Fed: Foreclosures Have Little Influence on Prices of Nearby Homes

Despite conventional wisdom that foreclosed properties negatively impact the values of neighboring homes, a paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta reported Aug. 6 that that isn’t the case. In fact, it’s the condition of the distressed property, and not its foreclosure status, that most impacts surrounding home values.

According to the research, any negative effects that foreclosures have on nearby property values tend to peak before distressed properties even complete foreclosure — and in those cases the study revealed reduced values of only 0.5 to 1 percent in most cases. And if the subject property is in good condition, adjacent homes may sell at even higher prices.

Federal Reserve Bank researchers studied housing information in 15 metropolitan areas with a focus on single-family homes. “We find that while properties in virtually all stages of distress have statistically significant, negative effects on nearby home values, the magnitudes are economically small, peak before the distressed properties completed the foreclosure process, and go to zero about a year after the bank sells the property to a new homeowner,” the report stated.

The duration of a foreclosure delinquency also is a factor in maintaining neighborhood prices. The report concluded that in order to maintain home values in a neighborhood affected by foreclosures, it’s important to minimize the time foreclosed homes stay in serious delinquency and bank-owned status. The report noted that a faster foreclosure process is necessary, and that banks should be pressured to sell the properties quickly.

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Foreclosure Externalities: Some New Evidence

Kristopher Gerardi, Eric Rosenblatt, Paul S. Willen, and Vincent W. Yao
Working Paper 2012-11
August 2012

Abstract:

In a recent set of influential papers, researchers have argued that residential mortgage foreclosures reduce the sale prices of nearby properties. We revisit this issue using a more robust identification strategy combined with new data that contain information on the location of properties secured by seriously delinquent mortgages and information on the condition of foreclosed properties. We find that while properties in virtually all stages of distress have statistically significant, negative effects on nearby home values, the magnitudes are economically small, peak before the distressed properties complete the foreclosure process, and go to zero about a year after the bank sells the property to a new homeowner. The estimates are very sensitive to the condition of the distressed property, with a positive correlation existing between house price growth and foreclosed properties identified as being in “above average” condition. We argue that the most plausible explanation for these results is an externality resulting from reduced investment by owners of distressed property. Our analysis shows that policies that slow the transition from delinquency to foreclosure likely exacerbate the negative effect of mortgage distress on house prices.

SOURCE: http://www.appraisalinstitute.org/

Full paper below…

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4closureFraud.org

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Foreclosure Externalities: Some New Evidence