Can Certain Number Combinations Get You A Better Offer?
In a recent study by Trulia 53% of the homes listed had a price that ended in a 9. There seems to be an underlying market psychology that a price such as $299,999 is a better deal that a home priced at $300,000. Retailers have long used pricing that ends in a 9 rather that a whole number in order to entice buyers to purchase, and real estate has followed that lead. Trulia found that prices ending in 9 were even more common for homes that have price reductions, but inexplicably more expensive homes tend to shun the number 9.
Certain numbers and their combinations are popular in select areas of the county as opposed to others. For instance in the Bible Belt the number combinations 316 – representing the popular Bible verse John 3:16, and 666 – representing the devil – appear in pricing more than other areas. In the Las Vegas area the number 7 is very prominent, and the number 8 is a very popular number for homes selling in predominately Asian neighborhoods.
How important is the number 8 in the Asian community? The Chinese word for 8 sounds like a word that means “prosper,” “fortune,” or “wealth,” making 8 a very lucky number in Chinese culture. Do you think it is any coincidence that the Beijing Olympics officially began at 8:08:08 pm on 8/8/08? A home address containing 8’s is very auspicious in Asian culture.
Numerical superstitions also play a part in real estate. The fear of the number 13 – triskaidekaphobia – is widespread. Many hotels and office buildings skip the 13th floor, and Friday the 13th has long been considered a highly unlucky day. Trulia looked for the number 13 anywhere in a home price – such as $136,000 or $213,900 – and found it to be much less common than the numbers on either side of 13. The number 13 appears in asking prices 13% less often than the number 12 and 17% less often than the number 14.
Tetraphobia – fear of the number 4 – is also quite common. The number 4 is associated with death in China, Japan and Korea. As with 13 in Western society, 4 is often omitted from floors, addresses and telephone numbers in these countries. Citing Las Vegas again, where superstitious beliefs are rampant, many large casino-hotels omit floor numbers 4, 14, 24, 34 and 40 to 49 because the number “4” is considered unlucky in Chinese culture.
Home pricing is by no means an exact science, and the effect of numeric psychology is another element to consider when determining a listing price for your home.
Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086
