Detroit man will accept iPhone 6 in exchange for house

This three-bedroom house in Detroit can be swapped for an iPhone 6. Photo / Google Maps, AP

A man from Detroit has offered to sell his house for an iPhone 6, in a swap that speaks volumes about the mixed fortunes of different parts of America.

The unnamed individual originally listed his three-bedroom property for US$5,000 (NZ$6332) in June, but has now slashed the price to either $3,000, or the latest version of Apple's iconic smartphone. He would also accept a 32GB iPad, and is willing to negotiate, according to his estate agent, Larry Else.

The 2,400-square foot house is in poor condition, with broken windows and peeling paint, in one of Detroit's poorest districts. Even so, the trade has highlighted the contrast between America's thriving technology industry in Silicon Valley and the economic blight still affecting other parts of the country.

Detroit, also known as Motor City, used to be renowned as the boom town at the heart of America's auto industry. It is still home to companies like General Motors and Ford, but the city has become a ghost town as US manufacturers lost ground to overseas players and other industries moved out.

In 2012, the city was forced to declare the biggest municipal bankruptcy in US history, after racking up $18bn in debts. Hundreds of houses are now offered for sale at below $5000.

However, few have gone as far as offering to swap their houses for an iPhone 6 - a gadget that would cost as little as $649 over the counter of one of Apple's stores.

According to a local news website in Detroit, Motor City Muckraker, the owner of the house lives overseas and owes more than $6,000 in property taxes, which would be passed onto the new owner.