My Lottery Dream Home - General Discussion

[CrazyInAlabama]

A real new episode, not just one with strange facts on screen.

Oneida Lake, they won $1 million, and want a vacation home.     

I loved #1, it was $180k, (over budget), and truly turn key.   I love that house, and I'm happy they bought it. 

#2 was cheaper, at $145k, but no water view or access, and docking would be extra.

#3 was really cheap at $109k, but needed a lot of work, and only one bathroom.    

A second new episode, I think-

Bangor, PA, in Eastern PA.  They won $100k on a $5 scratcher (called Winner Winner Chicken DInner), and want to downsize.  They want a smaller home, and single family, with a 3 car garage.   Since it's a downsize, the 3 car garage will be bigger than the house.   Their budget is $150k, and they don't mind a fixer.

#1 $159,900, 3 bed, 2 bath (Maybe 1 bath), and a 4 car garage.   What a cute house!    Nice first floor wood, nice kitchen.   Upstairs needs work. 

#2 $132k  smaller house, smaller but still great back yard.    The first floor hardwoods are spectacular.    Upstairs is only 2 bedrooms, but there is a loft area that could be changed to another bedroom. 

#3 $126k  , a two story duplex, 4 bed / 1 bath, the kitchen is really nice, home has been redone very nicely.   Master and 1 bedroom are on the second floor, and third floor/former attic has two more bedrooms.    There is no current garage, but plenty of room in the back yard to build a 3 car garage, and still hit the budget.   

They picked #2, a smaller home with a 3 car garage.  

I'm not sure which one they picked.    I think it's the second one.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Baton Rouge couple were so much fun!     The first two houses were fine, but the woman really wanted new, and finished, and the third one ticked all of the boxes.   However, the woman wanting to put the pool a foot off of the back of the house is not good.    Unless they kill the grass off, how is someone going to get through to mow?     And putting in a pool centered in the yard is a much better idea.   

I'm watching the rerun of the League City episode.   Unfortunately, the third house is great, but I think it's also in Mar Bella, which is the neighborhood that had about 10% of the homes had mold issues.    It didn't flood during Harvey or after when other subdivisions did.     Well, 90% of the homes are fine, and I think it was mostly the super new ones that had the mold, and this one is a few years older than the affected ones.

 

Edited January 4, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[debraran]

On 12/27/2019 at 9:15 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm only at the beginning of the new episodes in Columbus, Ohio, but I love the couple.    I love the wife's giant petticoats.       They seem like people that would be fun to hang out with.     David's right, what you can buy for under $250,000 in Columbus is amazing.    Whatever they pick is going to be fun to see the finished home after they 'decorate'. 

Yes, I know they already own the house, but I love looking at the houses, and getting to know the couples.   

It's so nice to see people who don't even blink at a home without an en suite for the master.    The first home, the 109 year old home was so nice, but no garage.    The second home was really nice, and maybe a little too new for the couple.     The third one was so adorable, and vintage, and could be changed to be what they want, but I loved the back yard.  

I like that they picked the second one.    They'll be so much more comfortable with the extra room.   They really fooled me, with the furniture in the third house, I thought that was the one they would pick.  

I liked them too, the ones that have to have everything always turn me off.  I didn't like the first one as much. I usually like old homes but ones that leave more of the vintage stuff but update heat, wiring, etc.  I loved the prices, in CT you don't see that unless it's in the sticks.

The second home was nice, paint wasn't my taste but easily changed if you bought it. Nice yard.  The third was like my childhood home and I liked it a lot.

I think David did like them and it was fun. You can always tell when he does I feel because it's not always the same chemistry.

[kirklandia]

I got to meet David 10 years ago at an event in Seattle.  He was sweet, funny and charming, and I would still hug him any time!

[Yeah No]

I met David at the very beginning of his TV career before anyone knew who he was, when he was doing the final challenge on  "Design Star" back in 2006.  This photo was taken in Bryant Park in Manhattan on a rainy summer day.  I also got to meet Clive Pearse (also in this photo), who I miss very much.

[CrazyInAlabama]

This week with the two retired police officers in New Jersey, was the 100th episode.    I liked the home they bought, and think being so far under budget will give them lots of room to expand, and remodel to their taste.   I think next week is a 100th episode anniversary episode.   

[NJMom]

54 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

This week with the two retired police officers in New Jersey, was the 100th episode.    I liked the home they bought, and think being so far under budget will give them lots of room to expand, and remodel to their taste.   I think next week is a 100th episode anniversary episode.   

I live in Bergen County where this was filmed. The 2nd house they looked at was in Emerson and is still on the market. It is on a busy road but not crazy busy. The 3rd house is in Hackensack and I was shocked at the price. There is really only one very expensive street there. Also, the schools are not great. Closter where they bought is a great town. I was sure that was the house that they picked.

[TigerLily20]

On 1/19/2020 at 2:53 AM, Yeah No said:

I met David at the very beginning of his TV career before anyone knew who he was, when he was doing the final challenge on  "Design Star" back in 2006.  This photo was taken in Bryant Park in Manhattan on a rainy summer day.  I also got to meet Clive Pearse (also in this photo), who I miss very much.

This is what I remember David from, I loved him on Design Star and really liked his style.  My husband and I tend to watch this show when we are off on vacations, it's a good background noise show, but the amount of tattoos are starting to get distracting, not a fan of the tigers going up the side of his face/neck area...

[buttersister]

So I'm watching the 100 episode celebration and watching the tattoo encroachment just makes me sad. Also, really, isn't this just LOLI David's gig--find me a dream home/get me to move, here are my must-haves, here's my budget. The difference: I'm moving because I came into money, contact an agent and find me a place vs. We're moving, "no matter what my spouse says," contact an agent and find me a place.

[chessiegal]

100 episodes? Wow. No wonder Great American Country channel can run 24 hour marathons. Every time I see that on their schedule I wonder how many episodes are there, thinking it must be much fewer than 100. Now I know.

[NJMom]

Drove me nuts in the 100th episode that David mispronounced Closter every time he said it. It is pronounced like KLOster with a long O. Sorry, if you are spending time in a town filming for days, get it right.

[ByaNose]

I stopped watching the show due to the tattoos. They were so off putting that I couldn’t watch.

I’m pretty much down to just watching HH. I’ll even delete some if the area doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t want to see poor people like me look for homes. LOL!!! I’ve been watching Sarah Richardson on YouTube. She is doing several renovations and she had great style. I can’t believe she’s not on HGTV-US. Also, I’m sick of the Property Brothers. I don’t find them funny at all but the find themselves hysterical. Rant over. It’s a rainy day in Philadelphia but in the 40’s. You can’t have it all. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I watched the 100 episode memory episode.    It was interesting to see how they recruit lottery winners, and the number of people involved in putting the show together.   

 The really amazing thing was one of the production assistants is the daughter of the Cape episode, where the mother, and two daughters wanted to buy a home together.   

Then a few years later the daughters moved on, and the mother reunited with her high school boyfriend, and went house hunting for a place to share with him.  

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I really liked the home buyer last night (yes, I know he already owns the house).    He wanted something in his budget, and stuck to that.    I love that he was happy with a smaller house, one bathroom, and a small yard.     The daughter that went with him house hunting was hysterical.    

The house he ended up with was 2 bedroom, 1 bath, and less than 1,000 sq ft.   The yard was small, but it was the neighborhood he grew up in.     I thought the house was really cute.     He wanted to be near to his eight adult daughters.  

I think with some paint, and maybe new flooring, that house could be much better.    I liked the outside a lot more than the inside, but I think with the daughter's ideas, and some time, that the house could be good for what the buyer wanted, something near his daughters. 

Edited February 23, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[debraran]

1 minute ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I really liked the home buyer last night (yes, I know he already owns the house).    He wanted something in his budget, and stuck to that.    I love that he was happy with a smaller house, one bathroom, and a small yard.     The daughter that went with him house hunting was hysterical.    

I'll have to check that out. I've been looking at tiny houses on youtube when I'm bored, there is one Australian guy who shows them all over the world and it's much better than tiny home nation was.  I forgot they had new Lottery show on.

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I really liked the home buyer last night (yes, I know he already owns the house).    He wanted something in his budget, and stuck to that.    I love that he was happy with a smaller house, one bathroom, and a small yard.     The daughter that went with him house hunting was hysterical.    

The house he ended up with was 2 bedroom, 1 bath, and less than 1,000 sq ft.   The yard was small, but it was the neighborhood he grew up in.     I thought the house was really cute.     He wanted to be near to his eight adult daughters.  

I guess we disagree.  I thought the house was dreadful, much worse than the other two choices.  i would have been happy if he had chosen either of the other two over the one he picked.  I suppose it would have been too hard for the realtor to find something worse than what he already chose.  I did like the father and daughter, though, they were a trip.  What annoys me about this show is that I want to watch lottery winners pick houses that are better than my own, not worse.  And I live in a modest 1500 square foot ranch, so that's not even expecting too much.  Otherwise, what makes it any different than House Hunters?  I've see much nicer houses on that show without any lottery winnings involved. 

[debraran]

7 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I guess we disagree.  I thought the house was dreadful, much worse than the other two choices.  i would have been happy if he had chosen either of the other two over the one he picked.  I suppose it would have been too hard for the realtor to find something worse than what he already chose.  I did like the father and daughter, though, they were a trip.  What annoys me about this show is that I want to watch lottery winners pick houses that are better than my own, not worse.  And I live in a modest 1500 square foot ranch, so that's not even expecting too much.  Otherwise, what makes it any different than House Hunters?  I've see much nicer houses on that show without any lottery winnings involved. 

I watched it last night and I agree, in my opinion and I don't live there or have family there as he did, I hated the first house. Character? No.  I realize he owned it already but the second for about 88,000 and all that land?  The third was so cute, and cheaper, I loved the staircase. Never showed bathrooms, probably very plain but the first was 110,000 and tired. I thought just no. My husband who watched for the second time, said, it will be 2 or 3 so we both were wrong. The basement pics at the end took the show to a different level. I'm glad they show lower income people winning who aren't, "I need 3 bathrooms" I don't want a huge home myself, but this seemed sad.

In a past show a woman near Boston and one down south I remember, bought very small or plain homes and David seemed to struggle to talk about the "enclosed basement"  (does he mean there isn't an outside door)  and other things they might do with the home. He has gotten much better with less.

The dad and daughter were cute though and he had fun with them. I hope they are happy there.

Edited February 23, 2020 by debraran

[Johnny Dollar]

The funny thing about this show is that the producers are more interested in the personalities of the people and how they interact with David, and less about how much they’ve won or what level of house they want to buy. For a show that is supposed to feature lottery winners’ dream homes, there’s less real estate porn on a typical episode than on any random HH episode. Not complaining. We only watch the show for David. 

[Vivigirl10]

Quote

The funny thing about this show is that the producers are more interested in the personalities of the people and how they interact with David, and less about how much they’ve won or what level of house they want to buy. For a show that is supposed to feature lottery winners’ dream homes, there’s less real estate porn on a typical episode than on any random HH episode. Not complaining. We only watch the show for David. 

This assessment is spot on!  However, I will complain.....I want to see the real estate porn and this show doesn't bring it.  I'm currently enjoying Listing Impossible exactly for that reason.  If you want the high end homes that should be featured here, check it out!  

Quote

but the amount of tattoos are starting to get distracting, not a fan of the tigers going up the side of his face/neck area...

Agreed.  I've already commented on his tattoos but with the encroachment into the neck/face area, it's going to a whole other level.  Tattoos are pretty universally accepted in today's society, but even for t.v., I don't think that face tattoos are going to fly in general.  He may end up tattooing himself right out of a job.  

[RoxiP]

I'm all for people expressing themselves with their art, but I do think that David has expressed himself to the point where it is distracting.  I've always thought he was such an attractive man but the ink and the porn moustache and pointed goatee are just not my thing - but then again it isn't my body and he's not my man so I guess I don't get a vote...LOL!

[buttersister]

On 2/26/2020 at 11:50 AM, RoxiP said:

the ink and the porn moustache and pointed goatee are just not my thing

Amen. It makes the show less appealing to watch because it's also had another effect, imo: David has created a persona that matches the stash and ink that I find unwatchable. Combined with ho-hum real estate, Show is out of rotation.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I really got a kick out of the Jupiter, FL couple on last night's new episode.     Since they wanted some land for the dogs, that really limited the decoy houses.    I really liked the ones they showed, and thought the 70's one was a total gut job.   I really like the one they bought, and the huge, screened pool.  

[Yeah No]

3 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I really got a kick out of the Jupiter, FL couple on last night's new episode.     Since they wanted some land for the dogs, that really limited the decoy houses.    I really liked the ones they showed, and thought the 70's one was a total gut job.   I really like the one they bought, and the huge, screened pool.  

Yeah, finally a house worth a lottery winner's money, plus it actually helped play down the distraction of David's tattoos!  At one point in the beginning, though, he called the husband "cute" and proceeded to touch him.  Ehhhhhhhh......😲

[debraran]

What is on David's neck now, some kind of animal?

I liked the home they picked but not quite as interesting to me since Florida and pools etc aren't my thing. I like older homes with more character, nice yards, built-ins and not so open concepts. But they were happy and that's all that matters.

Finding people who won AND want to be on the show AND have to find a new home or recently bought one, probably isn't that easy. I googled one couple in the past and they bought over a year before, maybe two. Probably had to clean out some of their things in the home.

 

Edited March 8, 2020 by debraran

[ByaNose]

On ‎2‎/‎27‎/‎2020 at 3:41 PM, buttersister said:

Amen. It makes the show less appealing to watch because it's also had another effect, imo: David has created a persona that matches the stash and ink that I find unwatchable. Combined with ho-hum real estate, Show is out of rotation.

I stopped watching the show quite a while ago. I just couldn't look at David anymore. I also didn't like the one million winners buying houses I could buy myself. LOL!!! I want super rich lottery winners.

[Yeah No]

On 3/9/2020 at 1:07 PM, ByaNose said:

I stopped watching the show quite a while ago. I just couldn't look at David anymore. I also didn't like the one million winners buying houses I could buy myself. LOL!!! I want super rich lottery winners.

Especially when the teaser shots in the beginning of each episode show all these palatial estates and then you find out they're looking for a cottage under $200,000.  What a disappointment!

I did like this most recent episode despite that, though because it was filmed in my state and I recognized a lot of the locations.  Plus the family was super cute too.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The family won $250k, so I wasn't too surprised to see that their lake place was about $150.   

[buttersister]

So looking for non-news shows to watch and stumble across last 5 minutes of the winner buying near his hundred daughters. That snake tattoo looks like it’s gonna strangle David in his sleep. Also dad and daughter are drinking alcohol. David has a large full glass of plain clear liquid—on the wagon or copious amounts of vodka neat?

Edited March 21, 2020 by buttersister
Late night spelling

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Boston area couple from last night's new show were so much fun.    I really thought they would go for the third house/new build, but they fooled me with the second, more closed off house.     

[TigerLily20]

On 3/8/2020 at 2:53 PM, debraran said:

What is on David's neck now, some kind of animal?

I think it's a tiger, one on each side....it's like their attacking his face....I just can't with them lol...

[Gam2]

I watched one last night with a couple in Miami who won $15 million and had a budget of $700,000 for a condo or a house. David’s tattoos have done me in from now on. What astonished me was when they looked at a condo on a high floor and they all raved over the “view”. ????? The view was the tops of about 60 other buildings. No water, no mountains, no trees, no pastures, no rolling hills. Nothing to look at except the roofs of other buildings!!! Do people really think that’s a “view”?

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tonight's new episode is so much fun.   The man grew up in Houston, lived in NYC for ten years, and hit a lotto jackpot that pays $365,000 a year for life.   He's still going to live and work in NYC, but wants a place for $400k to $450 in Houston for vacations, and family holidays.    I hope he remembers the number one factor that makes a house great in Houston "never flooded", since they've had so much flooding in the past few years. 

The first one was nice, but still not very private.     I hope he gets the second house, with that great private pool with the waterfall.   I can't stand the third house, with the neighbors right on top of the house on both sides.    As usual, they faked me out with the talk about buying the furniture, and he picks the third house.    

My cable guide, that often lies, claims that the 3 April episode is the brand new UK edition (actually called My Lottery Dream Home International Edition), hosted by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.  It's set in Newcastle.      They have subtitles for part of it, the winner's accent is so thick I can't understand anything, so I'll put the closed captioning on.   They put little hints translating some of the terms the host uses.    

Edited April 4, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[CrazyInAlabama]

The new one tonight was another My Lottery Dream Home International, in Plymouth, England.  A man, and his mother both won 250,000 pounds.     I get a kick out of seeing the homes, and what they cost.  The host for that edition is really fun too 

[Chippings]

This one pleases me hugely, because (1) my fave House Hunters International episodes are always the UK, and (2) I've been infatuated with Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen since he was on Changing Spaces decades ago.  Like David B, he's rather in love with himself, but he's so charming it's fine with me.  Enjoyed seeing Newcastle and Plymouth, too.  I hope this continues to be on every Friday.  (And where exactly does he shop for his suits?  The black with fuchsia polka dots are kind of hard to find.)  

 

[debraran]

I definitely have to check this out, when I watched HHI it was to see the homes in England mostly and then Scotland/Ireland. 

One of my favorite families did a youtube about their experience filming. I loved their home for a family, for very little money though, to do what they had to do, IDK if it would be worth it.

 

Edited April 11, 2020 by debraran

[seacliffsal]

I am so glad I read these comments because now I'll start watching if it's set in the U.K.  Thanks posters!

[debraran]

12 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I am so glad I read these comments because now I'll start watching if it's set in the U.K.  Thanks posters!

It's not on "my demand" yet, maybe in a few days.  How did it become England? There's no David I assume.

Edited April 11, 2020 by debraran

[CrazyInAlabama]

No, it's call My Lottery Dream Home International edition.   The first episode was in Newcastle, and this one was in Plymouth.    I don't see new episodes with David or the other edition for the next two weeks.  

[kirklandia]

14 hours ago, Chippings said:

 I've been infatuated with Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen since he was on Changing Spaces decades ago.  Like David B, he's rather in love with himself, but he's so charming it's fine with me.

I recognized him from Interior Design Masters, he was one of the judges.  I looked him up - he's done a lot of TV! 
Perhaps a fame whore, but he gives good entertainment value! You can watch on Netflix.

Edited April 11, 2020 by kirklandia

[Irlandesa]

Thanks for letting me know about the international version.  Based on the description, it'll be all over Europe.  Love it.

LLD was also on Australia's Instant Hotel.

[NYGirl]

Last night's rerun in Punta Gorda (sp) Florida.  There was no way that guy wasn't picking the same development as his dear friends that he followed down to Fla in retirement.  Especially because they went house hunting with him.  He had no opinion and kept saying his wife would like anything David picked out.

The prices on this show is even lower than House Hunters.  They win a couple of million dollars and then their budget is $150,000.

[rainsmom]

3 minutes ago, NYGirl said:

Last night's rerun in Punta Gorda (sp) Florida.  There was no way that guy wasn't picking the same development as his dear friends that he followed down to Fla in retirement.  Especially because they went house hunting with him.  He had no opinion and kept saying his wife would like anything David picked out.

The prices on this show is even lower than House Hunters.  They win a couple of million dollars and then their budget is $150,000.

In this case, since -- as you noted -- it was a foregone conclusion that he would choose the house in the development with his friends, I expect the budget was determined by the houses in that development. No reason to look at million dollar homes where you're going to choose one for $150K.

[CrazyInAlabama]

One factor is I bet a lot of the lottery winners took the cash option, so that really reduces the jackpot, minus all of the taxes too.      I suspect some winners are paying off old debts, or have relatives they're helping with bills too.     

I saw the rerun, expanded version of the 100th episode, of the two retired police officers in New Jersey.     They had this robotic voice over narrating everything, that was very strange.   One fact I never thought about, they said that when they a filming next to a busy road, passing drivers keep honking, and yelling hi to David and the crew.   

[mlp]

When is the international version on?  I had it on my calendar for Friday but it wasn't on.  I don't even see it listed on the HGTV website.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think they just put the International version on every couple of weeks or so.   

[kirklandia]

8 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Sorry, I'm having trouble quoting.  About the robotic voice-over.  It happened on a recent episode of House Hunters as well.  It is called descriptive audio, a feature for the visually impaired.   I doubt  that it is intended to be part of the regular broadcast - I'm sure they are operating with reduced staffing.  Maybe working from home. Or bots.
Someone in the HH thread posted this explanatory link.

https://webaccess.berkeley.edu/ask-pecan/descriptive-audio

Edited April 26, 2020 by kirklandia

[CrazyInAlabama]

I thought they just did it to add to the amount of information they put on the 'enhanced' 100th episode, but your explanation makes more sense.   

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, kirklandia said:

Sorry, I'm having trouble quoting.  About the robotic voice-over.  It happened on a recent episode of House Hunters as well.  It is called descriptive audio, a feature for the visually impaired.   I doubt  that it is intended to be part of the regular broadcast - I'm sure they are operating with reduced staffing.  Maybe working from home. Or bots.
Someone in the HH thread posted this explanatory link.

https://webaccess.berkeley.edu/ask-pecan/descriptive-audio

Ahhhhh, that explains it!  I thought my own cable company's descriptive audio feature somehow got turned on by mistake but when I checked the setting it was in the "off"position.

I'm more puzzled by why your font size is so large - I've seen that same thing here and there in other posts on this board recently and don't understand it as it's so random and looks unintentional.

[kirklandia]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

I'm more puzzled by why your font size is so large - I've seen that same thing here and there in other posts on this board recently and don't understand it as it's so random and looks unintentional.

I've been frustrated trying to compose/tweak/edit recent posts to fix weird formatting - and text that appears in the wrong place or disappears (especially when trying to quote or respond to another post).

[JTMacc99]

On 4/26/2020 at 3:43 AM, kirklandia said:

I've been frustrated trying to compose/tweak/edit recent posts to fix weird formatting - and text that appears in the wrong place or disappears (especially when trying to quote or respond to another post).

You can report bugs like this here.