Australian Couple Raffles Off Island Resort for $49
An Australian couple is raffling off their luxury resort in Micronesia.
— -- Twenty-four years ago, Doug and Sally Beitz opened a luxury resort in Micronesia. They raised four sons in paradise.
And now that island can be yours.
The Beitzes are headed home to their native Australia to be with their grandchildren full-time. And on July 26, they will hand over Kosrae Nautilus Resort in Micronesia to one lucky person.
It's a one in 50,000 (at least) chance. But for $49, there's not much to lose.
The idea to hold the raffle instead of a traditional sale stemmed from the Beitzes desire to hand over their lives’ work to someone who has dreamed of island life just like they once did and will continue to respect the island's precious ecosystem -- and not simply the person with the deepest pockets.
“We wanted to make our resort affordable for everyone,” Doug Beitz explained. “While we are sad to part with it, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to make someone’s dreams come true.”
Anyone anywhere in the world over the age of 21 is eligible to win. But if fewer than 50,000 tickets are sold, the raffle winner will instead win a cash prize in the amount of 50 percent of the total ticket sales instead of the resort.
But Adam Beitz, one of the couple's sons, told ABC News that's an unlikely scenario. "We’ve had to upgrade a servers twice due to the volume of traffic has caused our site to crash. We’re well on track to hit the 50,000. Splitting the winnings isn’t an option now, someone will definitely win the hotel and have their life forever changed."
He added that the majority of tickets have been sold in the U.S., with Australia in close second.
The owners claim the resort is debt-free and profitable. It has 16 long-term employees. The resort has 55 percent minimum occupancy guaranteed through August 2017. It has a 4.5 of 5 rating on TripAdvisor.
For official rules and details and to purchase tickets visit, WintheIslandEstates.com.
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