An unusually rich source of data on housing prices in Stockholm is used to analyze the investment implications of housing choices. This empirical analysis derives market-wide price and return series for housing investment during a 13-year period, and it also provides estimates of the individual-speci®c, idiosyncratic, variation in housing returns. Because the idiosyncratic component follows an autocorrelated process, the analysis of portfolio choice is dependent upon the holding period. We analyze the composition of household investment portfolios containing housing, common stocks, stocks in real estate holding companies, bonds, and t-bills. For short holding periods, the ef®cient portfolio contains essentially no housing. For longer periods, low-risk portfolios contain 15 to 50 percent housing. These results suggest that there are large potential gains from policies or institutions that would permit households to hedge their lumpy investments in housing. We estimate the potential value of hedges in reducing risk to households, yet yielding the same investment returns. The value is surprisingly large, especially to poorer homeowners.

Estimates of the prices of housing and the value of the stock are derived from observations on housing transactions. These transactions may well be a non-random sample of the underlying population of dwellings. For example, it is widely thought that smaller "starter homes" sell more frequently than more expensive properties and that the frequency of transactions on high-valued properties varies over the business cycle. This paper considers the importance of these selectivity issues in making imputations about housing price trends. We estimate a model of housing price determination and of the nonrandom selection of observed transactions. We analyze the factors affecting the probabilities that transactions on different houses will be observed, and we estimate the effect of these factors upon housing prices. The analysis considers a variety of plausible selection models. For each of the alternatives, the estimated effect of selectivity upon housing price calculations is quite substantial.

The analysis is based on a unique body of data containing observations of all house sales in Sweden during the period 1981- 1993.

This article examines index revision in measuring the prices for owner-occupied housing. We consider revision in the context of equity insurance and the settlement of futures contracts. The usefulness of aggregate housing price indexes in these contexts requires stability as they are extended. Methods that are subject to substantial revision raise questions about the viability of derivatives markets. We find that the most widely used house price indexes are not equally exposed to volatility in revision. Hedonic indexes appear to be substantially more stable than repeat-sales indexes and are not prone to the systematic downward revision found in the repeat-sales indexes.

This paper examines index revision in measuring the prices for owner-occupied housing. We consider the context of equity insurance and the settlement of futures contracts. In addition to other desirable characteristics for aggregate price indexes, their usefulness in these contexts requires stability as they are revised. Methods that are subject to substantial or complex revision raise questions about the viability of derivatives markets. Of course, all indexes are subject to revision as the result of new information. Nevertheless, we find that the most-widely used house price indexes are not equally exposed to volatility in revision. Hedonic indexes appear to be substantially more stable than repeat-sales indexes and are less prone to substantial revision in the light of new information. Moreover, we find that the repeat-sales indexes are subject to systematic downward revision. We analyze alternative settlement procedures and contracts to mitigate the impact of revision associated with repeat sale indexes.