The Chicago Tribune has this update from Illinois. "Tom and Sandi Gollinger really, really, really want to sell their Naperville home. They point out to prospective buyers that the century-old house has several goodies. And, oh, yes: There's the Hummer."

"All this could be yours, if the price is right. In this case, it's somewhere around the Gollingers' $1.475 million asking price. 'We have to be creative in these times,' said Sandi Gollinger."

"Inventories of homes for sale have exploded, and it's increasingly clear that sellers, particularly in the upper brackets, which were the first to feel the drag of the slowing market, need to do something to stand out. 'The times, they are a-changin',' said David Hanna, CEO of Prudential Preferred Properties in Chicago."

"The Gollingers' isn't the only automotive incentive in the Chicago real estate market. A Hinsdale seller is dangling one as a reward to the real estate agent who produces a signed contract. 'I've got the cuter car,' said Hinsdale agent Jaime Adams. 'It's a Mini Cooper convertible. Pick your color.'"

"'Reaction has been super-duper,' she said. But it hasn't sold the house. 'I thought I would be beating them off with a stick,' she said. But there have been no offers, and they're going to extend the car promo, which expired on Monday. 'It's a tough one. The buyers just aren't out there.'"

"In Naperville, for example, the Gollingers have plenty of competition, according to appraiser Chip Wagner. He said that in the past 12 months, 28 homes there have sold in their price range. Currently, there are 89 on the market, a 30.2-month supply."

"'It's frustrating to people,' said Hinsdale agent Tina Porterfield, who said that in her experience, incentives aren't particularly effective. They can attract attention, she said, but it's usually the price that gets the sale."

"On Jan. 23, Glen Ellyn agent Beth Gorz listed a home in that western suburb for $797,000. The house is still for sale, down to $739,000. On Tuesday, she sent out a mailing to agents offering a week's stay for four in a beachfront condo in Maui. 'Being creative is worth the try,' Gorz said. 'I've been selling for 16 years, and this is one of the more challenged markets I've worked in.'"