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Immigrant language barriers and house prices

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  • Andreas M. Fischer

Abstract

Are language skills important in explaining the nexus between house prices and immigrant inflows? The language barrier hypothesis says immigrants from a non common language country value amenities more than immigrants from common language countries.> ; In turn, immigrants from non common language countries are less price sensitive to house price changes than immigrants from a common language country. Tests of the language barrier hypothesis with Swiss house prices show that an immigration inflow from a non common language country equal to 1 percent of an area's population is coincident with an increase in prices for single-family homes of about 4.9 percent. Immigrant inflow from a common language country instead has no statistically significant impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas M. Fischer, 2011. "Immigrant language barriers and house prices," Globalization Institute Working Papers 97, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
  • Handle: RePEc:fip:feddgw:97
    Note: Published as: Fischer, Andreas M. (2012), "Immigrant Language Barriers and House Prices," Regional Science and Urban Economics 42 (3): 389-395.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yi Fan & Maggie Rong & Wayne Xinwei Wan & Zhenping Wang, 2023. "A Tale of Two Cities: Mainland Chinese Buyers in the Hong Kong Housing Market," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(6), pages 2205-2232.
    2. Kathrin Degen & Andreas M. Fischer, 2017. "Immigration and Swiss House Prices," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 153(1), pages 15-36, January.
    3. Weida Kuang & Qilin Wang, 2018. "Cultural similarities and housing market linkage: evidence from OECD countries," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-25, December.
    4. Besjon Zenelaj, 2022. "Service Dominant Logic as A New Emerging Mindset In Marketing And Brand Management," European Journal of Economics and Business Studies Articles, Revistia Research and Publishing, vol. 8, ejes_v8_i.
    5. Fabienne Helfer & Volker Grossmann & Aderonke Osikominu, 2023. "How does immigration affect housing costs in Switzerland?," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 159(1), pages 1-31, December.
    6. Hippolyte d’Albis & Ekrame Boubtane & Dramane Coulibaly, 2019. "International Migration and Regional Housing Markets: Evidence from France," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 42(2), pages 147-180, March.
    7. Yongheng Deng & Maggie R. Hu & Adrian D. Lee, 2021. "Melting pot or salad bowl: Cultural distance and housing investments," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 49(S1), pages 235-267, March.
    8. Hippolyte d’Albis & Ekrame Boubtane & Dramane Coulibaly, 2019. "International Migration and Regional Housing Markets: Evidence from France," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 42(2), pages 147-180, March.
    9. Accetturo, Antonio & Manaresi, Francesco & Mocetti, Sauro & Olivieri, Elisabetta, 2014. "Don't stand so close to me: The urban impact of immigration," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 45-56.
    10. Adams, Zeno & Blickle, Kristian, 2016. "Immigration, Real Estate Prices and the Consumption Decisions of Native Households," Working Papers on Finance 1615, University of St. Gallen, School of Finance.
    11. Marcus H. Böhme & Sarah Kups, 2017. "The economic effects of labour immigration in developing countries: A literature review," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 335, OECD Publishing.
    12. Bayar, Mehmet, 2016. "The impact of cultural diversity on the German housing market," Ruhr Economic Papers 662, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    13. Fischer, Andreas & Zachmann, Lucca, 2020. "The effect of self-financed property buyers on local house prices," CEPR Discussion Papers 14632, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    14. Basten, Christoph & Koch, Catherine, 2015. "The causal effect of house prices on mortgage demand and mortgage supply: Evidence from Switzerland," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 1-22.
    15. Chang, Zheng, 2018. "Immigration and the Neighborhood: New Evidence from Recent Immigrants in Hong Kong," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 21(4), pages 549-566.
    16. Lea Eilers & Alfredo R. Paloyo & Peggy Bechara, 2022. "The effect of peer employment and neighborhood characteristics on individual employment," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 1885-1908, April.
    17. Christoph Basten & Cathérine Koch, 2014. "The causal effect of house prices on mortgage demand and mortgage supply," ECON - Working Papers 140, Department of Economics - University of Zurich.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand

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