Effects of Cost of Mortgage on House Prices: The Role of the Maturity Structure of Mortgage Contracts

This paper examines the implications of the maturity structure of mortgage contracts for the effects of the cost of mortgage on house prices. Theoretical results indicate that economies with larger shares of variable interest rate mortgage contracts present faster responses of house prices to changes in the cost of mortgage, as well as higher interest rate sensitivities of cost of mortgage and house prices. Lower mortgage rate levels, higher loan-to-value ratio, and higher effects of cost of mortgage on house prices also increase these sensitivities. Empirical results validate the theoretical ones. Local projections estimated for the US, UK, Sweden, Canada, Finland and France show negative and significant responses of house prices to shocks on the cost of mortgage, with responses being faster in economies with larger shares of variable interest rate mortgage contracts. Estimates of the interest rate sensitivity of the cost of a mortgage are also in line with theory and increase as the mortgage rate declines. This sensitivity is attenuated when the central bank shifts its focus of monetary policy towards longer-term rates or when the effective lower bound is perceived to be lower.