Shorting housing: A hedge around your house

Where there’s financial pain, there’s usually a chance for someone to gain. The UK property market is a case in point. UK residential house prices fell in November at their fastest rate in 12 years. Rising inter-bank lending rates are cutting off the supply of new mortgages. Northern Rock, and Paragon, last year’s market leaders in residential and buy-to-let mortgages are both in deep financial difficulties. The listed commercial real estate sector has lost about 40% of its market value this yea...