By Alex Fees

Germantown, IL (KSDK) - Scott Von Bokel refers to it as a "bounty."

He is offering $1,000 to anyone who puts him in touch with a buyer for his Clinton County home.

"It's 3,000 square feet," said Von Bokel, "three bedrooms, two and a half baths. It has a movie room, a formal dining room which I use as a pool room; it has a nice, huge patio, a hot tub, and a full basement that's not finished."

The home is listed for $179,900. The problem is the home has been on the market for seven months and Von Bokel has been through two different real estate agents.

"They did a good job taking photos and listing it on the internet and doing open houses," he said. "But for some reason there haven't been a lot of showings. I haven't had a single offer."

So last week, Von Bokel took out a full-page advertisement in the local newspaper, explaining his offer.

"Well you've heard of for-sale-by-owner, so just kind of a catchy phrase, 'for sale by everyone.' So realtors have commission fees, right? I'm basically paying a commission fee to anyone. Consider it a bounty, whatever you want. So $1,000 bounty to whoever can get somebody to buy my house. And I'll pay them cash in their hand on the day of closing," he said.

And Von Bokel said he means everyone.

"Anybody. I mean if you're a 12-year-old kid and you convince your mom and dad to buy this house I will pay you $1,000. It does not matter who."

Von Bokel launched this initiative in the Breese Journal last Thursday. Since then, he's had four showings in four days.

"And in the previous seven months I've had five showings," he said.

Von Bokel estimates that if he were using real estate agents, their commission would be about $8,500.

The $1,000 bounty, plus the full-page newspaper ad, are costing him $1,750.

He's hoping that very soon he will have to pay somebody that finder's fee.

KSDK