Andrey D. Pavlov

Space-Varying Regression Coefficients: A Semi-parametric Approach Applied to Real Estate Markets

This paper presents a method for estimating home values by non-parametrically incorporating the physical location of the properties. Specifically, I allow the parameters of the observed covariates to vary in space. This approach mitigates one of the biggest deficiencies inherent in hedonic pricing models-omitted variables. I demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method using real estate transaction data from Los Angeles County. The estimation finds a substantial spatial variation of the marginal values of the hedonic characteristics and provides an insight into the segmentation of the market. The proposed method is an extension of semi-parametric multi-dimensional k-nearest-neighbor smoothing. It alleviates a fundamental problem known as the curse of dimensionality by incorporating parametric components into a non-parametric estimation. Copyright American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association.

Subprime Lending and Real Estate Prices

This article establishes a theoretical and empirical link between the use of aggressive mortgage lending instruments, such as interest-only, negative-amortization or subprime mortgages, and the underlying house prices. Such instruments, which come into existence through innovation or financial deregulation, allow more borrowing than otherwise would occur in previously affordability-constrained markets. Within the context of a model with an endogenous rent-buy decision, we demonstrate that the supply of aggressive lending instruments temporarily increases the asset prices in the underlying market because agents find it more attractive to own or because their borrowing constraint is relaxed, or both. This result implies that the availability of aggressive mortgage lending instruments magnifies the real estate cycle and the effects of fundamental demand shocks. We empirically confirm the predictions of the model using recent subprime origination experience. In particular, we find that regions that receive a high concentration of aggressive lending instruments experience larger price increases and subsequent declines than areas with low concentration of such instruments. This result holds in the presence of various controls and instrumental variables.

Competing Risks of Mortgage Termination: Who Refinances, Who Moves, and Who Defaults?

Why, when, and who terminates their mortgages? The primary reasons for mortgage termination are refinancing, selling of the property, and default. This article is the first to explicitly model these competing risks within a unified conceptual framework and provide a link between theoretical value-maximizing mortgage-termination models and empirical estimation. I find, for instance, that the refinancing risk is highly sensitive to interest-rate changes and other variables capturing the value of the mortgage. On the other hand, the necessity to relocate, either through sale of the property of default, is sensitive to the local economic conditions but largely independent of the value of the mortgage. Furthermore, I explicitly model the spatial distribution of the mortgage-termination risks. This approach captures striking spatial patterns of mortgage termination. It also mitigates, at least partially, one of the biggest obstacles to mortgage termination estimation: omitted variables.

The Inevitability of Marketwide Underpricing of Mortgage Default Risk

Lenders are frequently accused of mispricing the put option embedded in nonrecourse lending. Prior research shows one lenders incentives to underprice. Here, we identify the conditions for a marketwide underpricing equilibrium. We demonstrate that, in a market with many players, given sufficient time, a race to the bottom and marketwide mispricing are inevitable. Underpricing occurs because bank managers and shareholders exploit mispriced deposit insurance. We show that the probability of the underpricing equilibrium increases with time since the previous market crash and that the more volatile the underlying asset market, the more likely it is subject to underpricing.

Rational Delays: The Case of Real Estate

Real estate markets, for both commercial real estate and single family homes, typically respond to a large negative demand shock with a period during which the volume of transactions and liquidity of real estate declines. Explanations for these periods have focused on overly optimistic owners, imperfections in real estate markets and/or minimum down payment requirements. These are important characteristics of real estate markets, but they do not provide a satisfying explanation for the long-term declines in the number of transactions and liquidity of real estate that frequently follow negative demand shocks. This paper presents estimates, for a specific real estate market (Los Angeles single family dwellings), of the option-like value of an owners interest in a property. Our estimates imply that when an owner has little or negative equity, the value of waiting to sell is likely to exceed the net carrying cost. Consequently, the option value of a potential sellers interest may eliminate the possibility of an otherwise mutually advantageous transaction. Copyright 2002 by Kluwer Academic Publishers

REITS and Underlying Real Estate Markets: Is There a Link?

This paper utilizes the Carlson, Titman, and Tiu (2010) model of REIT returns to estimate the strength of the relationship between REIT and underlying real estate returns. Our work further offers an innovative method for computing the returns of the real estate properties underlying each REIT using the Moody’s/REAL commercial property price indices by region and property type. We find a statistically significant relationship between REIT and real estate returns only in the office sector. Other property types offer only very weak and insignificant relationships. This finding suggests that direct real estate investment or investment through the property price index derivatives cannot be replicated using REITs.

Macroeconomic Risk Factors and the Role of Mispriced Credit in the Returns from International Real Estate Securities

We examine the canonical influence of global market, currency and inflation risks on the returns from international real estate securities. In addition, we study how mispricing of credit in the local banking systems is related to the returns from these securities. We analyze a global sample of real estate securities over the period 1999 to 2011 to test our hypotheses. We find support for the anticipated relationships between macroeconomic risk factors and the returns from international real estate securities. Our evidence also supports the expected link between local credit market conditions and the performance of international real estate securities.

Value Maximizing Hurdle Rates for R&D Investment

We show that the value maximizing hurdle rate for research and development (R&D) investments among private firms operating in a market setting is less than for conventional investments despite the fact that R&D has development risk. Because development risk arises only during R&D, entrepreneurs control this risk by deferring or pursuing R&D depending upon profitability. This risk management moderates downside loss and encourages upside gain which increases the value attraction of R&D and decreases the value maximizing hurdle rate below that of conventional investment.

Subprime Lending and House Price Volatility

This paper establishes a theoretical and empirical link between the use of aggressive mortgage lending instruments, such as interest only, negative amortization or subprime, mortgages, and the underlying house price volatility. Such instruments, which come into existence through innovation or financial deregulation, allow more borrowing than otherwise would occur in previously affordability constrained markets. Within the context of a model with endogenous rent-buy decision, we demonstrate that the supply of aggressive lending instruments temporarily increases the asset prices in the underlying market because agents find it more attractive to own or because their borrowing constraint is relaxed, or both. This result implies that the availability of aggressive mortgage lending instruments magnifies the real estate cycle and the effects of fundamental demand shocks. We empirically confirm the predictions of the model using recent subprime origination experience. In particular, we find that counties and cities that receive a high concentration of aggressive lending instruments experience larger price increases and subsequent declines than areas with low concentration of such instruments. This result holds in the presence of various controls and instrumental variables.

New Venture Start-Ups and Technological Innovation

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to compare investment in innovation (e.g. R&D) between new venture start-ups before commercialization and operating businesses after commercialization. Design/methodology/approach - Real options methods were used to model a new venture start-up as a perpetual call option on an operating business that grows with R&D. The operating business uses R&D to improve actual earnings while the start-up uses R&D to improve prospective earnings. When the start-up entrepreneur commercializes his/her new product, device, or service with conventional investment (e.g. plant, property, and equipment to begin production), prospective earnings convert into actual earnings. Findings - The ability of the start-up entrepreneur to avoid commercialization costs upon failed R&D makes R&D more valuable to the start-up entrepreneur than to the manager of the already operating business (for whom commercialization costs are sunk) and despite R&D costs that the start-up incurs without the revenues that only commercialization generates. The value of R&D to the start-up can be so great that the entrepreneur invests in R&D before the manager of an otherwise similar operating business in similar business conditions. Originality/value - Without favoring either