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(KSL News) New figures show the country could be climbing out of its housing slump.
The Commerce Department reports sales of new homes went up by three-point-four percent in November. Also, the average price of new homes rose by three-point two percent from a year ago. The report also shows the backlog of unsold homes dropped for the fourth month in a row.
Even with new home sales on the rise ... some existing homes aren't selling as quickly as homeowners may have hoped. Now, some homeowners are trying to sweeten the deal.
Common incentives include paying closing costs or offering early move-in deals. But some sellers are leaning toward uncommon incentives. For example, if you buy the home the owner will throw in a car!
Bob Laraia, Homeowner: "Obviously this is a challenging market, so it's not coming off that we're that crazy, but at the same time because of the uniqueness of the house and car, you get a lot of ‘oohs' and ‘aahs.'"
One pair of realtors hosted an art show in an effort to get buyers into a house. Realtors expect that the housing market will pick up again. They say higher prices and interest rates keep buyers on the sidelines.