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A housing price index with the improvement-value adjusted repeated sales (IVARS) method

Chung Yim Edward Yiu (Department of Property, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Ka Shing Cheung (Department of Property, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis

ISSN: 1753-8270

Article publication date: 6 May 2021

Issue publication date: 25 February 2022

315

Abstract

Purpose

The repeat sales house price index (HPI) has been widely used to measure house price movements on the assumption that the quality of properties does not change over time. This study aims to develop a novel improvement-value adjusted repeat sales (IVARS) HPI to remedy the bias owing to the constant-quality assumption.

Design/methodology/approach

This study compares the performance of the IVARS model with the traditional hedonic price model and the repeat sales model by using half a million repeated sales pairs of housing transactions in the Auckland Region of New Zealand, and by a simulation approach.

Findings

The results demonstrate that using the information on improvement values from mass appraisal can significantly mitigate the time-varying attribute bias. Simulation analysis further reveals that if the improvement work done is not considered, the repeat sales HPI may be overestimated by 2.7% per annum. The more quality enhancement a property has, the more likely it is that the property will be resold.

Practical implications

This novel index may have the potential to enable the inclusion of home condition reporting in property value assessments prior to listing open market sales.

Originality/value

The novel IVARS index can help gauge house price movements with housing quality changes.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the University of Auckland Faculty Research Development Funds, grant number FRDF-3722103.

Citation

Yiu, C.Y.E. and Cheung, K.S. (2022), "A housing price index with the improvement-value adjusted repeated sales (IVARS) method", International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 375-391. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHMA-01-2021-0005

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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