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Real Estate Versus Financial Wealth in Consumption

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Abstract

The consumption function for the U.S. economy is estimated with real estate and financial wealth for quarterly data for 1952:1–2001:4. An additional dollar of real estate wealth increases consumption by 8 cents in the current year, as compared with only 2 cents for financial wealth. The results are consistent with theoretical bounds on the marginal propensity to consume from aggregate wealth. The decline in the stock market during 2000–2001 had a limited impact on aggregate demand in part because of an offsetting real estate wealth effect.

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Benjamin, J.D., Chinloy, P. & Jud, G.D. Real Estate Versus Financial Wealth in Consumption. The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics 29, 341–354 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:REAL.0000036677.42950.98

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:REAL.0000036677.42950.98

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