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EMMETT, Idaho (KBOI) — There's an old house for sale in Emmett - for free.

"We would sell it for a dollar," said John Morgan, a board member of the First Baptist Church.

Morgan posted an ad on Craigslist in the beginning of February titled "Free house to qualified."

The catch? You just have to safely and legally move it to another location, on your own dime.

The 800-square foot home has four rooms and one bathroom. It is located behind First Baptist Church in Emmett on 1st and Hayes streets.

A church member gave the house and the property it sits on to the church in the 1920s.

The gift was in the woman's will.

"Without telling anyone; and when she passed away, it showed up in the record," he told KBOI 2News. "(It was used) as Sunday school, and for a wedding or two way back when."

But through the years, the house's deterioration has shifted its purpose into a storage unit.

"Part of the roof leaks," he explained. "...and the idea of trying to fix (things deteriorating in the home) always comes to a 'no' vote."

The board of trustees has been debating what to do with the house for several years, including demolishing the home, but that's an issue, too.

"The exterior paint is all lead-based paint; (we can't demolish the place) because the flakes of the lead-based paint would spread around," Morgan said.

So what option did they come up with?

The board wants to give the home away to a qualified individual who they can help.

"Why not give the house away as-is, advising of its problems?"

But Morgan says the house has real potential to be something great.

"It can really be transformed into a cute little cottage," Morgan said. "It could (also) be put to good use."

He says he and his wife would take it home with them if they had the means to fix it up.

So far, Morgan has received calls from residents in rural areas, such as Weiser, who have several acres of land, others inquiring about moving in their small businesses, and replies from recovering addicts who simply need a place to live.

"Your heart goes out to people like that," he said.

To qualify, the church asks for someone to show their financial ability to move the house safely to another location and be able to address the environmental hazards.

The Craigslist description reads:

"Recipient would be required to move building to their location. The cost of move would be the recipient's responsibility. A "Hold Harmless" agreement in favor of First Baptist Church would be required. Originally used as the pastor's residence and has fallen into a storage facility use. Some major repair would be necessary to the roof, front and back, also internal flooring."

A "Hold Harmless" agreement is a bonded, insured evidence showing the house won't create any damage - such as tearing down power lines - once it leaves the property and has the means to get the house to its intended location.

"We don't want someone to come pick it up and get on Washington (Avenue) and have it fall over and kill someone," Morgan said.

The church's last resort would be to shell out the big bucks to a demolition company and someone who could help minimize the environmental hazards, but Morgan believes there has to be someone out there who can take the house off their hands.

"There has got to be somebody we can help," he said.

To get more information about the house, read the Craigslist ad here or contact John Morgan at (208) 866-3733.

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