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An Equilibrium Model of Lumpy Housing Investment

Author

Listed:
  • Matteo Iacoviello

    (Boston College)

  • Marina Pavan

    (The Geary Institute, University College Dublin)

Abstract

We formulate and solve a dynamic general equilibrium model with heterogeneous agents and lumpy housing adjustment at the household level. We use the model to ask a simple question: how does the microeconomic lumpiness of housing adjustment affect the equilibrium dynamic properties of aggregate consumption and investment? Our main conclusion is that lumpiness matters: in particular, lumpiness in housing adjustment (1) reduces the volatility of both housing and business investment; (2) increases the volatility of aggregate consumption; (3) increases the correlation of housing investment with business investment and with GDP. We also show that lumpiness of investment activity at the household level has small but significant aggregate implications, in contrast with the literature that shows that the aggregate effects of lumpy investment at the firm level are negligible.

Suggested Citation

  • Matteo Iacoviello & Marina Pavan, 2007. "An Equilibrium Model of Lumpy Housing Investment," Rivista di Politica Economica, SIPI Spa, vol. 97(2), pages 15-44, March-Apr.
    • Handle: RePEc:rpo:ripoec:v:97:y:2007:i:2:p:15-44
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    Cited by:

    1. Fabio Verona, 2014. "Investment Dynamics with Information Costs," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(8), pages 1627-1656, December.
    2. Fabio Verona, 2011. "Lumpy investment in sticky information general equilibrium," CEF.UP Working Papers 1102, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    3. Beatrice D. Simo-Kengne & Rangan Gupta & Manoel Bittencourt, 2013. "The Impact of House Prices on Consumption in South Africa: Evidence from Provincial-Level Panel VARs," Housing Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(8), pages 1133-1154, November.
    4. Fabio Verona, 2014. "Investment Dynamics with Information Costs," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(8), pages 1627-1656, December.
    5. Fabio Verona, 2011. "Lumpy investment in sticky information general equilibrium," CEF.UP Working Papers 1102, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    6. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2013_018 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2013_016 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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