My high school football coach used to have a favorite saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going!" I always thought that sounded pretty cool (at least it did in '67!), so I've used that on my four boys over the years coaching them in various sports, and they always say, "Dad, that's sooooooo old fashioned!!" Well, I had a Division President for an Austin New Home Builder that I won't mention by name say that to me when I asked him how his company sales were so far this year, and I said,"______, that's a football cliche, what do you REALLY mean?" He told me that sales had been relatively flat, even with the many concessions/incentives they had been offering, until one of his marketing gurus came up with a different idea - sex appeal. He said he was going to "take the tough approach" to make it happen. It seems "tough times" is bringing out the "football mentalty" in some of these Builders - nothing old fashioned about that!

Now before anyone gets the WRONG idea, let me explain HIS version of "sex appeal!" It's absolutely nothing new, but in a down market it is the opposite approach that most Builders here have taken - instead of cutting prices, they cut a little square footage, and added "sex" appeal - in the form of granite countertops, outdoor patios w/BBQ grills, outdoor fireplaces, recessed lighting (on the OUTSIDE of the house!), soaker tubs, larger open master showers, etc. One Builder I talked to said he "couldn't build 'em fast enough!" The Builders that are reforming the Austin downtown landscape with the new lofts and condos took this approach about last year, and it seemed to work for them - of course, they had no choice - downtown lots are mega-bucks per sq. foot!!

But the underlying principle is the same - when faced with higher costs, the Builders had to come up with a different approach to make the bottom line work, and this seems to be working. There are still plenty of buyers looking for "the big box for little money", but for those tired of "plain vanilla" homes, this "sexy" idea is a breath of fresh air! Overall, Austin home sales, although lagging behind last year, are also a "breath of fresh air" to the local REALTORS!