Alas, my home is my castle: On the cost of house ownership as a screening device

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Urban Economics
Year: 2014
Volume: 81
Issue: C
Pages: 57-64

Authors (2)

Arnold, Lutz G. (Universität Regensburg) Babl, Andreas (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

This paper analyzes a model in which housing tenure choice serves as a means of screening households with different utilization rates. If the proportion of low-utilization types is small, there is a separating equilibrium at which tenure choice acts as a screening device: consistent with empirical evidence, low-utilization households buy a house, while high-utilization types rent. Otherwise, there is a pooling equilibrium. The reason why, contrary to standard screening models, a pooling equilibrium possibly exists is indivisibility of home ownership, which makes it a very costly screening device. Introducing partial ownership restores the standard results: non-existence of a pooling equilibrium and possible non-existence of equilibrium.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:juecon:v:81:y:2014:i:c:p:57-64
Journal Field
Urban
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-24