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Price setting and the reluctance to realize losses in apartment markets

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  • Einiö, Mikko
  • Kaustia, Markku
  • Puttonen, Vesa

Abstract

Using data on all real estate transactions in the greater Helsinki area during 1987-2003 (about 80,000 apartment transactions with capital gains available), we find substantial support for loss realization aversion. Further, a disproportionate number of sales occurred exactly at the original purchase price. Reluctance to realize losses is weaker with pricier apartments, seasoned sellers, and apartments that are likely bought for investment purposes. Mortgage down payment requirements are unlikely to fully explain the results. On the whole the results are consistent with loss aversion and mental accounting.

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  • Einiö, Mikko & Kaustia, Markku & Puttonen, Vesa, 2008. "Price setting and the reluctance to realize losses in apartment markets," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 19-34, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:29:y:2008:i:1:p:19-34
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    2. Jack L. Knetsch, 2013. "Values of gains and losses: reference states and choice of measure," Chapters, in: John A. List & Michael K. Price (ed.), Handbook on Experimental Economics and the Environment, chapter 5, pages 157-170, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Lepinteur, Anthony & Waltl, Sofie R., 2020. "Tracking Owners' Sentiments: Subjective Home Values, Expectations and House Price Dynamics," Department of Economics Working Paper Series 299, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    4. Sander van Veldhuizen & Benedikt Vogt & Bart Voogt, 2016. "Negative Home Equity and Household Mobility: Evidence from Administrative Data," CPB Discussion Paper 323.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    5. Sander van Veldhuizen & Benedikt Vogt & Bart Voogt, 2016. "Negative Home Equity and Household Mobility: Evidence from Administrative Data," CPB Discussion Paper 323, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    6. Thomas A. Stephens & Jean-Robert Tyran, 2012. "“At least I didn’t lose money” - Nominal Loss Aversion Shapes Evaluations of Housing Transactions," Discussion Papers 12-14, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    7. van Veldhuizen, Sander & Vogt, Benedikt & Voogt, Bart, 2020. "Negative home equity reduces household mobility: Evidence from administrative data," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    8. Fabrizi, Simona & Lippert, Steffen & Puppe, Clemens & Rosenkranz, Stephanie, 2016. "Manufacturer suggested retail prices, loss aversion and competition," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 141-153.
    9. Erlandsen, Solveig K. & Juelsrud, Ragnar Enger, 2023. "Downward nominal house price rigidity: Evidence from three centuries of data on housing transactions," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    10. Nan Liu, 2021. "Market buoyancy, information transparency and pricing strategy in the Scottish housing market," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(16), pages 3388-3406, December.
    11. Bonakdar, Said Benjamin & Roos, Michael W. M., 2021. "Dissimilarity effects on house prices: What is the value of similar neighbours?," Ruhr Economic Papers 894, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    12. Carolin Fritzsche & Lars Vandrei, 2018. "Causes of Vacancies in the Housing Market – A Literature Review," ifo Working Paper Series 258, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    13. Thomas A. Stephens & Jean-Robert Tyran, 2016. "Money Illusion and Household Finance," Discussion Papers 16-14, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    14. Cafferata, Alessia & Tramontana, Fabio, 2022. "Disposition Effect and its outcome on endogenous price fluctuations," MPRA Paper 113904, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. K.S. Muehlfeld & G.U. Weitzel & A. van Witteloostuijn, 2012. "Fight or freeze? Individual differences in investors’ motivational systems and trading in experimental asset markets," Working Papers 12-18, Utrecht School of Economics.
    16. Lamorgese, Andrea R. & Pellegrino, Dario, 2022. "Loss aversion in housing appraisal: Evidence from Italian homeowners," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    17. Said Benjamin Bonakdar & Michael Roos, 2023. "Dissimilarity effects on house prices: what is the value of similar neighbours?," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 18(1), pages 59-86, January.
    18. Muehlfeld, Katrin & Weitzel, Utz & van Witteloostuijn, Arjen, 2013. "Fight or freeze? Individual differences in investors’ motivational systems and trading in experimental asset markets," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 195-209.
    19. Marco Pleßner, 2017. "The disposition effect: a survey," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 67(1), pages 1-30, February.
    20. Marshall Gangel & Michael Seiler & Andrew Collins, 2013. "Exploring the Foreclosure Contagion Effect Using Agent-Based Modeling," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 339-354, February.
    21. Andrea Lamorgese & Dario Pellegrino, 2019. "Loss aversion in housing price appraisals among Italian homeowners," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1248, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    22. Carin van der Cruijsen & David-Jan Jansen & Maarten van Rooij, 2014. "The rose-colored glasses of homeowners," DNB Working Papers 421, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    23. Zhou, Tingyu & Clapp, John M & Lu-Andrews, Ran, 2021. "Is the behavior of sellers with expected gains and losses relevant to cycles in house prices?," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    24. Knetsch, Jack L. & Wong, Wei-Kang, 2009. "The endowment effect and the reference state: Evidence and manipulations," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 407-413, August.
    25. Simon Gaechter & Eric Johnson & Andreas Herrmann, 2007. "Individual-Level Loss Aversion In Riskless And Risky Choices," Discussion Papers 2007-02, The Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham.

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