Housing Dynamics: An Urban Approach

A dynamic linear rational equilibrium model in the tradition of Alonso, Rosen and Roback is consistent with many outstanding stylized facts of housing markets. These include: (a) that the markets are local in nature; (b) that construction persistence is fully compatible with mean reversion in prices; and (c) that price changes are predictable. Calibration exercises to match moments of the real data have notable successes and failures. The volatility in local income processes as reflected in HMDA mortgage applicant data can account for much of the observed price and construction volatility, except for the most inelastically supplied local markets. The model’s biggest failure lies in its inability to match the strong persistence in high frequency price changes from year to year.