Property Owners Research Articles

Use-Value, Exchange-Value, and the Empty Promise of Black Homeownership

Andrew Kahrl has gifted the field a forceful book that urges us to remember the property taxes. The Black Tax tells us, “The property tax is the most local of all taxes” (5). More than that, though, the property tax is the most literal way that state policy hits close to home. Kahrl thus studies local taxation to show how white people wielded state power to threaten Black Americans’ tenuous grip on property ownership—and generate handsome profits along the way. The ends—dispossession of Black-owned property and unfair tax burdens—will surprise few readers. But the means—tax-buying, fractional assessments, and other bureaucratic technicalities—will shock, frustrate, and anger most. This is the force of The Black Tax: Kahrl reminds us that, for Black people as with other racialized minorities, the barriers to homeownership do not end when the sale closes.

Cultivating trans-disciplinarity: transcending and transgressing research methods

Transdisciplinarity is creative human agency including cognitive, intellectual and behavioural activities of individuals and groups. These activities define and are mutually defined by beliefs and ideas, knowledge and know-how, language and meanings, norms and rules, and opinions and values. The cultivation of transdisciplinary projects should embrace these cultural, social and psychological predispositions because they are core constituents of a trans-anthropo-logic. This requires transcending common research methods used in scientific studies and using scaffolding that facilitates agency, and positioning individuals and groups. However, scientists are rarely trained to pilot projects involving multiple stakeholders with different positions. This article explains why trained facilitators are needed to pilot transdisciplinary projects. They can cultivate transcendence and transgression – both analysed by the late Julie Thompson Klein – beyond the scope and purpose of common research methods. In essence, transdisciplinary practices respect different ontologies and epistemologies while incorporating ethical principles and moral values. The cultivation of transdisciplinary projects should accommodate and reduce asymmetries of power between politicians, public administrators, property owners, researchers and laypeople that are shaped by extant historical and societal variables in specific situations. Transdisciplinary projects should also apply multiple sources of quantitative data and qualitative information that represent the complexity, diversity and perhaps incommensurability of intentions, meanings, perceptions and values about specific subjects or situations. This is being achieved by innovative projects that should become beacons for change.

Taxation without Indemnification

Whether by reevaluating previously underappreciated factors or by uncovering new source material, historical scholarship occasionally makes immediate and simultaneous interventions in both academic and public-facing conversations.1 Andrew Kahrl's The Black Tax is one such work, and actually accomplishes these two tasks admirably. In the last two decades, scholars have investigated African American ownership of real property in land and homes, as well as the ways that governmental and private actors, policies, and practices have impaired Black people's ability to acquire and accumulate wealth in this country.2 This body of scholarship, alongside the work of public intellectuals, has served to jumpstart discussion around the issue of reparations.3 Prior to the release of Kahrl's illustrious book, however, no one had identified property taxes as lying at the very center of race-based structural inequality.4

Exploring the impact of renovation subsidies on housing markets – evidence from the Swedish property market

PurposeThe primary aim of this research is to examine the effects of the Renovation, Conversion, and Extension (ROT) tax deduction for renovations on the scope and quality of renovations and its subsequent impact on house prices across various Swedish municipalities.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilises a two-way fixed effect instrument variable (IV) spatial Manski approach, analysing balanced panel data from 2004 to 2020 at the municipal level (290 municipalities) in Sweden. The methodology is designed to assess the impact of the ROT subsidy on the housing market.FindingsThe study reveals that the ROT subsidy has significantly influenced house prices, with noticeable variations between municipalities. These differences are attributed to the varying amounts of tax reductions for renovations and the extent to which property owners utilise these subsidies.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited to the context of Sweden and may not be generalisable to other countries with different housing and subsidy policies. The findings are crucial for understanding the specific impacts of government subsidies on the housing market within this context.Practical implicationsFor policymakers and stakeholders in the housing market, this study highlights the tangible effects of renovation subsidies on property values. It provides insights into how such financial incentives can shape the housing market dynamics.Social implicationsThe research underscores the role of government policies in potentially influencing equitable access to housing. It suggests that subsidies like ROT can have broader social implications, including the distribution of housing benefits among different income groups and regions.Originality/valueThis study contributes original insights into the field of applied real estate economics by quantitatively analysing the impact of a specific government subsidy on the housing market. It offers a unique perspective on how fiscal policies can affect property values and renovation activities at the municipal level in Sweden.

Refusing Redress: Debt, Inheritance, and Creation in Rosario FerrÉ’s Sweet Diamond Dust

This article proposes a reading of Rosario Ferré’s Sweet Diamond Dust through the logic of debt, an effort focused on unearthing the ideological preconditions of extraction via debt rather than the mechanism of extraction itself. This seminal Puerto Rican collection has largely been read as a critique of the national romance and its underlying racial, gender, and sexual politics of genealogical inquiry. This article traces this inquiry, yet focuses on inheritance, redress, and property ownership as both central to the national romance and as key sites for the negotiation and contestation of the ideologies central to accumulation via debt. It uses Rosa Luxemburg’s theorisation of ongoing primitive accumulation to understand the continuation of capitalism and its generation of a particular indebted subjectivity, reading Gloria and Titina’s razing of the De la Valle home in the book’s eponymous novella as a complication and negotiation of the constitution of an indebted subjectivity.

Unlocking housing wealth through mortgage debt: do patterns and motivations vary by age?

Successive waves of house price appreciation have prompted homeowners to tap into housing wealth, increasing mortgage debt to meet spending needs. This paper addresses three questions about equity borrowing behaviour via panel-data modelling. First, how do homeowners’ asset and debt portfolios affect equity borrowing behaviour? Second, is equity borrowing influenced by financial behaviours relating to saving, planning and risk-taking? Third, do equity borrowing drivers vary by age? Our findings confirm that equity borrowing is generally influenced by asset and debt portfolios, with notable age-related differences. Younger homeowners exhibit greater sensitivity to changes in primary home value and debt, and risk willingness. Income, labour force status and ownership of other property are crucial for those aged 55–64, while homeowners aged 65+ are generally insensitive to asset, debt or income changes. We discuss policy implications, emphasizing the prospects of longer working lives among pre-retirees, the need for safeguards for elderly equity-borrowers, and the welfare consequences of later-life debt burdens or homeownership loss.

Assessing property value impacts near utility-scale solar in the Midwestern United States

Utility-scale solar energy project proposals have been accelerating exponentially in the United States (U.S.) as the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables continues to unfold. While the emissions and economic related benefits of deploying large-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) for electricity generation are well documented, relatively less is known about their impact on nearby property values. This paper investigates the location of utility-scale solar facilities in the U.S. Midwest, the average home value in each relevant zip code, and whether the presence of a utility-scale solar project affects nearby property values in any manner. Our study includes 70 utility-scale solar facilities built in the Midwest from 2009 to 2022 using data from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Alongside housing value data from Zillow (i.e., Zestimate), we incorporate additional data, including solar project size in installed capacity, rurality, and state. Using the difference-in-differences method, our results indicate that utility-scale solar projects increase nearby property values by roughly 0.5–2.0 %. Moreover, our results show that smaller projects have more of a positive impact on nearby property values than projects that are 20 megawatts or larger. Ultimately, having a better understanding of how these larger-scale solar projects impact property values is essential for a variety of stakeholders – especially local officials and property owners – as they are increasingly faced with making decisions about whether to permit the construction of these facilities in their communities.

Water damage restoration, structural drying and remediation of damp issues in UK properties : A comprehensive review

Water damage is a pervasive issue in the UK, with adverse effects on property structures and indoor air quality. This paper provides a comprehensive review of water damage restoration, structural drying and remediation techniques tailored to UK properties. It discusses the causes of water damage, including flooding, leaks and dampness, and explores the principles and methods of effective restoration and remediation. Special attention is given to the unique challenges and considerations faced by property owners, contractors and restoration professionals in the UK context.

Research on the Development of the Insurance Industry under Extreme Weather based on a Multi-Objective Optimization Model

In recent years, the global climate has continuously deteriorated, with extreme weather events occurring frequently, which has exerted a huge and even devastating impact on the insurance industry. To address the location planning challenges faced by the insurance industry globally in the context of extreme weather, this papaer initially innovatively employs an ordered induction weighted operator to combine three forecasting models: ARIMA, SVR, and LSTM, thus developing an IASL model to forecast future extreme weather events. Subsequently, by integrating the interests of both insurance companies and property owners, a multi-objective optimization model is established, which is then transformed into a single-objective optimization model using the Method of Distance Functions. Lastly, the model is solved using an improved Firefly Algorithm. This holistic approach is anticipated to offer more effective support for insurance industry planning and risk management in addressing the challenges posed by extreme weather.

The subjective side of real estate fraud

The article deals with the subjective side of the criminal offense under Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in particular, real estate fraud. The author establishes that the subjective side of a criminal offense is of great importance for characterizing fraud. As is known, the subjective side of a criminal offense is its internal side, namely, the mental activity of a person which reflects his/her attitude to the socially dangerous act which he/she commits and its consequences. It is noted that the content of the subjective side of the criminal offense of real estate fraud includes such features as guilt, motive and mercenary purpose. The author concludes that when committing real estate fraud, a person realizes the socially dangerous nature of the offense which he/she commits. Guilt in committing real estate fraud is characterized by direct intent, the content of which is formed by two aspects – intellectual and volitional. The mercenary purpose in committing real estate fraud is expressed in obtaining personal property benefits and is a necessary subjective feature of this type of fraud; it arises in the mind of the guilty person in the form of the final result of the criminal offense – the achievement of material benefit. The motives for committing real estate fraud are of a mercenary nature. They are manifested as internal motivations that guide the perpetrator in committing real estate fraud and form the structure of criminal mercenary motivation. Real estate fraud is committed by persons who are psychologically prepared to commit a criminal offense, clearly realize the illegal actions aimed at seizing ownership of residential property, clearly realize the illegal actions aimed at seizing ownership of someone else’s real estate (to obtain money in a particularly large amount), and the consequences in the form of harm to the victim. Persons who develop such fraudulent schemes mislead victims about their true criminal intentions or abuse the victim’s trust for material gain. The criminals are certainly guided by a selfish purpose and mercenary motives that are fundamental to their behavior.

Nothing but a Humbug: P.T. Barnum, Charles Dickens, and the Construction of National Identities in a Living Archive

Abstract: Even as the Victorians attempted to stabilize British national identity through institutional ownership of cultural property, Britishness remained a protean, imagined construct. This essay shows, through a new narrativization of the auction of Shakespeare's birthplace in 1847, that the purportedly kitschy and fake aspects of Barnumesque, new-money America were paradoxically also constitutive of Britain's own nationalism. In the spring of that year, newspapers advertised that Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon would soon go up for public auction. Rumours immediately began circulating that the American showman P.T. Barnum, who had recently barnstormed through England with the "Greatest Show on Earth," was intent on purchasing the birthplace for his menagerie of cultural oddities. In opposition to this foreign threat, a full-blown rescue campaign, driven by British media fearmongering, was launched in order to save Shakespeare's home "for the nation." Soon, these efforts drew in Britain's own premier showman of the 1840s, Charles Dickens. The nineteenth-century popular press's mythologization of these events, and the myth's subsequent recapitulation in the twenty-first century, is emblematic of the way national-infused archives wind and unwind in a double-spooled temporality. As I renarrativize archival materials associated with the auction of Shakespeare's birthplace, I proffer a different model of American and British nationalisms that points to their symbiotic development and perpetual reinvention. Ultimately, I suggest, we can learn from the Victorians' reinvention of their own history that the nineteenth-century archive is not a stable point of origin but rather a point of departure for questioning our national heritage and understanding the ways in which we inscribe the past with our present.

A “big depressing dazzling joke”: The Limits of Hospitality in “The Aspern Papers”

Abstract: This essay explores the politics of community and hospitality in Henry James’s “The Aspern Papers.” Drawing on studies of hospitality, developed and inspired by Jacques Derrida, it considers the gestures of hospitality occurring in the story and shows that the bond of the Misses Bordereau is challenged by conditional terms of reciprocity that cause rifts in their community. Looking also at some of James’s essays on Venice, the essay argues that the novella provides insight into the possibility or not of domestic and national hospitality within the contexts of property ownership, mobility, and tourism and places women at the center of the confrontation between self and other, community and alterity.

Legal Certainty Over Ownership Certificates of Building Buildings of Apartment Units Based on Law No. 20 of 2011 Concerning Apartment Houses. 20 of 2011 on Flats

Legal certainty in property ownership is crucial for protecting the rights and interests of property owners. This study examines the legal certainty provided by ownership certificates for flats under Indonesia's "Law No. 20 of 2011" (UURS). It also explores the legal implications of constructing flats on land with building use rights, a status that differs from full ownership rights. Using a normative research method, the study analyzes relevant laws, regulations, and academic literature to understand how legal frameworks govern flat ownership and ensure the legitimacy of ownership certificates. The findings reveal that ownership certificates for flats confer private ownership of specific units and related common areas, but legal challenges arise when flats are constructed on land with building use rights, especially concerning the renewal of these rights. The study underscores the importance of continuous legal oversight and clear legislative guidelines to maintain and strengthen legal certainty over ownership certificates. Additionally, it highlights the potential legal risks and uncertainties that flat owners may face if the underlying land rights are not properly managed or renewed. The study concludes that while ownership certificates offer significant legal protection, the dependence on building use rights for the underlying land introduces potential vulnerabilities. Future research should explore the legal and practical implications of the expiration and renewal of building use rights, the impact on flat ownership, and alternative legal frameworks that could provide greater security for property owners.

Prawo właściciela gruntu do zwykłego korzystania z wód w świetle przepisów Prawa wodnego

Water is one of the most important components of the environment, without which its proper functioning is impossible. To protect it, the Water Law Act of 20 July 2017 was adopted, which comprehensively regulates the issue of water management and protection. As part of water management, attention should be paid to the right to ordinary use of water, which is intended to allow the property owner to use water in small amounts for his own needs. However, the legislator formulated the provisions imprecisely, which led to several legal problems. By thoroughly analyzing the content of Article 33 of the Water Law, it can be stated that the group of persons entitled to ordinary use of water is not strictly limited to property owners. It can also be stated that not everyone conducting agricultural activity will be entitled to ordinary use of water. Moreover, the conditions of ordinary use of water arising from the provisions of the Water Law do not excessively and disproportionately violate property rights.

Profile of men and women sentenced to community services: Risk factors and social vulnerability

This study explores profiles of individuals in community service, focussing on gender differences and women’s social vulnerability. Surveys from 503 participants undergoing community service via the Spanish Red Cross unveiled significant gender-related distinctions. Women faced more family responsibilities and lower incomes than men, with heightened economic challenges and engagement in informal work. Property ownership was less frequent among women, who also grappled with more outstanding mortgage payments and single parenthood. A larger share of women relied on institutional support and joined the Extreme Vulnerability Programme. These findings resonate with global research advocating holistic intervention for women offenders. However, this demands a broader array of community service tailored to women’s needs, especially concerning dependent children. Addressing core necessities such as housing, healthcare, and employment, along with enhancing self-worth and recognition, proves pivotal in deterring women from criminal behaviour. A gender-oriented approach to alternative sentencing can enhance effectiveness and compliance.

Взаимодействие стейкхолдеров при формировании и управлении децентрализованными фондами капитального ремонта жилищно-коммунального хозяйства

Introduction. The purpose of this study is a systematic analysis of the stakeholder relations on the issue of the formation and management of decentralized capital repair funds. The high social significance of capital repairs of residential real estate, coupled with a high degree of wear and tear, determines the need for coordinated and effective stakeholder interaction, the involvement of public authorities in co-financing expenses and the development of effective mechanisms for the rational allocation of funds from decentralized capital repair funds formed in special accounts in banking organizations and protecting them from inflationary processes.Materials and methods. The authors explore institutional factors in the implementation of major renovations of apartment buildings, identify the key stakeholders of these processes, their interests and risks, and reveal the presence of an agency problem. Based on statistical data and regulations, the authors conduct economic modeling of the formation of a decentralized capital repair fund using the example of an existing homeowners' association, and calculate target indicators for the efficiency of capital repair fund management.Results. The conducted research revealed inconsistency of the current management approaches and the impossibility of forming major overhaul funds in sufficient size to replace elevator equipment after the shelf life expiry without external financing. The authors conduct a study of the agency problem that arises when managing funds placed in special accounts for major overhaul, and identify the presence of informal institutional factors that prevent the formation of a "mature real estate owner".Discussion. Based on the results of the study, the authors proposed regulatory measures that could positively affect the effectiveness of relations on the issue of formation and management of decentralized capital repair funds. In addition to regulatory measures, the authors consider it necessary to involve municipal deputies in awareness-raising activities aimed at creating a “mature property owner.” The scientific novelty of this study consists in the development of management and regulation methods for the formation of decentralized capital repair funds on the basis of the synthesis of stakeholder and institutional approaches.

The Rate of Corruption in Local Municipalities Harshly Offsets Revenue Enhancement Strategies on Property Clearances and Transfers of Properties: A Case of Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality

Corruption within local municipalities remains a significant obstacle to economic development and public trust, particularly in the context of property clearances and transfers. This study examines the extent to which corruption within the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality undermines revenue enhancement strategies designed to streamline property clearances and transfers. By employing a mixed-methods approach, this research highlights the discrepancies between policy intentions and actual practices. The findings suggest that corruption significantly hampers the effectiveness of these revenue enhancement strategies, leading to inefficiencies and public dissatisfaction. The study draws on primary data collected from municipal employees, property owners, and real estate professionals. Interviews and surveys reveal a pervasive culture of bribery and nepotism that undermines formal procedures. Additionally, an analysis of municipal records uncovers irregularities in property clearance and transfer processes, suggesting systemic issues that require urgent attention. Addressing corruption in the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality is crucial for restoring public trust and enhancing revenue from property transactions. The study proposes several policy recommendations, including stricter enforcement of anti-corruption measures, enhanced transparency, and improved accountability mechanisms. These strategies are essential for ensuring that property clearances and transfers are conducted fairly and efficiently, ultimately benefiting the local economy and community.

University Population and Wildfire Risk: An Analysis of Perception-Based Variables and Geospatial Differences

This research presents a novel perspective on university students, staff, and faculty and their perception of risk concerning wildfires in the fire-prone US State of Idaho. Past studies have conducted resident surveys in high-risk communities to investigate what factors make homeowners more likely to engage in mitigation activities, increasing communities’ resiliency. Research on a population without property ownership and using the wildland-urban interface (WUI) as activity and recreation spaces is limited. The main hypothesis is that a university population will have different perception and awareness levels in perception-based variables when comparing students to staff/faculty in a traditional survey and geospatial analysis. This study investigates Boise State University’s population’s risk perception using an online survey and interactive spatial assessment to examine differences between associated and geographically allocated risk spaces. Findings from perception mapping, binomial regression, and geostatistical analysis contrast current literature with traditional residents’ surveys. The explorative geostatistical analysis reveals distinct allocation patterns of perceived risk not captured in survey questions. Overall, findings promote a better understanding of where risk and awareness are apparent and suggest that wildfire communication efforts should reach out to all users of the WUI.

Holding a share of “city stock”? Second home ownership and land finance under urban entrepreneurialism

This paper examines the role of municipal land finance in households' second home ownership under urban entrepreneurialism. We found that the extent of municipal reliance on land finance was positively related to the local second home ownership, mediated by the housing prices effect and urban expansion effect. Unleased second homes are associated with higher land finance level to a greater extent. On the contrary, the odds of investment in a second home outside one's city of residence decrease with the land finance level of the city. The exceptional likelihood of second home ownership for entrepreneurs implies that the entrepreneurial state and entrepreneurs' interests are bonded in effective use of housing for capital accumulation. The findings suggest that a continuous reliance on the land finance system may intensify the housing assets stratification. By exploring the relationship between state-led capital accumulation and households’ wealth accumulation, this study provides a more holistic view to understand the new form of housing differentiation, and contributes to the literature of second homes by offering an explanation about between-city variation for the more mundane forms of absentee property ownership.

The motivations and practices of commercial short-term rental operators in the short-term/long-term “regulatory gap”

ABSTRACT Despite the rapid proliferation of short-term rentals (STRs) over the last decade, research contacting commercial operators to explore their business practices, motivations, and attitudes remains rare. Leveraging a comprehensive dataset of STR activity in Montreal alongside key-informant interviews, this study presents an in-depth portrait of commercial STR operators. We find that the experience of commercially operating STRs is marked by contradictions. While operating STRs can be time-consuming, the chief motivating factors are the potential for revenue maximization and the increased flexibility provided to property owners driven by a ‘regulatory gap’ between the long- and short-term rental markets.