Are Asia-Pacific housing prices too high for comfort?

Abstract

The paper investigates the characteristics of house price dynamics and the role of institutional features in nine Asia-Pacific economies. On average, house prices tend to be more volatile in markets with lower supply elasticity and more flexible business environment. At the national level, the current run-up in house prices mainly reflects adjustment to improved fundamentals rather than speculative housing bubbles. It, however, does not preclude the existence of bubbles in some market segments.