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HGTV Dream Home

Have Any HGTV Dream Home Winners Sold Their House?

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Yes. Marie Fratta, the winner of the 2024 HGTV Dream Home sweepstakes, sold the prize home on Anastasia Island, Florida. A Florida Times-Union report republished by Yahoo says property records show it sold for $2 million on September 4, 2024. The house was listed about two months after HGTV announced Fratta as the winner; the available reporting does not establish when she received title or why she sold.

What happened to the 2024 HGTV Dream Home?

HGTV announced Marie Fratta as the 2024 winner. Warner Bros. Discovery described her prize package as worth more than $2.2 million, including the furnished Florida home, a Mercedes-Benz and $100,000. That announced package value is not the home’s sale price: the Florida Times-Union report says property records show the home sold for $2 million on September 4, 2024.

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The timeline shows the home was listed roughly two months after the winner announcement, but it does not show when Fratta received ownership. Nor do the cited reports explain her decision or state how much she received after any taxes, fees or other costs.

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Have other winners sold or kept their homes?

A historical summary citing 2005 reporting said that most Dream Home winners had sold their prizes and that only two had lived in their houses as of 2006. It associated sales with property taxes and other bills. That is a dated snapshot, not a current tally or a complete record of winners since then.

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HGTV’s winners index names recent winners, including Fratta in 2024 and Tricia Smith in 2025, but does not track whether they kept a home, sold it or chose a cash alternative. The available sources therefore establish at least one sale, not what every winner did.

Why can keeping a prize home be costly?

HGTV’s 2026 official rules place significant costs on the winner who accepts the home. They make the winner responsible for federal, state and local taxes, transfer and recording taxes, closing costs, future real-estate taxes, title insurance, homeowner’s hazard and liability insurance, and other expenses related to receiving, owning and maintaining the property. The rules also say the winner will receive a 1099 for the prize’s actual value.

“All federal, state, and local taxes on the Grand Prize are Grand Prize Winner’s responsibility.”

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This is the wording of HGTV’s 2026 rules. Those terms illustrate the obligations attached to that year’s prize; they do not establish the tax bill or motivation of any earlier winner. The historical account of 2005 winner Don Cruz says he decided to sell after tax forms showed a higher-than-expected home value, but that is an older example reported in a secondary summary, not evidence of a present-day pattern.

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What are the 2026 prize options?

For the 2026 giveaway, HGTV’s rules describe a grand prize with an approximate retail value of $2,448,933, including the home and a $100,000 cash prize. The rules say the home’s actual value can vary with market conditions. They also offer a $750,000 cash option instead of the home and its contents, in addition to the separate $100,000 cash prize.

2026 option What the rules state What to keep in mind
Home and contents Approximate grand-prize retail value of $2,448,933, including $100,000 cash The rules say actual home value depends on market fluctuations; taxes and ownership-related expenses are the winner’s responsibility.
Cash option $750,000 instead of the home and contents, plus the separate $100,000 cash prize This is the 2026 alternative, not a term that should be assumed for earlier giveaways.

The advertised value of a prize package is not the same as sale proceeds or cash in hand. A meaningful comparison would account for the applicable year’s rules, taxes, property costs, location and whether the winner can use the home. The cited sources do not provide an individualized tax calculation or financial comparison.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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