- U.S. Census data revealed that the median selling price
for new homes sold in the United States
in the month of June, 2018, $310,000.
- Now one of the key questions in corporate finance
is whether you can impact the value of an asset
such as a house, or an entire company
by strategically choosing the mix of borrowing
and owner investment used to finance
the purchase of the asset.
This whole topic area is called capital structure.
- Let's illustrate this topic of capital structure
using a hypothetical house costing $310,000.
Assume that we have two ways
to finance the purchase of the house.
- Okay, number one, use personal savings to pay cash
for the entire amount.
So you have no mortgage loan on the house at all.
You own the house free and clear.
- Alright, number two, use personal savings
to pay for a small amount of the purchase price,
say $30,000 and take out a large mortgage loan
for the remaining 280,000.
- Okay, let's think about your personal experience
with this house and consider whether that experience
differs depending on how you finance
the purchase of the house.
Number one, you own the house free and clear
or number two, you have a large mortgage loan of $280,000
on the house.
- So, how about the livability of the house,
the floor plan, the view, the amount you have to pay
for utilities each month?
Are these things impacted by whether
you have a mortgage loan on the house?
No.
- How about the quality of the local schools,
the niceness of your neighbors across the street?
Are these things impacted by whether
you have a mortgage loan on the house?
No.
- So really, the house as a house as a place to live
is not impacted by whether you own the house free and clear
compared to having a large mortgage loan on the house.
Are there any differences?
- Well absolutely.
The probability that financial distress could cause you
to lose the house is much greater
if you have a mortgage loan.
If you can't make your mortgage payments,
eventually you're going to lose the house.
Now if you own the house free and clear,
you don't have to worry about making payments.
So this suggests that you're better off
to have a very small mortgage on your house.
- Well on the other hand, at least in the United States,
any interest you pay on your mortgage loan
gives you an income tax deduction.
Each year you will pay less income tax to the government
if you have a larger mortgage loan,
so this suggests that you are better off
to have a very large mortgage on your house.
- Those are the conflicting forces.
A small mortgage reduces the risk of losing your house
because of financial distress, but a large mortgage
reduces the amount of income taxes
you pay to the government.
Same house, but the total value of the house
depends on how you finance the purchase.
- When applied to the financing of purchasing the assets
for an entire company, this is the issue
of capital structure.
One of the most important fields in corporate finance.