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Statistics from Eurostat show that several European countries have an increasing proportion of elderly people, making their housing situation of increasing interest. For many years, it has been policy in Sweden to help elderly people remain in their current homes for as long as possible. This paper aims to find reasons why people want to move at different stages in life and investigate whether the pattern follows the life cycle in housing. Earlier research has been performed in the USA (Gibler and Clements III, 2011) and in China (Jia and Heath, 2016), but these questions remain understudied in Sweden.

A model of the demand for adapted houses is designed and tested on data gathered in Gävle in 2012. The method uses a binary choice model with stated preference data.

The results of this study show that earlier preferences and age determine the future living situation, but that senior living (rental or condominium) is most popular as a future home.

Not everyone has the economic resources to move according to their preferences; reasons include high monthly costs and taxes. Changes in the tax system may produce better moving chains and increase the supply of affordable housing.

The model in this paper could guide future studies within the area.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer characteristics that influence Swedish consumers' mortgage rate decisions, such as the choice between an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) and a fixed rate mortgage (FRM).

Data were collected in a randomised survey of the Swedish population in 2010. Through binary logistic regression, the effects of education, income and risk aversion on household mortgage decisions are investigated. In addition, consumers' financial literacy and self‐reported ability to handle sudden mortgage rate increases are examined. A test of gender effects is also performed.

The results show that a lower level of education, lower income, lower financial literacy, and trouble handling interest rate increases influence Swedish consumers to choose ARMs. Gender does not significantly affect the overall results. However, a gender‐divided regression shows that age, a low level of education and risk averseness significantly affect men's mortgage choices, whereas income, trouble handling interest rate increases and low financial literacy significantly affect women's mortgage choices.

The most vulnerable Swedish consumers choose FRMs to a greater extent and, thereby, make future expenditures more predictable for the single household by reducing liquidity risks.

This paper tests a number of characteristics in predicting consumers' mortgage choices, emphasises the importance of loan takers' ability to cope with sudden mortgage rate increases, highlights the importance of financial literacy in understanding consumers' financial choices and elucidates the Swedish case.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate driving forces behind mortgage rate choice among homeowners in a market of no mortgage rate spread. The study reported on was conducted in Sweden, a country relatively spared both from effects of the subprime crisis and the on-going Euro-crisis. A number of potentially influential factors, such as respondents’ risk aversion, financial vulnerability, experience, expectations as well as the impact of media and bank advisors are examined and a number of demographic factors controlled for.

The study reported on is based on data from a national randomized survey conducted in Sweden in 2012. An empirical analysis is carried out on a sample of 474 households with mortgages. A logistic regression is performed to test a model based on hypothesized factors.

The study shows that consumers choosing fixed rate mortgages (FRMs) have high LTV and high risk aversion and perceive their choice as having been influenced by bank advisors. This is in line with earlier findings. Lower levels of – or no – FRMs (more adjustable rate mortgages) seems to be attractive for the wealthier with higher education and previous experience of home owning. Other factor negatively affecting the choice of FRMs are: being younger; being influenced by media; and perceiving oneself as financially vulnerable.

To summarize, this paper contributes to research in two major ways: first, the Swedish case is modeled against a review of international research on mortgage rate choice. Second, a number of consumer-related factors are investigated, and their relative contribution as drivers of a choice of FRMs are tested. This gives input to more theoretical research conceptualizing a model for the understanding of how consumer mortgage rate choices are made.

The results should serve as an alarm bell for the industry, as the consumers described – the youngest mortgage holders, the financially vulnerable with low repayment capacity and those easily influenced by reports in media – are a potential threat to stable development of long term customer relations and mortgage portfolios.

The results gives reason for policy makers to address the question and reasons to call for more studies of the preferences and choices of the younger consumers.

This study represents an investigation into some factors not often studied in relation to mortgage rate choice. It also highlights the Swedish case and puts it in an international context.