A Research Report presented to the Graduate School of Business Leadership University of South Africa. In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MASTERS DEGREE IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA / The purpose of this research is to analyse the changes in housing values in Windhoek, Namibia over the past ten years and explore links in property value variation to macroeconomic changes during that period. The objectives of this research are twofold. Firstly this research compiles and assesses the movement of housing values over the past ten years. Secondly this research assesses if there is a causal relationship between changes in macroeconomic factors and housing values, and to define the nature of this relationship. The timing and magnitude of response by housing values to changes in macroeconomic factors are investigated. The primary data requirements for this study are a monthly relative value index of housing prices for the Windhoek area and macroeconomic factors. Macroeconomic data collected relates to macroeconomic conditions within Namibia that could have an effect on housing prices. This includes information on housing supply, GDP, population levels, inflation and interest rates. The results of this study explore the relationship between these factors and changes in housing prices as reflected by changes in the housing index. The most significant result of this study is the effect of housing availability on housing values. Changes in the total supply of housing as estimated by the number of houses built in a month affect changes in housing values after 5 and 6 months. A total of 20.5% of the change in housing values can be explained by the change in total housing supply. The effect of interest rates found by this study was lower than the theory and literature reviews would have led us to expect. The results of the Pearson correlation test for the relationship between percentage changes in interest rates and percentage changes in future housing values found that a relationship exists 8 months after the change in interest rates occurred. Interest rates were found to explain 5.5% of the change in housing values 8 months later. No significant effects were noted for changes in inflation. For population and income changes there was insufficient data to perform more than a high level look at possible interactions with the level of housing prices. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / MBL

Advocates of urban light rail transit argue that positive developments around station area(s) should offset the costs of implementing a transit system by creating more livable communities and enhance surrounding residential property values. In some cases, decreased urban landscape aesthetics have been reported. The purpose of this study is to contribute to this debate via an analysis of the impact of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system on residential property values in Dallas County. By examining the impact of distance on property values of two features of the DART system: the transit station and the rail line, and by holding a series of structural variables constant, a net change in value can be calculated using a multi-regression model.

A Research Report presented to the Graduate School of Business Leadership University of South Africa. In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MASTERS DEGREE IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA / The purpose of this research is to analyse the changes in housing values in Windhoek, Namibia over the past ten years and explore links in property value variation to macroeconomic changes during that period. The objectives of this research are twofold. Firstly this research compiles and assesses the movement of housing values over the past ten years. Secondly this research assesses if there is a causal relationship between changes in macroeconomic factors and housing values, and to define the nature of this relationship. The timing and magnitude of response by housing values to changes in macroeconomic factors are investigated. The primary data requirements for this study are a monthly relative value index of housing prices for the Windhoek area and macroeconomic factors. Macroeconomic data collected relates to macroeconomic conditions within Namibia that could have an effect on housing prices. This includes information on housing supply, GDP, population levels, inflation and interest rates. The results of this study explore the relationship between these factors and changes in housing prices as reflected by changes in the housing index. The most significant result of this study is the effect of housing availability on housing values. Changes in the total supply of housing as estimated by the number of houses built in a month affect changes in housing values after 5 and 6 months. A total of 20.5% of the change in housing values can be explained by the change in total housing supply. The effect of interest rates found by this study was lower than the theory and literature reviews would have led us to expect. The results of the Pearson correlation test for the relationship between percentage changes in interest rates and percentage changes in future housing values found that a relationship exists 8 months after the change in interest rates occurred. Interest rates were found to explain 5.5% of the change in housing values 8 months later. No significant effects were noted for changes in inflation. For population and income changes there was insufficient data to perform more than a high level look at possible interactions with the level of housing prices. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / MBL

by Vera Hau Tsz Lai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 227-236). / ABSTRACT --- p.i-ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iii-iv / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.v-ix / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.x / LIST OF PLATES --- p.xi-xiii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.xiv-xvi / Chapter CHAPTER I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Problem Statement --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Role of GIS in Housing Price Study --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Research Objectives --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- Significance --- p.5 / Chapter 1.5 --- Methodologies --- p.6 / Chapter 1.6 --- Organization of Thesis --- p.7 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- Geography of Housing --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3 --- Housing as a Research Question --- p.11 / Chapter 2.4 --- Housing Services and Housing Price --- p.12 / Chapter 2.5 --- Property Price Valuation --- p.14 / Chapter 2.6 --- Hedonic Price Function --- p.15 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- Dependent Variable - Property Price --- p.16 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Independent Variables Affecting Housing Price --- p.17 / Chapter 2.6.2.1 --- Aspatial Factors --- p.17 / Chapter 2.6.2.2 --- Spatial Factors --- p.18 / Chapter 2.6.2.3 --- Evaluation on Importance of Parameters --- p.26 / Chapter 2.7 --- Functional Form of Hedonic Price Models --- p.33 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- Conventional Specifications --- p.34 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- Box-Cox Transformation --- p.34 / Chapter 2.7.3 --- Conventional Specifications versus Box-Cox Transformation --- p.35 / Chapter 2.8 --- Submarket Analysis and its Delineation --- p.36 / Chapter 2.9 --- Geographic Information Systems --- p.39 / Chapter 2.10 --- GIS in Real Estate --- p.39 / Chapter 2.11 --- Present Adoption of GIS in Real Estate --- p.42 / Chapter 2.11.1 --- Commercial Applications --- p.42 / Chapter 2.11.2 --- Research-wise Applications --- p.43 / Chapter 2.12 --- Hedonic Price Study with GIS --- p.43 / Chapter 2.13 --- Conclusion --- p.45 / Chapter CHAPTER III --- THE STUDY AREA AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.47 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.47 / Chapter 3.2 --- Real Estate Sector in Hong Kong --- p.47 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Importance to Local Economy --- p.48 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Importance to Housing Production --- p.48 / Chapter 3.3 --- Urban Development and Housing in Hong Kong --- p.51 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Land Availability and Landuses --- p.51 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Housing and Urban Development --- p.54 / Chapter 3.3.2.1 --- Early Period of Industrialization --- p.54 / Chapter 3.3.2.2 --- Phase of Economic Restructuring --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Urban Renewal --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Comprehensive Housing Projects --- p.56 / Chapter 3.4 --- New Town Housing - Public or Private-Led --- p.57 / Chapter 3.5 --- Hedonic Price of Private Dormitory in Hong Kong --- p.61 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Temporal Change in Property Price --- p.62 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Spatial Variation of Property Price --- p.66 / Chapter 3.6 --- The Research --- p.68 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Cartographic Analysis --- p.68 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Hedonic Price Model --- p.69 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Dependent Variable --- p.69 / Chapter 3.6.4 --- Independent Variables --- p.70 / Chapter 3.6.5 --- Chosen Functional Form in this Research --- p.72 / Chapter 3.6.6 --- Submarket Analysis in Hong Kong --- p.72 / Chapter 3.7 --- Conclusion --- p.72 / Chapter CHAPTER IV --- DATABASE CONSTRUCTIONS --- p.74 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.74 / Chapter 4.2 --- Data Collection --- p.74 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Base Maps --- p.75 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Housing Stock and its Attributes --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Official Statistics --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- School Quality --- p.77 / Chapter 4.3 --- Data Input --- p.78 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Graphical Input --- p.78 / Chapter 4.3.1.1 --- Base Maps --- p.78 / Chapter 4.3.1.2 --- Line Data --- p.78 / Chapter 4.3.1.3 --- Point/Polygon Data --- p.79 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Attribute Data Input --- p.82 / Chapter 4.4 --- Data Editing and Conversions --- p.82 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Graphical Input --- p.82 / Chapter 4.4.1.1 --- Standard Coverage Editing Procedures --- p.82 / Chapter 4.4.1.2 --- Specific Coverage Editing Procedures --- p.83 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Attribute Data --- p.84 / Chapter 4.4.2.1 --- Housing Attributes --- p.84 / Chapter 4.4.2.2 --- Landuse Mix --- p.88 / Chapter 4.4.2.3 --- Socioeconomic Status --- p.91 / Chapter 4.4.2.4 --- Employment Figures --- p.91 / Chapter 4.5 --- Data Pre-processing and Manipulation --- p.93 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Employment Potentials --- p.93 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Socioeconomic Variables --- p.96 / Chapter 4.5.2.1 --- Interpretation --- p.97 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- School Quality --- p.107 / Chapter 4.5.4 --- Proximity Measurements --- p.110 / Chapter 4.5.5 --- Final Step of Association : Overlay Operations --- p.110 / Chapter 4.6 --- Conclusion --- p.112 / Chapter CHAPTER V --- CARTOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS --- p.114 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.114 / Chapter 5.2 --- Representation of Data --- p.114 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Location of Premises --- p.114 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Proximity --- p.118 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- School Quality --- p.118 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Landuse Mix --- p.129 / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Employment --- p.132 / Chapter 5.2.6 --- Property Price --- p.137 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results and Discussions --- p.137 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Temporal Variation on Housing Supply --- p.143 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Temporal Variation on Floor Size --- p.145 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Temporal Variation on Property Price --- p.148 / Chapter 5.4 --- Locational Variations --- p.150 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Shift towards the New Towns --- p.150 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Relative Importance among Districts in New Towns --- p.154 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- Pattern of Development --- p.158 / Chapter 5.4.3.1 --- Urban Core --- p.158 / Chapter 5.4.3.2 --- New Towns --- p.161 / Chapter 5.5 --- Spatial Variations on Floor Size --- p.171 / Chapter 5.6 --- Spatial Variations on Property Price --- p.176 / Chapter 5.7 --- Conclusion --- p.181 / Chapter CHAPTER VI --- STATISTICAL ANALYSIS --- p.183 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.183 / Chapter 6.2 --- The Data Set --- p.183 / Chapter 6.3 --- Stepwise Regression Modeling --- p.184 / Chapter 6.4 --- Correlation among Variables --- p.184 / Chapter 6.5 --- Validation of the Models --- p.186 / Chapter 6.6 --- Findings --- p.193 / Chapter 6.6.1 --- Pooled Market Results --- p.193 / Chapter 6.6.2 --- Submarket Level Analyses --- p.198 / Chapter 6.6.2.1 --- "Small-Sized, Low-Priced Flats " --- p.200 / Chapter 6.6.2.2 --- "Small-Sized, High-Priced Flats " --- p.203 / Chapter 6.6.2.3 --- "Medium-Sized, Low-Priced Flats " --- p.206 / Chapter 6.6.2.4 --- "Medium-Sized, High-Priced Flats " --- p.210 / Chapter 6.6.2.5 --- "Large-Sized, High-Priced Flats " --- p.213 / Chapter 6.7 --- Conclusion --- p.213 / Chapter CHAPTER VII --- CONCLUSION --- p.217 / Chapter 7.1 --- Summary of Findings --- p.217 / Chapter 7.1.1 --- Summary on Housing Development in Hong Kong…… --- p.217 / Chapter 7.1.2 --- Summary from Hedonic Price Models --- p.220 / Chapter 7.1.3 --- Significance of GIS --- p.222 / Chapter 7.2 --- Limitations and Recommendations --- p.222 / Chapter 7.3 --- Direction of Future Research --- p.226 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.227 / APPENDICES --- p.237 / APPENDIX 1 --- p.238 / District Map of Hong Kong --- p.239 / APPENDIX II --- p.240 / List of Districts and its Components --- p.241 / APPENDIX III --- p.243 / Tertiary Planning Units (TPUs) - District Conversion List --- p.244

Syftet med studien är att ta fram ett grundläggande material för vidare undersökning avseende högre kvalitet vid taxeringsförfarandet i samband med justering av taxeringsvärden när väg fram till småhusfastigheter saknas. Detta då det idag inte finns några riktlinjer kring denna justering. Målet med studien är att undersöka vilken värdeinverkan avsaknad av väg till småhusfastigheter kan anses ha på marknadsvärdet, och vad som gör denna värdeinverkan svår- eller lättbedömd. Metoderna som tillämpats i studien avser en kvantitativ- samt kvalitativ undersökning. Den kvantitativa undersökningen har genomförts i form av telefonintervjuer med mäklare och fastighetsvärderare. Detta för att få en generell bild av hur marknaden anses uppfatta förhållandet avsaknad av väg. Denna undersökning kompletterades med en kvalitativ intervjuundersökning för att erhålla en djupare förståelse för hur marknadsvärdet påverkas av detta förhållande, samt hur denna värdebedömning går till. Resultatet av undersökningen pekar på att en marknadsvärdeinverkan går att påvisa i de fall då småhusfastigheter saknar tillgång till väg. Inverkan på marknadsvärdet är svårbedömt då den varierar efter olika fastighetsförhållanden, marknadsvärdenivåer och anläggningskostnader. Resultatet visar även att, redan vid ett avstånd på över 100 meter från fastigheten till närmsta körbara väg, kan inverkan på marknadsvärdet anses ligga över 20 procent. Slutsatserna utifrån resultatet är att en avsaknad av väg i de flesta fall är en värdesänkande faktor. Vidare skulle tydligare riktlinjer kring värdebedömningen av detta förhållande underlätta värderingsförfarandet. / The purpose of the study is to serve as a material for further investigation concerning higher quality of tax procedures related to the adjustment of assessed values when there is no road to single- family houses. This is because there are currently no guidelines for this type of adjustment. The aim of the study is to investigate the value of the impact an absence of a road to single-family houses may have on its market value, and what makes this value of the impact difficult or easy to assess. The methods applied in the study concerns a quantitative- and qualitative research. The quantitative survey was conducted in the form of telephone interviews with brokers and property appraisers. This was done to obtain a general picture of how the market considers the condition of an absence of road. This survey was supplemented with qualitative interviews to obtain a deeper understanding of how the market value is influenced by this condition, and how this value assessment is done. The results of the survey indicate that an impact of the market value can be demonstrated for those single- family houses which have an absence of road. The impact of the market value is difficult to assess because it varies by different property conditions, market values and facility costs. The result also shows that, even at a distance of over 100 meters from the property to the nearest drivable road, the impact on the market value is considered to be above 20 percent. The conclusions from the results are that an absence of road, in the most cases, is a value lowering factor. Furthermore would clearer guidelines, for value assessment, facilitate the process of the valuation.

The aim of this thesis is to identify changes in the legislation, specifically the Act no. 151/1997 Coll., property valuation, valuation regulations and the new Civil Code no. 89/2012 Coll. Next it is about changes related to taxes which are associated with real estate. The subject of the literature researche is to explain concepts, historical development of valuation rules, the new Civil Code in relation to immovable things Land value tax and tax on transfer of immovable property. In my work are examples of valuation of a family house, according to the selected ordinances which caused the price differentiation.

Two developments that may impact house prices have dominated the residential property landscape in South Africa in recent years, namely government’s planned social housing developments and residential property value assessments carried out by local municipalities across South Africa for property tax purposes. Social housing developments are often plagued by “local opposition”, who argue that subsidised housing units may have a negative effect on adjacent non-subsidised residential housing. Negative preconceptions of social housing form the basis of this argument, which is commonly referred to as the “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) syndrome. International studies conducted have, however, produced mixed results with some concluding that social housing developments lead to a reduction in nearby property prices, whilst others conclude that they lead to an improvement in surrounding property values. Currently, the state of the South African economy and demographics are limiting previously disadvantaged, poor peoples’ access to affordable and safe housing, and for this reason the basis of the NIMBY rationale deserves closer attention. In order to test the validity of the NIMBY rationale, this study examines, by means of the hedonic price method, the effect of an existing housing establishment catering for low-income earners (the Walmer/Gqebera Township) on adjacent property values in the suburb of Walmer, Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape. The study concludes that the low-cost housing development exerts a negative impact on the property values of nearby houses - the average owner of a non-subsidised residential property in Walmer would be willing to pay between R38 033 and R46 898 to be situated 200 metres further away from the Walmer Township. This conclusion is subject to three qualifications. The first is that the Walmer Township is not a recognised social housing development but merely a proxy for one. The second qualification is that a relatively small data set was used in this study and only one social housing development was considered. The third qualification is that the study period is from 1995 to 2009, which necessitated the adjustment of market prices to constant 2009 rands. For this purpose, data from the Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage section of the ABSA house price indices were used. It was not possible to disaggregate the indices further to obtain a Walmer-specific index. It is possible that an imperfect correlation exists between the Walmer property trend and the metropolitan (Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage) trend used in this study. Based on the results of this doctoral investigation it is recommended that a monthly rebate on property rates of between R269.40 and R332.19 be implemented for affected Walmer residents. This amount could be sufficient to mitigate the capital loss associated with proximity to the Walmer Township. In terms of the management of social housing projects, it is strongly recommended that the following occur in order to alleviate the NIMBY syndrome: existing dwellings should be renovated, tenants should be monitored, dwellings should be appropriately designed and maintained, the composition of the host neighbourhood should be assessed and the image of social housing should be improved. With regard to the renovation of dwellings, social housing site preference should be given to existing structures in need of renovation, as positive externalities are associated with the renovation of such properties. The monitoring of tenants needs to take place in order to ensure that the financial and behavioural obligations of the tenants are met, and that informal “shack dwellings” do not materialise on site, and finally, that tenant default rates remain low. The appropriate management of these projects will also aid in combating the perception that social housing developments lead to private residential property devaluation. In respect of residential property value assessments, many homeowners have recently argued that there is very little equivalence between the municipality’s valuations and true market values. This study uses, inter alia, the hedonic price model to investigate the accuracy of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s 2007/2008 valuation roll. The investigation was limited to the valuation roll applicable to the Walmer neighbourhood. The study finds that there is, on average, a 13.89 percent difference between market prices and the 2007/2008 municipal assessed values. In addition, this study finds that an attributebased hedonic price model produces property price predictions that are more in line with true market values. This finding is subject to two qualifications. The first qualification is that only the Walmer neighbourhood’s assessed values were considered, thus limiting the findings. The second qualification is that a relatively small data set was used.

The thesis deals with the valuation of residental property for mortgage purposes. The theoretical part presents the methodology of real estate valuation process with respect to the new legislative amendments connected with the New Civil Code, which came into force on 1 January 2014. The practical part demonstrates a analysis of the market, where the residental property is located. Consequently the market value of real estate is estimated for selling purpose by comparison method. Then real property valuation is providing for the mortgage purposes based on the methodology respected by Raiffeisenbank. All the outcomes are summarized and mutually compared in the final part of the thesis.

Currently, development of the international investment market, the impact of the legislation of neighbouring countries and especially EU countries on property valuation is increasing. There is a need to unify not only the valuation procedures, but also terms, definitions, approaches, methods and requirements on the profession of the experts and assessors. One of the commonly used concepts of property valuation is the High and Best Use approach. This is a term that appears both in foreign and Czech literature, especially in connection to valuation of properties. When valuing a property and taking into account a valuation approach by considering the future use of the property, the consideration of the best use is crucial. When valuing using so called revenue way, i.e. we consider future property yields, the High and Best Use approach should be an indispensable part of the valuation. Although this is a very fundamental concept, there is no literature in the Czech Republic or abroad that would analyse in detail the process of property evaluation based on the High and Best Use method. The main aim of this dissertation thesis is to systematically elaborate the methods of valuation using the High and Best Use approach and to create a standard for experts, according to which it would be possible to process the valuation, respectively a part of the valuation of immovable properties. On the basis of such valuation, it would be possible to determine the market value of the immovable property in compliance with international standards and modern property valuation publications. The result of this dissertation thesis is both the proposal of a detailed procedure of a qualified expert´s work on an evaluation of the High and Best Use, including the influence of the easements on land and buildings, of a property and the proposal of an expert standard on this methodology. It includes a sample examples of an evaluation of the High and Best Use of the properties in the most common cases. The knowledge and information from this thesis have its contribution in Forensic engineering area in the field of theory and practice and pedagogical activities.

This thesis defines the methods of determining the normal price of a house. Among the methods that lead to the detection of the normal price, the method includes finding material values, comparative method, the method of determination of the yield value method of averaging, which is connected to Naegeliho weighted average method, Bradáčova modification weighted average method and the rest. Further analyzes of the established method in practice and as a result these methods will be compared with each other.