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Regional heterogeneity and the refinancing channel of monetary policy

Author

Listed:
  • Beraja, Martin

    (MIT and NBER)

  • Fuster, Andreas

    (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)

  • Hurst, Erik

    (University of Chicago Booth School of Business and NBER)

  • Vavra, Joseph

    (University of Chicago Booth School of Business and NBER)

Abstract

We argue that the time-varying regional distribution of housing equity influences the aggregate consequences of monetary policy through its effects on mortgage refinancing. Using detailed loan-level data, we show that regional differences in housing equity affect refinancing and spending responses to interest rate cuts but that these effects vary over time with changes in the regional distribution of house price growth. We then build a heterogeneous household model of refinancing with both mortgage borrowers and lenders and use it to explore the aggregate implications for monetary policy arising from our regional evidence. We find that the 2008 equity distribution made spending in depressed regions less responsive to interest rate cuts, thus dampening aggregate stimulus and increasing regional consumption inequality, whereas the opposite occurred in some earlier recessions. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that monetary policy makers should track the regional distribution of equity over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Beraja, Martin & Fuster, Andreas & Hurst, Erik & Vavra, Joseph, 2015. "Regional heterogeneity and the refinancing channel of monetary policy," Staff Reports 731, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, revised 01 Mar 2018.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fednsr:731
    Note: Former title: Regional heterogeneity and monetary policy
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sumit Agarwal & Gene Amromin & Souphala Chomsisengphet & Tim Landvoigt & Tomasz Piskorski & Amit Seru & Vincent Yao, 2015. "Mortgage Refinancing, Consumer Spending, and Competition: Evidence from the Home Affordable Refinancing Program," NBER Working Papers 21512, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Saroj Bhattarai & Arpita Chatterjee & Woong Yong Park, 2015. "Effects of US quantitative easing on emerging market economies," CAMA Working Papers 2015-47, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    3. Virgiliu Midrigan & Denis Gorea, 2017. "Liquidity Constraints in the U.S. Housing Market," 2017 Meeting Papers 802, Society for Economic Dynamics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    monetary policy; regional inequality; quantitative easing; mortgage refinancing;

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages

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