Couple tries home-swapping web site

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Think of it as match.com for houses. What does a two-story house in southwest Charlotte have in common with a condo in Uptown? Both owners are listing their homes on housing swap Web sites.

Why? Homeowner Drew Harriss said, "It’s clearly a slower market. We’re trying to think of creative ways to perhaps sell the property."Harriss bought his two-bedroom two-bath condo in the Chapelwatch Building in Uptown four years ago. But with one child already, and another on the way, Drew and his wife Sally are ready to move on.

"We’ve had it on the market a while. So, one of the ways we’re marketing the house is if someone else in Charlotte is trying to sell their property… and perhaps it fits our needs better," then a deal could be worked out, Drew said.

He calls it a simultaneous buy and sell, instead of a swap.

"I use that term instead of a swap because you know we recognize that you have to look at the valuations," he said.

Theirs is listed in the $600,000s, but one property could be worth more than the other and so on. The Harriss’ 2,100 square foot condo is listed on the Web site domuswap.com and in the housing swap section of craigslist.com.

Who are they targeting? Sally says, "Someone who would like to downsize and would like to live Uptown." With an expanding family, they would like a house, with a yard. Specifically, Drew said, “Probably a four-bedroom house with a backyard in a close-in neighborhood.”

"We definitely had several people who are interested and it’s gotten to the point where we’ve gotten some showings," he said.

But so far, nothing has worked out. If the family is still in the condo come fall, then a den off the living room will take on another purpose. Giving me a tour, Drew jokes, "here is the den, which may become a nursery."

At last check, there were eight Charlotte properties listed on domuswap.com, and several more on Craigslist. The Harriss’ do have some competition in Uptown. According to Carolinahome.com, there are currently 200-plus two-bedroom condos on the market. The Harriss’, though, is larger than most.