Where Are They Now? Hgtv Dream Homes

A rendering of the 2014 HGTV Dream Home

Although the competitor hasn't officially opened, HGTV has announced the location of its 2014 Dream Home: Lake Tahoe, California. The 3,200-square-foot cabin is beingness built inward Schaffer's Mill, a golf, ski, in addition to lake community, amongst lots starting at $275,000. This is the 18th Dream Home giveaway, which most probable way the 18th abode HGTV builds, in addition to and hence either has the builder sell (if the winner takes cash) or watches the novel possessor sell after the reality of outrageous holding taxes sets in. 

The winner volition live granted access to a 48-foot yacht (owned past times the Schaffer's Mill community) in addition to door-to-door service to a nearby ski resort. In add-on to the home, the winner volition have $250,000 in addition to a novel vehicle from GMC, but is responsible for existent estate transfer taxes, deed recording costs, in addition to closing costs (ack!). The IRS will, of course, have got a cut. 

The blueprint features 2 wings, i amongst amusement space, the other amongst iii bedrooms. The wings are separated past times an outdoor living space. 

Alternately, the lucky winner tin have got a cash prize, effectively giving the holding dorsum to the builder to sell. "Sometimes, it's non fifty-fifty a affair of whether or non they tin afford the house," says Jack Thomasson, the HGTV solid planner. "Sometimes, it's a affair of geography, in addition to if you lot in addition to your identify unit of measurement are real settled inward a for sure expanse inward some other purpose of the country, it's non truly practical to movement to some other location." 

Somehow, I have got problem believing this, every bit fifty-fifty winners who have got tried to claim the properties have got ultimately sold them, normally for fiscal reasons. 

2013 Dream Home | Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Carole Simpson, a resident of rural Columbia, Tennessee, won this Kiawah Island property, non besides far from Parris Island, where she was formerly stationed every bit a Marine. An avid baker, Carole was peculiarly excited nigh the well-appointed kitchen, every bit good every bit the gas fireplace (so she'd no longer have got to haul wood). She planned to utilization purpose of the $500,000 cash prize to see her boy inward Australia. 

Alas, Carole listed the abode inward June for $2,395,000. (See the listing here.) Features include an aluminum roof, hurricane-proof windows, a groovy room amongst 22-foot ceilings, a 600-square-foot deck, a plunge pool, in addition to slow access to the beach. 

2012 Dream Home | Midway, Utah

Vicki Naggy, a barber from a small-scale town inward Pennsylvania, won this 4,321-square-foot showplace after entering online twice a day, every day. The abode was built for outdoor living, amongst v decks (connected via boardwalk), mount views on all sides, in addition to a 2.4-acre lot. Vicki had never been to Utah before, in addition to her hubby had never flown inward a plane. 

Ultimately, the twosome decided to have got the cash prize, hence the solid was listed for sale, fully furnished, for $1,495,000. The abode sold inward 2012, but lots are soundless available inward the development. 

2011 Dream Home | Stowe, Vermont

Winners Eric in addition to Katie Makstenieks had never been to Vermont. But after they won the 3,400-square-foot, ski-in, ski-out lodge, the Illinois couple decided to utilization it every bit a opor-garai home, in addition to hence rent the holding the residue of the time. They exclusively managed to remain in that location v times. 

Which is why they seat it upward for sale. The selling price: $2.7 million, downwards from nearly $3.8 1000000 (with annual taxes of $27,720). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 identify unit of measurement of vii from Boston bought the place, amongst plans to add together a quaternary sleeping room over the garage. The abode boasts 2 giant gathering rooms, a chef's kitchen, in addition to fantastic views of the ski slopes, in addition to was sold amongst all of the furnishings in addition to artwork from HGTV. 

2010 Dream Home | Sandia Park, New Mexico 

A New Orleans adult woman whose abode was destroyed during Katrina won this New United Mexican United States of America masterpiece. She after listed the 4,208-square-foot home, located betwixt Santa atomic number 26 in addition to Albuquerque on a 3-acre plot, for $1,195,000, in addition to eventually reduced the toll to $899,000. It has since sold. (See the one-time listing here.)

2009 Dream Home | Sonoma, California

Cheryl Smith, a Florida retiree, was some other winner who'd never visited the province where her prize abode was waiting. As she told a Florida newspaper, "We've never been to California. We don't know what's going to happen." She also noted that she didn't have got a domestic dog to alive inward the matching doggy dream home. Then bigger concerns gear upward in: The sales taxes on the 3,700-square-foot abode were one-half a 1000000 dollars, in addition to annual holding taxes totaled $25,000 a year, which would have got forced Smith's hubby out of retirement.

The twosome sold the abode 3 months after for $2.2 1000000 to the human who built it. (He turned about in addition to listed it i time again for 10 per centum to a greater extent than than that.) The charming purpose of the story: The twosome donated the contents of the home, valued at $187,000, to a California charity for needy children in addition to schools. They did, however, continue the vino from the fully stocked cellar for themselves. 

2008 Dream Home | Islamorada, Florida 

Stephanie Dee, of Iowa, won this 3,500-square-foot Florida Keys stunner, which features a media room, gourmet kitchen, in addition to a line-fishing room, consummate amongst eighteen rods. Dee entered the Dream Home giveaway 4 or v times a day, but after she won, said she wished the abode was inward Iowa, rather than the isle location inward the Keys.

Then in that location was the coin issue: She in addition to her hubby would have got to fork over $700,000 inward sales taxes, some other $20,000 inward annual holding taxes, in addition to several K a twelvemonth for air current insurance. The twosome sold the abode a few months after for $1,650,000. Then fourteen months later, the novel owners listed it for $1,599,000 million. The solid sold about 700 days after for $850,000.

2007 Dream Home | Winter Park, Colorado

This i is closed to my heart: The winner lived inward Johnson City, Tennessee, where I was born! Bob O'Neill, a retired postmaster from Florida, in addition to his novel married adult woman inward Tennessee won the 4,000-square-foot Rocky Mountain chalet after they'd spent months hunting for a abode together. He ended upward selling the identify to invest inward a dream abode closer to his Tennessee residence. 

2006 Dream Home | Lake Lure, North Carolina

 

The winner of this Blue Ridge Mountain mansion, Donald Cook, was from West Virginia. His plan: to alive inward the 5,700-square-foot abode for a few weeks, in addition to hence sell it to avoid shelling out nearly 20 grand a twelvemonth inward holding taxes. He ultimately sold it dorsum to the developer of the lake-view community, Grey Rock. 

The twenty-four threescore minutes stream the edifice site was announced, the Dream Home developers received 6,000 holding inquiries. As of 2010, though, Grey Rock soundless exclusively had i home: the HGTV Dream Home. It sold at foreclosure toll inward 2009. The novel owners say they bask the solitude: "Being the exclusively abode on 4,500 acres is somewhat unique inward that our 'neighbors' include dark bears, deer, fox, bobcats, wolves, coyotes, addition besides many turkeys to count...We soundless have got a number of people who rear to the electronic gate inward hopes of getting inward to reckon the Dream Home. We normally politely pass upward their requests to visit." 

2005 Dream Home | Lake Tyler, Texas

Don Cruz of Ilinois won this Texas Dream Home, in addition to inward a rare move, opted to settle into the barn-inspired abode for good, rather than similar a shot selling it every bit most winners do. At 6,000 foursquare feet, the prize home, which includes a brain building, split master copy suite, in addition to invitee house, was vii times the size of his Chicago-area residence.

His start excogitation was to brand the abode a B&B, but in addition to hence he flora out he didn't truly ain the the world the behemoth was built on. He exactly had a 30-year lease on it, which, according to local rules, meant he couldn't opened upward a problem organisation on the property. Then, he considered selling the invitee cottage, but hitting the same roadblock: Town regulations required that the holding remain intact. He lastly decided to brand ends run into past times merely living off of the then-$250,000 prize money.

But the expenses speedily piled up: $2,900 inward monthly upkeep, $7,000 a twelvemonth for homeowners' insurance, $1,000 a calendar month for the mortgage on the identify unit of measurement abode dorsum inward Indiana, in addition to thousands a calendar month on electricity. Then in that location were the holding taxes in addition to the $672,000 he was expected to pay on his winnings. Oh, in addition to the $11,000 he spent repairing his boat, $6,000 to install a domestic dog run, $2,000 for scuba lessons, $1,800 for a go-kart, in addition to $40,000 to charity. 

He lastly faced reality after a twelvemonth in addition to listed the solid for $5.5 million, fifty-fifty though local realtors said it was exclusively worth $2.5 million. The concluding selling toll after the abode went into foreclosure: $1.43 million.

Did he regret non selling it from the start? Nope. "It's been a blessing. I'm going to missy all of our identify unit of measurement in addition to friends here," Cruz told a local reporter. "But no regrets, whatsover. I'd create it all over again." 

2004 Dream Home | St. Marys, Georgia

 

Californian Kathi Nakao claimed this coastal beauty, but amongst her background inward accounting, similar a shot knew she wouldn't live able to continue the identify for long. "I never permit myself larn where I idea I was going to remain in that location forever," she told reporters. After spending several long vacations at her Georgia Dream Home, she sold it inward July 2005. How'd she pass the winnings? She paid her taxes on the home, renovated her solid inward Sacramento to resemble the Dream Home, donated coin to charity, helped out her children, in addition to bought a 1956 Chevrolet sports car.

The 3,900-square-foot abode is at nowadays dorsum on the marketplace position for $1.25 million, downwards from $1.5 million. (See the listing here.)