Is an iPhone worth as much as a house? It is in Detroit

By AJ Dellinger October 8, 2014

iphone worth house owner property detroit detroithouse — via ABC News Image used with permission by copyright holder

Remember a several years ago when a guy managed to trade his way from a red paperclip all the way up to a house? According to ABC News, now a man possessing a house in Detroit is trying to barter his way out. His ideal trade partner will swap his home for an iPhone 6.

The house, located in east Detroit, is likely to face foreclosure with more than $6,000 of accrued back taxes. The barterer who bites on the property will assume that cost and will have to negotiate a payback plan with county officials.

Like too many houses in the city, it is in rough shape. The two-story, three-bedroom home sits with broken windows and no front door. It’s been abandoned for some time, and the current owner has never lived in it. The man, living in Austria, purchased the home in 2010 for $41,000 with the intention of renting it out. The person he bought it from flipped it to him after purchasing it for $10,500 just a few weeks earlier.

The price of an iPhone 6 is actually a step down from previous asks. In a desperate attempt to move the property, he started his asking price at $5,000. If the iPhone 6 is too rich, he’s also willing to accept a 32GB iPad. No word on if he’ll accept an Android device, though if you wait another week he might buckle and take that deal.

Current offers for the price include $850 or an iPhone 5.

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AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…

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