ANCHOR LEAD IN:
Source: National Association of Realtors
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ABOUT 3 MILLION HOMES ARE UP FOR SALE...MORE THAN AT ANY TIME SINCE THE EARLY 90s. IT'S HARDER THAN EVER TO GRAB THE ATTENTION OF A POTENTIAL HOME BUYER...BUT CREATIVE REALTORS ARE FINDING A WAY. HOME SELLING INCENTIVES ARE IN TODAY'S HEADS UP 'LISTINGS'.

TRACK ONE Length: :12
ASHLEY DOSTAL (DAH-stull) IS CLOSING ON HER VERY FIRST HOME. SHE LOVES THE CLOSET SPACE AND THE LOCATION. BUT WHAT DREW HER TO THE UNIT WERE INCENTIVES - A WHOLE YEAR'S MORTGAGE FREE, CLOSING COSTS AND OTHER GREAT PERKS!

SOT:
KEY @: :14 (short)Ashley Dostal, New home owner
"The first year I expect to save about $15,000."

TRACK TWO Length: :08
PERKS, PACKAGES AND PROMOTIONS - THEY'RE THE HOTTEST TREND IN HOME SALES...AND INSIDERS SAY THE LIST OF INCENTIVES IS AS BROAD AS THE IMAGINATION!

SOT:
KEY @: :26 Ron Phipps, Board Member, National Association of Realtors
"From mileage points, to airlines to closing costs, to taxes, to mortgage origination fees, to trips, cars, groceries."

TRACK THREE Length: :12
Source: National Association of Realtors, Mortgage Bankers Association
WHILE MILLIONS OF HOMES ARE FOR SALE NATIONWIDE - HOME LOAN APPLICATIONS ARE DOWN 20-PERCENT FROM LAST YEAR. IT CAN TURN INTO A PROBLEM OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND - TOO MUCH SUPPLY AND NOT ENOUGH DEMAND FOR NEW HOUSING..

SOT:
KEY @: :50 Ron Phipps, Board Member, National Association of Realtors
"In a market that has a lot more inventory, many brokers and many sellers have looked to incentives to draw attention to their property."

TRACK FOUR Length: :14
SELLERS OFTEN OFFER THINGS LIKE FREE LANDSCAPING OR SNOW REMOVAL FOR A YEAR. BUT EXPERTS SAY PRICE REMAINS CRITICAL. IN FACT MANY PEOPLE TRADE INCENTIVES FOR CASH VALUE. THAT'S WHY THE MOST POPULAR INCENTIVES ARE THE ONES THAT AFFECT THE BOTTOM LINE.

SOT:
KEY @: 1:13 Ron Phipps, Board Member, National Association of Realtors
"Usually the things that complement the core value of the house tend to have the most impact."

TRACK FIVE Length: :06
BUT ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT, HOME BUYERS LIKE DOSTAL ARE REAPING THE BENEFITS OF THESE HOME BUYING BARGAINS.

SOT:
NO KEY (Covered) Ashley Dostal, New home owner
"I think it's one of the greatest ways to get a buyer's attention, and it's going to give them a great deal."

ANCHOR TAG:
PHIPPS SAYS HE THINKS THE KINDS OF INCENTIVES WE'RE SEEING NOW WILL CHANGE OVER TIME AS MORE AND MORE REALTORS USE THEM TO ATTRACT ATTENTION. AND HE EXPECTS BUYERS TO GET CREATIVE TOO, ABOUT THE INCENTIVES THEY WANT.

SOURCE INFORMATION:

Ron Phipps, Phipps Realty
Board Member of National Association of Realtors
401-884-1030
Cell: 401-640-7097

Bio: Ron Phipps is a member of the Board of the National Association of Realtors

SunVest:

During the past 28 years, the Hallandale, Fla-based SunVest USA has sold over 20,000 condominiums in more than 100 developments, with markets in
Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Las Vegas and Texas. Details on SunVest's communities in each state are featured on the company's website. http://www.SunVestUSA.com

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND/SOURCE INFORMATION
In February, there were 3.03 million previously owned homes for sale, a level not seen since 1991, when 1.91 million homes were up for sale, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Realtors have begun offering incentives to buyers, such as cars. Some incentives offered by sellers include a year's worth of free landscaping or lawn care, free snow removal for a year or a year's worth of alarm service. And, that's just from the owners of existing homes -- builders sitting on a mound of inventory have also had to come up with new ways of wooing buyers.
The tempered pace of home sales in recent months follows record years of activity -- 7.982 million homes sold in 2004, followed by a record 8.35 million in 2005 -- that saw bidding wars and a steady escalation of prices...Applications for home loans, a gauge of future home sales, are down 20 percent from last year, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.