Abstract: The macroeconomic instability that shook the world in 2008 revealed a large number of differences in the decline and recovery rates of national real estate markets. At the same time, the majority of existing scientific concepts (the neo-liberal, the globalist, the national economic) were shown to be inadequate in explaining the dynamics of those processes. Overcoming this situation would require a fundamental revision of the view on the substance of foreign property investments, studying it in isolation from all other forms of capital investments. The methodology of classic political economy is exceptionally important in this endeavour, because it allows for systemic study of international circulation of capital, and to precisely pinpoint the regularities and patterns in real estate market development in existing circumstances. Combined with graphic modeling, conducted on the basis of a vast factual material, it helps to dispel the illusion of national property market autonomy. The research conducted allowed to substantiate asynchrony in their development and to prove the deciding role of transnational investment and construction capital expansion in forming a global interdependency of national property markets.

Keywords: property markets, market, globalization, foreign, market development, international, real estate, investment, cycles

Abstract: Lately, “green” construction has become a necessary and promising vector for modern development – not only due to lower operating costs for the owners and end users, but also for developers themselves during the course of the construction. “Green” standards set the bar for the environmentally sound business. They promote the creation of “green” technologies, goods and services for healthy businesses, no matter its type, location and size. “Green” business does not have adverse effects on global and local environment, local communities, society and economy in general. In this article, we will try to explain key factors that directly help reduce construction costs for habitation (not commercial properties). Below, we present our theses that confirm the claims that construction of energy-efficient, environmentally clean housing may also be profitable during construction – not just operation. Modern science and innovative technologies allow for the entire life cycle of the “green” building to be considerably less expensive, starting with environment-friendly materials and closing with smart management of the property and consequent certification. This article examines several theses that help understand but a few aspects that can cut the budget costs of construction.

Keywords: Green, construction, innovation, standards, technology, costs, mass production, effects on environment, alternative energy sources, materials

Abstract: In this article, we study the evolution of housing affordability methods, including the standard international UN HABITAT, the basic method of Gosstroy that is used in Russian official documentation, as well as its modifications, offered in various scientific works. We have chosen a prototype method that meets the most modern requirements, and modified it, using the accumulated experience in this strand of research. Initial data has been prepared and the main indicators of housing affordability were calculated, by the example of flats in apartment blocks being constructed in 2012 in Moscow (not accounting for mortgage support). The authors demonstrate the differentiating results of housing affordability evaluation performed with the new method and those with the basic method. Multiple modifications of the basic method for population housing affordability evaluation were analyzed, and an analysis was conducted on Moscow’s housing on the stage of construction. A comprehensive analysis of the housing affordability evaluation methods allowed to reveal the flaws of the modified base method. The research of multiple modifications of the basic method allowed to select a modification that satisfies modern requirements the most, and to develop approaches for improving it. The changes offered for the modified method will broaden its capabilities for enhanced analysis of the issue.

Keywords: Housing affordability, affordability evaluation indicators, share of the population, Standard, Basic, Modified, coefficient calculation method, affordability evaluation, mortgage support, enhanced method

Abstract: The legislation at large permits filing appeals against action, or inaction by the registration bodies: the refusal of state registration of property rights and property transactions, avoiding, or stalling the said registration. However, nothing is said about appeals against already performed state registration acts and supporting documentation. This issue, combined with an incorrect approach to understanding the nature of state registration of property rights lowers the efficiency of judicial protection in disputing of registered rights. The analysis conducted in this article permits to reach a conclusion that the issues of appeals against action and inaction of registration bodies is solvable within general means of legal defense. It is well-known that the interested party is free to choose a particular method of defense that is needs to be used in their particular scenario, taking into account its Civil Law characteristic. In the event that such a dispute arises, the court is not in authority to reach a decision on validity or invalidity of the property rights registration act before the dispute is solved, because this may affect the rights and interests of a third party. At the same time, court protection may be employed with the procedure of submitting a claim for the invalidation of a federal organ’s property registration act on the grounds of legal deviance. In this case, the claim for invalidation may be submitted in cases when there is no property rights dispute, and the registered right needs to be invalidated due to factual errors on behalf of the registration body, and in similar cases. Thus, this clearly is a dispute emanating from public – not private legal relations.

Keywords: appeal, state registration, act, problems, transactions, real estate, Universal state registry, Registration Act, registration certificate, legal protection

Abstract: Housing is one of the most important issues in all periods of history. The solution to it was discovered in XX-eth century. Almost everywhere, despite of national and government differences, standard-project housing was being erected – cheap, low-quality and limited operational periods. In Moscow, this solution lead to the emergence of an entire zone of industrial habitation (located between the Central and the Third ring roads). Currently, such housing is below the requirements of the population. Is it possible to solve the problem of decadence for a huge section of the Capital’s housing fund? This article examines foreign approaches to solving this problem and offers adapted solutions for Moscow, taking into account its specific needs, traits and development vectors. Moscow’s development research shows that its growth is multi-directional. The eastern hemisphere of the city follows the way of high-rise block buildings, while the western is more focused on individual suburban architecture. Moreover, the south-eastern part of the New Moscow, has plans for individual and low-rise buildings. Without a doubt, this is not necessarily an evidence for classic suburbanization of Moscow, there are, however, objective conditions to support this kind of process.

Keywords: industrial construction, housing construction, panel building, urbanization, suburbanization, urban development, urban environment, housing, renovation, improvement and redevelopment

Abstract: This text attempts to answer the question of how legal support for the process of territorial planning affects the quality of urban environment. The only planning to be considered good is planning that involves a calculated projection for the future result – the quality of urban environment. Several professional technologies exist to generate such calculated projections. They include 3 components: (a) balancing between planned volume of construction and the relevant infrastructure (transport, social, engineering and technical); (b) evaluating the actual financial capabilities for step-by-step construction of this infrastructure, and (c), for maintenance of the said infrastructure on a required scale and quality levels, within the financial capabilities of the city budget and population. If any of those components is missing, a general plan may not be considered sound. It may become feasible on the minimal condition of any lack of legal obstacles for conducting the actions that constitute its territorial planning. This text names several of those obstacles and justifies the importance of their elimination. The author speaks of three areas of meaning: 1) universal logic of territorial planning and general plan preparations; 2) of the Federal Act’s anti-logic, which nominally eliminated the universal logic of territorial planning; 3) of the practical consequences which are the result of the implementation of the Federal Act’s errors.

Keywords: Territorial planning, volume of construction, infrastructure, budget, general plan, Federal Act, Law enforcement, realization, responsibility, Urban Development Code

Abstract: At the modern stage of evolution of urban development as a sphere of economy and society, objective evaluation of intersectoral interaction becomes significant for examining the interdependencies and mutual influences within the economy and urban development processes. Identifying the major factors in those processes will allow making better, more substantiated projections for prospective vectors of changes in habitation, identifying preferable types and forms of habitation, best suited for the new economic model. The topical importance of this work is justified by the fact that the role of urban planning will be further enhanced in increasingly more globalized environment and growing demand for establishing centers of international collaboration in Russia, equipped with fully functional international corridors, roads for various forms of transport, energy grids, information clusters, and, potentially, water resources. This article gives a vision of the role of urban development in Russia’s growth strategy, analyzes the current state of urban development and evaluates the significance of factors that affect the development of urban environment. The author analyzes possible ways to overcome negative trends in development, in order to ensure progressive evolution, and identifies the negative influences - the economy’s one-sided orientation, disproportions in regional development, overconcentration of resources in the central region and unequal relationships between the center and province, as well as underappreciation of local self-government’s role, and its lag in development.

Keywords: Urban development, intersectoral interaction, structure of economy, territorial differentiation, inner market, transport infrastructure, city and countryside, budget policies, negative trends, progressive development

Abstract: The development of property rights-based market relations in Russia, lead to the necessity to create a new system of legal regulation in the field of real property, and, first and foremost, a new system for property rights and transactions. The legal regime of real property, however, must be based on the premises of ensuring extra stability for property rights, and on special ownership procedure. This article examines the state registration of property rights and transactions from the perspective of goal-setting, in terms of establishing a solid system of property circulation on the market, as in the field of Civil Law relations. That said, property rights registration is clearly a Public Law element in legal regulation within Civil Law relations. Consequently, it plays a supplementary role towards the civil relations. Their goal is to ensure the stability of the Civil Law relationship.

Keywords: Legal nature, state registration, property rights, real estate, disposal, enforcement, confirmation, substantiation, legal case, the emergence of right

Abstract: Over the quarter of a century, there were considerable changes on the market. There has been a flux of demand in relation to residential properties. Due to the collapse of USSR and the emergence of a new country, the problem of legal regulation of property market emerged in both, legal and economic fields. The state issues new normative acts to improve the regulation of various spheres of social life. But, as the normative base grows, collisions emerge, and citizens who want to make property transactions, as well as courts that produce decisions in this field, meet considerable difficulties. Today, the real estate market is regulated by Russian Federation’s normative Acts, as well as a considerable amount of international Acts. But, seeing the prevalence of international Law, the courts face a persisting problem of legal collisions. From the economics viewpoint, the real estate market plays an important role, being one of the major points of investment, used for mitigating inflation peaks and valleys that inevitably affect savings. The abovementioned points support the notions of rapid real estate market growth in Russia, as well as dynamic changes in the Civil Law that regulates property transactions. Following a thorough research, the author reaches a conclusion that it is necessary to employ the norms regulating only the transaction contract, and there is little need for other norms stated in the Russian Civil Code, because a property transaction contract has established major conditions and rules.

Keywords: transactions, objects, residential estate, contract, buying and selling, room, Civil Code, property market, property rights, subject of the contract