Mar
27
Oslo Housing Prices Soar 24% Amid ‘Social Engineering’ Debate
By-
Shifting demand creates imbalances, permanent change
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Says can’t stay on the high part of price cycle forever
Norway’s government may end up regretting its move to target Oslo in an effort to cool a runaway housing market, according to a leading real estate economist.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea generically to social engineer where people live,” Albert Saiz, professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in an interview on Thursday.
Fueled by record low rates, house prices in western Europe’s biggest oil producer have surged by double digits in the past year, and by more than 24 percent in the capital Oslo over the same period. In December, the government tightened mortgage lending standards nationwide, but added additional restrictions on buyers in the Oslo region…
Oslo Housing Prices Soar 24% Amid ‘Social Engineering’ Debate
