Do Out-of-State Buyers Pay More for Real Estate? An Examination of Anchoring-Induced Bias and Search Costs

We explore the questions of whether and why out-of-state buyers pay more for real estate than their in-state counterparts. Theoretically, we develop a model capable of explaining a premium if out-of-state buyers have high search costs, upwardly biased beliefs about prices or an unusually short time horizon to purchase. Empirically, we find that out-of-state buyers pay a statistically significant and economically meaningful premium for apartment complexes in the Phoenix area. We also find some evidence consistent with the premium being driven by high search costs, biased beliefs (anchoring) and haste associated with out-of-state buyers. Copyright 2004 by the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association