If you're having trouble paying your mortgage, a marketing company called Brainiacs From Mars might be able to help you.


--They'll make your monthly payment for you . . . if you're willing to let them paint the entire outside of your house into a billboard advertising their company.


--The paint job doesn't cover the windows or the roof, but the rest of the exterior gets turned into a billboard and has to remain that way for anywhere from a month to a year. And they only pay while it's still painted.


--They've been looking for 1,000 homeowners across the country since they came up with the idea last spring. The first homes just started getting painted last week.


--They've received 38,000 applications so far, but they're still looking, because they expect to encounter, quote, "zoning issues in some cities."