Dream Home Win a Disaster
Remember the beautiful HGTV 2008 Dream Home that I told you about? 
The first floor of the house has a garage with a sports closet – because you’re definitely want to get in the fishing action in the Well girls, I have been dreamin’ of a new vacation spot since I posted the link. A pool, a cabana boy, a Yukon to drive while on vacation, a tan to cover my motherhood-whitehood, and a lot of fishing, swimming, and margarrrrritas. Ahhhh, yeah.
The clear water and fine sand of the Florida Keys beat the Georgia Coast any day!
But, I am wondering…would it be a tax nightmare? I am not an accountant but consider myself pretty-okay with numbers. I don’t want to be a party pooper but it is simply not adding up to me.
Case in point: apparently Don Cruz of Illinois was the last winner. Winning the Dream home seemed to be the answer to his family’s financial problems, and it was if they considered it a gift of money after taxes and not an actual home.
Remember, I am looking for a new beach house. But, I guess, I could look at it like a lottery. The money would be fine (a-okay with me). But, did you know that the Cruz’s did not even even win the land with the home! The land is owned by the city of Tyler, Texas.
I think, winning the Dream Home is more like winning the lottery than an actual home as the televised building is more a promotion than a home give away. Is that what you are gathering?
The Cruz’s booty, the $1.5 million Dream Home, included $600,000 federal and $30,000 in property taxes. Nice work, Cruz’s. Who wants to win that? More, they won other gifts they had to pay taxes on, too and they had to pay for the upkeep of the house ie. electricity, landscaping, etc. The house they won in 2005 was up for auction, yesterday, January 8, 2008. No, I am not kidding.
“WORRY DOLL LEGEND – There is a legend amongst the Highland Indian villages of Guatemala: “If you have a problem, then share it with a worry doll. Before going to bed, tell one worry to each doll, then place them beneath your pillow. Whilst you sleep, the dolls will take your worries away!”
Maybe I should get the Cruz’s a full set of Worry Dolls. I’ll order a dozen and a half of those please!
According to Michael Emilio, no Dream Home winner has EVER lived in their prize! And, Emily Yarborough, the HGTV spokeswoman even admits it, “We maintain that the Dream Home sweepstakes is just about living your dream” not necessarily living in THEIR dream home.
Hmm…I am rethinking my dream of the Dream Home. Maybe I am glad I haven’t had a chance to enter yet. Maybe I am happy to NOT have a dream house in the keys.
On second thought, I’ll take my chances. I will keep dreaming!
More Reading: The House that Swallowed Don & Shelly Cruz, The Auction
To enter: http://christyhulsey.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/hgtvs-dream-house-3008/
*Worry Doll Photo by distinguish
Yes, I had read that no dream home winner has ever been able to keep the home, due to the high taxes that had to be paid. I always enter, with the mindset that I could stay there for a fabulous one-week vacation, take some of the furnishings, then sell the house, pay the taxes, and have a little money left over. I heard that their is always a waiting list of people (who can truly afford it) to buy it. It would still be fun, even if you can’t keep it!
Laurel Sauls
January 9, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Yes, I actually read the article that you posted a link to . . .and then quickly went to HGTV.com and entered the contest . . .
We would never be able to afford the home either, but we sure could use a little vacation! :)
theramblinghousewife
January 10, 2008 at 8:53 am
The vacation and the income boost would be FABULOUS
christygriner
January 15, 2008 at 12:36 am
Even if our family had to sell the HGTV Dream home we still would be winners. Having the opportunity to make money from selling it would provide us an opportunity to do things in our lives we haven’t been able to do. Either way it would be a true blessing……
Karen Tyree
February 19, 2008 at 9:49 am
I am looking for the application section to enroll our property for the 2010 HGTV or the Green House. After many hours of search I have not been able to find the find it, Please give me the link or info, the HGTVpro.com is not getting me there.
I am desperate and running out of time.
Thank You
Mark Neighbors
Mark Neighbors
February 23, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I think this is a shame!
The tax structure in this country needs to be revamped and modified so that when people win something like this the government can’t just come in with their greedy little hands and pull the rug from underneath their feet! (I am surprised that no one is beating there chest about this!) Don Cruz should have been able to walk in to his new house with out the burden of that huge tax bill! If that were out of the way he could have managed the local state taxes and stayed in his home and I believe that even the local and state taxes should be modified or cut in 1/2 for the first year so that winners of something like this can get settled. once settled they are an asset to the community because they are contributing to state and local property tax. (does anyone agree with me on this!) This is what’s wrong with the way our tax system it makes it almost impossible for those at the bottom to rise to the top. Even if you are given a way to be on top you are immediately knocked back down to the bottom because of taxes!
Dorian
Dorian
June 7, 2009 at 10:14 am