House Raffles: Dream or Nightmare?

I field questions about raffle fundraisers quite often.  Especially since the downturn in the economy and housing crisis, I have heard from several people who want to raffle their own house.  It won’t sell on the real estate market so why not raffle it? The first reason not to do a house raffle, is that in most cases a raffle must benefit a charity.  So the first hurdle is that you have to either be willing to donate your house to a charity that actually wants it, or is willing to buy it from