ELE 3736 Real Estate Finance
More than 80% of Norwegian households own the flat or house in which they live. Similar statistics for the EU and the US are 60% and 50% , respectively. As such, real estate represents by far the largest asset of most households. A main focus of this course is understanding payment and amortization structures of different type of mortgage loans typically encountered when financing residential real estate. Understanding how fixed versus adjustable-rate mortgages affect both interest rate and default risk, is key when addressing this question. Valuation of income-generating real estate assets is another major issue highlighted in conjuntion with an analysis of how choice of financing affect both expected return and risk. While leverage (use of debt) entails added risk for owners, it also offers the potential advantage of tax savings due to the allowance for interest deduction. Taking into account personal as well as corporate taxes, the task of valuing commercial real estate is inseparable from the financing decision.
Upon completion of the course, it is expected from students that they have gained knowledge of:
- How basic financial mathematics is used to correctly find time value of money parameters
- Distinguishing features of fixed and adjustable rate mortgages in terms of both interest rate and default risk
- How valuation of long-term, income-generating real estate may be carried out under different assumptions on ownership and financing-mix
- How a given mix of debt and equity used to finance commercial real estate affects owners' expected rates of return and risk.
Students having completed the course are required to master tasks such as:
- Applying financial mathematics to arrive at correct measures of various time value of money parameters
- Applying varying pricing provisions used with fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgages to derive correct estimates of periodic interest payments and amortization (loan balances).
- Applying standard budgeting approaches to arrive at reasonable estimates of before and after-tax asset cash flows
- Deriving appropriate risk-adjusted, required rates of return in order to estimate the value (present value) of real estate projects for given parameters of risk.
To detail payment and amortization structures of various mortgage-loan contracts with an unwavering emphasis on integrity and quality. Also, to perform standard capital budgeting analysis of commercial real estate projects under different assumptions on taxation and financing mix.
- Introduction and overview
- Financial mathematics of real estate finance
- Fixed versus adjustable rate mortgages: Interest rate and default risk
- Cash flow budgeting of income-generating real estate assets
- Real-option approach to valuing real estate investments
- Valuation and risk of income-generating real estate assets
The course is taught over 15 weekly lectures, each of three (lecture) hours duration.
Out of the 15 lectures, three are spent on reviewing and solving three comprehensive home-assignments. The assignments are announced, distributed, and made available to student well in advance of the date they are reviewed in class.
Excel software is used extensively when working on cash flow budgeting and valuation problems in home assignment three.
For elective courses, a re-sit exam is normally offered after the next scheduled course offering. If an elective is discont-inued, or is not initiated in the semester it is offered, a re-sit will be offered in the elective's ordinary semester.
Higher Education Entrance Qualification
BØK 1121 Finance I, BØK 3423 Finans, BØK 3411 Finance and Managerial Accounting I, BØK 3421 Finance and Managerial Accounting II, BØK 1113 Managerial Accounting or EXC 3442 Managerial Accounting, or equivalent courses.
|Exam category||Weight||Invigilation||Duration||Support materials||Grouping||Comment exam|
Form of assessment:
Internal and external examiner
Examination when next scheduled course
|Form of assessment:||Written submission|
|Support materials:|| |
|Resit:||Examination when next scheduled course|
Teaching on Campus
Prepare for teaching
Group work / Assignments
Student's own work with learning resources
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.