"Working capital refers to the money that a company uses to finance its daily operations. Proper management of working capital is critical to financial health and operational success. Working capital management (WCM) aims to maximize operational efficiency by maintaining a delicate balance among...

Apartments and houses are highly substitutable in production and consumption. As a result, performance disparity between these assets is based on financial differences and not technology or preferences. Even as the market for new houses has become highly volatile, that for apartments has...

In a prevailing employment contract, the agent receives a proportional split of commissions. Alternatively, the agent receives a contract paying 100% of revenue above a fixed payment to the firm. In this contract the firm has a prior payment position, similar to a landlord or lender. The...

The bulk of the literature on analysis of the potential of the US housing finance markets to serve underserved population and areas has been based almost exclusively on mortgage lending business models. Some authors even examined how far the industry could go in expanding homeownership...

This paper presents measures of labor cost applicable when the wage and marginal product are not equal by period. The user cost of labor, an alternative to the wage, is the price of hiring the services of the worker per unit time. This user cost is dependent on the sequence of wages earned by a...

The firm’s inventory-sales ratio prices exposure to the housing cycle with a predictable sign. The buyer of a new home holds a pre-construction contract at a guaranteed price with the right to cancel at any date up to delivery. The demand for contracts rises with falling user costs while lot...

Local markets with tight land use controls result in prices rising relative to wages and affordability. Affordability is eased by unconventional but risky finance. Tight land use and loose financing in these renegade markets concentrates the impact of national or international shocks. A positive...

Metrics using repeat sale data assume that frequently and infrequently sold properties are similar in capital expenditures, maintenance and other characteristics. Value-added investors concentrate on repositioning properties which requires capital investment and managerial skills. Returns using...

In some jobs individual workers have control over revenue, effort and productivity. These jobs include professional firms for law, medicine and consulting. They include personal services in areas from hair styling to taxi driving. The firm offers contracts that allow for a sharing of risks and...