Economic and Monetary Union and Its Housing Consequences

The PhD study that this book presents started in 1997, twoyears before the introduction of the Euro. Many commentators triedto predict how a single monetary policy would impact on the EUhousing and mortgage markets. The research explores possibleconsequences of the adoption of a single monetary policy for fiveEuropean housing markets: Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UKand Spain. It brings together comparative housing research andresearch on optimum currency areas and addresses two issues.Firstly, it assesses whether house price cycles will becomesynchronised following the convergence in nominal interest rates.Secondly, it examines the implications of low inflation in theEuro-zone for the stability of house prices in the member-states.Accomplished in 2004, this research helps to understand many of thecurrent changes in the EU housing and mortgage markets. The bookshould be useful to all those interested in housing markets andmortgage finance. It contains a wealth of information about thedevelopments in housing policy, taxation, housing finance, spatialplanning and the construction industry in the countriesrepresenting the diversity of the EU since the 1970s.