Regional aspects of the housing market

The housing market has been picking up over the last three to four years. This
development has been particularly pronounced in the Copenhagen housing market,
which tends to set the course for the rest of Denmark. In this article, a demand relation
is estimated for the Copenhagen market for owner-occupied flats, and the conclusion is
that the price level i Copenhagen is high relative to incomes and interest rates. Hence,
there is a considerable risk that continuation of the price increases of recent years may
be followed by corresponding falls. The Copenhagen housing market is more vulnerable
to sudden interest rate hikes than the rest of the country. The combination of high
interest rate sensitivity and high house prices increases the risk that even a small rise in
interest rates could trigger price falls.