Fresh Economic Thinking

Fresh Economic Thinking

The puzzle of high home prices and vacant homes

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Cameron Murray
Dec 31, 2019
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One pattern that stands out in the property market is that although homes prices are at all-time highs, so too is the proportion of vacant dwellings. This is a puzzle. How can it be the case that when housing is in high demand it is also rational to keep more housing vacant?

Australian data shows that the number of residential dwellings has grown faster …

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