There must have been a giant sale on Plasma TVs at Best Buy. How many more developments are going to try and lure buyers by waving a TV in front of them? Brookstone Springs, in the Chicago suburb Manhattan, is jumping on the bandwagon by advertising a free 42-inch Plasma TV with every townhome or duplex purchase.The project, constructed by homebuilder giant Centex Homes, contains two- to three-bedroom townhomes and duplexes with two-car garages and lofted areas above the second floors. Prices for the smallest townhomes start at $159,990. The renderings on the Brookstone Web site look pretty cookie-cutter, but who needs style when you’re close to a walk-bike path along Manhattan Creek and have easy access to both I-80 and the Metra? If you’re all the way out in Manhattan, this sort of thing is crucial.
But c’mon. If Yo sees another TV giveaway, we’re going to scream. When will the marketers learn that if you really want perks to encourage buying in this market, they’re going to have to amp up the incentives?