Pro Wrestler Marlena to 'Give Away' Home

 

It's no secret that the housing market is far less than desirable these days. Home foreclosures are at an all-time high and according to a new government report, home prices across the U.S. fell nearly 5% this past May alone.

So what is a homeowner to do when she's ready to pack up and move, but encounters an unforgiving market that slows down or prevents the sale of her house?

In the case of Terri Runnels, she's giving it away.

Runnels may be best known to her fans as Marlena, the World Wrestling Federation diva. These days, though, she's moved away from the ring, focusing more on her family and charity work.

Former Wrestler Terri Runnels

That focus is what led her to create "Make the World Write," a national essay contest whose winner will win $100,000, as well as Runnels' personal home in Gainesville, Fla. That certainly an admirable prize in any situation, but what makes it more unique is how Runnels is trying to navigate the worsening housing market and economy.

"The reason I came up with this," says Runnels, "is because I was going to sell my house ... and the market is horrible."

She decided if she couldn't sell it, she would give it away. And with that, Make the World Write was born. The contest is simple: the entry fee is $200, and you must write "how you will change the world for the better," according to the Web site.

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