Working Paper: NBER ID: w20287
Authors: Morris A. Davis; Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh
Abstract: In this chapter, we review and discuss the large body of research that has developed over the past 10-plus years that explores the interconnection of macroeconomics, finance, and housing. We focus on three major topics -- housing and the business cycle, housing and portfolio choice, and housing and asset returns -- and then review the recent literature that studies housing and the macroeconomy during the great housing boom and bust of 2000-2010. Our emphasis is on calibrated models that can be compared to data. In each section, we discuss the important questions, the typical set of tools used, and the insights that result from important papers. Although great progress has been made in understanding the important role that housing plays in understanding macroeconomic phenomena, work remains. For example, economists cannot fully explain all of the volatility in house prices during the unprecedented boom and bust period of 2000-2010. At the end of the chapter, we discuss a new literature that assesses the macroeconomic effects and welfare implications of housing policies.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: E3; E6; G12; G18; R2; R3
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| housing (R31) | macroeconomic phenomena (E39) |
| housing prices and quantities (R31) | macroeconomic framework (E60) |
| fluctuations in housing investment (E20) | business cycle (E32) |
| housing (R31) | volatility of house prices (R31) |