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Endogenous, Regime-Switching Hedonic Estimation of Commercial Waterway Water Quality Impact on Home Values in the Alabama Black Belt

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  • Ermanno Affuso

    (Department of Economics, Finance, and Real Estate, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA)

  • John Reid Cummings

    (Department of Economics, Finance, and Real Estate, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA)

  • Donald Alex Beebe

    (Department of Earth Science, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA)

  • Steven R. Schultze

    (Department of Earth Science, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA)

Abstract

We are the first researchers to investigate the impact of the water quality of a commercial marine waterway on the housing market. We use housing data for properties in proximity to the major waterways and minor tributaries of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in the Alabama Black Belt. Research shows a positive relationship between water quality and the value of waterfront properties. We use waterway impairment as a proxy to measure water quality to conduct a counterfactual analysis based on a unique endogenous regime-switching hedonic price model. We find significant empirical evidence that properties in proximity to the Black Belt’s major waterways could depreciate by approximately 22% compared to the counterfactual case of properties located on or near minor tributaries. A possible implication might be that homeowners prefer properties on or near minor tributaries of the Alabama Black Belt because of perceptions that the water quality is better than on major commercial waterways.

Suggested Citation

  • Ermanno Affuso & John Reid Cummings & Donald Alex Beebe & Steven R. Schultze, 2022. "Endogenous, Regime-Switching Hedonic Estimation of Commercial Waterway Water Quality Impact on Home Values in the Alabama Black Belt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:18:p:11683-:d:917560
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    References listed on IDEAS

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