Do These 6 Strange Home Buyer Incentives Sell a House Faster?

This article comes to us from the Showing Suite blog:

In down real estate markets, many home sellers will do anything it takes to tempt prospective home buyers to make a purchase, especially by offering incentives to make the home seem a little more appealing. More common incentives include closing cost credits, HOA credits, or new home appliances. But will offering crazy buyers incentives really sell a house faster? Take a look at these unconventional incentives offered by home sellers in order to give buyers that extra push to and to get their home sold:

• Booze. Desperate to stand out from the competition, one home seller offered an incentive of $1000 worth of food and drinks at the bar across the street from the home.

• Cookies. Reportedly, actor George Hamilton negotiated one year's worth of cookies into the sale of his home from a bakery owner.
• Cars. Malibu home owners threw in a Ferrari with the sale of their condo. If you happen to have a Ferrari that you wouldn't mind parting with, this incentive will almost definitely sell a house faster.
• Vacations. It's actually quite common for home sellers to offer vacations as an incentive to buyers. After all, who wouldn't want a relaxing getaway after the stresses of moving and relocating?
• Other Homes. Homeowners in Connecticut decided to include their vacation condo in Florida as part of their home buyer incentive.
• Electronics. How would a brand new 52" LCD TV look in your new oversized living room? Or did you hear about that new iPad app with an integrated garage door opener? High-end electronics are often used in an attempt to highlight existing features of a home.

At the least, offering an incentive to buy your home may spark some interest amongst prospective buyers and could potentially help sell a house faster. Do you think that offering crazy buyers incentives is a good idea, or is it a better idea to stay away from the "gimmicks" and stick to what is proven to boost the actual value of the home?

To view the original article, visit the Showing Suite blog.