This paper examines the characteristics of housing price cycles in East Asia and Greater China for the period from 2001:Q1 to 2010:Q1. We find that housing price cycles in East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan) are accounted for mainly by region-specific and country-specific factors. East Asia's regional housing price cycles co-move strongly with the world housing price cycle in the long run, but relatively weak co-movement is found in the short run. Housing cycles in Greater China (China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) and Singapore co-move with Northeast Asia's regional housing price cycle in the long run, but this tendency fails to show up in the short run. Both domestic monetary and business-cycle effects are important in accounting for housing price cycles in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan, while credit supply is crucial for Korea. Fiscal policy does not play a significant role. We find empirical evidence of a China effect in housing price cycles in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.

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