Press Release

One Man's Home is Another Man's Advertising Opportunity
February 22, 2007

In the tradition of the wildly popular "One Red Paper Clip" and "The Million Dollar Homepage", Asheville, North Carolina resident Evan Smith has initiated a challenge that just might give him a place to call home. Daunted by trying to buy a reasonably decent house in an area where property values are skyrocketing, Smith is approaching his dilemma from another angle. The 42 year old chef/kitchen manager read about the Red Paper Clip and the Million Dollar Homepage and "thought maybe that kind of approach might work well for getting into a better house than I can afford around here."

Smith's idea is to build a house in Asheville from the ground up entirely by sponsorship. "Service professionals, retailers, craftsmen, real estate agencies - anyone can be a part of this project and have their names, products, and work connected to and advertised by this project." The projects that inspired his idea were hugely successful and Smith feels his project will get the same kind of attention.

"I'm not looking for a free ride." he says. "I am offering a service in exchange for sponsorship." The service he offers includes national exposure for sponsors throughout the project process as well as continuing publicity through maintaining the resulting house as a showcase for anyone interested in seeing the sponsors' services and products in action. His plans also include publishing a unique catalog that highlights all of the sponsors' contributions along with details on how to obtain the different services and products used in the Showcase Home.

Smith is quick to point out that "this is not like the HGTV Dream Home" where one lucky person wins a luxurious dream home every year. "Although, I wouldn't mind having HGTV as a sponsor." he says. "This project will take a lot of work before and after the house is built." He says he will be the caretaker for this home living in the finished project in addition to facilitating and overseeing the project from start to finish. "I'm going to need everything from Internet, legal, and banking services to land, lumber, and home decor. The project will take on a life of it's own as all the players get into the game."

"This is only the beginning," he says with a smile and looking off into the distance. "If this project goes well, I can see doing this on an annual basis choosing new caretakers for each new home." Smith is currently documenting his project at ShowcaseHomeProject2007.blogspot.com but that may change if another blogging site decides to sponsor him. For now, he says the only sure way to reach him is at his email address: evan.smith@yahoo.com .