The Value of Debt on Property Investment Market Performance

Higgins, David (2014) The Value of Debt on Property Investment Market Performance. Pacific Rim Property Research, 20 (1). ISSN 1444-5921

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Abstract

Commercial property is a physical asset class that forms an important part of the capital market universe. Due to illiquidity and high value thresholds, commercial property investment generally requires considerable equity and debt funding. Whilst debt funding can improve property investment returns, it substantially increases the level of risk. Over 28 years, on Australian data, the research showed the average indicative property floating and fixed lending rates were similar, in a range of 9.3% - 10.1% per annum. This compared to average desmoothed commercial property total returns of 10.2% per annum which included two periods of negative returns (March 1989 - September 1993 and September 2007 - September 2009).

Overall, the application of high debt levels (80% leverage) can lead to a 30% improvement to annual commercial property total returns (13.3%), although the risk (volatility) is increased fivefold (11.4% to 57.3%) and can lead to a wide (280%) performance range. In demonstrating the impact of gearing levels on desmoothed total property return performance, recognition is required that the management of debt and the associated stability offuture property income is a central part of a property investment strategy.

Item Type: Article
Dates:
DateEvent
2014Published
Subjects: CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-01 - architecture
CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-02 - building
CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-04 - planning (urban, rural and regional)
Divisions: Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > School of Engineering and the Built Environment
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > School of Engineering and the Built Environment > Dept. of Built Environment
Depositing User: Ian Mcdonald
Date Deposited: 25 Jul 2017 14:47
Last Modified: 22 Mar 2023 12:16
URI: https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/4934

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