Delores Conway, director of the Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast at the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, said builders in California have gotten more creative with incentives. Aside from new cars, some have been offering to pay to have a stager come to the previous home to help improve its appearance to enhance the sale value. "The good news is most builders have recognized the market has softened and they've stopped building," she said. "The buyers' expectations have changed a lot -- they're afraid of buying at the high point of the market, so they feel it's to their advantage to just sit and wait."
