Forced sales and their impact on real estate prices

Based on data of sold apartments and single-family houses in Stockholm, Sweden, during the period of 2006 through 2013, we find that forced sales of apartments and single-family houses cause a substantial price discount. The results of a hedonic spatial Durbin model show a negative impact on transaction price of 20.1% for foreclosed apartments and 24.6% for foreclosed single-family houses. Furthermore, the price discount increases when the number of attempted auctions is limited, which is the case for forced apartment sales owing to a lost membership in a housing association (forfeited). In those cases, the discount is as high as 29.1%.