Tom and Veronica Eardley live in Houston. They own a private tropical island.

And they want to give it away.

All you have to do is tell them why you should win it. Oh, and pay $99.99 to enter the essay-writing contest the couple is busy organizing. The island contest begins September 1st and ends December 29th, 2017.

The 1.7 acre island lies in Lake Nicaragua, a freshwater lake close to the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border. With the Pacific a short drive away, our friends at Wikipedia tell us Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake in Central America, and the ninth largest in the Americas.

The couple, who are business owners in the Bayou City, decided to have the island essay contest to promote tourism in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. “The contest will bring much more attention than a typical real estate listing would,” explains Tom Eardley.

And don’t discount the romance of the undertaking, says Eardley. “The island contest will also make someone’s dream of living on a private tropical island come true for less than a $100 investment.”

If you’re ready to swap the Lone Star State for island living, then now’s the time to get your writing head on. Pour your heart and soul into 200 words that describe why you want to live on a private island, pay your entry fee–and hope that at least another 5,249 people do the same.

The rules require that a minimum of 5,250 essays be submitted in order for the contest to go ahead. If fewer than 5,250 essays are entered, the Eardley’s will keep the island and split the money from the entry fees with the essay winner, minus the contest expenses. (Be sure to read the full terms and conditions of the rules before entering. They’ll be available September 1.)

A similar essay contest for a Bed & Breakfast in Maine received over 7,300 entries, and the B&B has a proud new owner, so the odds of winning this island are very good, says Eardley.
Assuming the contest receives the minimum number of entries, the Eardleys will pay the costs to legally transfer the island to the lucky winner. And, bonus: property taxes are only 1% of the value. Time to write!