Cobblestone Manor owners trying to sell via essay contest
It’s a hot real estate market these days and one southern Alberta business is trying a unique method to stand out from the rest – for the second time.
On Jan. 15, Cardston’s Cobblestone Manor launched a new effort to attract a buyer for the 102-year-old business by offering it to anyone who has $500 and a well-written essay.
“Contestants can win the Cobblestone Manor by writing a letter of 300 words or less about their vision for the future of the property,” officials said in a news release this week.
The contest closes on July 15, but they could extend that deadline if the 3,000-letter target isn’t met.
Simple math suggests that if the required number of letters are received, the owners could raise $1.5 million through the campaign.
The Cobblestone Manor’s current owners, Ivan and Marsha Negrych, have operated it as a bed and breakfast for the past 20 years.
In 2019, they also hoped to find a buyer with the same idea, but entries were $100.
At that time, they were looking for 17,000 essays, which would mean $1.7 million for the Negrychs.
But the couple told CTV News during the first campaign that it wasn’t about