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Journal of Financial Economics Vol. 134 No. 2 2019

Disaster on the horizon: The price effect of sea level rise

Asaf Bernstein1; Matthew Gustafson2; Ryan Lewis1

1 University of Colorado Boulder · 2 Pennsylvania State University

Abstract

Homes exposed to sea level rise (SLR) sell for approximately 7% less than observably equivalent unexposed properties equidistant from the beach. This discount has grown over time and is driven by sophisticated buyers and communities worried about global warming. Consistent with causal identification of long-horizon SLR costs, we find no relation between SLR exposure and rental rates and a 4% discount among properties not projected to be flooded for almost a century. Our findings contribute to the literature on the pricing of long-run risky cash flows and provide insights for optimal climate change policy.

DOI
10.1016/j.jfineco.2019.03.013
Volume
134
Issue
2
Pages
253-272
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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