EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- Christmas lights say faith and wonder and joy -- unless you're Chris Urban. "Mine say buy me!"
The Eau Claire homeowner is talking about the 5 feet tall, 22 feet wide "For Sale" spelled out in Christmas lights now standing on her front yard.
Call it creativity born of frustration. Chris and her husband Mike put their home in Eau Claire up for sale last July for $125,000. Six months and two price reductions later, they're still waiting.
"Now we have two mortgages to pay for, which is a little tough," explains Chris.
With construction on their new home in the country nearly finished, Chris was admiring someone else's Christmas display when she had her own light bulb moment.
"I'm an accountant so I am generally not known for my creativity," she laughs. But with fence posts, steel mesh and some help from her dad, Chris had her own sign of the times.
"It's hard to get people's attention with so many houses on the market right now. So I was trying to draw a little more attention to ours."
Husband Mike thought the display was "weird at first, but judging by the response we've been getting, it seems to be okay."
To this point the looks have been more curious - than serious. But if Christmas wishes come true, the sign they light next will read "SOLD."
"We're waiting," says Chris.
(Copyright 2008 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
