The demand for housing in Spain: an endogenous switching regression analysis

Housing demand in Spain has been studied by using data disaggregated into primary and secondary housing demands. It is found that demand for both types of housing area, indeed, related and that they are both considered necessities; thus, suggesting that their consumption ought to be modelled as a joint decision. Moreover, it is found that traditional determinants of housing demand affect primary and secondary home demands differently. These differences are attributable to the following economic rationales: need for asset holdings diversifications, relative high cost of home ownership versus rental in choice locations, and differences in land demand intensity across regions. In sum, the findings suggest that policy makers in Spain, contrary to popular beliefs, must consider secondary homes an integral part of households' accommodation need.