This Economic Letter describes one of the measures commonly used to gauge the fundamental value of housing—the price-rent ratio. We describe the kinds of forces that cause the ratio to move over time and document which forces appear to be most important. We document the way that the housing...

This Economic Letter examines the distinct features of deflation, discusses why it is a matter of concern to the public and to policymakers in general, and looks at the recent experience of the inflation and deflation in the U.S. and other countries.