'Win a home' contest falls flat

It sounded too good to be true. But some 675 people tried anyway.

The “win a home” essay contest that gave people a chance to win Todd and Tiffany Lovell’s White Rock home fizzled last month, a result of failing to collect the 2,500 entries needed to keep the contest running.

For an entrance fee of $100 and a 500-word essay on the topic of their choice, contestants were given a chance to win the couple’s three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot home with a remodeled bathroom, one-car garage, wood shop, Jacuzzi and outdoor fireplace.

In March, the couple set up winahome.blogspot.com, a website outlining the rules of the contest and asking participants from all over the country to join the hunt for the biggest bargain on the real estate market.

“It needed to pop or have a ‘wow’ factor,” Tiffany told the Monitor earlier this year.

The plan was to receive 2,500 entries by June 20, netting the couple a $250,000, roughly the value of the home.

Because the current housing market in Los Alamos County heavily favors buyers, the couple would most likely have taken a loss by selling the house as is, so they chose the essay contest to level the playing field.

At first, the Lovells’ plan took off.

If you subscribe to the newspaper, you receive FREE access to all the exclusive content of the web site! Simply register to receive uninterrupted access to our award-winning and in-depth local online content!

Renew Current or Past Subscription / Register for Online Subscription

If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Los Alamos Monitor, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.

Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.

Newspaper Acct. ID:
Street Address:	(exactly as it appears on the label)

If you are a subscriber and you do not know your account ID or don't have a copy of your newspaper available that shows the information on the address label you can click continue below to search for your account.

New Subscription/30 Day Free Trial Account

If you are new to the award winning Los Alamos Monitor and wish to get a subscription or simply gain access to our online content then please enter your ZIP code below and continue to setup your account.

ZIP Code:

Create a limited access account.
Register to participate in community forums, post on the community calendar, blog etc. This registration does not give you full access to read our award winning content, etc.

The Los Alamos Monitor | lacirculation@lamonitor.com | 505-662-4185
256 DP Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544
Office Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday