Where mental anchoring can really let you down
All of us carry sets of numbers in our heads that, without us realizing it, can weigh down our decisions.
One of the more common behavioral mistakes we make when it comes to investment decisions is the tendency to anchor to a certain value or price, says Carl Richards, author of The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money.
You pay $500,000 for your home, and a few years later you need to sell it. Well, you're damned sure you're going to get at least what you paid for it. Ok.
So, despite your agent's suggestion that accurate pricing works, you insist upon listing it for $500,000, even though the market value is likely less than that. You pass on offers around $485,000 and then ride the market all the way down to the point where you're just hoping to get $470,000 a year later.
And if you think that's something that only happens in the U.S., think again. Even conservative foerecasters see at least a 10% drop in housing prices.
The reality is the market doesn’t care what you paid for your house, Richards says. It doesn’t care how much you put in to it or what it cost you to landscape. All that matters is what it is worth today.
The key is to avoid the trap of anchoring to a single number and making it the primary guidepost for your decision, he maintains -- something to think about as real estate markets tighten up across the country.
Do you tend to fixate this way? Has it worked to your detriment in the past?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Jack | Feb 11, 2022 5:25:52 PM
I would never think this way. I always list my houses for what the market wil dictate, even if I will take a loss. This isn't rocket science. I, however, have taken advantage of those who do fixate on an unrealistically high price. Twice now I have ended up purchasing a house at well below its market value because the seller was too greedy at the beginning.