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One homeowner is resorting to bartering for the latest iPhone as a tactic to sell abeleaguered property in Detroit.
近日，底特律一所房子的主人表示愿意用新款iPhone與這所房子作交換。
The owner has dropped the asking price on a three-bedroom home in east Detroit from $5,000 to a new iPhone 6 as the owner is desperate to sell ahead of the area’s tax auction season where "thousands" of homes near foreclosure will flood the market, real estate broker Larry Else told ABC News.
據地產經紀人拉里稱，該男子本想在當地的稅收拍賣季即上千所喪失抵押品贖回權的房子涌入房產市場之前賣掉這所房子，可一直未能如愿，于是決定將房子標價從最初的5000美元降低為一部新iPhone 6的價格。
"This house is really not worth much at all," Else said.
拉里說：“這所房子真的不值太多錢。”
The windows are broken and there is no front door. The broker himself has not been inside the home because his company has a policy of not going in unsecured houses alone. Detroit's declining fortunes have been precipitous, with an exodus has that left its population about a third of what it used to be in its heyday, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
房子的窗戶壞了，前門也沒有了。連這位地產經紀人自己都沒有進去過這間房子里，因為其所在公司有規定不得獨自出入不安全的房屋。底特律近來的頹敗形勢嚴峻，美國人口調查局的數據顯示，現在在此居住的人口只有其鼎盛時期的三分之一。
"It's a little dicey," Else said of the neighborhood.
說起這所房子周圍的環境，拉里說“有點危險”。
Now, the property has accrued more than $6,000 in back taxes and will enter foreclosure next year if that debt is not settled. So while the owner is asking for an iPhone 6 -- or, he said he would also accept a 32GB iPad -- the true cost of the sale comes from the buyer assuming the cost of the back taxes. Else said that because he is selling the property as a quick claim deed, it would be up to the buyer to arrange either a payment plan or lump sum payment with county officials to settle the back taxes.
現在這所房子光稅款就拖欠了6000美元，再不解決，明年就面臨喪失抵押品贖回權的危險。所以，房主愿意用一部iPhone 6或32G的iPad來交換這所房子，再加上所需繳納的稅款，該房子也就值這么多錢。拉里說由于急著賣這所房子，所以稅款是一次付清還是分期付款都由買家說了算。
That isn't deterring the new-found interest in the property, as Else said that he received four offers today alone, ranging in seriousness.
這種方式讓不少人產生了興趣，拉里說他一天內就接到了4個人的嚴肅報價。
One woman said she was "interested in the house for the wood," Else said, explaining that the prospective buyer is apparently on a quest for white pine planks. Another bidder said that they would be willing to hand over an iPhone 5, and another offered $850 for the property, Else said.
一位女士說她對“這所房子的木材感興趣”，拉里解釋說她是想要房子上的白松木板。另一名買家稱愿意拿出一部iPhone 5交換，還有一名買家報價850美元。
Else hinted that the most likely buyer is someone who already lives on the block and put in a $700 bid, but their familiarity with the area appeared to put them at the head of the pack. Else said that the area is "full of similar houses. There’s lots of vacancy."
拉里稱最有可能的買家是住在與房子所在地同一條街上的人，他出價700美元，他對房子周邊地區很熟悉使他比較有優勢。拉里說該房屋所在的區域內“有很多類似的房子，大多都是空置的”。
He said he expects one of the four offers to work out, and may even finalize the sale tonight.
拉里說他希望能與4名買家中的一個交易成功，并在當晚確定價錢。
This is not the end of his bartering business, however, as Else said that he's already gotten another call from a homeowner who has had trouble selling their property.
拉里的“物物交換”生意并沒有到此結束，因為他又接到另一個房主的電話，那名房主也在賣房子時遇到了困難。
"I did get a call from a seller today who said 'We've been having a hard time selling our house. We have it listed for $20,000. Could I get a 1994 Chevy for this house?'" Else said.
“我確實又接到了一個電話，那名房主說‘我們的房子也很難賣，標價是2萬美元。我想用這所房子換輛94年的雪佛蘭汽車可以嗎？’”
