Win a Maine Inn in Essay Contest

— -- All you need is $125 and a dream.

Oh, and a penchant for the written word.

Running a quaint New England Inn is the dream of many. But often, quaint comes with a steep price. Here's a chance to win an inn -- the Center Lovell Inn in Maine, about three hours north of Boston -- estimated to be worth 900k.

And all you have to do is write a short essay and with your submission, a $125 check.

The current innkeeper, Janice Sage, herself won the inn in an essay contest 22 years ago, according to The Boston Globe. But after 17-hour days, $500,000 in renovations and serving up to 120 dinners a night in the inn's restaurant, Sage is ready to move on.

The inn reportedly comes with all the furnishings, but no food or alcohol. And the person who wins the contest must agree to "maintain the property as a country inn and restaurant for at least one year after the hand-over, keep the building painted white, and maintain the roofing and shutters in forest green, hunter green, or black."

Sage expects about 7,500 entries. That would come to almost $940,000 for Sage to enjoy her retirement.

She will read all the entries on the subject: "Why I would like to own and operate a country inn," by May 17, the Globe reported.

She'll choose her top 20 and then hand those over to two unnamed area judges who will pick the winner. The transfer is expected to be complete within 30 days.