You could own this Houston home for only $150 and an essay

This Houston house could be yours for just $150 and an essay. It may sound too good to be true, but this appears completely legitimate.

Realtor Michael Wachs has sold plenty of other people's homes the traditional way, but when it comes to selling his own home, he decided to try something unusual. He and his wife are offering his two-bedroom, one-bathroom house to the person who writes the most compelling 200 word essay as to why they should get the 1056-square foot home, and pays a $150 entry fee.

Wachs says he was inspired by the owners of the Center Love Inn in Maine who made headlines earlier in 2015 for selling their property a similar way, and thought it was a compelling way to drum up interest in the listing.

And if you think house is run-down and the owners are just trying to unload it for cheap, think again. The bathrooms and kitchen have been redone, there are hardwood floors, and the home is in Houston's fashionable Heights neighborhood.

To reach the nearly $400,000 market value, Wachs will need to receive about 3000 essays by the June 13 deadline. No word on how many completed applications he's received but with already thousands of hits on his website? He should plan on setting aside a lot of reading time this Memorial Day.

More from AOL
A look back 35 years after Mount St. Helens' deadly eruption
Taylor Swift wins 8 at Billboard Awards; Kanye gets booed
Scared bear spends week in central Louisiana neighborhood