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Speculative housing markets and rent control: insights from nonlinear economic dynamics

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  • Noemi Schmitt

    (University of Bamberg)

  • Frank Westerhoff

    (University of Bamberg)

Abstract

We propose a novel housing market model to explore the effectiveness of rent control. Our model reveals that the expectation formation and learning behavior of boundedly rational homebuyers, switching between extrapolative and regressive expectation rules subject to their past forecasting accuracy, may create endogenous housing market dynamics. We show that policymakers may use rent control to reduce the rent level, although such policies may have undesirable effects on the house price and the housing stock. However, we are also able to prove that well-designed rent control may help policymakers to stabilize housing market dynamics, even without creating housing market distortions.

Suggested Citation

  • Noemi Schmitt & Frank Westerhoff, 2022. "Speculative housing markets and rent control: insights from nonlinear economic dynamics," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 17(1), pages 141-163, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jeicoo:v:17:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s11403-020-00312-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11403-020-00312-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Karsten Kohler & Benjamin Tippet & Engelbert Stockhammer, 2023. "House price cycles, housing systems, and growth models," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 20(3), pages 461-490, December.
    2. Carro, Adrian, 2023. "Taming the housing roller coaster: The impact of macroprudential policy on the house price cycle," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Housing market dynamics; Expectation formation and learning behavior; Rent control; Steady state; stability and out-of-equilibrium analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand

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