A Dynamic Model of Demand for Houses and Neighborhoods

S-Tier
Journal: Econometrica
Year: 2016
Volume: 84
Pages: 893-942

Authors (4)

Patrick Bayer (not in RePEc) Robert McMillan (not in RePEc) Alvin Murphy (Arizona State University) Christopher Timmins (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper develops a dynamic model of neighborhood choice along with a computationally light multi‐step estimator. The proposed empirical framework captures observed and unobserved preference heterogeneity across households and locations in a flexible way. We estimate the model using a newly assembled data set that matches demographic information from mortgage applications to the universe of housing transactions in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1994 to 2004. The results provide the first estimates of the marginal willingness to pay for several non‐marketed amenities—neighborhood air pollution, violent crime, and racial composition—in a dynamic framework. Comparing these estimates with those from a static version of the model highlights several important biases that arise when dynamic considerations are ignored.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:wly:emetrp:v:84:y:2016:i::p:893-942
Journal Field
General
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-26