Stylish Home Saturdays

I love HGTV.  Who doesn't?  It gives me the confidence that I could design and DIY my own home...if I had one.  Honestly, I really love it because it gives me liscense to pretend I have a house to DIY with.  And HGTV must sense that about it's viewers because a few times a year, they design a million dollar home in a lovely locale and give it away to one lucky viewer who merely takes the time to enter twice a day online.  They've given away Dream Homes, Urban Oasis', Green Homes and now a Smart Home (which is also a little green). 

Located in Jacksonville Florida and just five minutes away from the beach, this place is sweet.  Three bedrooms, two baths, chef's kitchen, dining room, walk around deck, a pool and all the gadgets and goodies to make you feel like you're renting a house from the Jetsons.  Remotes control blinds, LED lights, self watering plants, tvs, tablets that control the temp, the locks and the three hidden TV's, speakers in every room, automatic showers and bathtubs,plus a new GMC SUV and 100,000 cash. 

And it's pretty.  Lush native greenery all around, metal roof, old Florida style with a modern beachy look in blues and greens and sandy neutrals.  I could definately picture myself in this life and this new house.  I'd have a new car, money to pay off my debts and I'd finally have my own place.  I could start each morning sketching on the beach and end my day listening to the breeze under the stars.  But then, reality begins to sound off in my head.  Which oddly sounds like my parents.

First of all, as gorgeous as the house is, I would still get stuck with the property taxes.  Which is pretty pricey for a house valued at $800,000.  That $100,000 cash?  It's meant to help pay the property taxes after past winners complained that they couldn't afford to keep their dream homes.  (PS, and apparently $100,000 doesn't last forever, go figure.)  Second of all, while I could make new friends in Jacksonville, I would still have to move away from my family and my old Kentucky Home, which I love too much to leave.  And third, as lovely as the decor is, and as much as it incorporates a lot of my style, I still want to DIY my own decor and pick out pieces for myself.  Just look at my Pintrest page! 

Why doesn't HGTV give away a dream home where the owner gets the freedom to DIY with help of HGTV stars in their home state?  And give away $500,000 instead of just $100,000?  They did it before.  That I wouldn't mind winning and keeping.  For if I should win the Smart House (Please God) I'll just be opting for the cash prize option.  In the official rules, the winner has the option of foregoing the house and taking $600,000 plus the $100,000 cash prize and the GMC SUV.  That way, I could pay off my debt (and half the cash in taxes to Uncle Sam) set up an emergency fund, invest in a mutual fund and then save up for a lovely condo in downtown Louisville.  And then I'd hit the flea markets ala Flea Market Flip.  Here's hoping...But I wonder if they'd let me stay there a few weeks before I took the cash option?