A cash-strapped family in a San Diego-area suburb has found a way to keep their home from foreclosure: They've allowed a marketing company to turn their home into a giant billboard.

The decision by Scott and Beth Hostetler means their $2,000 US monthly mortgage on their home in Buena Park will paid by Brainiacs From Mars. A spokesman for the firm says it hopes to extend the deal to 1,000 homes across the States in a bid to bring in new advertising business.