Free rent for a year plus $10,000 is the grand prize in the "Roommate of the Year Contest," an online video competition beginning Monday.

"We're asking renters across the country to define and demonstrate what makes them America's best roommate," said Tammy Kotula, public relations manager for Apartments.com, the sponsor of the contest.

Economic factors are the No. 1 reason more renters are choosing to double up with roommates. According to recent national survey, the top five reasons renters choose to live with a roommate are: (1) saving money, (2) cannot afford to live alone, (3) the desire to afford a nicer place, (4) enjoy living with others and (5) loneliness.

"We felt this data specifically reflected how the economy is directly affecting renters," said Kotula. "It inspired us to create our contest."

More than 60 percent of renters surveyed said they currently live with a roommate. An additional 47 percent not currently living with a roommate plan to move in with one when their lease expires this year.

Seventy-six percent live with one roommate, 16 percent reside with two roommates and 8 percent dwell with three or more roommates.

"This underscores the importance of finding a compatible roommate," she said.

Renters are seeking responsible roommates. When asked which roommate qualities matter most, more than half of renters surveyed said they look for someone pays bills on time.

The contest is open to all kinds of roommates -- friend, significant other, spouse, child, parent or even a pet.

Here are the five Roommate Contest categories:

The Coolest Crib: The roomie with the coolest stuff.

The Lovable Compulsive: The roommate who cooks, cleans and pays the bills ensuring the apartment is always in order.

The Superhero: The roomie who possesses special skills. "Everyone has a hidden talent," said Kotula.

The Purr-fect Pet: The pet roommate.

The Individualist: The roomie with creativity to make an apartment stand out.

Entries will be judged with equal weight on originality and creativity, overall "wow" factor, persuasive argument, style and production. Entries must be received by June 30.

"Everyone can relate to roommate horror stories," said Kotula.

"My roommate thought our apartment was haunted," said one Apartments.com reader. "He decided to buy a candle and cast a spell to get rid of the 'spirits.' The candle smelled horrible."

"My roommate in college filled the dishwasher with dish soap, not detergent. We had a kitchen full of bubbles," recalled a reader.

How about a roommate with a pet squirrel -- or a pet rat? Or a roommate who thinks she's an opera singer?

It's hard to find a roommate who blends in. "My roommate got lilies from her boyfriend," says a reader. "We didn't have a vase, so she took the pitcher from my blender, filled it with water, stuck the flowers in and placed it proudly on the dining room table."

Could you tolerate a roommate who eats peanut butter with pasta?

"My college roommate got addicted to an online video game and would stay at his computer 24/7 in his boxers," gripes one reader. "He would order take-out for food and skipped classes constantly."

Sometimes, there's a parting shot. "She spread tortilla chips all over my bedroom floor because I chose to move out," says another reader.

These incidents underscore why the Web site wants to hear about good roommates. "We want to find the best roommate qualities," said Kotula.

To enter, submit a video (2 minutes or less) at www.roommateoftheyear.com.

Would you like to slice deep-dish pizza with a cutter that looks like a tiny circular saw?

Want to multitask while you eat with blue plastic utensils that attach to a Bic pen?

How about blowing bubbles while you scrub gunk off your plate?

Wacky but useful kitchen items are shown at www.ThisOldHouse.com.

Twenty-five percent of all current listings in Chicago have had at least one price reduction, according to an industry report.

The average listing price in Chicago is $446,775 and the average price reduction is $36,291 (8 percent), notes the study by Trulia Inc.

"It doesn't matter if your price point is $200,000 or $2 million, in these difficult times people are searching for the best deals they can find on homes," said Pete Flint, Trulia CEO and co-founder.

The average listing price in New York City is $2 million, and the city leads the nation in 39 percent of listings with price deductions, the study says.