Getting good data from China is problematic, but it is pretty clear house prices there are falling (see here, here and here). At first blush, this shouldn't cause too much worry, because the Chinese use far less leverage to buy houses than Americans, and so the probability of being upside down there remains pretty low.
The problem, however, is that municipalities in China have lots of debt. The actual amount is controversial, but the fact that it is a lot is not. Chinese municipalities service debt using land sales. So if property values fall a lot.....
The problem, however, is that municipalities in China have lots of debt. The actual amount is controversial, but the fact that it is a lot is not. Chinese municipalities service debt using land sales. So if property values fall a lot.....
