GOT INCENTIVES?

Real estate analyst Jack McCabe, of McCabe Research and Consulting in Deerfield Beach, Fla., says that desperate developers in South Florida, for example, are now offering potential buyers a host of generous incentives, in one case even the free use of a yacht. "Our area's incentives really vary by market and product type, so we're seeing just about everything today -- points and closing costs being paid by sellers, upgraded trim and generous kitchen appliance packages, one year of (paid) condo fees, big-screen plasma TVs being thrown in for free, two-year leases on luxury automobiles, even ... limousine service both to and from the airport whenever you need it."
McCabe says he's seen sellers offering higher commissions -- "in ranges from five to 12 percent" -- to get a higher level of service from real estate brokers, in addition to discounted prices.