TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Living The Dream

ADVERTISEMENT

By WALT BELCHER

wbelcher@tampatrib.com

Published: March 17, 2009

TAMPA - A Lakeland woman's California dreamin' has come true.
Cheryl Smith is the new owner of a Sonoma, Calif., dream home valued at more than $1.8 million given away by HGTV.

Smith, 58, an avid HGTV fan who has entered the annual giveaway for 10 years, learned last week she had won.

Viewers didn't know who won until 8 p.m. Sunday during the "HGTV Dream Home Giveaway 2009" special.

"It was amazing, and we couldn't believe it," said Smith, who was watching television with her husband, Joe, on March 9 when HGTV's Chi-Lan Lieu knocked on their door.

The retired couple plan to visit the dream home in April.

Smith's name was drawn from nearly 40 million entries. In addition to the custom-designed, furnished home, the $2 million prize package includes a matching Doggy Dream Home and 2009 GMC Acadia.

"This is so exciting that we've been unable to sleep all week," said Smith, who has lived in Lakeland for three years. "Now we have more questions than answers. We have to decide if we're going to move to California and how much property taxes we would have to pay and what owning it would do to our income tax."

For the moment, she said the family is enjoying the attention.

"I can't wait to see it," she said. "It's in wine country and it comes with a small vineyard that produces a couple of cases of wine."

ABOUT THE HOME

The 3,600-square-foot, two-story, Victorian-style home has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, a home office with stocked wine closet, a gourmet kitchen and a two-car garage. Viewers can see a 360-degree virtual tour of the 2009 HGTV Dream Home on HGTV.com.

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT