"Buyers will have to be enticed" by pools, outdoor kitchens, and $150,000 discounts

Celebrate! The now famous Centex 12-hour sale is hitting the Sacramento area. Mark your calendars for February 11th! Save up to $150,000 on new homes in Elk Grove, El Dorado Hills, Rocklin, and Lincoln! So turn off the TV! Drop that rake! Don't delay! Deals like this won't last! Take advantage of the "lull" in the market before prices skyrocket again in the spring!

"On Saturday the 11th, we are giving our homebuyers a special one-time opportunity to save up to $150,000," said Patrick D'Arcangelo, Centex vice president of sales and marketing. "With 13 brand-new neighborhoods from Lincoln to Elk Grove, homebuyers are sure to find the home and neighborhood they want most at unheard-of savings." [link]

Stop reading this insanely boring blog and click on this link for more details! (And don't click here to learn about all those cancellations.)

If cash doesn't interest you, how about pools, outdoor kitchens, custom cement floors, washer-dryers, flat screen T.V.s, stainless steel appliances, or granite counter tops? CBS13 reports on the ever-expanding world of "free" incentives and upgrades.

If you're in the market to buy a house you're in luck! After years of waiting in line to buy now you have leverage.

Don't you feel lucky already?

There are a lot of homes on the market, interest rates are on the rise so to get a prospective buyer interested, builders are getting creative. A flat screen T.V., stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops--are they now standard with the price of a home?

Rindy Merrifield knows in this market, even gorgeous houses don't sell themselves. But adding incentives do. "It can be incentives for upgrades. It can be $10,000-$20,000 in some cases," said Rindy. Outdoor kitchens. Custom cement floors. Washer-dryers...what used to be upgrades are now on the table. "You can always ask the builder for anything and a lot of people do," said Rindy.

A few years ago, all of this would have seemed impossible. But according to a D.C. based market research company, the value of incentives by homebuilders now averages $8,965--double from last quarter. "20,000 new homes are scheduled to go up in this roseville development. And with this many homes and the housing marketing softening buyers will have to be enticed," said Rindy. As new neighborhoods crop up in Roseville builders are throwing in preferred lender incentives and sometimes lowering fees.

"They've offered new pools. New house. New pool. Turnkey ready to go," said Steve Youngblood, Lyon manager. If you like a house and want the furniture in it--ask for it. You never know what you might be able to negotiate.

Want more? How about a chance for a day-spa gift certificate at today's "Luxury Bowl" event? Or generous preferred-lender incentives up to $65,000? Maybe you would prefer a new General Electric Co. washer, dryer and refrigerator - as well as new window coverings? ("But we're not sure how long this offer will last" in West Sacramento.) Find more great incentives here.

(Thanks to commenter HighSierraGuy for the Centex info & link.)