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Optimal Composition of Hybrid/Blended Real Estate Portfolios

Ametefe, Frank Kwakutse; Devaney, Steven; Stevenson, Simon Andrew. (2019). Optimal Composition of Hybrid/Blended Real Estate Portfolios. Journal Of Property Investment & Finance, 37(1), 20 – 41.

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Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish an optimum mix of liquid, publicly traded assets that may be added to a real estate portfolio, such as those held by open-ended funds, to provide the liquidity required by institutional investors, such as UK defined contribution pension funds. This is with the objective of securing liquidity while not unduly compromising the risk-return characteristics of the underlying asset class. This paper considers the best mix of liquid assets at different thresholds for a liquid asset allocation, with the performance then evaluated against that of a direct real estate benchmark index. Design/methodology/approach The authors employ a mean-tracking error optimisation approach in determining the optimal combination of liquid assets that can be added to a real estate fund portfolio. The returns of the optimised portfolios are compared to the returns for portfolios that employ the use of either cash or listed real estate alone as a liquidity buffer. Multivariate generalised autoregressive models are used along with rolling correlations and tracking errors to gauge the effectiveness of the various portfolios in tracking the performance of the benchmark index. Findings The results indicate that applying formal optimisation techniques leads to a considerable improvement in the ability of the returns from blended real estate portfolios to track the underlying real estate market. This is the case at a number of different thresholds for the liquid asset allocation and in cases where a minimum return requirement is imposed.

Keywords

Hedge-fund-replication; Volatility Dynamics; Tracking Error; Stock; Performance; Property; Returns; Markets; Private; Model; Open-ended Funds; Real Estate Liquidity; Portfolio Optimization; Blended Real Estate; Defined Contribution Pensions

Do Home Buyers Value the New Urbanist Neighborhood? The Case of Issaquah Highlands, WA

Kim, Jinyhup; Bae, Chang-Hee Christine. (2020). Do Home Buyers Value the New Urbanist Neighborhood? The Case of Issaquah Highlands, WA. Journal Of Urbanism, 13(3), 303 – 324.

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Abstract

This study compares Issaquah Highlands’ home prices with those of traditional suburban single-family homes in the city of Issaquah. Issaquah Highlands is a community that was developed using New Urbanism principles. The null hypothesis is that the sale prices of houses in Issaquah Highlands are not different from the conventional suburban neighborhood in the city of Issaquah. The principal database consists of US Census Washington State Geospatial Data Archive, and the King County Tax Assessments. The final dataset contains 1,780 single family homes over the seven-year period from 2012 to 2018 based on sale records throughout the city of Issaquah. This study uses the hedonic pricing technique to assess the impact of New Urbanism on the value of single-family residences. The findings suggest that people are willing to pay a $92,700–96,800 premium (approximately 7.1–12.0 percent of the sales prices) for houses in Issaquah Highlands.

Keywords

New Urbanism; Home Prices; Real Property; Sustainable Development; Spatial Analysis (statistics); Hedonic Pricing Model; Property Value; Smart Growth; Spatial Autocorrelation; Neighborhoods; Databases; Taxation; Spatial Data; Suburban Areas; Census; Prices; Housing Prices; Urbanism; Houses; Willingness To Pay; Residential Areas; Null Hypothesis; Cities; Buyers; Hedonism; Sales; Highlands; Tax Assessments

Protecting Neighbourhood Character While Allowing Growth? Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District, Seattle, Washington. Planning Perspectives

Kuriyama, Naoko; Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl. (2021). Protecting Neighbourhood Character While Allowing Growth? Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District, Seattle, Washington. Planning Perspectives, 36(6), 1195 – 1223.

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Abstract

The City of Seattle created the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District in 2009 to preserve the character of the Pike/Pine Corridor (neighbourhood) while simultaneously accommodating substantial growth in the number of residents and the size of buildings. Pike/Pine is known for its adaptively reused collection of early twentieth century 'Auto Row' buildings and for the diversity of its population. Since the year 2000, proximity to downtown has made this area attractive for development, and the city has designated Pike/Pine as a growth centre in its comprehensive plan. The city's implementation of the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District (one of the first uses of a conservation district in a commercial/mixed-use neighbourhood in the United States) seeks to address the conflict inherent in accommodating growth while simultaneously trying to protect older architecture, small-scale local businesses, and a diverse mix of housing. This article analyses the elements and impacts of this unusual district, considering its application of facade retention for townscape conservation as well as analysing its broad approach within the framework of integrated conservation. This article argues that the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District offers a useful case study for other cities looking to support growth while also retaining elements of the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Planning Perspectives is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Keywords

Pine; Neighborhoods; Urban Growth; Twentieth Century; Transportation Corridors; Seattle (wash.); Conservation District; Design Review; Facadism; Historic Preservation; Integrated Conservation; Overlay District; Pike/pine Corridor; Seattle; Washington

Minimization of Socioeconomic Disruption for Displaced Populations Following Disasters.

El-Anwar, Omar; El-Rayes, Khaled; Elnashai, Amr. (2010). Minimization of Socioeconomic Disruption for Displaced Populations Following Disasters. Disasters, 34(3), 865 – 883.

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Abstract

In the aftermath of catastrophic natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes, emergency management agencies come under intense pressure to provide temporary housing to address the large-scale displacement of the vulnerable population. Temporary housing is essential to enable displaced families to reestablish their normal daily activities until permanent housing solutions can be provided. Temporary housing decisions, however, have often been criticized for their failure to fulfil the socioeconomic needs of the displaced families within acceptable budgets. This paper presents the development of (1) socioeconomic disruption metrics that are capable of quantifying the socioeconomic impacts of temporary housing decisions on displaced populations; and (2) a robust multi-objective optimization model for temporary housing that is capable of simultaneously minimizing socioeconomic disruptions and public expenditures in an effective and efficient manner. A large-scale application example is optimized to illustrate the use of the model and demonstrate its capabilities ingenerating optimal plans for realistic temporary housing problems.

Keywords

Natural Disasters; Hurricanes; Disaster Relief; Temporary Housing; Tsunamis; Multi-objective Optimization; Post-disaster Recovery; Social Welfare; Socioeconomic Disruption

Empirical Comparison of Methods for Estimating Location Cost Adjustments Factors

Migliaccio, G. C.; Zandbergen, Paul; Martinez, A. A. (2015). Empirical Comparison of Methods for Estimating Location Cost Adjustments Factors. Journal Of Management In Engineering, 31(2).

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Abstract

Location factors are used to adjust conceptual cost estimates by project location. Presently, the construction industry has adopted a simple, proximity-based interpolation method to estimate location factors for missing locations. Although this approach is widely accepted, its validity has not been statistically substantiated. This study assessed the current method of adjusting conceptual cost estimates by project location and compared its performance against two alternative spatial interpolation methods. A Moran's I test was used to confirm the presence of strong spatial autocorrelation, which supports the use of proximity-based methods. Additional statistical evaluations of current and alternative methods were also conducted. Results provided statistical justification for the current method. However, an alternative method was proven to outperform the current method. Moreover, several opportunities for future research were identified as a result of this exploratory study. (C) 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Keywords

Construction Industry; Interpolation; Statistical Analysis; Location Cost Adjustment Factor; Proximity-based Interpolation Method; Project Location; Spatial Interpolation Method; Moran I Test; Spatial Autocorrelation; Statistical Evaluation; Geographical Information-systems; Construction; Layout; Gis; Conceptual Estimating; Geographic Information Systems; Construction Costs; Planning; Location Adjustments

The Determinants of Executive Compensation in US REITs: Performance vs. Corporate Governance Factors

Ascherl, Claudia; Schrand, Liesa; Schaefers, Wolfgang; Dermisi, Sofia. (2019). The Determinants of Executive Compensation in US REITs: Performance vs. Corporate Governance Factors. Journal Of Property Research, 36(4), 313 – 342.

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Abstract

The paper examines whether executive compensation packages within the US REIT industry are determined merely by performance or also by CEO power mechanisms that have an essential influence on board-level negotiations. We offer original insights into management compensation arrangements during and after the financial crisis. The relative importance of cash bonuses in CEO compensation contracts has more than halved after the crisis. Simultaneously, after the financial crisis, equity-based compensation became increasingly important. Concerning the pay-for-performance link, our results show no relationship during the financial crisis. However, after the crisis, we find a strong significant link between remuneration packages and corporate success.

Keywords

Executive Compensation; Chief Executive Officers; Negotiations; Compensation; Packages; Crises; Economic Crisis; Corporate Governance; United States--us

House Price Dynamics and Bank Herding: European Empirical Evidence

Martins, Antonio Miguel; Serra, Ana Paula; Martins, Francisco Vitorino; Stevenson, Simon. (2020). House Price Dynamics and Bank Herding: European Empirical Evidence. Journal Of Real Estate Research, 42(3), 365 – 396.

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Abstract

This paper examines house price dynamics, bank herding behavior, and the linkages between them. The analysis presented indicates that prior to the financial crisis, non-fundamental factors played a significant role in several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, and Ireland. We also provide evidence indicative of herding behavior in the residential mortgage loan market. Finally, Granger causality tests show that non-fundamentally justified price dynamics contributed to the herding displayed by lenders and that this behavior was a response by banks as a group to common information on residential property assets.

Keywords

Bubbles; Market; Behavior; Fundamentals; Constraints; Policy; Model; House Prices; Mortgages; Price Bubble; Herding Behavior

A Framework for Estimating Commute Accessibility and Adoption of Ridehailing Services Under Functional Improvements from Vehicle Automation

Zou, Tianqi; Aemmer, Zack; Mackenzie, Don; Laberteaux, Ken. (2022). A Framework for Estimating Commute Accessibility and Adoption of Ridehailing Services Under Functional Improvements from Vehicle Automation. Journal Of Transport Geography, 102.

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Abstract

This paper develops an analytical framework to estimate commute accessibility and adoption of various ridehailing service concepts across the US by synthesizing individual commute trips using national Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) data. Focusing on potential improvements in cost and time that could be enabled by vehicle automation, we use this modeling framework to simulate a lower-price autonomous service (e.g., 50% or 75% lower) with variable wait times and implementation levels (solo, pooled, and first/last mile transit connections services, alone or in combination) to determine how they might affect adoption rates. These results are compared across metrics of accessibility and trip density, as well as socioeconomic factors such as household income. We find - unsurprisingly - that major cities (e.g. New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago) support the highest adoption rates for ridehailing services. Decreases in price tend to increase market share and accessibility. The effect of a decrease in price is more drastic for lower income groups. The proposed method for synthesizing trips using the LODES contributes to current travel demand forecasting methods and the proposed analytic framework can be flexibly implemented with any other mode choice model, extended to non-commute trips, or applied to different levels of geographic aggregation.

Keywords

Choice Of Transportation; Demand Forecasting; Poor People; Adoption; Price Cutting; Metropolis; Employment Statistics; Los Angeles (calif.); New York (state); Chicago (ill.); Accessibility; Autonomous Vehicles; New Mobility Services; Ridehailing; Travel Demand; Preferences

The need for more equitable fare enforcement: An examination by Isis Moon Gamble, recent graduate of CBE’s Master of Urban Planning program

Though Transit Equity Day is just one day, the issue of equity on Seattle’s public transit is an ongoing and important conversation to Seattle and King County residents. Neighborhoods across the county have unequal access to transit lines; bus stops are often located in inconvenient or dangerous places due to oncoming traffic and lack of sidewalks; and bus schedules are irregular or sparse, with long wait times. These are just a few of the challenges folks might experience before getting…

Arthur Acolin awarded Tier 2 Seed Grant

Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Real Estate and CSDE Affiliate Arthur Acolin for being awarded a $10,000 Tier 2 seed grant for his project, “Accessory Dwelling Units as Potential Source of Affordable Housing Across Generations”. This grant is part of CSDE’s quarterly call for seed grant applications and is intended to help faculty initiate new research endeavors that have high relevance to population science and a strong chance of building towards extramural funding. Acolin will be conducting a joint project…