2011 HGTV Dream Home
My Review
It is a beautiful house but not very practical for use by most people or even as a prize, because most can not afford to pay the income taxes and keep the house or to pay the huge monthly amount to maintain this home. There are posts on the HGTV blog which outline the income taxes on the prize at approx $850,000 , so good bye to that $500,000 in cash they give you and you better have some extra cash on hand or be willing to get a mortgage if you plan to accept the home as the prize. With a mortgage for the amount over the 500,000 cash and considering the carrying costs for property taxes and maintenance, the monthly total needed just to live there is over $5,000!! With costs like that that leave much in the bank for ski passes at $89 a day?
The cash prize seems to be the only viable option - you'd walk away with around 600K and a car. Not bad.
The house itself is not practical either. All that glass = no privacy. It is basically 2 bedrooms because that crazy dorm is only good for young kids!! Why they didn't make that into 2 extra bedrooms rooms is a mystery. None of the other high end homes in the community or area are built with this kind of design.
It seems the whole thing was done for a big impact as a "show thing" rather than a home. It is all about designing around the sponsor's products and generating advertising - not building a home someone will actually win and use.
The few small TVs in the place really demonstrate this. How could there not be a TV in the main floor living area - crazy. There are tiny TVs in the kitchen and a in the master bedroom. Just not practical.
The master bath looks amazing but there is no door, a giant window and absolutely no cabinets or drawers for toiletry items. Who could live that way? Not one space even for a tooth brush!!
I also must add that the dining room chairs are office chairs and totally ridiculous.
No one in their right mind will opt for the home over the cash............
2011 Dream Home vs. Past Years' Prizes
Love the location, but the house design and furnishings are my least favorite of any to date.
What Do You Think of the Setting?
The views are stunning, but there is a roadway right next to the house making privacy an issue. Also, the lot is really tiny. The fact that it's part of a resort community could be a plus or minus depending on one's view of having a lot of activity nearby vs quiet and privacy!!
What Do You Think of the Design?
The style of the home is beautiful. The furnishings are very ordinary. It is a disappointment that the one fireplace is not wood burning fireplace and that there is not a fireplace in the MBR or lower level family room. The dorm bedroom and bath are absurd and lower the home's value.
What Do You Think of the Extra Prizes?
Great, but they should have made the cash enough to cover the income taxes - that would have brought the cash total needed to over $1M!! Also, some help with the huge carrying charges (property taxes and monthly maintenance) for the first few months would have been nice too.
