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Illiquidity and its discontents: Trading delays and foreclosures in the housing market

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  • Hedlund, Aaron

Abstract

The macroeconomic effects of housing illiquidity are analyzed using a novel directed search model of housing with long-term debt and default. Debt overhang emerges when highly leveraged sellers are forced to post high prices that produce long selling delays. These delays increase foreclosures, raise default premia, and curtail credit. Cheaper credit fuels temporarily higher house prices, faster sales, and fewer foreclosures, but the borrowing surge facilitates future debt overhang and default. More stringent foreclosure punishments also expand credit and, therefore, either generate higher foreclosures or more debt overhang. Leverage caps avoid this conundrum but reduce welfare by restricting borrowing.

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  • Hedlund, Aaron, 2016. "Illiquidity and its discontents: Trading delays and foreclosures in the housing market," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 1-13.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:moneco:v:83:y:2016:i:c:p:1-13
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoneco.2016.08.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Adam M Guren & Timothy J McQuade, 2020. "How Do Foreclosures Exacerbate Housing Downturns?," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 87(3), pages 1331-1364.
    2. Essi Eerola & Niku Maattanen, 2018. "Borrowing constraints and housing market liquidity," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 27, pages 184-204, January.
    3. Charles Ka Yui Leung & Joe Cho Yiu Ng, 2018. "Macro Aspects of Housing," GRU Working Paper Series GRU_2018_016, City University of Hong Kong, Department of Economics and Finance, Global Research Unit.
    4. Gabrovski, Miroslav & Ortego-Marti, Victor, 2021. "Search and credit frictions in the housing market," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    5. Miroslav Gabrovski & Victor Ortego-Marti, 2025. "Home Construction Financing and Search Frictions in the Housing Market," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 55, January.
    6. repec:cte:werepe:34383 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Antonia Díaz & Belén Jerez & Juan Pablo Rincón-Zapatero, 2024. "Housing Prices and Credit Constraints in Competitive Search," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(657), pages 220-270.
    8. Liberati, Danilo & Loberto, Michele, 2019. "Taxation and housing markets with search frictions," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    9. Anenberg, Elliot & Ringo, Daniel, 2024. "Volatility in Home Sales and Prices: Supply or Demand?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    10. Maiko Koga & Kohei Matsumura, "undated". "Marginal Propensity to Consume and the Housing Choice," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 20-E-3, Bank of Japan.
    11. Randall Wright & Philipp Kircher & Benoit Julîen & Veronica Guerrieri, 2017. "Directed Search: A Guided Tour," NBER Working Papers 23884, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Aaron Hedlund, 2018. "Credit Constraints, House Prices, and the Impact of Life Cycle Dynamics," Working Papers 1807, Department of Economics, University of Missouri.
    13. repec:cte:werepe:35536 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Bielecki, Marcin & Stähler, Nikolai, 2022. "Labor Tax Reductions In Europe: The Role Of Property Taxation," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(2), pages 419-451, March.
    15. Carlos Garriga & Aaron Hedlund, 2020. "Mortgage Debt, Consumption, and Illiquid Housing Markets in the Great Recession," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(6), pages 1603-1634, June.
    16. Aaron Hedlund, 2018. "Down Payments and the Homeownership Dream: Not Such a Barrier After All?," Working Papers 1806, Department of Economics, University of Missouri.
    17. Amina Enkhbold, 2023. "Monetary Policy Transmission, Bank Market Power, and Wholesale Funding Reliance," Staff Working Papers 23-35, Bank of Canada.
    18. Head, Allen & Sun, Hongfei & Zhou, Chenggang, 2023. "Indebted sellers, liquidity and mortgage standards," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    19. Suzuki, Masatomo & Hino, Kimihiro & Muto, Sachio, 2022. "Negative externalities of long-term vacant homes: Evidence from Japan," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    20. Hedlund, Aaron, 2018. "Credit constraints, house prices, and the impact of life cycle dynamics," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 202-207.
    21. Miroslav Gabrovski & Victor Ortego-Marti, 2021. "Efficiency in the Housing Market with Search Frictions," Working Papers 202108, University of California at Riverside, Department of Economics.
    22. repec:cte:werepe:28874 is not listed on IDEAS

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