My Lottery Dream Home

First of all I love this show and I think David is great! He's fun, very personable and makes each family feel fabulous for winning the lottery and buying their dream home! Second, for the negative reviewers here.... Seriously??? This is a Show! It's supposed to be entertaining!!! Most of the shows I've seen people are very conservative with their budgets. Obviously they will pay taxes. I've never seen a show where anyone spent everything they won. There's also alot that goes on behind the scenes. I've read up on the show and it's understandable They aren't going through the entire process in a 30-60 min show. David is not a realtor he works with specific realtors for each show/lottery winner. What I actually love about David is how he interacts with each winner. He's not trying to sell a house to make commission; he's really trying to help these people find their dream home! And Of course he's very flamboyant!! That's what makes him a great host!! And two things about some reviews talking about the same furniture being in the places...Most of the houses are staged and furniture can be worked in with the deal. And do y'all really think they set up camera crews again to film the 6 weeks later episodes??? No of course not! They film them in their chosen house that same day with a little personal tweaking obviously! I really like this show and I love David. If I won the lottery it would be tempting to contact him to find our dream home!!! I suggest people who have opinions do a little research on the show. I think you'll find any criticisms explained. Rock on LDH and David!!! Hope to see you soon!!!











IveI've read

I have watched several episodes of this show. Great host, and wonderful families you'll follow as they select their dream home after winning the lotto. No, they don't mention their actually take home pay after taxes.

Now, here's where this show is not actually realistic to me. I'm a homeowner (didn't win the lotto) but it took me touring more than a dozen homes with my realtor to actually find the one. So, naturally I'm a bit skeptical when lottery winners decide on their dream home based off of "touring" ONLY 3 homes. While we are seeing the homes, I carefully look a staged homes decor for inspiration, including the wall art. However, I have noticed the homes these families chose have the same furniture seen during the home tour.

I have noticed when they give us an update on the families after they've moved in, they wont' do a before and after of the decor. Many have the updates filmed either outside or in the kitchen where you don't see much decor in the background unless you look hard. Why? Because I believe these families most likely had already bought and living in the home before it was filmed for the show. In one of their newest episodes, I saw a fully furnished home (with no family pics on the wall) that the lotto couple ended up choosing in the end and when they did the update, I noticed the exact same furniture in the background, including TV, home decor, wall art and the only difference was they added a family pics to the wall. I quickly noticed that on a few more episodes after that.

I still love the show and happy to see these lotto winners actually move into their dream home. Regardless if they had already been living there before filming. I tune in for the home tours and the reno ideas from the host. I will still watch.

These people have made it to the TV screen... In most cases it has been months since they have won. Do you actually think they haven't covered all of this by now??? do you really think they dont know about the taxes?? and the utility bills??? Do you really think that is what is happening??? I think you are the one not facing reality. I am sure they have.

I seriously don't understand people. I enjoy watching this show; I like going along as people tour a variety of homes. I feel happy for them that they're able to get a home they probably normally would not be able to afford, and I laugh along at David's silly jokes. They're harmless, and it certainly seems as though everyone he's worked with really likes him and enjoyed spending time with him.

For the people complaining that "someone who won only a million dollars is buying a $600,000 home." Nearly every episode I can remember, the couple or person STILL WORKS. They're probably using their winnings to make a sizable down payment while still making a mortgage payment. And yes, so large chunk of their winnings helped them get into a home. What's wrong with that? It seems quite a lot of them are also in multi-family abodes, like my own, where a mom or parents live with, etc. But even if they're spending that money with no other income, IT IS THEIRS TO SPEND.

And the other side, those complaining because they only want to see big fancy mansions being toured. And this annoyed me even more because I personally know how I would feel; for some people a nice, three bedroom home in suburbia IS a mansion. Maybe their family of four was renting a one bedroom apartment prior to winning, so a three bedroom home that they can call their own probably IS their dream home. And it may very well be a mansion to them. Why can't you be happy for them?

As for people complaining about taxes and tattoos and goodness knows what else: why are you even watching this show??!

I realize IMDb is a place to rate and review, but some of these complaints seem so personal and judgmental. Not about the show at all, but about the very people themselves. Again, I don't get it.

I felt compelled to write a review of this fun show because of all of the angry people who can't be happy for the fellow humans.

1. If you can't win, why can't you just be happy for someone else that wins?!

2. The cost of some of the homes that are over $500K is based on the median home cost in city. Seems like a lot of Bostonians are the ones spending over $500K to live in an average suburban home, but its due to this regions property costs, not the winner being extravagant.

3. To the winner who implied that a $5M winner, walked away with 1.4M after taxes, that's misleading, because in your own post, the winner would have walked away with $3M if she had not split her winnings 505-50 with her mother, those the reason for the 1.4M.

4. As another reviewer stated, most of these winners still work and I'm sure stayed in an area where they could afford the annual tax, utilities etc., but just didn't have the 20 - 30% down payment needed to get them in the home they wanted.

5. If I won a million in my region, in combined Federal & State taxes, 33.5% would automatically go to taxes, which will leave me with 665K to look for a home and I should add get me out of my apartment. In my mind, I would look for a home between $250 - $350 max, because I would plan on putting down 50% which would give a mortgage I could well afford in the neighborhood I desire. If I were married with children, and won the same amount, based on 2 incomes, "we" would probably look for a home with a max budget of $450K with same down payment of 50% .

In sum for all the jealous people who clearly are the ones who can't do basic math. $600K is a great down payment on a starter home or an upgrade to those couples that are already home owners. The more your down payment, the lower your mortgage payment, which by the way includes property taxes, so based on your income, region etc., I haven't seen anyone on this show that was buying above their means.

6. In season 1 there was a couple that won like $250MM, I think they over spent and seem to make extravagant home/property purchases of a mansion for a middle-aged couple with the wife not sure she could drive up the hill to the and then purchased the farm next to theirs. They made me cringe when they chose their mansion up in the hills, I googled them a year ago and its been 7 - 8 years now. So good for them!

For many Americans in the working to lower middle class, it's the sizeable down payment while still having to pay rent, car payment, etc. Because you don't have parents you could live with while saving that keeps us from being homeowners, at least for the first 10 years of renting, while you struggle to put away enough annually to afford a down payment on a condo in the neighborhood of your choice. So yes, winning $600K in the lottery would make your home "My Lottery Dream House".

Sorry if we're too poor for your entertainment with our basic starter homes. Feel free to turn the channel to watch those who can afford to pay $500K just to flip a Bargain Mansion--wish I was able to do this, but I can't, so please don't judge the rest of us or call us irresponsible when you don't even have all the facts, like these people annual combined income.