Inventive incentives aimed at buyers

House owners turn to gimmicks to move real estate.

NEW YORK (AP) — Frustrated as her house languished on the market for three straight summers, J.J. Rodgers is trying a new sales tactic: giving the two-story home away in an essay contest.

Already, she’s received more than 500 entries — each essay requires a $100 entry fee — for her four-bedroom home in Red Feather Lakes, Colo. She’s hoping for a minimum of 2,000 entries, or $200,000 in fees, by the May 25 deadline to pay off the mortgage, cover closing costs and have a little left over. Rodgers last listed the property at $169,000 after cutting the price three times.

“We don’t have anything to lose,” Rodgers, 45, said. “If we’re unsuccessful, at least we did something different from what we’ve already tried.”

Rodgers isn’t alone in turning to unconventional sales incentives to unload her house. Aside from cash, home sellers across the country are giving away luxury cars, homeowner warranty plans and furniture to entice buyers.

Once upon a time, the crazy offers came from buyers who bid prices to astronomical heights and waived inspections and contingency clauses in sales contracts. Now, as homeowners compete with record high supply from foreclosed homes and builders’ discounted inventory, the shoe’s on the other foot.

The inventory of existing homes on the market rose in January to a 10.3 months supply, meaning it would take that long to unload existing inventories, while the supply of new homes increased to 9.9 months, the longest period in more than 26 years.

The glut has battered sales volume and prices. Sales of existing homes dropped to the slowest pace on record in January, with the median price sliding to $201,100. New home sales in January also fell to the slowest rate in nearly 13 years and the median price tumbled to the lowest level in more than three years.

To avoid getting lost in the crowd, homeowner incentives vary widely. One Colorado homeowner offered a club membership and golf lessons, worth about $4,000, on his $349,000 house on a golf course. Another seller in the state is willing to part with his tractor and pickup truck to remove snow around his home on 40 acres.

Daniel Lasnick, a real estate attorney in Stamford, Conn., recommends discussing deals involving quirky incentives with a real estate lawyer. Depending on the incentive, a side agreement may be needed. Additionally, Lasnick said a buyer may want to consult with an accountant, especially regarding any contests.

“If you’re a winner and it’s a prize, you’ll have to pay income tax on the house. It’s no different from winning a lottery,” he said.

Once a popular arrangement in the 1980s and 1990s, owner financing is back in vogue as banks shy away from making h ome loans to anyone except the most creditworthy. Greg Winfield, who runs the Web listing service OwnerWillCarry.com has seen a recent increase in owner-financed and lease-option properties for sale, especially in California and Arizona.

Buzz was all Bob and Ricki Husick needed to sell their Wexford, Pa., home using a unique incentive. In October, the couple advertised that the buyer would get the purchase price back upon the pair’s passing. The heirless Husicks added a bonus offer: The buyers could inherit the couple’s retirement home in Arizona, worth about $500,000, too, if they agree to care for the Husicks in old age.

After vetting more than 100 offers after a flood of media attention, the couple found a buyer 80 miles from their two-story Colonial and plan to close before the end of April. They will receive their $399,999 listing price. The buyers haven’t counted out the offer to look after the Husicks during their twilight years, but both parties realize circumstances could change in the interim.

“The house is sold. They’ll get the money back. That part’s a done deal,” Husick, 55, said.