Win a beach house
YACHATS, Ore. - The sluggish economy means everyone is feeling the pinch, from soaring gas prices to houses going unsold.
But one couple in Yachats along the Oregon coast has found a creative way of selling real estate.
Ray and Sharon Sinclair got tired of having their nearly $600,000 Oregon beach house sit on a sluggish market.
"We listed with a realtor in Yachats for six months, and we only had three people come through the house," said Ray Sinclair.
They had no luck trying to sell it by themselves either.
So they got creative.
The couple decided to give away the house to the winner of an essay contest.
The theme? "Why We Want to Win this House."
Ray Sinclair said it's an entry fee of $200 dollars and 100 words or less.
They're capping the contest at 3,000 entries, at which point they'll have taken in - you guessed it - $600,000.
Entries have come in from almost all 50 states and nine countries.
Open houses have been bringing in at least 200 people.
"Oh we have people who come and stay for an hour and sit and chat," said Sharon Sinclair.
A few contestants have even tried buttering up the Sinclairs with gifts.
But the pair won't actually be the ones judging.
They took out an ad in a local paper to find three judges.
But as much as the Sinclairs love the house, they're ready for a new family to build memories here.
With the right words, you could be the one who takes this house and the view.
You have until the end of the month to submit an essay.
But the Sinclairs have already received nearly 2,200 entries and said if they get to 3,000 before June 30, they'll end the contest.
But one couple in Yachats along the Oregon coast has found a creative way of selling real estate.
Ray and Sharon Sinclair got tired of having their nearly $600,000 Oregon beach house sit on a sluggish market.
"We listed with a realtor in Yachats for six months, and we only had three people come through the house," said Ray Sinclair.
They had no luck trying to sell it by themselves either.
So they got creative.
The couple decided to give away the house to the winner of an essay contest.
The theme? "Why We Want to Win this House."
Ray Sinclair said it's an entry fee of $200 dollars and 100 words or less.
They're capping the contest at 3,000 entries, at which point they'll have taken in - you guessed it - $600,000.
Entries have come in from almost all 50 states and nine countries.
Open houses have been bringing in at least 200 people.
"Oh we have people who come and stay for an hour and sit and chat," said Sharon Sinclair.
A few contestants have even tried buttering up the Sinclairs with gifts.
But the pair won't actually be the ones judging.
They took out an ad in a local paper to find three judges.
But as much as the Sinclairs love the house, they're ready for a new family to build memories here.
With the right words, you could be the one who takes this house and the view.
You have until the end of the month to submit an essay.
But the Sinclairs have already received nearly 2,200 entries and said if they get to 3,000 before June 30, they'll end the contest.
