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House prices and the macroeconomy in Europe: Results from a structural var analysis

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  • Iacoviello, Matteo

Abstract

A structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) approach is used to identify the forces driving house prices fluctuations in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK over the period 1970-1998. Quarterly time series for real house prices, GDP, money, inflation and interest rates are characterised by a multivariate process driven by supply, nominal, monetary, inflationary and demand shocks. It is found that: (1) tight money leads to a concomitant fall in house prices and GDP; (2) the house price responses to a monetary shock can be partly justified by the different housing and financial market institutions across countries; (3) monetary and demand shocks drive most of the short-run house price volatility. The paper also interprets the main house price cycles and their links with the real economy in light of the estimates shocks. JEL Classification: C32, E32, E52, R21

Suggested Citation

  • Iacoviello, Matteo, 2000. "House prices and the macroeconomy in Europe: Results from a structural var analysis," Working Paper Series 18, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:200018
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    GPD; house prices; macroeconomy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand

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