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House prices in local markets in Italy: dynamics, levels and the role of urban agglomerations

Author

Listed:
  • Luca Casolaro

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Cristina Fabrizi

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract

The national pattern of house price dynamics masks considerable heterogeneity across local areas and markets; disparities are even higher looking at house price levels. In this paper we describe these structural differences across Italy, with particular focus on the role of metropolitan areas over the last 50 years. Our analysis shows that housing cycles differ across geographical areas and urban agglomerations both in depth and length. Cycles reflect metropolises� price dynamics in all the macro-areas except the South, where the biggest cities and the other towns exhibit similar dynamics. Geographical disparities are even stronger if we turn to price levels: following a period of relative convergence in the second half of the 1990s, the gap between areas widened again. Finally, using data covering the last decade, we analyse house price heterogeneity across areas, including the hinterland of metropolises, taking into account the contribution of a set of relevant socio-economic characteristics, the first one being income, to the distribution of house prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Casolaro & Cristina Fabrizi, 2018. "House prices in local markets in Italy: dynamics, levels and the role of urban agglomerations," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 456, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_456_18
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Christian Reiner & Robert Musil, 2023. "The regional variation of a housing boom. Disparities of land prices in Austria, 2000–2018 [Die regionale Differenzierung eines Immobilien-Booms. Disparitäten der Baulandpreise in Österreich, 2000–2018]," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 43(1), pages 125-146, April.
    2. Alesia Gerassimenko & Ian Lenaers & Lieven De Moor, 2025. "Validating spatial dynamics for energy efficiency in the Belgian residential rent market," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 45(2), pages 299-325, June.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand
    • R31 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Housing Supply and Markets

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