en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/769423 Comments by MOMK9875 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/03/01/while-we-wait-2/#IDComment59443771 OMG!! Just came back on the blog-o-sphere to check out what's going on with finding the winner for the DreamHome and I happened to read into one of the threads here. What a lot of misinformation and confusion I ran into!!! Apparently there is some thought out there that if you can't pass a credit check you can't win this prize, and that if you can't pay the taxes on it the day you win it they will choose another winner!!! I loved coming onto the blogs to check out the latest information and see all the great things superfan has to show us, but some of these threads are purely ridiculous! Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:14:43 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/03/01/while-we-wait-2/#IDComment59443771 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54871182 Great post Renee!! I have one question though. How did you find out what the HOA fees were? I've looked on the SPO website and the real estate sites trying to find that out and would love to be pointed in a new direction if there is more info available somewhere out there. I have to agree with Lessie's posting about people not reading the blogs or researching things BEFORE asking questions. Some just try to take the easy way out I guess. Mon, 1 Feb 2010 18:41:58 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54871182 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54854303 Helen, To reitterate what has already been said--the "non-overnight guest" bathroom would be the 3/4 bath acessed through the entry hall by the office. As to critters, one local resident says "large dogs should have no real problem, but cats and small dogs should be indoor pets due to the local wildlife like snakes and large wildcats in the region". I haven't heard anything about any bears in the area but I know that SPO being a gated community will NOT be a source of discouragement to wildlife in the area---the gates are across the entry road, not surrounding the whole community. You should also keep in mind that the community is adjacent to, and actually part of, a wildlife preserve known as Campbell Ranch--so, of course, you will have all kinds of wildlife in the area. Mon, 1 Feb 2010 17:27:44 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54854303 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54850108 what else--finances!!--lol Thanks HS, at least now I don't feel so bad about putting off things. Mon, 1 Feb 2010 17:12:25 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54850108 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54847387 OK, I know that there are those of you who KNOW I said I wasn't going to talk finances anymore, but here is a person who REALLY wants to know. So.....yes, the IRS will tax you upon the value of the entire prize package. You are correct in assuming that taxes will run approximately $700,000. HOWEVER; the develepor of San Pedro Overlook has already agreed to a buy back of the home if the winner desires it, so you don't even have to worry about selling it if you can't afford the income taxes, property taxes, HOA fees etc. Essentially, if you win, you have won $2M in cash AND a new car. After taxes you still have about $1.3M AND a new car---PLUS HGTV gives you the great experience of being a suprise winner, being on TV and taking a wonderful vacation to New Mexico to see the Dreamhome and the surrounding area!! Still a GREAT prize win in anybody's book!!!! I highly doubt that the exclusive SPO gated community HOA would allow you to turn this home into any kind of business endeavor, though you might be able to lease the home to someone long term. Mon, 1 Feb 2010 17:02:33 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54847387 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54565040 Thanks so much for the answer David!! I've tried to look at all of the photos and look for shadows while trying to gauge the time of day when the picture was taken, etc., but I just couldn't figure it out. Since I know absolutely nothing about solar panel placement (at least I didn't until reading your post), I guess I would never have figured it out! I love that you not only gave an answer but the reasoning behind it. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:11:13 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54565040 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54418446 I have a question about which way the house faces. We know that there is a "Sunrise Room" so I assume that room has a wall of windows which faces east. But which wall? One wall faces the same way as the front of the house and the other is 90 degrees to the left of that. So does front of the house face east or is it actually facing south? Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:39:21 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54418446 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54417661 Thanks C&E, those pictures say it all!! Yummy is definitely right! Love that bathroom, masculine enough for hubby's office but feminine in all the right places for guests. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:30:20 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/29/did-super-fan-say-yummy/#IDComment54417661 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/28/whats-your-dream/#IDComment54416340 Whew!! I finally figured out the whole avatar/gravatar thing and have a picutre with my postings!! YEAH!! For those of you wondering (yeah like anyone cares) the picture is of my sweet little baby, Uno, when she was just 24 hours old. She had a rough start in life but is now living her dream of leaping through the fields behind her mother. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:15:53 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/28/whats-your-dream/#IDComment54416340 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/28/whats-your-dream/#IDComment54414489 I see a new blog thread has started, but I want to take a moment to give one last thought about "what are your dreams". I have seen many many posts from people here who seem to truly be enduring very hard times, people who have suffered devastating financial losses or sickness etc. I certainly would not stoop to telling those people that there problems are minor. I would like to say though (as one who has been there) don't give up, don't stop dreaming. I don't know if your life will get any better financially or physically all I do know is that, as long as there is life in your eyes and breath in your body, there is always hope. Sometimes it just needs a little help. I wish us all (and pray for us all) a bounty of luck, life, love, knowledge and happiness. Live your dreams with your eyes wide open. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:54:28 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/28/whats-your-dream/#IDComment54414489 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/28/whats-your-dream/#IDComment54395001 MMMMM.......very, very difficult question for me to answer! I'm so much of a "been there, done that" type person that I'm not even really sure what my specific dreams are anymore. I've lived on both coasts of the US, in the north and the south, the east and the west. I've bummed around Europe for a couple of weeks (my son's 40th birthday present, since he was in Germany at the time). I've lived in moderate wealth and lived on the street. I've been a workaholic working 80 hours a week and been a stay at home mom. I've raised one child from birth to age 31, raised another to adulthood from age 8. I am still raising another child I gave birth to and am raising a child we adoted at age 3. I've helped to raise more than 10 foster children. I've helped a goat give birth, then blown the breath of life into the newborn kid. I've lived in the city and on a farm. I've lived in the desert and at the shore. I've loved and laughed and fought and cried. Nothing I dream will change who I am and nothing I do will change my past. So what can I dream but what I always have---to live it all! Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:38:53 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/28/whats-your-dream/#IDComment54395001 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53956309 1oversea, if I understand your situation correctly, this particular home in this particular neighborhood would not be something that would be to your advantage fighting for. Remember it's in a gated community with constant HOA fees due every year. HOWEVER, think of it this way---you win, you get a fantastic vacation and then you sell the home back to the developer. You pick out your options and get your new GMC Terrain, you pay all of the taxes owed and walk away with over $800,000!! Now you get to buy or build the home of YOUR dreams, in the exact place YOU want to live and work AND have the money to stay there. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:23:32 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53956309 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53952073 In the midwest, we place Owl figures in our barns to keep down the rodents. Some farmers with large rodent populations even have a type of whistle on their barns that makes the sound of an owl when the wind blows through it. Since snakes feed on rodents and other small animals, these might keep the snake populations down. You know, eliminate the food source you eliminate the predator? Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:04:50 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53952073 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53950410 I Love the Recycling room, to my mind though it's more of what I consider a mudroom/pantry with area for recycling--this would be a "constant use" room as far as I'm concerned. Would like to see maybe another tall cabinet and just a bit less open shelf pantry in here. I like the Butler's Pantry as it would serve as a very large sideboard and china cabinet type area storing all of my "company" china, silver, glassware and serving pieces. Not sure what I would do with 2 wine fridges as we're not big wine drinkers, but I suppose they could be turned off when not in use so as to save $. All in all it would be basically a "company use" room for us. As for living space, the only thing I would have done different is reduce the size of the sitting area, bring the Media room into that area a bit and put a hall behind it to allow access to the kids' rooms from the master suite area and laundry without going into the public areas of the house. I'm not a fan of disturbing the peace of the Sunrise room with that being the access point to the laundry room. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:53:24 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53950410 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53808349 I would say that it's YOU'RE dream Dunewaif, you could probably do whatever you want Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:19:38 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53808349 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53807140 Like many of you out there, I look at this particular DreamHome and think WOW! that is THE ONE I want to win!! My dream then extends to the planning stages of actually moving in, having visitors, sending my children to school and retiring there. I get to the point in my dreaming where I think, if I didn't win this house, is this area of NM a place I could actually live? Since my answer is yes--I really start to look at all the ways our family could move out there and make a life---win or not. So I research everything from taxes to schools to real estate available there. My motto has always been: Those who fail to plan; Plan to fail. Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:14:53 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53807140 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53803080 I don't think you're stupid at all satisfaction! I think educating yourself to all the possibilities is the ONLY way to go! Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:51:50 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53803080 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53802863 Here, here Luv--I agree 100%!! Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:49:30 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53802863 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53801295 This is my last comment on taxes or the finances of winning this home. I also posted this as a reply to Lessie under my last thread. Most of us enter contests, lotteries and sweepstakes realizing that the odds of winning are extremely low but loving to dream, I'm no different. But the facts and history show that those who DO win often fail to actually PLAN their dream through to completion and therefore their dream is rudely interrupted by reality. Take, for instance, the number of people who have won over $1M in lotteries and been bankrupt within 5 years. Like most, they dreamt and failed to plan the reality. All I am doing is planning for the unlikely eventuality of the dream coming true. Yes you can find a professional later to help figure it all out; but do you know enough, yourself, to actual be able to trust this stranger with YOUR dream? Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:31:03 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53801295 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53801110 Most of us enter contests, lotteries and sweepstakes realizing that the odds of winning are extremely low but loving to dream, I'm no different. But the facts and history show that those who DO win often fail to actually PLAN their dream through to completion and therefore their dream is rudely interrupted by reality. Take, for instance, the number of people who have won over $1M in lotteries and been bankrupt within 5 years. Like most, they dreamt and failed to plan the reality. All I am doing is planning for the unlikely eventuality of the dream coming true. Yes you can find a professional later to help figure it all out; but do you know enough, yourself, to actual be able to trust this stranger with YOUR dream? Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:28:30 +0000 http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2010/01/21/the-best-hgtv-dream-home-videos/#IDComment53801110