Frequently Asked Questions

Why is this an essay contest and not simply a home raffle? Other states such as Florida and California allow home raffles.

The State of New Hampshire does not permit anyone, including non profit organizations to raffle a home, even if a charitable organization is involved. They do permit a “game of skill” to sell a house, such as an essay contest. We have carefully crafted this contest to meet the legal requirements of the state, with the assistance of experienced legal counsel.

Should I enter online or by US Mail?
If you have experience with transferring your song to an MP3, your photo to a .JPG file using photo manipulating software, video to a DVD format, attaching files to e-mails or uploading videos to You Tube then the Online Entry Form will work for you. Otherwise please use the US Mail Entry Form.

What types of things can we submit to qualify as an essay for this contest?
An essay has a broad meaning for this contest, so you may submit an essay of under (750 words or less) , a video (3 minutes or less) , a photograph (up to two photographs, and up to 2MB if photo/s are emailed, poem (500 words or less) or a song to tell us why you deserve to win Roscoe’s house.

How much is the house worth?
Roscoe’s Home, which is being offered as the grand prize, was appraised at $710,000 by a licensed, independent appraiser, Browning Valuation Service, North Conway. The house is further being offered furnished, and those furnishings were appraised at a replacement value of $71,000 by Scofield Auctions for a total value of $781,000 for the home.

Can I see the house?
If you are in the Mount Washington Valley, you may drive by the property at 49 Falcon Way at Hales Location, NH. We are not able to give you a tour of the house, but you may see photos of the property here.

How much are property taxes for the house? The taxes for 2008 were $2116.

Is my home essay contest ticket price tax deductible?
Since this is a contest with a tangible prize, the ticket price is not tax deductible. If you would like to support the work of the Conway Area Humane Society, a 501-c 3 organization, you may make a tax deductible donation directly to the shelter.

What are my chances of winning the contest?
We have never done this type of contest before, and do not know how many entries we will receive. When you enter the contest, you also have a chance to win the early bird drawings of $10,000 and $5,000; all ticket holders will be entered into the drawing, and have an equal chance of winning the prize money.

Can I take cash instead of the house if I win?
If you don’t want to keep the house, you may elect to sell the house once you take the title. We can help you find a competent realtor in the area, but we cannot give you the cash value of the property.

How much money will the CAHS benefit from the contest?
The required number of tickets to sell the home are 19,750. If we reach this minimum number, the CAHS will receive approximately $200,000, less any contest expenses . Any entry fees that go above the minimum number of tickets all go to benefit the Conway Area Humane Society and homeless animals.

How will the Conway Area Humane Society use the money it raises from this contest?
All of the money we raise will be utilized to enable the Conway Area Humane Society continue its important mission of helping homeless animals.

What happens if you do not sell the minimum number of tickets?
In the event that we do not reach our minimum number of tickets, the contest will convert to a 50/50 raffle, and the CAHS will benefit from 50% of the money collected for the essay contest. For example, if we sell 4,000 tickets, the total amount of money collected would be $200,000, which would be split evenly between the contest winner and the CAHS.

If I win the early bird drawing, do I need to enter again for the second early bird drawing or for the grand prize?
No, your ticket prize of $50 enters you into all three components of the contest, for the two early bird drawings AND the contest to win the house.

Can I enter the contest more than once?
Yes you can, but you would need to submit an essay or other multi-media entry along with any additional entries.

Will I have to pay taxes or insurance if I win the house?
The value of any prize will be taxable income to the winner. Accordingly, to claim the Home the winner must deliver to the Conway Area Humane Society in the form of cash, bank or certified check, or wire transfer funds in the total amount of the Federal income tax withholding required by law. For example, the winner of the Home valued at $781,000, whose annual income fell into the 35% tax bracket would be required to pay $273,350 to the Conway Area Humane Society before being able to claim the Home. For another example, for the winner of the early bird raffle for $10,000 whose annual income fell into the 25% tax bracket, the Conway Area Humane Society would withhold $2,500 of the prize. The prize winner will also need to arrange for their own home owner’s insurance on the house.

If I win the house, will it be reported to the state and the IRS?
Yes, it is a legal requirement that any prizes of over $5,000 be reported to the IRS.

If I win one of the cash prizes, do you withhold taxes and report my winnings to the state and the IRS?
Yes, the law requires the CAHS to report all prizes of $600 or more and withhold taxes on prizes of $5,000 and above.

When is the deadline for entering the contest?
We will accept entries up to Sept. 30th, with the option of extending the contest for 120 days. We will post a new deadline if we do make the decision to extend the contest.

How Long Will it Take for me to Take Ownership of the House?
It is our intent to have the house close within 90 days of the announcement of the Grand Prize Winner, which would be 90 days from October 20 2009 if the minimum number of 19,750 entries are received. If we extend the contest, the date will be 90 days from the last date of the contest.

How Long Until I receive the Cash Prize?
The cash prize will be awarded within five business days of the drawing close, with a check mailed or shipped to the winner.

Will the Winning Entry be Posted Along with the Winner?
Yes, we plan to post the top ten entrants (entrants, not entries) on our website, which will include the winning entry and winner. We will also list the cash prize winners on our web site.