What's in store for the housing market in 2006?

[Paul Paranoia]

What's this vested interest tripe doing on this web site?

How about an independant report on the housing market from someone who isn't trying to sell more mortgages?

[AtW]

Housing market is one of the major factors in consumer sentiments, and if consumers stop spending then the economy tanks, which by extention would affect IT contractors who are among the first to get the sack.

[wendigo100]

Don't worry. House prices will keep going up if we keep letting in 250,000 immigrants every year.

[sasguru]

Do new immigrants really BUY houses/flats. I doubt it.

[AtW]

They rent them - often share rooms, so that's 6 people for 3-bedroom house.

[wendigo100]

Do new immigrants really BUY houses/flats. I doubt it.

They use them. It might be renting, squatting or on benefits. The point is, that leaves less for everyone else, making the remaining housing stock more expensive.

HTH

[sasguru]

They use them. It might be renting, squatting or on benefits. The point is, that leaves less for everyone else, making the remaining housing stock more expensive.

HTH

I don't think that's quite true. Immigrants probably use the poor housing stock that locals wouldn't use anyway. Anyway the rate of house price inflation over the last 10 years does not correlate statistically with the no. of immigrants coming in.

Wendigo have you been to the Chico school of logic?

[Francko]

Predictions for 2006

[sasguru]

As long as the current economic climate i.e. low interest rates, relatively low unemployment, benign world conditions etc holds, nothing much will happen. Any economic shock leading to high rates or high unemployment will bring it crashing down.

[AlfredJPruffock]

As long as the current economic climate i.e. low interest rates, relatively low unemployment, benign world conditions etc holds, nothing much will happen. Any economic shock leading to high rates or high unemployment will bring it crashing down.

Aye SAS

Any idea what would happen if the petrodollar was to be replaced by melons?

PS My predictions for the 2006 housing market ...Grey Slates to Remain Grey Slates