Aging, Moving, and Housing Wealth

66 Pages Posted: 1 Aug 2000 Last revised: 9 Nov 2022

See all articles by Steven F. Venti

Steven F. Venti

Dartmouth College - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

David A. Wise

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

Date Written: July 1987

Abstract

We have described the relationship between family attributes and moving, and between moving and change in housing wealth. Moving is often associated with retirement and with precipitating shocks like the death of a spouse or by other changes in marital status. Median housing wealth increases as the elderly age. Even when the elderly move, housing equity is as likely to increase as to decrease. Thus, the typical mover is not liquidity constrained, although some are. High transaction cost associated with moving is apparently not the cause for the lack of the reduction in housing wealth as the elderly age. The absence of a well-developed market for reverse mortgages may be explained by a lack of demand for these financial instruments. The evidence suggests that the typical elderly family does not wish to reduce housing wealth to increase current consumption. For whatever reason, there is apparently a considerable attachment among homeowners to past housing.

Suggested Citation

Venti, Steven F. and Wise, David A., Aging, Moving, and Housing Wealth (July 1987). NBER Working Paper No. w2324, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=232076

Steven F. Venti (Contact Author)

Dartmouth College - Department of Economics ( email )

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David A. Wise

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

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Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

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