The HGTV Dream Home is the American cable network Home & Garden Television (HGTV)'s annual project house and sweepstakes, held since 1997. The sweepstakes commences with a January 1 television special showcasing the fully furnished, custom-built home valued in excess of one million dollars; viewers are invited to enter online. The 2012 contest drew over 81 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 2012 proceeds went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah.[2]
Most of the Dream Home winners have sold their prizes,[3] largely because of the accompanying property tax bills, and as of 2006,[3] only two winners had lived in their houses. 2005 winner Don Cruz initially planned to keep the house, located on Lake Tyler, after having his plan to rent out the dockhouse and master bedroom suite on a nightly basis rejected by Tyler, Texas's city government; however, he decided to sell after receiving tax forms showing the house had a higher value than he originally thought.[4][5]