Mar
13
Super Fan at the Winner Drawing
Oh, do we have a treat for you today! Super Fan takes you behind the scenes – a secret insider’s look at the HGTV Dream Home 2009 winner’s drawing. She breaks it all down and explains the entire selection process. Watch and then debate who might be the winner.
Special Reminder: Don’t miss our HGTV Dream Home 2009 Giveaway show on Sunday. Can you stand the suspense? Discuss amongst yourselves.
Gail,
Thanks for the new video!! It was really neat to see how they pick the winner. PLEASE be me!! HA! HA!
lol johnny – if someone didn't enter any online entries it seems unlikely they'd be reading the blog for you good news!
JenniferD – just noticed your post! You had so many wondering where you were! Glad to see you're back!
Hi again, bloggers.
Lessie: JennyD and Jennifer D are definitely two different people. Didn’t you get a chance to see the pictures Lovelykitty posted of the group of us, which includes our dear sweet Jenny D? BTW, Jenny, where ARE you? I agree that Lovelykitty is a HGTV Dream Home sleuth, but not as sneaky as MsPatti admits she tried to be.
LOL
MsPatti, I still like the idea of the hoax, which wasn’t perpetrated until someone re-posted your original post and then it spread like wild-fire. What fun!
Audra, I’m a die hard believer that HGTV does contact the person earlier. It’s so hard to believe that the ambush is really live. It’s hard to fathom that the winner just happens to always be surrounded by family, friends, a party, ecetera on the day of the “ambush” and is ALWAYS available on the night of the airing. But, it will be fun to see the airing, none-the-less.
Gail, I’m interested in your response to Jenna’s questions. Hmmmm…..sounds like something Gail would wait to answer AFTER March 15th.
So now we know that anyone who ONLY send in actual mailed entries didn’t win, since the ball was not in the 1-18 range. I can’t imagine anyone on this blog only sent in a physical letter, and didn’t do any online submission, but if any of you did…I guess you now know your fate!
I can’t wait to see the show on Sunday!
Someone has already won and the anticipation is overwhelming.
GREAT video…how exciting was that for you to be present for the actual drawing…what a GREAT process…WOW!! Let’s see now…#764..what could that mean? Could it mean that Marie Miller won? ‘Cause #7 is my lucky number & 64 is the year my first car was made? Okay, I’m drawing at straws..who knows….DREAM BIG!!!
Congratulations to the winner….you have a new lucky number 764!
JWood, How old are your kids? Where abouts do you live? No, don't give up–keep Dreamin!!
OH PLEASE LET IT BE ME!!!
Will the winner really be notified on the 15th or have they already been notified? What if the winner isn’t home on the 15th and HGTV is supposed air the show that evening? Doesn’t the winner also have 5 days to respond? I guess I am just curious if the winner already knows that he or she won so I can stop dreaming…
Oh yes.. I have a feeling I am number 764.. I will wear that number with pride…Do they actually surprise you on the 15th? Or does the winner already know??
correct me if im wrong but on sunday they will air monica pederson at the dream home and chi surprising the winner and then later they will have a video when the winner actually visits the dream home.
I thought that 764 was the imaginary bin number and then the computer chose a person from that bin? Well, whoever the winner is, it is already set and all we can do is wait. I road my bike to school today (as I usually do to my university) and it is freezing! I have an earache now from the cold. I hope HGTV takes me away to sunny Sonoma!
If you pay close attention, you see that they take from the mail-in entries as well as the online entries and THEN gives it a number. And that is when the selected numbers are put into the basket.
We don’t know yet if the winner came from a mail-in or a online entry.
JennyD…where have you been? Thought you were the winner and was laying low until the annoucement!
That number was for which bin to choose from
That was GREAT! I wasn’t going to blog anymore, but I have to say that is fun to watch. Gail, who are the other people? Honorary guest like yourself? If the winner was me, I will invite you over for a wonderful glass of wine! You have done a fantastic job. And thanks HGTV for giving us a moment in time (each year) to dream a little.
gail explains numbers 1-18 represent actual bins of mail numbers 19-782 are online entrys which are divided into bins in the computer he picked number 764 which is a bin of online entries in the computer
Gail said “If it’s 1 trough 18 we’re gonna go to a phisical bin, if it’s ball nr, 19 trough 782 they’re gonna come to this computer, they’ll pull up a virtual bin…etc”
So..the winner was from an online entry because she clearly said that on the computer are only the online entries.
Hope this helps..
There were more online enteries than mailings
What kind of car does Gail drive?
GREAT VIDEO— Now Everyone sees the Process. I feel that the Winner is Absolutely and Definitely from a Computer Entry. I HOPE THAT IT IS ME!!!! I went on the computer Every Single day!!!! LOL!!! The Whole Process is Totally Fair and Square. I’ve got to say, for those who don’t own a computer at home— Most People have Access to a Computer at work, and, there’s always Kinko’s, which is open 24 hours per day. I’m saying this, because on one of the First Original Blogs, there were a lot of negative blogs about “this” or “that”. LETS ALL BE HAPPY FOR THE WINNER— And O.M.G., that number was so close to another “Lucky” Number, like 777!!!
Diana
Hey everyone!
If you read the rules it states that the winner needs to be able to travel (at the sponsors expense) on or around Apr.16th. I’m assuming this is the date the transfer of the keys happens, so the “live ambush” has nothing to do with the house in Sonoma and the keys. Monica can host the show from Sonoma (that part can be pre recorded and edited before hand) and Chi-Lan Lieu can ambush the winner live. The live ambush should happen on or around march.15 so I will be waiting impatiently the entire weekend. Last years video looked un-edited to me. Of course the week of apr.16th will be the busiest week of my life (have a lot of events scheduled for that week) so that’s the only thing I’m worried about. Other than that…I have a long name, with a long hotmail e-mail address…he,he,he
It’s not over until the fat lady sings! (gee I hope that I don’t look THAT fat on TV! maybe I shouldn’t sing either…) oh well I’ll give a shout out to my blogging peeps for sure! and the SISBP will be in my back yard for sure! Count on it.
I did some math on the numbers and found out that bins 1-18, which held more than 900,000 entries, had about 500,000 physical entries in each one. The online entries went into “virtual bins”, and held 38,283,689.00 (The total 39,183,686.00 minus 900,000). They were divided into 764 virtual bins (782 minus 18) so there were about 500,000 online entries in each virtual bin, just like the physical entry bins. The total number of online entries divided over the 48 days of the contest means that they received about 800,000 a day! I thought it was interesting that the bin that held the winner’s information was 764, the same number as the total number of virtual bins. I know, I’ve got a weird mind, but stuff like this fascinates me! I can’t wait to find out who the blurred name of the winner is!
Wow… I wish Gail could atleast hint to us which State she is in. Too bad i couldn’t recognize the hotel she was in (lol). Hopefully somewhere in Atlanta
Anyways, I had a hard time falling asleep last night. I kept going on and on about the dream home with my husband till I put him to sleep and I thought to myself… I bet alot of other couples are doing exactly the same thing 
Sorry, I made a typo, the physical bins each held 50,000 entries, not 500,000 and the online bins each had about 50,000 also.
Hello Dreamers! I REALLY hope HGTV does NOT tell the winner until the sneak ambush! I think it would be so much more exciting for the winner and all those watching…PLUS, it still gives us all a chance.hmmm as for some people..mmmm…if they are a blogger here and accidentally slipped up, they would have to keep blogging so their identity is not revealed…say by…trying to turn around what they had posted previously..just thinking and hoping that’s not true..am I the only one who thinks this???? Still DREAMIN’!
So, will they also air the winner visiting the house on Sunday, or will that be shown at a later date?
OK…I guess I was wronge (WOW, first time THAT has happened
) You all are right. The winner is from a on-line entry.
Audra – thank you so much for posting that!!!! So,it sounds like we still have a chance~!!!!
I want that house so badly. Please let it be me!
New Jersey Gal- they show the winner visting the DH at a later date. Last year’s winner was live. But it didn’t go over too well, so they may tape the next one.
lovelykitty – it happens to the best of us.
Didn’t want to push the issue when I first stated it was an online entry – just figured you’ll realize it sooner or later.
Sorry guys – this morning I had just about given up hope on this house, but with Audra’s comments, I’m excited once again. It would be great if the winner is a blogger!! Even better if it’s me
Good luck and don’t give up on your dreams!!!!
I am now suspicious of everyone around me! I look out the window seeing if any of my neighbors have stange cars in the driveways, my husband seems to be calm and said he wouldn’t tell me if he knew..grrrrr. I even stall taking a shower when home alone cause I don’t want to miss the phone or door bell. These next few days are going to seem longer than waiting for Spring to get here over the long, cold winter!
lovelykitty – so the ambush won’t be live either?
Bonnie B…. when you put it into persective, it makes me even more excited. I like those odds!
Hmm…7-6-4…..Blogger-Deryck-Wins
HOORAY!
Yes, I think it is live because of how last years winner reacted. If it was pre-taped they could ask her to be more outwardly excited. They would probably think that would be best for TV. She was in total shock and a shy quiet person!! Probably NOT like any of us!!
Ohhh my last name is short too. All my entries were online but my e-mail is juno. Does that let me out? Oh Oh Please maybe it was too blurry to tell for sure.
Still gotta keep the faith anyway.
You know, 17 has always been my favorite number. If you add 7+6+4….hmmm, just saying!
Deryck – rock on!
Great math job!!
Okay, so in the midst of exitement, I did not notice something very important. The elevator was on the 16th floor and well, the closest hotels to my location are no more than 10 floors..boooooo-hoooooo! BUT if they needed a large facility for everyone coming to the location, there are quite a few very large hotels within 20 minutes! Oh well, maybe next year but I really was trying to find a way to get out to beautiful Cali! Congrats to the winner! I’ll be watching Sunday! muwwahh!
#764 is only the virtual bin # right? Then out of the 50000 entries in that bin it was about half way through when he pressed space bar and it stopped on the WINNER!!
HEY BLOGGERS….WE’RE STILL OPTIMISTIC…..I LOVE IT! GOING TO DISNEYLAND TODAY….”HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!” WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BEING AMBUSHED AT MY FRONT DOOR…I’LL HAVE TO KEEP ON CHECKING MY HOME PHONE MESSAGES….BETWEEN RIDES…LOL… I, TOO, HOPE THIS YEARS WINNER MANAGES TO PULL SOME PROVERBIAL EXCITEMENT OUT OF THE HAT….PERSONALLY, I FELT AWKWARD AT THE LACK OF SOCIAL GRACES WHEN LAST YEARS WINNER WAS INTRODUCED TO ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT MADE THE DREAM POSSIBLE….RIGHT? THANKS GAIL FOR THE VIDEO…WE HAVE BEEN SO ANXIOUS TO SEE IT….NATCH WE WERE ALL FREEZE FRAMING THE BINS TO LOCATE OUR ENVELOPE…DOES ANYONE OUT THERE THINK THEY SHOULD ONLY HAVE MAIL INS….SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD SIMPLIFY THINGS…JUST WONDERING…LOVE TO YOU ALL AND GOOD LUCK….KEEP THE POSITIVE ENGERGY GOING…Liz from LA.
Does anyone recogonize that hotel? I haven’t seen any lines like that here in oregon…
Good Morning Blogger Stay POSITIVE, Dream Big!! Nice video it was a online entry!
Darn It!…I have tried it a BAZILLION times, but I can’t seem to pause the video in time to catch the winners name.
Come on….I know someone else has tried it too.
LOL!
Watched video again (4th time) and I couldn’t tell about an e-mail being their. More like name, town and state, and phone number. What do you all think?
I love everything about the house and the doggie house….hope it’s me. I am glad to know the dog house is big enough for my alaskan malamute puppy to fit in…yippeee
Cheryl – I thought I saw a New Jersey address!
No, only limiting entries to mail would make it cost prohibitive for alot of us. Already of internet paid for and soooo convenient!!
Great video! At least now we know how they choose the winner….good luck to everyone…and congrats to the winner!