House Prices, Monetary Policy and Commodities: Evidence from Australia*

Abstract

Monetary policy and commodity prices are key drivers of Australian house prices, but endogeneity between these variables complicates empirical research. To address this, we use local projection methods and instrumental variables for estimation. We find that one standard deviation expansionary monetary and commodity shocks increase house prices at peak by 1.5 per cent and 1.4 per cent, respectively. Using geographically disaggregated panel data, we exploit the heterogeneity in house price responses to study the different channels through which these shocks affect housing markets. We find that both monetary policy and commodity price shocks have significant effects on housing markets through income channels.