Over the past few months, a curious trend has emerged in the real estate market. From Maine to Alabama to to Texas, people are giving away homes, farms, or inns. The catch? You have to write an essay. Is this a new philanthropically motivated decision, or a smart way to sell a property by covering the cost of the mortgage via entry fees? I started noticing this pattern a few months ago when Janice Sage, owner of the Center Lovell Inn and Restaurant in Lovell, Maine, announced that she would give away her inn via a contest. She won the inn 22 years ago via a similar essay contest.

Writing contests aren’t new, but giving away real estate as the prize is