buyers or renters struggling to save more to buy a home.

"Society is no better off," The Economist says.

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Heartland Bank - Online 6.69
SBS FirstHome Combo 6.74
Wairarapa Building Society 6.95
Unity 6.99
Co-operative Bank - First Home Special 7.04
ICBC 7.05
China Construction Bank 7.09
BNZ - Classic 7.24
ASB Bank 7.24
ANZ Special 7.24
TSB Special 7.24
Unity First Home Buyer special 6.45
Heartland Bank - Online 6.45
SBS Bank Special 6.69
TSB Special 6.75
Westpac Special 6.75
China Construction Bank 6.75
ICBC 6.75
AIA - Go Home Loans 6.75
ASB Bank 6.75
Unity 6.79
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 6.79
SBS Bank Special 6.19
ASB Bank 6.39
Westpac Special 6.39
AIA - Go Home Loans 6.39
China Construction Bank 6.40
ICBC 6.49
Kiwibank Special 6.55
BNZ - Classic 6.55
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 6.55
TSB Special 6.59
SBS Bank 6.79
SBS FirstHome Combo 6.19
AIA - Back My Build 6.19
ANZ Blueprint to Build 7.39
Credit Union Auckland 7.70
ICBC 7.85
Heartland Bank - Online 7.99
Pepper Money Essential 8.29
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 8.40
Co-operative Bank - Standard 8.40
First Credit Union Standard 8.50
Kiwibank 8.50

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