How the Chinese Yuan Re-valuation Will Affect the U.S. Real Estate Market

The re-valuation of the yuan recently announced by the Chinese government has implications for the balance of trade, capital flows into China, and political relations between the U.S. and the People's Republic. What seems to have gone unnoticed is the consequence of this re-valuation for the U.S. real estate market.

As the dollar falls in relation to the yuan, it will make less and less sense for the Chinese to lend to America. They would need interest rates that covered not only lending costs and risks, but also currency risk in an environment where the yuan will almost surely rise. Current low U.S. mortgage rates, a boon to buyers who are financially qualified, are like cold pizza to lenders. And the Federal Reserve appears dead set on keeping interest rates low, lower and even lower. During much of the past decade or so, the Chinese were big buyers of American mortgage-backed investments. The mortgage crisis cooled their jets big time. Even though the secondary market for mortgages today consists almost entirely of U.S. government guaranteed investments, currency risks will make the flow of funds from China less unpredictable. It's true that Europe and the Euro don't, at the moment, provide China with attractive alternatives to the dollar. But China is working on boosting domestic demand and building an internally focused economy. Over time, it will demand fewer dollars and Euros, and provide less real estate financing in the States.

The excess inventory from foreclosures, short sales and the like will be a drag on the real estate market for years. The shrinkage of foreign credit due to the falling dollar will add to the stagnation. We'd better hope the falling dollar gives U.S. exports one helluva jump start, because it will probably tighten up an already parsimonious mortgage market.