In this paper we present an uncertainty–inequality–consumption model and empirically investigate the effect of uncertainty on the consumption behaviors of urban households with varying levels of socio-economic status in China. We observe that the condition of households that suffered from...

New evidence from the 1980, 1990, and 2000 Decennial Census of Housing indicates that expenditure shares on housing are constant over time and across U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSA). Consistent with this observation, we consider a model in which identical households with Cobb-Douglas...

In this paper, we begin by documenting substantial variation in house price growth across neighborhoods within a city during city wide housing price booms. We then present a model which links house price movements across neighborhoods within a city and the gentrification of those neighborhoods...

Simple partial-equilibrium models suggest that income increases at the high end of the distribution can raise price paid by those at the low end of the income distribution. This prediction does not universally hold in a general equilibrium model, or in models where the rich and poor consume...

The paper investigates which impact housing costs have upon the tenure choice of households. In using the German "Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe 1993" a rich amount of both, individual household and dwelling data is available. By means of regression analysis hedonic rental costs and...

Households assume substantial house-price risk when purchasing a home. This article investigates the effect of such risk on families' housing decisions. Using a repeat cross-section of household data from the American Housing Survey spanning a 10-year period and measures of expected return and...

Movements in house prices and consumer spending are closely correlated in many developed nations. Much debate exists on whether this relationship is causal arising from either wealth effects or via borrowing constraints. This paper uses a unique survey question on consumer responses to house...

Energy consumption in the residential sector offers an important opportunity for conserving resources. However, much of the current debate regarding energy efficiency in the housing market focuses on the physical and technical determinants of energy consumption, neglecting the role of the...