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Renting versus Owning and the Role of Human Capital: Evidence from Germany

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  • Rainer Schulz
  • Martin Wersing
  • Axel Werwatz

Abstract

In a world with complete markets, the decision whether to rent or buy a home is not influenced by risks related to human capital. If markets are incomplete and have frictions, however, this may change. Renting should become more likely the more mobile a household has to be and the more income risk can be diversified. Using household panel data from Germany, we test both predictions. We find that mobility requirements have a positive effect on the probability of renting. This effect is robust even after controlling for state dependence, unobserved heterogeneity and other factors known to influence the tenure mode choice. Our data, however, does not support the hypothesis that the potential to diversify net income risk when renting affects the tenure mode choice. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Rainer Schulz & Martin Wersing & Axel Werwatz, 2014. "Renting versus Owning and the Role of Human Capital: Evidence from Germany," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 754-788, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jrefec:v:48:y:2014:i:4:p:754-788
    DOI: 10.1007/s11146-013-9412-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Goodness C. Aye & Rangan Gupta, 2019. "Macroeconomic Uncertainty And The Comovement In Buying Versus Renting In The Usa," Advances in Decision Sciences, Asia University, Taiwan, vol. 23(3), pages 93-121, September.
    2. Seshimo, Hiroyuki, 2014. "Adverse selection versus hold up: Tenure choice, tenancy protection and equilibrium in housing markets," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 39-55.
    3. Cizek, Pavel & Sadikoglu, Serhan, 2022. "Nonseparable Panel Models with Index Structure and Correlated Random Effects," Other publications TiSEM 7899deb9-0eda-47e6-a3b8-2, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Goodness C. Aye & Rangan Gupta, 2018. "Macroeconomic Uncertainty and the Comovement in Buying versus Renting in the United States," Working Papers 201832, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tenure mode choice; Household mobility; Background risk; R21; G11; J24; C23; C25;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities

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