December 1996 Factors that hinder the development of mortgage markets in transition economies and a proposed strategy to expedite their development. The transformation of the planned economies of central and eastern Europe to market economies has focused on economic stabilization and liberalization, privatization, and financial sector development. The housing sector and the mortgage market have been factors in each of these processes but not always positive ones. The authors analyze the factors hindering the development of mortgage markets in these transition economies and propose a strategy to expedite that development. They show that banks in transition economies are reluctant to make mortgage loans because of the risks in mortgage lending (credit, interest rate, and liquidity risk). Together with the required primary market improvements, a secondary mortgage market is likely to help solve this problem. A secondary mortgage market separates the act of making mortgage loans (which can still be carried out by banks) from the act of holding mortgage loans (which can be carried out more effectively by capital market investors). The authors emphasize the potential role of the housing finance system in being an engine of innovation for the rest of the financial sector. But, if the housing finance system is stunted, other nonmarket devices would develop for financing and subsidizing the housing sector--creating negative externalities for the rest of the system. The authors point out that a market-based housing finance system is unlikely to emerge without initial government support. Moreover, the transition economies must first create an economic and legal infrastructure to support the long-term and complex market relationships and contracts that constitute a housing financial system. This paper--a product of the Financial Sector Development Department--is part of a larger effort in the department to strengthen financial development in transition economies.

The book provides a theoretical and empirical evaluation ofdifferent housing finance systems, presenting a collection ofstudies that describe various aspects of selected mortgage marketsaround the world. The uniqueness of the chosen markets lies in thefact that they represent not only different regions around theglobe (Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Eastern Europe), but alsounderstudied markets in different stages of economic and financialdevelopment. This book examines questions relating to housingfinance efficiency and contract heterogeneity. In addition, itanalyses the securitization experiences in these countries toprovide lessons on how mortgage markets are integrated with capitalmarkets and how particular institutional framework interacts withmortgage markets. Short reviews are provided for each of the selected mortgagemarkets. The review will include institutional aspects of themarkets such as: the size and structure of the market (includingflows and accumulation of funds); a description of the competitionand a presentation of the major competitors (including marketshare, major financial measures, etc.); profitability in themarket, trends, structural changes, the major mortgage instrumentsand their market share, special tax issues, the role of thegovernment in the market, defaults, prepayments, mortgageinsurance, and major regulatory issues. The analysis explores the major existing problems in the mortgagemarket of each country, the current steps adopted to solve theseproblems, possible propositions for dealing with the major issuesin the future, and the implied future developments anticipated inthe market.

When making a decision about housing, a household must choose between renting and owning. Multiple factors, such as a household's financial status and expectations about the future, will influence the decision. Few that decide to purchase a home have the necessary savings or available financial resources to make the purchase on their own. Most need to take out a loan. A loan that uses real estate as collateral is typically referred to as a mortgage. This book serves as a primer that explains how the system of housing finance works. This book also examines various mechanisms that policy-makers could use to attract more private capital to the secondary mortgage market; and addresses how those mechanisms could be combined in different ways to help the market make the transition to a new structure during the coming decade.

A comprehensive issue-by-issue and country-by-country study of housing markets and housing finance markets in Central and Eastern Europe.