Enter twice daily - once on DIYNetwork.com and once on HGTVRemodels.com - for your chance to win Blog Cabin 2011, a fully renovated and furnished farmhouse located in historic Susan, Virginia. Sweepstakes ends Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. ET.

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This message has been edited. Last edited by: DIYAdmin2,

I was really disappointed today. I went to enter your sweepstakes and it stated it was closed to entries. It is still 9/30/2011. You don't know how much it would mean to me to win a home. I rent a room now. Anyway, just wish I could have entered!

Heidi

I believe the cutoff was 5pm Eastern Time on 9/30.

Also, I'm with you on thinking it would be great to win a house, but realistically, I think that most people who enter wouldn't be able to afford the taxes. For this year's renovation in VA, the taxes would come to somewhere in the neighborhood of $290,000, depending on your state of residence. I don't know about you, but unless you're already planning to buy a home, that's too much money for most people. Anyone who has that kind of cash usually doesn't feel the need to enter a contest. I think it's just the dream of living in such a gorgeous location that makes entering fun.

Sorry you missed this year's--but you can still enter the Chicago Urban Oasis sweepstakes!

If that is the case why do we bother to enter the sweepstakes? I was going to try the 2013 one since It's in S.C. But I guess I'M TOO POOR FOR IT. Starting to think this shows are a bunch of bull. No wonder all you see are houses that are perfect to start with.Where can we complain about this? Maybe we should just stop watching the shows.

No brainer. If you win you sell the house. Hardly anyone who wins a house lives in it - factoring in having to move to a different part of the country etc, the only people who can justify living in a 'won' house are those who are either retired or are wealthy enough that they can justify a second 'vacation' home.

However, if you win a house that is worth say, $750,000 and you have to pay $300,000 in taxes on the win then: Sell the house quickly - market it to sell at $600,000. Pay your taxes and walk away with $300,000. Not a bad hourly rate for the few minutes spent filling out an internet application form. Certainly nothing to complain about. then take your $300K and go buy a more reasonable house.

I understand but why should it be a vacation or second home for someone? Why can't it be in a normal area for all to enjoy? So you have to be rich? Sorry but I think there are a lot more people who deserve a first home. And most who retire can't afford those taxes. Maybe what,10% of all the US ? What about the other 90%? Oh but they sure want us to watch and vote. What a joke.... Honey I'm sorry but all diverse a chance to enjoy these homes.

Reality check time. You do realize that you are complaining about winning hundreds of thousands of dollars....right?

Somebody does a 'win this house contest". DIY, HGTV, pick a sponsor. The house has to be built somewhere. In the case of DIY's Blog Cabin, the show is about building the house and then giving it away. That's the deal.

So let's say that the house is somewhere in Maine. Beautiful place, beautiful house. When it's finished the house and land are worth $750,000. Then lets say that I (Jaybee) am the lucky winner. I just won a house worth three-quarters of a million dollars! Woo-Hoo!

Enter the Internal Revenue Service. Game show winnings. I owe $300,000 in taxes. I am financially stable. I make more money than most. I could use the house as equity on a $300,000 loan. I could even afford the payments (but it would really put a crimp in my budget). But - I live in Tennessee. I work in Tennessee. It is not possible to transfer my business to Maine, it must stay here. So the house is useless to me and will be a big expense.

That is exactly the same status as just about everyone else in the country. The only exceptions would be:

1. People who live in the same location as the give-away house.
2. People who could relocate to that part of the country.
3. People who make enough money so they can afford an extra house.

In other words, hardly anybody.

And I say, "So what!"

You just won a house! It is worth a lot of money! You cannot get out of paying the taxes (rules are rules even if we don't like them). You do what just about every person who has ever won a house in a contest does - You sell the house.

Side note: I seem to recall reading an article a while back about the HGTV Dream Home. Of the first nine given away nobody kept the house. Nobody.

So, back on track: Here I am. I have a $750,000 house in a part of the country that I don't go to. On top of that I have a $300,000 tax burden. What to do? Like in my above post - Sell the darn thing. Don't bother getting greedy just pick up the phone, call a local realtor and have them list it for a price that will move it fast. After paying the taxes and selling costs I walk away with $300,000.

To earn my $300,000 I had to:

1. Enter an on-line contest
2. Probably auto-enter each day if that's how it's set up.
3. Take a phone call telling me I won a house
4. Set up the sale with a realtor.
5. Sign my check and put it in the bank
6. Pay my taxes.

Probably works out to about $100,000 per hour. I make good money, but it's slightly less than that rate.

So my question to you is this: If you entered a contest and won with the net result being that you walk away with $300,000 are you going to complain about it?

Or would you prefer that the contest is only open to people who already live near where the house is going to be given away?

And - If you won $300,000 in a contest like this, do you think you could use that money to build a decent house for yourself .... exactly where you want it?

Since you are unhappy with the current system then please tell me - What process would work for you that you think would be fair for everyone? I really want to know because I cannot see anything bad about this yet you do. I really just don't understand.

Another note: A few years back Blog Cabin 2009 ran into some problems. The contractor did not pay some subs and the subs put a lien on the house. So the house could not be transferred to DIY and DIY could not give it away. The house was valued at $500,000. DIY gave $500,000 CASH to the winner. Amazingly, somebody wrote in to complain in that one too. They said that they had signed up to win a house, not cash.

I just don't understand. I really don't.

there are some folks who would not be satisfied if you hung 'em with a NEW rope. geez.

OK maybe you can understand this my taxes is $360 a year.even If you live out of State It's about $1,000 to 1,300 a year. Most house cost between 75,000 to around 200,000 thousand. So If a house was build in a area like this a person could keep the dream house. Just image you falling in love with the place and not be able to keep it. I know what you are saying. But don't you think all should be able keep the dream house? Honey money is not everything. That is why is call dream house, I guess you can dream but never have it...So sad.

I totally see your point and agree that it would be wonderful to actually use the house that you won. The thing is, even if the house were more reasonably priced there would still be the same issues, just a larger percentage of possible winners who could keep the house. Still, most would wind up selling it.

If I jumped back into my numbers post above and called it a $100,000 house then the result would still be the same. I would have a choice of paying $30,000 in taxes and then having a house that I would never use or I could pay the same $30,000, sell the house and have some money to put towards a house that in an area that works for me.

It did happen totally by chance but the winner of the very first Blog Cabin (In Townsend TN) lived in Maryville TN (about 15 minutes away). Blog Cabin 2007 was also more cabin sized - I think it was valued around $150,000. But having the winner be so close is really against the odds - considering that it is a nationwide contest. Again, the only way you could guarantee that the winner would be local to the house would be to only allow locals to enter - and that would not be fair at all.

Also consider that it is a show about the process of building the house and choosing the voting options. A sideline of the show it that the house will be given away. It is not tailor made to be won by someone, the contest is just a perk - a byproduct of the real reason for the house to begin with. A TV show that is meant to showcase all the options that can make a 'dream house' will also not work if it is a $75,00 to $200,000 home. That's average home, not dream home and frankly, nobody will watch. If nobody watches then the show is cancelled and if it's cancelled then there is no house for anybody to win. Does that make sense?

I know I'm beating a dead horse here but I'll repeat it again: The house is just a pile of money that happens to be in house form. If you win the house but can't use it as it is too far away then you sell the house and build your very own dream house in your hometown. Win - win situation. The only bad part is the darn IRS.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jaybee,

You win. I enjoyed the debate. I'm addicted to the shows and wouldn't stop watching them. Take care jaybee. And good luck with the others hard heads like me. My husband learned to yes me to death when I get like this...lol

Ana

Well Ana, if karma means anything then odds are that you will be the winner of next years Blog Cabin!

Keep entering, somebody has to win. You may not win your 'dream house' but you'll win something.

Some people, like me, are not eligible to even enter so enter once for me.

Will do, but you must know I have the worse luck. Never won anything so I don't expect to win. But I wish the winners best of luck...Sorry to hear that you can't even join the sweepstakes. Should I nag about that too?...lol,,, Take kiddo..