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by potatochup 1317 days ago
> falling house prices

Good?

3 comments

Good for the wealthy.

Middle-class still can't buy because of stricter lending rules and increasing interest rates.

Middle-class who FOMO'd in the last 2 years will see their interest rates double and even triple when they refinance in the next months. With inflation and cost of living rises recently, that bump up in their mortgage payments is really going to hurt.

Meanwhile, those with the cash can just scoop up houses (if/when they want to).

Silver lining is younger and future generations might not be completely and utterly f'd.

Overall, yes, very.

For some not so much. Talking with my landlord the other week, they said that they regretted not selling the house last year when they moved. It's lost 15k every week this year on average (according to homes.co.nz estimates). That's almost 30%.

For people like me, it's a good thing. Interest rates are higher, sure, but a smaller deposit is needed and for most people I know that have been looking to buy it's the raising of the deposit that has been the biggest hurdle.

Investments aren't meant to be risk free.
That's exactly it though. For many it's as much a home as an investment.
That is what is wrong with using housing as an investment class.
Yes. But there will be losers. Some of this I'm fine with but hurting first home buyers and those who need a home to live in is crap.
So what happens when your house mortgage is in negative equity? Just means you’ll need to hodl longer?
Yes.

Those with negative equity are likely to pay down debt faster rather than consuming (hang on to the car for another year, or not repaint, for example), so there is some effect on aggregate demand over time.