Real Estate 165 Allan J. Lacayo REAL ESTATE ECONOMICS

Economic Preliminaries The Competitive Model Many homogeneous buyers/sellers Product homogeneity High transaction volume Elastic supply and demand Space/location unimportant Perfect/complete information Real Estate: Many heterogeneous buyers/sellers Product Heterogeneity Irregular transaction volume Inelastic supply and demand Space/location are very important Information is less than perfect or complete

Real Estate Characteristics Uniqueness of each good/property Fixed location Interdependence of Land Uses Land is “long-lived” Fixtures are “long-lived” “Ownership” is “long-lived” Large transaction prices, and high transaction costs Long “gestation” period

Real Estate Assumptions “Highest and Best Use” principle Uncertainty and the “Second Best” principle

Highest and Best Use Physically practical Legally permissible Market supportable Economically feasible Profit Maximizing

Second Best Theory Interim projects serve as a moratorium on HBU to mitigate non-market, non-economic forces. Adaptive projects preserve historical landmarks or assimilate environmental or natural features.

Use Principles Development Expansion Redevelopment Improvements Maintenance Changes to STOCK of real property by use The Urban Evolution process

Supply and Changes in Supply Space is fixed in the short run Supply changes (development/construction) are small in relation to stock Supply of property services is more elastic “Expectations” about demand drive supply Real estate development suffers an “acceleration’ effect Financing process is critical for supply

Demand and Changes in Demand Employment (state/regional/local) Income Shifts in industrial/economic focus Migration and other population shifts Technology changes Work culture and leisure culture