過去一個月,美國樓市陸續公佈利好數據, 包括5月標普/Case-Shiller綜合20大城市樓價指數上升0.5%,終止34個月來跌勢。而6月新屋銷售創下8年來最大按月升幅的11%,新屋庫存則跌至28.1萬間,至1998年2月來最低水平。
對於美國樓市,我傾向認為接近見底階段。雖然現時美國樓價較過往20年低位還超出15%,可能意味著還有進一步下跌空間,惟大部分業主現時已經處於負資產狀態,他們會傾向保持供款,如非情勢危逼的話,相信他們也不會把樓房賣出,某程度上支持了樓價。但是,樓價即使見底,也不代表樓價會立刻重拾升勢,較大可能是處於低位徘徊。
不過,隨著樓價站穩,經濟復甦是否就能被快速帶動呢? 對此,我並不持有樂觀的態度。畢竟現在就業及工資情況還不樂觀,失業問題還會困擾着美國,這將會持續影響美國人的消費信心及實際支出。而且經歷過金融海嘯後,大部分家庭紛紛去槓桿化,心理上難再負債,他們將竭力增加儲蓄以保障生活。
美國經濟復甦之路還遙遠,在通脹還未升溫的情況下,相信伯南克並不會胡亂改動寬鬆的貨幣政策; 而同時間,美國政府也會進一步開拓新就業職位及持續推出財政政策,如舊車換新車計劃 (Cash-for-clunkers),以救助疲弱的經濟,支持消費市場。
"惟大部分業主現時已經處於負資產狀態,他們會傾向保持供款"
回覆刪除Americans are not Hong Kong people. Many of them will simply walk away from their underwater homes. One reason is due to differences in legal consequences: in US, if an individual default on its mortgage, his non-housing asset is not subject to claimants by the lender. Thus, if someone has a house worth $100k and mortgage worth $150k, plus $200k cash, he can just walk away and the lender can only repossess the $100k house to mitigate his $150k losses.
It's true that such a default would destroy the credit score of the borrower. But given many of the loans exceed the house's value by 25% or more, it makes the default option much more attractive.
another value investor,
回覆刪除感謝你的提示,我會小心查證一下資訊,然後再作出討論,謝謝!