The New York Times

"When Peter Toner, an agent at Prudential California Realty in La Jolla, Calif., arrived in San Diego from England 10 years ago to practice real estate, he realized the city had a market quirk unlike any he had encountered. There were properties listed with a price range as opposed to a set price. Rather than being listed at $550,000, say, a house might be put on the market for $510,000 to $565,000.

Variable pricing, also known as 'value-range marketing' or 'range pricing,' has gained popularity in the San Diego area over the last decade, becoming an established peculiarity of the region’s real estate market."