HGTV Dream Home

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The HGTV Dream Home is the American cable network Home & Garden Television's annual project house and sweepstakes, held since 1997. The contest commences with a January 1 television special showcasing the fully furnished, custom-built home; viewers are invited to enter online or by sending in a postcard. The 2005 contest drew 39.1 million entries. [1]

Starting with the 2004 Dream Home in St. Marys, Georgia, public tours have been offered, with some of the ticket proceeds going to local charitable groups.

The 2006 Dream Home, located near Lake Lure, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a 5,700-square-foot traditional-style mountain home. The total value of the prize package, which includes an SUV and $250,000 in cash, is more than $2 million.

Most of the Dream Home winners have sold their prizes, largely because of the accompanying tax bills, and as of 2006, only two winners had lived in their houses. The most recent, 2005 Lake Tyler winner Don Cruz, initially planned to keep the house after having his plan to rent out portions as a bed-and-breakfast rejected; however, he decided to sell after receiving tax forms showing the house had a higher value than he originally thought. [2]