Inequality and House Price

This paper studies the interaction between inequality and house prices using an in-complete market model with heterogeneous households. The model links cross-sectional household portfolio saving decisions to housing market outcomes, and it can account for the positive empirical relationship between growth in inequality and changes in house prices. It also illustrates a new house price formation mechanism in which an investment motive among the wealthy plays a key role. A quantitative application of the theory rationalizes the recent substantial housing boom accompanied by rising household saving rates in China. The theory in this paper shows that market frictions can have a differential impact cross-sectionally, increasing inequality. Inequality can in turn amplify frictions in the market.