Cedar Rapids homeowner trying to shed property via essay contest

CEDAR RAPIDS - A Cedar Rapids homeowner trying to unload his property has decided to forego the traditional selling process, opting instead to set up an essay contest.

Matthew Brownfield, who now lives in Toano, Va., said he came up with the idea after seeing it work in other states. The parameters are that entrants must submit a 500-word essay and pay an $100 entry fee.

Brownfield said he will pick the winning entry based on who best answers the following two questions: How has the economic downturn affected you? Why should you or your family deserve the home more than someone else?

Brownfield said he knows all about the downturn in both the economy and housing market in Cedar Rapids. He bought the house at 336 17th St. SE in 2008 and was promptly laid off from his job. He said he and his family subsequently moved out of state to find work.

Brownfield said he's rented the home and tried selling it via a Realtor, but figured it was time to do something completely different.

His home is currently listed for sale for $99,500, but the nearly 100-year-old home with original woodwork in a historic neighborhood hasn't gotten much traffic.

Brownfield said he took pains to spell out all the rules of the contest, which runs through May 31.

He won't award the house to an essay winner unless he gets a minimum of 1,000 entries. He said he would accept a maximum of 2,000 entries.

Brownfield said he'd award a cash prize to one winner, based on the number of entries, if the total is below 1,000.

If the house happens to sell before the contest ends, he said he also would substitute a cash prize based on the number of entries.

While the family has moved to Virginia, Brownfield's mother-in-law still lives in Marion and is watching over the home. Debra Rau said she was skeptical about the essay contest at first, but then decided it was worth a shot.

“Yes, I think this is going to work because there are a lot of people out there that need a home,” Rau said.

Bob Hackney, whose Skogman Realty office is handling Brownfield's home listing, said agents are going along with the idea for now because Brownfield has promised to pay the regular fee if the home sells in a conventional way or through a contest.

“I've not seen this before,” Hackney said adding “maybe in other parts of the country they've done something like this - it's brand new to Cedar Rapids.”

Brownfield said he remains hopeful about his unconventional home sales plan. But as of midday Tuesday, he hadn't received a single paying entry with an essay.

Brownfield said he sought legal advice when he set up the contest on a website, but the Iowa Attorney General's office said it was not sure if the essay contest meets state rules. Groups running a lottery or raffle usually need to get a license or permit from the state. The Attorney General's office said it was looking into whether that applies to a homeowner trying to unload his house.

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