全球流动性潮汐研究二：美债利率：挑战5%

Group 1: Economic Overview - The U.S. real estate market is viewed as a "watchtower" for the K-shaped economy, where high-income groups support GDP resilience while traditional industries and low-income groups contract[8] - The housing affordability index is currently at a historical low but remains above 100, indicating that median-income households can still afford to purchase homes[12] - The K-shaped economic divergence raises questions about whether it will lead to recession or re-inflation driven by wealthier groups supporting the economy[8] Group 2: Housing Affordability - 60% of the decline in housing affordability can be attributed to high home prices, while 40% is due to elevated interest rates[16] - A significant improvement in housing affordability is expected if mortgage rates drop below 5.6% (currently at 6.1%) or if the price-to-income ratio falls to 3.5 (currently at 3.8)[16] - Median household income growth is projected to remain robust at 4-5% in 2025, outpacing the 1-2% growth in median home prices, which supports a favorable outlook for affordability[17] Group 3: Supply and Demand Dynamics - The U.S. housing market has faced long-term supply shortages since the subprime crisis, with challenges including difficult land acquisition, labor shortages, and regulatory constraints[27] - Existing home supply is constrained due to high interest rates, and the sensitivity of new home prices to supply has decreased over the past decade[27] - The overall housing supply gap is expected to widen, making it difficult to quickly rectify the supply-demand mismatch even if construction capacity improves[27] Group 4: Inflation and Interest Rates - Housing inflation typically leads CPI by about 18 months, but in the current K-shaped economy, inflation expectations are coupled with interest rate cuts rather than tightening, resulting in a weaker dollar[38] - The long-term U.S. Treasury yield is projected to potentially exceed 4.5% and may challenge 5% due to the self-reinforcing cycle of inflation expectations[38] - The market has begun to accept a loss of independence for the Federal Reserve, reflected in the long-end Treasury yields anchoring inflation expectations at 2.4%[38]