HGTV 2008 Dream House trip.

Tuesday, February 27, 2008.

I had a wonderful wonderful day! The weather was sunny but cool but no rain. I left this morning from the Fort Myers area and headed south through Big Cypress National park, I saw a gator on the side of the road, there was a guy walking up to it. I assume it was dead althought it didn't look like it had been hit. Later I saw a crock in a swamp in the glades. I think it was the first time I'd ever seen one in the wild. Tons of birds and one big ass snake that had been hit by a car.

I got to the house around noon. You had to walk out to it from the Islamarada artist camp. I'm sure when the land is all finished it will be beautiful but for 2.2 million I wouldn't want a public park right outside my door! The water is much much closer than it looks on TV. When you're looking out the front of the house its only about 50 yards to the water! With seven more houses going in along side of it, there will be a very tight compound with a common pool in the center.I didn't really expect to like the house that much, it was one of my least favorites since they started this in 1997. The house is not nearly as large as it looked on TV but oh my the interior is just beautiful. I loved every inch of it in regards to the decorating. That Linda Woodrum can come to my house to decorate ANYTIME! There was a picture of her and that Monica person who was the hostess for the TV show in the master bedroom. Everything, and I mean everything was just perfect.

There was a volunteer on the main level who spent some time talking with me, giving me the facts on the house. Its value is 2.2 million, if I were to win I would owe $600k up front in income tax. The estimated property tax and property insurance is $60k per year. Those are some staggering figures for the average joe who entered the contest. No wonder most winners have to sell the home they have won. She said that the contract with the builder has a clause that if the winner wants to sell the builder has first dibs so to speak.