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myLot reputation of 92/100. artemis432 (2212)   ranked 1,069 out of 32,943 in life 4 years ago

Ever wanted to live in NM or do you live in NM and dream of owning a home here? There is a beautiful historic home here for sale. However, with the financial recession the owners are trying out a unique way to sell their home - they are raffling it off in an Essay Contest. They need about 2800 responses.

They have been interviewed in a Santa Fe Newspaper as well as Preservation and Old Houses. I also saw them on Ebay, Seeing this house everywhere I finally decided to enter and wrote an essay. The deadline is December 15th so if you want a beautifully restored historic home hurry!

Here's the online version of the newspaper article:
http://santafe.com/Pages/1979
The link to the real estate listing and featured tour is here:http://www.realtor.com/se...

(right under the pictures is the virtual tour)

Since they didn't want a whole bunch of sappy I want a home essays the topic is, "The Greatness of America, the essay can be fiction, political objective, autobiographical, etc. It needs to be 750 words - which sounds like a lot but isn't. It isn't even a full page. They don't care about technical things - they say it isn't school - just write from your heart.

Here are the rules:
http://winthishistorichome.blogspot.com/

Are you interested, would you pick up everything and move here? If you won would you keep it, try to sell it, rent it out - start a non profit?

 

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tags:  alcade, contest, home, homes, new mexico
 
1. myLot reputation of 94/100. aprilsue00 (1768)   ranked 9,952 out of 32,943 in life   4 years ago

Wow so these people are just going to give this house to the person who writes the best essay? That's really weird. It sounds to good to be true. I would enter but I live in Michigan and really have no interest in moving to NM. But then again if I had a house there waiting for me I probably would. It is only 23 degrees in Michigan right now and I would definately like to be in a warmer climate.


myLot reputation of 92/100. artemis432 (2212)   ranked 1,069 out of 32,943 in life  4 years ago

This house is pretty high up there - its likely snowing. Its cold here in Albuquerque and looks like snow but it likely won't. I know, you'd think desert - hot all year right? I lived in Anchorage Alaska which isn't too far north as Alaska goes, and since it was a dry cold - I remembered colder winters in Maryland.

Its a raffle. So if they sell 2500 tickets its worth it, otherwise they send the money back. They're going through a real estate company but many people try to do this on their own. The first time I saw something like this was when I was living in Alaska and Remax was helping a family do this. You can look homes like this up on the web - there's one in Marin, CA going for 150 dollars a ticket - no essay neceassry- in CA the raffle has to be run by a non profit agency - with much of the proceeds going to them. My husband spent so much on the huge screen tv and his wow subscription and other computer stuff - yet we're so frugal in other areas - and recently started renting out a room for a hundred a month that its worth it...I rarely ask for money.

I know someone who won one of these - but the tickets were a 1000 dollars each and bought 15! And he wound up selling it - it was a nice house but he says the house he and his wife has is better.

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2. myLot reputation of 97/100. AmbiePam (20741)   ranked 375 out of 32,943 in life   4 years ago

This is so cool! I hope someone with a deep appreciation of history gets it. I guess most people who would take the time to write an essay would be into history in some sort of capacity. And what a cool way to make sure the house is left with people who will take care of it. It would be fun to buy and use it as a place to take people on a historical tour. So they would get a feel for what homes were like so long ago.


myLot reputation of 92/100. artemis432 (2212)   ranked 1,069 out of 32,943 in life  4 years ago

Amy and Ross Wainwright want everyone to write what they feel the Greatness America is all about, for some this will be political for others historical for some largely autobiographical. I mentioned the beginnings of our Nation - not the country and brought in my own history as well. But you're right - to want to live in this house, as I do, you'd have to be into history to some extent and preservation. Did you read the comments, I guess some people are very nervous about what to write and how it will be judged. Amy says, if gunslingers and hamburgers are how you perceive it write about it, however you see it.

And in answer to my query she says don't worry about little bureaucratic things disqualifying one, as long as its an essay, it can be be typed, hand done, even written in crayon or lipstick on a napkin.

Yes it would be fun to decorate the house in the old style and maybe have a weaving wheel. Since the home is so old, you may be able to get out of the heavy Capital Gains Tax that way, buy trying to get it declared a historic landmark, not sure. And its right next to Historic Los Luceros so the traffic will already be there certain times of year. This is the third house this couple has restored, the SF newspaper tells the very interesting story of these two lawyers. I suppose wherever Ross's job is taking them, they likely plan to do the same thing.

I sent my essay off today with my money order. I'm not so much worried about my essay as I am the essay getting to them. I'm afraid something may happen on the way - even though its the same state.

I would add a studio to the house or land for Thai Massage and Morita Therapy. Maybe learn to teach yoga and have some classes of that. And just a studio for writing and mixed media - my cards and word hangings. Heck I'd probably finally learn looming or weaving. I would also try to get the house completely off grid - attached to grid but independent of it.

The fee was hefty for us, although some called it a few dinners out. Which I guess it could be. But when I asked my husband to get me a money order, he only asked what for (amount) and got it along with other errands. I'm frugal in other areas and rarely ask for money solely for myself.

So I sent my in today - and people have until the 15th to send it in - has to postmarked that - and they have to get at least 2500 for it to be worth it or they send it all back to the essay writers. I don't envy them reading all of that as there will be many kinds of essays and like here, people who don't read the rules. One reason they chose this as the theme is because they didn't want to read a bunch of sob stories boo hoooing about why someone needs the house.


myLot reputation of 97/100. AmbiePam (20741)   ranked 375 out of 32,943 in life  4 years ago

I hope you get it. You have such good ideas!


myLot reputation of 92/100. artemis432 (2212)   ranked 1,069 out of 32,943 in life  4 years ago

Thank you, I will make a post here if I do and maybe post my essay here.

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