Many real estate agents promise you a sweet deal, but Erin Allard is quite literally willing to give you a home in exchange for a tasty re...
Many real estate agents promise you a sweet deal, but Erin Allard is quite literally willing to give you a home in exchange for a tasty recipe.
The Antioch resident is hosting a dessert contest, and the person with the best entry wins a 1906 Craftsman home.
Yes, an actual house.
Situated in Jackson, the 2,267-square-foot century-old residence features four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large basement.
Encouraged to think outside the marketing box, Allard combined her love of baking with moving property. She spent weeks hammering out details and legalities to ensure the idea goes off without issue.
Allard, 26, naturally considered selling the home in a traditional matter, but because the "Jackson market is small and rural, it typically takes many months to sell a home. I figured if I was going to have to wait awhile, I wanted to do something fun to 'sell' the house in the mean time."
Allard, who grew up and attended schools in Antioch, started her Rockford Investments in 2014 "as a vehicle for doing historic renovations like this one."
A licensed real estate agent, her real passion -- in addition to baking -- is to restore and add sheen to older homes.
"I strongly believe everyone should get to live in a place that brings them happiness. I'm lucky to be a catalyst for that," she said. "I love the creative process involved in turning a dilapidated home into a newfound gem.
"It's exciting to have a vision for something so large-scale, and then coordinate craftspeople and designers to execute that vision."
In regards to the Jackson home renovation, her favorite aspect of the big project was the floor.
"The maple flooring downstairs was salvaged decades ago from a local roller skating rink. The maple was eventually carpeted over. The wood was in great shape but the old-style polyurethane had faded to a deep orange color. I hired a contractor to sand the old coating off. I resealed, sanded and vacuumed the floors on my hands and knees. It took three coats and many weeks but the results are stunning."
The Antioch resident's focus is on historic homes wherever they may be located. However, "there are a few near downtown Antioch I'd love to get my hands on."
"I'm also deeply passionate about improving housing."
With a $100 entry fee and a can't-resist dessert, participants have the chance to win the refurbished home. The recipes will be judged by a panel of food experts.
To say that this is an unusual way to receive a $390,000 home is an understatement.
So unique, Allard's idea was recently shared with a large audience via Bigger Pockets, an industry go-to site.
The dessert contest deadline has been extended to Sept. 7.
For details and more information, visit www.facebook.com/HomeRecipeContest or www.homerecipecontest.com, or email Allard at ea@rockfordinvest.com.
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