'House prices – lies, damn lies and seasonal adjustments' blog discussion

hybernia

I'm new to all this as hubby and I own our home, are happy where we are, haven't the money to be a property speculator and not the time or inclination to follow all those sad threads on the house prices / debate the economy board by people with some kind of obsession.

But I did find Mr Boulger's piece interesting, so thankyou to Martin for publicising it on here.

What is clear is that the Halifax is discredited by virtue of its shrinking sample size and a methodology it seems so strangely reluctant to share. But will this now stop MSE from reporting 'House Prices Up, says Halifax' or 'House Prices Down, says Halifax' or, worse, more heated debate about the fantasy figures dreamt up by Halifax?

I don't think so. Halifax produces this stuff to get free publicity and keep its name in the public eye. Obviously where the MSE house prices board is concerned, people there are happy enough to go along with such gimmickry to the point of actually taking it seriously.