Essays in housing, credit, remittances, and taxes: How remittances affect credit demand and housing in Colombia and how transfer taxes influence Belgian housing

This doctoral dissertation explores three main questions related to household behaviour. The first question is: what is the effect of remittances on households’ demand for credit? This question is addressed using a representative Colombian survey, revealing a double role of remittances in the demand for credit. On one hand, remittances seem to relax the household’s budget constrain leading to a reduction in its demand for all types of credit; both formal and informal. However, on the other hand, for more expensive loans requiring mortgages as collateral, remittances seem to serve as endorsemen... Mehr ...