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The US Dream Properties Contest is featured on Paul Barry's AM570 WTNT Talk Radio Show For Immediate Release
Contact: NOW – August 13, 2003
AM570 WTNT Talk Radio
AM570 WTNT Talk Radio's Paul Barry interviews US Dream Properties' Claudia Johnsen Tuesday, July 22, 2003, 4:45 p.m., Popular DC television anchor Paul Berry, creator of both TV's "7 On Your Side" and "Crimesolvers", has returned to the Washington airwaves to host his own daily talk show on AM 570 WTNT. Paul Berry interviewed Ms.Claudia Johnsen about the world's largest essay contest to date. Mr. Barry questioned Ms. Johnsen on how Claudia came up with the property essay idea. Mr. Berry found the contest fascinating and asked if people could submit entries more than once. "It's what America is all about," stated Mr. Berry. Claudia Johnsen, the 79 year old sponsor of the US Dream Properties Contests, is giving away nearly four million dollars in both real estate and jewelry to five lucky winners. Each of the five US Dream Properties contests yields a different prize. The properties featured in the www.usdreamproperties.com essay contest include:
Click on the microphone to listen to the complete interview in .wav file format. Depending on your Internet connection speed the audio file may take a few minutes to download. Please be patient.
Please read transcript while you are waiting for the audio file to download Paul Berry: "You know we run across a lot of different stories, some strange, some weird, some different, some will make you sad, and some are just like 'wow' there's an idea. USDreamProperties.com is holding a very unique contest that started on June 26th of this year. The contest is an essay contest. The sponsor is getting her affairs in order. She is almost 80 years old and she wrote a letter to Oprah Winfrey suggesting an essay contest that was sparked by something she had seen on the Oprah Show. In a nutshell what she has done is put up a number of properties, five properties I think or there about and these properties can be yours if you write an essay. You have to submit the essay with a $100 entry fee. A 75 word or less essay. Now the properties include a waterfront property in Stafford County, Virginia, 1/3 ownership in the Oxon Park apartment complex, which generates a $40,000+ income in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. A Watergate townhouse in Old Town Alexandria, a country home in Hot Springs, Virginia, and a Port Royal condo in Alexandria. All properties are owned by this ladt who was involved in real estate. Maybe what she is really trying to fo is get rid of her properties in the easyies way. But there's more to this for sure. We has asked her to join us. Claudia Johnsenis with us now to talk about the essay contest. Cluadia thanks so much for being with us." Claudia Johnsen: "Thank you or inviting me." Paul Berry: "I had the pleasure of meeting you one day. So you look like a normal natural lady. You look normal. Claudia Johnsen: "I think I am." Paul Berry: "This is a very abnormal way to do this. Why did you do this? What are you doing? Talk to us about this?" Claudia Johnsen: "Well, it's a way that I have of settling my estate. Part of death, putting things in place the way I want them to be after I die. I was inspired by a man I saw on the Oprah Show who sold me the rules and regulations for this contest." Paul Berry: "Ok, now what you have done here as I understand it, which was started on June 26th. You have picked properties, these five properties to essay winners. Is that right?" Claudia Johnsen: "That's right." Paul Berry: "The author must write the 75 words or less essay. They can either write for all five properties with 5 different essays. Claudia Johnsen: "That's correct." Paul Berry: "Each essay when they submit it must submit a $100 entry fee at the same time." Claudia Johnsen: "That's correct." Paul Berry: "Alright, what happens to this $100 entry fee. Let's ge that of the table." Claudia Johnsen: " THe money stays in an escrow account until the end of the contest. We will have to see what happens at the end of the contest. Certainly some will be used to maintain me during my lifetime." Paul Berry: "Ok, So you are going to live on some of the hundred dollar entry fees." Claudia Johnsen: "YES" Paul Berry "Ok, Ok, Well, that's fine. But the properties will go to the people who have written. I guess....who judges the essays." Claudia Johnsen: "The law students at W & L University will judge all the entrants. Of course, there's no names." Paul Berry: "Ok" Claudia Johnsen: "They are all data processed and the final judging, that was the preliminary judging. The final judging will be by three Virginia lawyers whose names I don't know." Paul Berry: "They will read these essays and decide which one is the best." Claudia Johnsen: "That is correct." Paul Berry: "And they will read essays for each property and decide the winners." Claudia Johnsen: "That is correct." Paul Berry: "OK now what do these essays have to be about?" Claudia Johnsen: "Why you would like to own which ever individual property interests you. It can be biographical, historical, geographical. It can be in rhyme form. It can be in prose form. Anything as long as it is positive. Paul Berry: "OK, so the essay writer or the author will select and say I want the Watergate Townhouse in Old Town, Alexandria." Claudia Johnsen: "Sure." Paul Berry: "OK, I am going to write 'I would like to live on the water and I would like to live in town. I would like to live in a house and Alexandria is my favorite.' Isn't that very profound. I mean this is kind of how we would start." Claudia Johnsen: "That's right." Paul Berry: "So whatever comes to mind we would write that and submit that with my $100." Claudia Johnsen: That's correct the law prmits the context to run for no more that one year. Paul Berry: "OK, my question is there a timetable on each property? Suppose you get 1000 essays is the contest still open? Claudia Johnsen: "Of course." Paul Berry: "When are you going to close the contest? Property #1? Claudia Johnsen: "You are limited by law...it's a complicated formula depending upon the accessment on the property. Gosh, you ask me these accounting questions." Paul Berry: "I'm sorry, so that we understand, in other words, there is a limit to..." Claudia Johnsen: "There is a limit to the amount of entries there can be." Paul Berry: "OK, once you reach that you start the process of evaluating the essays?" Claudia Johnsen: "That's correct." Paul Berry: "And then you move to the next property or maybe you do them all at the same time." Claudia Johnsen: "You can do them all at the same time." Paul Berry: "Gotcha...Hey Claudia how old are you?" Claudia Johnsen: "Seventy-nine!" Paul Berry: "You know, you're sharp...I think I like this...you know...well good luck to you on this. So what is the address to the website?" Claudia Johnsen: "It is www.usdreamproperties.com." Paul Berry: "So the most it is going to cost an individual is $100." Claudia Johnsen: "That's correct." Paul Berry: "I think it is fascinating." Claudia Johnsen: "It is fascinating." Paul Berry: "Claudia, thank you so much for joining us." Claudia Johnsen: "Thank you for having me." Paul Berry: "www.usdreamproperties.com...Listen, it's unique...it's what America is all about." |
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