Selling A Unique Home
Requires Extra Attention

Question: I have a very unusual home in North Idaho that is for sale for $300,000. I need to know how to market this house. It has a two-ton rock table with swinging chairs, a swinging queen-size bed, a waterfall in the kitchen, etc. It is 4,000 square feet on two acres, surrounded by state land. Our local Realtors only advertise on the Multi-List Service, which is not giving me any exposure. How can I market such a place? We also have Lake Pend Oreille less than a quarter of a mile in front of us. However, we have no view. We have a pretty well-known ski area and two golf courses within 5 miles.

-- Joan, Sandpoint, Idaho

Joan: Your place sounds beautiful! From what you say, it appears as though your property, besides having unique features, also has recreational potential. If that's the case, you may be able to attract buyers from outside the region.

You might consider a small ad in one of the several magazines that cater to exclusive and unusual properties with national and international potential such as "UniqueHomes" (www.uniquehomes.com). Also, some national franchise real-estate companies, such as Coldwell-Banker, publish internal publications for properties with national potential.

You might also want to put your property up for sale on some Internet sites. If you're listed with a Realtor in the MLS, then your home is probably already on www.realtor.com.

Mr. Irwin has more than 25 years' experience as a Los Angeles-area real-estate broker. He is the author of more than two dozen books about real estate and is recognized as one of the most knowledgeable writers in the real-estate field. Mr. Irwin's most recent book is "Tips and Traps When Building Your Own Home," (McGraw-Hill, 2000).

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