If you need an incentive to buy a new home, developers are offering plenty of incentives to potential home purchasers. With a fragile real estate market and unsteady financial outlook, many developers are hoping to convince buyers by sweetening the deal. Incentives can vary but they usually come in the form of upgrades, paid HOA fees, or credit towards closing costs. In recent weeks, a number of the new developments in downtown San Jose have started offering or increasing buyer incentives.

Even if a developer isn’t offering incentives, in the current market, its a good negotiating tactic. The fine line is how much to ask for. Ask for too much and the seller may not take your offer seriously, and you run the risk of having your offer rejected altogether. But if you don’t ask, are you shortchanging yourself?