logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
23m 4s

Moves over: American house prices

The Economist
About this episode

The highest interest rates in years should lead to a fall in house prices. But peculiarities of America’s mortgage market are driving them up. Egg-freezing was supposed to give women more control over childbearing; we look at scant data showing how successful it really is (10:57). And remembering Isabel Crook, an anthropologist who embraced China’s communist transformation, warts and all (15:44).  

Join our team of audience-research participants and make a bit of cash here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
Party likes it 1959: Cuba in crisis
<p>The country’s Communist Party leadership continues to cling to old ideals amid on-again, off-again diplomacy with America—and the people’s suffering <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2025/11/18/cuba-is-heading-for-disaster-unless-its-regime-changes-drastically?ut ... Show More
23m 15s
Yesterday
Trailer: Drum Tower
Gain a deeper understanding of China with Jeremy Page and Sarah Wu. <em>The Economist</em>’s China correspondents report from across the country and the places it influences beyond its borders. Jiehao Chen joins the discussion from London. This award-winning podcast takes on ever ... Show More
2 m
Nov 25
Wage against the machine: the distortions of minimum pay
<p>For decades governments have found minimum-wage rises a politically expedient means of redistribution. But the onward <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/11/20/why-governments-should-stop-raising-the-minimum-wage?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_so ... Show More
22m 16s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Moves over: American house prices
<p>The highest interest rates in years should lead to a fall in house prices. But peculiarities of America’s mortgage market are <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/08/30/how-can-american-house-prices-still-be-rising?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.po ... Show More
23m 4s
Jul 2021
Family wealth, bidding wars, interest rates: what’s driving Canada’s wild real estate market
<p>Soaring house prices have made it harder to afford a house in Canada than it’s been in three decades, with experts blaming everything from low interest rates to blind bidding to intergenerational wealth transfers.</p><p>So how do you cool the housing market? <a href="https://w ... Show More
17m 37s
Oct 2022
The US Middle Class Is Doing Fine. Why Are They So Worried?
Hello and welcome to The Big Take Podcast! Today: The good news, and not so good news, about the US middle class. With inflation rising, the stock market ping-ponging and housing prices softening, that broad swath of Americans who form the backbone of the US economy are getting h ... Show More
29m 38s
Mar 2023
Home affairs: America’s revealing property market
<p>Economists and politicians around the world are consumed with one question: is the world headed for a recession, or a relatively soft landing? We’ll tell you what clues the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/03/01/americas-property-market-suggests-re ... Show More
22m 24s
Jun 2023
Will high interest rates cause a housing crash?
<p>Last week the Bank of England put up interest rates to 5 per cent - a move that has already meant increased mortgage payments for many. So could this lead to a crash in the housing market? What can the government do to alleviate the pain for homeowners - and is inflation here ... Show More
26m 22s
Jan 2024
If the economy’s doing better, why are the ‘vibes’ still off?
The American economy appears to be making a miraculous recovery from inflation and the pandemic. So why the bad economic vibes? Consumer sentiment is low, and the Biden administration is struggling to gain credit for dodging recession. The lessons from that could soon be felt her ... Show More
25m 52s