Homework in Monetary Economics: Inflation, Home Production, and the Production of Homes

43 Pages Posted: 3 Aug 2012 Last revised: 10 Jun 2023

See all articles by S. Borağan Aruoba

S. Borağan Aruoba

University of Maryland - Department of Economics

Morris A. Davis

Rutgers Business School

Randall Wright

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Finance, Investment and Banking; Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Date Written: August 2012

Abstract

We study models incorporating money, household production, and investment in housing. Inflation, as a tax on market activity, encourages substitution into household production, and thus investment in household capital. Hence, inflation increases the (appropriately deflated) value of the housing stock. This is documented in various data sources. A calibrated model accounts for a fifth to a half of the observed relationships. While this leaves much to be explained, it demonstrates the channel is economically relevant. We also show models with home production imply higher costs of inflation than models without it, especially when home and market goods are close substitutes.

Suggested Citation

Aruoba, S. Boragan and Davis, Morris A. and Wright, Randall D., Homework in Monetary Economics: Inflation, Home Production, and the Production of Homes (August 2012). NBER Working Paper No. w18276, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2123015

S. Boragan Aruoba (Contact Author)

University of Maryland - Department of Economics ( email )

College Park, MD 20742
United States
301-405-3508 (Phone)
301-405-3542 (Fax)

Morris A. Davis

Rutgers Business School ( email )

Rutgers Business School
One Washington Park #1092
Newark, NJ 07102
United States

Randall D. Wright

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Finance, Investment and Banking ( email )

975 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706
United States
608-263-3860 (Phone)

Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

90 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55480
United States

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