BOGO Housing Deals Sweep Real Estate Market

In what industry analysts are calling "an unprecedented structural innovation," a consortium of regional developers announced a Buy One Get One housing promotion for the spring market, allowing qualifying buyers to receive a second property upon purchase of their first.

The second property is described in marketing materials as "bonus home" and is offered in three configurations: "starter," "classic," and "legacy." A fourth configuration, listed in the fine print as "opportunity property," refers exclusively to homes in areas affected by last autumn's seismic activity, which developers confirmed account for the majority of available bonus inventory.

"We've done BOGO appliances. We've done BOGO memberships," said marketing director Dana Holt. "A home is simply the next logical category. And frankly, we're desperate."

Holt declined to specify what percentage of bonus homes fall into the opportunity property category, saying only that buyers who "go in with the right mindset" tend to find the experience "character-building." A supplemental brochure titled Your Bonus Home: A Conversation Starter includes a section on load-bearing wall identification and a glossary of structural engineering terms described as "good to know."

The promotion has drawn an extraordinary number of inquiries. Qualification requirements were not disclosed.