Introduction from the Editor

Citation

Reed, R. (2014), "Introduction from the Editor", International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, Vol. 7 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHMA-07-2014-0028

Introduction from the Editor

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, Volume 7, Issue 4

Welcome to the fourth issue in the seventh volume of the International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis. In recognition of the higher journal ranking and the increased number of submissions to this journal, the number of research papers per issue commencing from this seventh volume has been expanded, and all papers cover a wide range of international housing-related research problems and data analysis. As editor, I encourage high-quality housing-related submissions from every country and seek to publish research from both developed and developing countries, which each have their own research problems.

The first paper undertakes a comparative analysis of two hedonic price indices for developing markets, being the explicit time variable model versus the strictly cross-sectional model. The paper concluded that both models produce similar house price trends over the study period, although the strictly cross-sectional model was more volatile in comparison. Consideration is also given to the volume of sales data accessible and limitations of both models. The second paper investigated the condominium market in Toyko, Japan and includes reference to the effect of the global financial crisis on the Japanese market. The data set included approximately 40,000 transactions from 23 wards in Tokyo with the focus placed on the explanatory power and limitations of hedonic price models, as well as examining the predictive power of non-linear estimation methods. This is a unique study which preformed time series out-of-sample tests of a large dataset and examined predictive accuracy.

The third paper is from Istanbul and examines the effectiveness of marketing strategies based on housing characteristics and related variables. Using content analysis, the methodology is focused on specific projects in the Istanbul housing market. It was demonstrated that housing has become a product which is promoted to the consumer due to lifestyle considerations, the location and related social considerations. The fourth paper from Italy analyses stock in the real estate market in that country, especially in light of the contribution of the development market for housing to the over all economy. This paper identifies the limitations and critical issues affecting information which is related to over-supply and non-rational land use. It was found a critical challenge is the creation of a reliable database, as well as data to assist with analysing building production and the rate of housing absorption.

The fifth paper moves the focus to the housing market in India and discusses the changing role of the Indian government in relation to housing delivery, especially with reference to public–private partnership arrangements. This paper analyses different partnership models that have emerged in different parts of India. It also investigates the role of the government that has contributed to the housing models. The sixth paper seeks to define land use policy in the UK with reference to barriers to community-based housing options. The methodology used semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and the findings contributed to the debate about the viability of community-based housing options and the effect of direct and indirect planning and restrictive land use policies in practice.

The seventh paper investigates the spatial design characteristics to reinforce social ties in low-rise residential neighbourhoods in Basra city. The findings confirmed that all collective space sub-variables a significant influence on social interaction. There were implications for architects and how they design low rise residential neighbourhoods and built environment habitats.

The final paper from Turkey analysed housing demand with the objective of identifying the individual factors that influence this demand. A questionnaire-based cross sectional survey was undertaken and referred to the decision to invest in housing. The dataset included nearly 3,000 households in Erzurum, Turkey where 47 per cent of respondents confirmed they would invest in housing in the future.

My personal “thank you” in my role as editor to the vast number of contributors, editors and readers of this journal. As editor, I am fully aware of the pressure on researchers to publish in high-quality journals such as this one. All papers in this journal have been through a rigorous double-blind refereeing process to ensure the highest quality is maintained. I encourage the submission of research articles examining international housing markets, which contribute to our collective body of knowledge in this exciting area. If you have any comments or are interested in submitting a research paper then please contact the editor direct at: mailto:richard.reed@deakin.edu.au

Richard G. Reed