Let's say we're getting ready to get your house on the market for sale. We're looking around the market at recent sales... and here's what we find...

The last home that sold had a sales price of $325K... but that seemed a bit higher than we would have otherwise expected.  We would have guessed it was more of a $315K house.

Since then, two more houses have come on the market, both listed at $325K. And both have been sitting for 60 - 70 days.

So... where do you price yours?

Some sellers might list their home for $325K.  After all, a house did sell for $325K. That's a valid data point, and an appraiser (and other buyers) will probably see that and take it into consideration when valuing your home. 

But... there's more to the story than that one sale.

Given that two houses listed at $325K have been sitting on the market (not under contract) for two months, we can conclude that buyers are looking at those prices and are not compelled to act.  Maybe the $325K sale was case of the perfect house for one buyer at just the right moment. Maybe it was a bit of an outlier.

And here's the thing... buyers in your neighborhood are going to see your house right next to those two listings. At $325K, you're the third house at the same price, and given that nobody has bought the other two at $325K, why will they jump at your house? At $315K, however, your house will appear to be a good opportunity compared to the most recent sale and the current competing listings.

So, how will you price your home?  At $325K?  Or $315K?

One way to think about that decision is to consider whether you would rather sell sooner for $315K... or wait 60 days, and possibly 90 or 120 days, to maybe get an extra $5K or $10K?

While you wait, you're still making mortgage payments, paying taxes, insurance and utilities, mowing the lawn, and keeping the house showing-ready. If you've already bought your next home, you may be paying for two houses during that time as well.

Plus... there's one other risk.  If you list your home at $325K and the house sits like the other two, there's a decent chance you end up reducing to $315K anyway... just 60 or 90 days later, and potentially selling for less than $315K.

So, what to do?

There's no single right answer. If you have time, no pressure to move, and you're comfortable waiting to see whether another $325K buyer shows up... that's a reasonable choice.

But if selling sooner is at least somewhat important to you, pricing at $315K might be the smarter move, even though a neighbor got more.