The key is getting the buyer into the house.

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All this makes government a key customer rather than just a big buyer.

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In addition, Sotheby's reportedly offered attractive incentives, such as "payment over time" and a reduction on the buyer's premium to certain key players.

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When a smaller Asian financial firm took over a larger, older bank that had to be bailed out by its government, a key part of the deal was equal representation of both on all integration task forces, but the smaller buyer went much further.

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Investors have been trying to stay afloat amid crosscurrents of conflicting economic data, yet it all boils down to one key question: Is the decline in housing a statistical anomaly related to the expiration of the first-time home buyer credit or is it a leading indicator of another sharp decline in the housing market?

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