Buy 1 Get 1 Free?

This really got my interest while perusing Yahoo this morning: Slow home sales? Buy one, get one free in San Diego

Yowza — now we’re talking good deals. Sure — get a car, an exotic vacation trip, etc. are really provocative and enticing, but a free house? I’d say San Diego has got it going-on! Come on Bay Area, we can do that. I can imagine some deals I would offer. Here are examples using some of the new listings on the market in the East Bay:

163 Linmore Dr., Fremont – 5/4 – 3437 sf $1,738,000
4189 Blewett St., Fremont – 3/2 – 1148 sf $434,950 (*FREE)

448 Pine St., Fremont – 3/2.5 – 2352 sf $1,168,888
5125 Shalimar Cir., Fremont – 3/2.5 – 1383 sf $569,000 (*FREE)

2740 Plover Ct., Hayward – 4/3.5 – 3489 sf $1,099,000
323 Solano Ave., Hayward – 3/1.5 – 1676 sf $414,900 (*FREE)

746 Kirkwall Pl., Milpitas – 4/3 – 2690 sf $1,099,000
1668 Pinewood Way, Milpitas = 3/2 – 1270 sf $459,900 (*FREE)

32433 Pacific Grove Way, Union City – 4/2.5 – 2139 sf $759,900
4814 Barbara Ct., Union City – 3/2 – 1320 sf $470,000 (*FREE)

*Keep in mind these are just pretend offers I have made up; each of these houses may be worth the asking price without any FREE offers involved.

I’ve always felt a love/hate relationship with marketing in any industry. But I have to say I have a love relationship with the real estate industry at the moment. Marketing bad food choices, bad habits, useless junk, etc. really irks me but this – marketing ideas that help the people and boost the economy can be good. I just wouldn’t want it to encourage more home building that could compromise the environment. Let’s utilize what we have already created instead of creating more, okay?