Is There a Bubble in the Housing Market Now?

Abstract

Real home prices have been rising strongly since the mid-1990s, and have continued to do so even as the economy has weakened. This has sparked the concern as to whether there is a bubble in the housing market, the collapse of which could harm the overall economy. Taking into account fundamentals - including more appropriate price indices and interest rates - aggregate home prices are relatively high but not yet out of line. Home prices in some areas still may be set for a fall; however, prices in these areas typically have been volatile. Previous large home value declines in these areas have not had a sizable negative effect on the aggregate economy.

Keywords: housing bubble, home price indexes