I Sold My House in a Raffle: A Proven Step-by-Step Method to Get Your Asking Price, Save Money, Save Time, & Help a Charity Too!

I SOLD MY HOUSE

IN A RAFFLE

A Proven Step-by-Step Method to Get Your Asking Price,

Save Money, Save Time, and Help a Charity Too!

Diane Giraudo McDermott

I Sold My House In A Raffle

Copyright © 2010 Diane Giraudo McDermott. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author or publisher (except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages and/or short brief video clips in a review.)

Disclaimer: The Publisher and the Author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the Publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the Publisher nor the Author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the Author or the Publisher endorses the information the organization or website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that internet websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

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DEDICATION

A young Italian immigrant, age 18, paid the guy in the boiler room of a ship headed for America twenty dollars to hide him out. As the ship docked in New York, the young man jumped ship. He was immediately detained and put on the next ship leaving—the ship was destined for Africa.

After working in the diamond mines of Africa for over a year, the young man had saved enough money to return to Europe. Several years later, he finally found sponsorship for his passage to America. Although he arrived with only a few dollars in his pocket, he came armed with a wealth of determination. He worked in the steel mills of New York and Pittsburgh, the railroads in Arizona, and the shipyards in San Francisco. He went wherever there was work and was too proud to seek government assistance. At the time of his death, at age 82, he spoke five languages and had acquired land and a sizeable bank account to leave to his six children.

To my Italian grandfather, Michele Giraudo, who taught us by example that in order to reach your goals you must be resourceful and always be prepared to act in spite of the fear. Also, that if you sprinkle salt on a chicken’s tail feathers you can catch the chicken—meaning, if you get that close to the chicken, then you can surely snatch it.

A Note from the Publisher

This book does not provide legal opinions or tax advice. It does not in any way replace the advice of counsel in assessing and minimizing legal risks in the sale of your home, in the holding of raffles, or in the tax ramifications of raffles. Professionals in your state familiar with these areas should be consulted before implementing the steps outlined. Specific states have restrictions associated with the holding of raffles, and the raffle holder is responsible for conforming to such restrictions. Sample materials provided in the appendices are for reference only and should be used only after consulting experts in the specific field to be sure they meet local and state laws and ordinances. Websites listed may no longer exist at the time of publication. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any liability for any misuse, or any damages arising from the use or application of the information in this book.

A Note from the Author

In this book you are instructed to sell raffle tickets on the Internet and across state lines. Yet some states do not allow selling raffle tickets on the Internet and others do—while some states have no definite answer on this issue. There are also differing opinions as to whether an organization can legally sell raffle tickets across state lines unless it is registered in every state. And there are a few states where raffles are illegal and prohibited

Some argue that the mandate is at the federal level dictated by the Federal Wire Wager Act of 1961—used to stop those engaged in online gaming, even though the law was designed for wire transmissions and passed prior to common use of the Internet. While others defend games of chance stating that the Act prohibits electronic transmission of information for sports betting across telecommunications. Others respond that the major concern of the United States Department of Justice is online money laundering.

You’ll even find experts in the field of Internet law who disagree and some assert that the issue is answered at the state level. At the time of the writing of this book, nonprofits in 19 different states were conducting a house raffle—each of which were selling raffle tickets on the Internet and across state lines. House raffles in California were advertising their raffles on the Internet; but these California raffles did not accept ticket sales over the Internet due to a California statutory regulation.

My recommendation is that on the issue of selling raffle tickets online, and across state lines, is that each nonprofit organization should make its own decision with the help of an attorney who understands gaming and Internet law. I am not an attorney.

CONTENTS

MY STORY

INTRODUCTION

STEP 1 – Understanding the Basics

Two Ways to Sell Your House in a Raffle

Working With a Real Estate Agent

Raffle Laws

How to Read This Book

STEP 2 - The Grand Prize

Is My Home in a Desirable Area?

Will My Home Appeal to the General Public?

Is My Home Located in a Well-Populated Area?

Can I Wait 6 Months to Sell My Home?

How Do I Handle Encumbrances?

Delinquent Property Taxes

A Contractor’s Lien

Bank Foreclosure

A Final Note Regarding the Grand Prize

STEP 3 – Creating a Winning Raffle Formula

The Home Sale Price

The Home Sale Date

How Many Winners Do You Want?

How Much Do the Tickets Cost?

Calculating the Number of Tickets to Sell

STEP 4 - Stop and Evaluate

STEP 5 - Searching For the Right Charity

Six Possible Charities

Likeable Charities

Strong Charities

Which Charity Is Best?

STEP 6 - Meeting With the Charity

Making the Phone Call

Wrapping Up the Call

Organizing the Meeting Details

At the Meeting

Setting the Stage

Benefits to the Charity

Reviewing Your Handouts

Resources to Succeed

Marketing Considerations

Closing the Meeting

Double-Checking

STEP 7 - Hey Everybody, There’s a Raffle!

Marketing Expenses

Marketing Options

Print Media

Fliers

Posters

Newsletter and Mailings to Supporters

Press Releases

Newspaper Advertising

Newspaper Stories

Billboards

Broadcast Media

TV Commercial

Radio Commercial

Media Interviews

Electronic Media

E-mail

Blogs

Online Advertising

Other

Chamber of Commerce

Santa Claus

Let’s Dance

Charity Dinner

Celebrity Guest

Open Houses

STEP 8 - Follow-up Meeting with the Charity

Charity’s Marketing Plan

Expenses

Home Seller’s Involvement

Finalize the Ticket Sale Formula

Drawing Date Extension

Escrow Holding Account

Ticket Sales Start Date

Raffle Rules and Restrictions

STEP 9 - Sealing the Deal

Sign a Purchase Agreement

Purchase price

Earnest Money

Settlement Signing Date

Closing Costs

Home Warranty

Inspections

Raffle Contingency Addendum

Escrow Holding Account Addendum

Lead-Based Paint Addendum

Extending the Drawing Date

Sign a Win-a-House Raffle Agreement

Register the Raffle

STEP 10 - The Ticket Sale System

The Process

Entry Form Particulars

Thank-You-For-Participating Letter

The Look of the Ticket

Raffle Website

Places to Buy Tickets

Fliers with Entry Form

Keeping Track

Raffle Hot-Line

STEP 11 – Oops! He’s Not Fat Enough!

Extending the Drawing Date

STEP 12 - Pushing Ticket Sales – The Open House

Let the Public Know About Your Open House

Open House Flier

Press Releases

Newspaper Advertisement

Open House Signs

At the Prize Home

Inside the Prize Home

So Here It Goes!

Before Visitors Leave

Closing Up the Open House

STEP 13 – Preparing for the Drawing

Address Their Concerns

Finding a Drawing Location

Helpers Needed

Items Needed

STEP 14 - Holding the Drawing

Announcements

The Drawing Procedure

Notifying the Winners

STEP 15 - Claim-Your-Prize Appointment

Paperwork

Coming Up With That Tax Money

Purchase Agreement for the Grand Prize

STEP 16 - Awarding the Prizes

When the Grand Prize Winner Takes the Prize Home

When the Grand Prize Winner Takes the Cash

When Prize Winners Are Disqualified or Fail to Claim the Prize

FINISHED!

APPENDICES

Appendix A.    Basics of a House Raffle

Appendix B.    Raffle Rules and Restrictions

Appendix C.    Sample Purchase Agreement Real Estate

Appendix D.    Blank Purchase Agreement Real Estate

Appendix E.    Page from a Property Disclosure Statement

Appendix F.    Lead-Based Paint Addendum

Appendix G.   Win-a-House Raffle Agreement

Appendix H.    Entry Form Without a Credit Card Machine

Appendix I.     Entry Form With a Credit Card Machine

Appendix J.    Ticket Sales Log Sheet

Appendix K.   General Raffle Flier

Appendix L.    Open House Flier

Appendix M.   Certificate of Winning

Appendix N.    Winner Instruction Sheet

Appendix O.    Winner Affidavit of Eligibility

Appendix P.    Winner Purchase Agreement Addendum

Appendix Q.    Internal Revenue Service Notice

Appendix R.    Grand Prize Acceptance Statement

RESOURCES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.    Sample Billboard

Figure 2.    Sample Thank-You-For Participating Letter

Figure 3.    Sample Official Ticket

Figure 4.    Sample Ticket Confirmation

Figure 5.    Sample Extension Letter

Figure 6.    Sample Newspaper Ad

Figure 7.    Sample Newspaper Ad

Figure 8.    Photo Open House Signs

Figure 9.    Sample Runner-up Visual Display

MY STORY

I was working two jobs in Oregon: teaching for a private school and selling advertising for a local magazine. In 2005, I left both jobs and returned to New Mexico to help take care of my mother who was diagnosed with cancer. After mom passed, I struggled to find work in Oregon, and I returned to New Mexico to invest in real estate.

After much looking, I purchased a four-bedroom fixer-upper and turned it into a beauty just as the real estate market took a downturn. Developers all around me were offering buyers incentives that I could not match, and buyers interested in my property could not qualify for a mortgage. At this same time, I was fostering three dogs that would otherwise have been euthanized by the city shelter. My prior marketing experience kicked in, and I knew I could sell my home in a raffle. I believed people would risk the cost of a ticket to win such a prize. However, just to be sure, I asked several people, and everyone I spoke to confirmed my belief. I began researching raffle regulations.

I partnered with a no-kill animal shelter who loved the idea. Within 45 days of the raffle start, I knew that the charity was struggling with the raffle. Ticket sales were slow, and, by virtue of the sluggish economy, the charity was weighed down by the fact that its donations were down by 62% while incoming animal rescues were up by 30%. Many homeowners facing foreclosure were making the difficult decision to surrender their pets. Some nearby shelters were closing their doors, and my charity was picking up the slack.

So I had a choice: let the raffle fail, or take charge. I took charge. I produced a TV commercial, placed advertising on radio, ran ads, created and distributed fliers, and held open houses. I even found businesses willing to sponsor some of the raffle advertising costs.

Due to the slow start, we had to extend the drawing date; but at the end I got my house sold for my asking price, and the charity made a chunk of money they would otherwise not have had. I Sold My House in a Raffle teaches home sellers and directors of nonprofit organizations that with diligent preparation they can fly out of the starting gate at lightning speed and get all those tickets sold and avoid the pitfalls. It will show the home seller how to partner with a charity that has the resources to get the job done, and how the home seller can be involved in the ticket sale process also.

INTRODUCTION

In a down economy, many home sellers face countless roadblocks from an overabundance of homes on the market, a drop in property values, to a large number of buyers unable to qualify for a mortgage. This same economic climate creates a significant drop in nonprofit charity donations from the public, reduced government spending for nonprofits, and an ever-increasing demand for services provided by these charities. As a result, home sellers are likely to experience months of struggle and frustration, and charities must cut back on their services or face closing their doors.

The purpose of this book