"Mortgage markets are more than simply the means by which real estate transactions are financed; they are a key indicator of the level of development of a country's entire economy, in which banks are able to manage the associated risk, and where governments use them to promote their social and economic policies." "China, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Ghana, South Africa, Israel, and Poland are all covered in this book, as well as comparative studies of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Russia, and a long list of emerging economies. These represent both different regions of the world and markets at varying stages of economic and financial development. The editors present an institutional, empirical and theoretical evaluation of different housing finance systems, presenting a collection of studies that describe various aspects of selected mortgage markets around the world."--BOOK JACKET.