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.
