Some Final Words …
Good morning, bloggers!
Whew, what a night. Wasn’t the HGTV Dream Home 2009 Giveaway special great? I am thrilled for our HGTV Dream Home winner. My whole family was glued to the TV for the entire show. I have a few closing thoughts to share. First of all, THANK YOU to my HGTV Dream Home blogging family. It’s funny, but I really do think of you all as friends. I hope the last few months have inspired you to keep dreaming. In many ways, I feel as though I won the HGTV Dream Home because this whole experience has been a dream come true for me. I won’t be active on this blog anymore, but stick around because Mary will be posting updates about the 2010 location.
Second, I hope you will join me on the HGTV Green Home blog as we dream about the gorgeous eco-friendly home in Port St. Lucie, Fla. I am so excited to go behind the scenes and share the inside scoop with you.
Thank you for visiting the blog and posting your inspirational thoughts and questions. Keep dreaming!!
Your Super Fan,
Gail
PS: You did see the call for Super Fan 2010 video submissions, right? Send in those videos — next year it could be you 
The Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri would be a nice location for the 2010 HGTV Dream Home.
Great job, Gail! You were a wonderfully enthusiastic Super Fan. I loved the fact that your video of the selection process was on last night’s special, and we got to see it first on the blog!
Congrats to Cheryl Smith and good luck next year to all of the faithful bloggers. It has been fun to read your comments every day!
I always wondered if the winner was notified beforehand. It appears they are. I found this from an article written in the Press Democrat, a news webside in Santa Rosa:
“The couple learned about their windfall last Monday night, but they had been forced to keep their win a secret from all but immediate family until after the show aired at 8 p.m.”
So for future Dream Home contests, now we know that if you haven’t been contacted days earlier, you are not the winner!
I checked HGTV’s website the day after the Dream Home winner was announced, I missed the excitement live on t.v.
I read some of the comments on the blogs and I have to say some of the people really need to simmer down. It appears the bad economy we are experiencing is really turning some folks into nasty, greedy gremlins. When I submitted my entry/s to win the Dream Home I completely understood I was entering a HGTV GIVEAWAY, I did not pay any money to enter the GIVEAWAY so I wasn’t expecting them to go by my rules, it’s HGTV’s GIVEAWAY not mine so if going by their rules is how you enter I’m fine by that. You do understand they don’t HAVE to give away a Dream Home……free.
Over the years I’ve enjoyed watching every Dream Home being built, along with seeing each different location in our country. I even had a small wish that they’d walk onto my porch with balloons to tell me I won. But I wasn’t taking that wish to the bank, it was only a WISH, it should never be a WANT, a SHOULD or a MUST.
And goodness people, commenting on what ethnic group should win, what rock did you just crawl out from under. As long as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and their clan of kids didn’t win I’m happy for the person who’s WISH did come true.
Launiopoko on the West mountains of Maui. Such all incompassing views of the ocean to the fron of your home and mountains and streams to the back, truly panoramic and a GREAT DREAMHOME!!
Please!! 
It Has been a wonderful Journey with all the DH2009 Bloggers sharing the same dream. We owned the Dream Home for two months in our Dreams, but now this Dream is a reality for Mrs. Smith. I wish her, her husband & family a wonderful new life. Also, I wish for all the 2009 bloggers dreams to come true and to continue to dream big for your chance of a life time!
Gail,
You were fabulous on HGTV last night. You are the best superfan ever. I really want to see you on your own HGTV show!!!! You could give away a house every month, maybe to homeless people, that could be a good spin. You are so great thanks for your enthusiasm on the dream home giveaway!
Gail, you were wonderful as our very own Super Fan. My only wish is that there will be no negative remarks about the lady that won the DH. Please don’t let there be any moaning and groaning because you didn’t win, and that you deserved to win more than she did. So, that said, CONGRATULATIONS CHERYL SMITH, I hope that you are able to live in the home, if that is your hearts desire, and are very happy. Now, on to the Green Home, lol.
Bella, the Ozarks sound like a great choice. They haven’t had one in the middle of the country yet and it would open our eyes to a beautiful area that many might not be familiar with.
Hi Gail,
Thank you for being the “eyes” for the rest of us. You did a great job! You’re a real pro, and you made it fun and a very approachable experience – plus I loved your enthusiasm!
At last, I was able to watch the most recent videos posted for the 2009 winners – Congratulations again, I am so happy for you and your extended family. I hope the dream home is able to provide you with what you want or need. Hearing you entered that often has given me hope to try again. All the Best!
Gail you did a magnificent job as the HGTV Superfan 2009! I really enjoyed the features of the 2009 Home, and your quaint interviews, topics, and personal touches were very nice, Thank you.
As you kindly mentioned, its time to move onto to the next big topics DH 2010 and GH 2009! I hope to learn the sacrifices/mitigation involved with making a “Green” home. There may be a few ideas my wife and I can benefit from, for our 1st home addition!
Lastly, BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Cheryl.
Gail, you did a fantastic job. I agree it must be a dream come true for you. I’m so thankful for my new blogger family, thank you for sharing your thoughts, stories, and dreams with me for this past week. I hope to see you all on the “Green” home site!
Hope the winner is able to live a more comfortable life financially than they were the day before they found out they had won.
If they have to sell, hope they are able to so very easily and quickly. This, after all, is supposed to be a dream house not a nightmare house.
If they plan on living in the home, hope they are able to do so with little strain on their family in their new digs.
Hope HGTV has listened to previous posts and builds a more realistic home in the future. We all have our dream home but ‘really’ whose dream house these days is the caliber of the one just won. Keep it simple (average home around $200,000 or less these days) and let the winner actually be able to enjoy the place for a change.
Are people in the bracket who can afford to live in the style of this year’s dream house even entering to win houses like this. My guess is that they are too busy living their wealthy lifestyle to be bothered to even know what the HGTV Dream House contest is even about. Just a thought. Comments?
It’s sad that some think they’re in a position to determine who deserved win. Remember that there’s almost certainly someone and probably many many many who would qualify more than you. If they use that criteria you’ll end up just as childishly disappointed. It’s not charity. It’s a fun event that markets what the channel is all about and gives us all an equal chance to win a dream in the process.
Awesome show on March 16th. Gail, you did a great job and I love your youthfull enthusiasm! It made the show that much more fun to see you really enjoying yourself. I’ve got to admit, this was my first time watching the show and now I’m hooked!
CONGRATULATIONS CHERYL SMITH! I WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THE BEST IN YOUR NEW BEAUTIFUL HOME!! and gail thanks for keeping us updated. and i think that the next dream home should be in maine buy the ocean! congratulations again cheryl!!
CollegeMom, one would like to think you wouldn’t be so ignorant given the statement of college before your name. But please do not generalized nor victimize an entire class that you have no knowledge about. Victimizing and demeaning the upper class is just the same as doing so to lower classes. You would be so overtly racist (As I’m sure you know to hide it well), so why be so overtly judgmental and biased with regards to class.
You come off as simply ignorant.
This entire experience has been extremely enjoyable and I wish the winners the best of look. Regardless of the outcome (whether they stay or sell) their lives have forever changed.
I’ll be back next year for another chance at winning a $2 million home as it is the price and grandeur of the whole experiences that entices me.
AWWW GAIL! I will miss seeing you going through all the nooks and crannies of the DH for us bloggers…LOL! But I am also so HAPPY
that we will be seeing you as the GREEN HOME 09 SUPERFAN!
I think that they should build a DH in Indiana! I do live in the town with the largest natural lake in Indiana. It would make for a BEAUTIFUL spot for a DH!
XOXOXO~Renee from IN
CONGRATULATIONS CHERYL SMITH WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THE BEST IN YOUR NEW BEAUTIFUL HOME and gail thanks for keeping us updated and i think that the next dream home should be in South Carolina or Maryland buy the ocean congratulations again cheryl
Congratulations cheryl!
I hope your win will make many of your dreams come true.Thankyou HGTV! I really enjoy fantasizing sp? about the dreamhomes every year. I can’t wait to start learning about 2010.
Hey Gail,
You did such a great job as Super Fan! It has to be sad to have the experience be over now but maybe HGTV could get you on another show??? I loved watching you and would watch you again for sure. I felt I could relate to you, that you were one of “us” – I guess that’s the whole point of being a super fan right? We’re all crazy about home design and the programs on HGTV and you represented all of us with class and sass. Thank you.
For Mary the Super Fan:
It has always puzzled me as to why Lenders.com stopped co-sponsoring the Dream Home giveaway with their $250K in cash. What happened there? Can you answer this for me? Also I would like to say I think you have a great “super fan” and wouldn’t mind if you were it for the upcoming dream home. I have read many of the blogs but never blogged until today. I could not sit back and say nothing because of all the disgusting negative comments from various bloggers.
I hope HGTV does not go for the suggestion of 8-10 smaller homes. In many areas across the US,$175-$250K would put you in a un-dream situation. Then, the 8-10 winners would be whinning that somebody else got the house they wanted.
Congratulations Cheryl and Joe Smith! My best wishes to you as you enjoy your beautiful home and begin to make decisions about how to deal with the windfall that has landed in your lap! And thank you to HGTV for all the fun and the chance to dream….it has been a great ride!!
I think it was Lovelykitty who warned us that the blog entries would turn ugly after the winner was announced, but I had no idea it would be as ugly as some of the entries above have been!! I feel that HGTV was very open and transparent with showing how the selection process is accomplished, and I am totally satisfied that it is completely fair and random. EVERYONE had an equal chance to win, be they white, black, hispanic, rich, poor, single, retired, no matter what state they live in….people, it was totally “the luck of the draw”!! You wouldn’t go to Las Vegas and when you lose at the gaming table, claim that you didn’t win because you were black, or poor or whatever, would you? This was a contest (with no entry fee!), and no one had any better chance of winning than anyone else. At a time when we should be happy for the winners, instead we get the “poor me” and “sour grape” stories. These people need to recite the serenity prayer:
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference”
.
On a happier note, now that the winner has been revealed, it is time to celebrate! Once the winners have a chance to wrap their heads around what has just happened, then maybe they will be able to let us know if they want to be involved in the SISBP planning or if we will be on our own in doing so. I hope we get a chance to meet them at the party and congratulate them in person. I look forward to helping put the party together. Maybe we can get together for a planning session??
Thanks Gail for all your hard work (Done with such class and poise ) and the Cheryl Smith our very lucky winner congrats The lord has blessed you so go out and do whatever it is you have dreamed of doing (In Life there are no dress rehersal enjoy)
and to my blogger friends another story
A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill in a room of 200 people, and asked, ” Who would like this $20 bill ?”
Hands started going up.
He said, ” I am going to give this $20 bill to one of you, but first let me do this….” He proceeded to crumple the $20 up.
He then asked, ” Who still wants it ?”
Still the hands were up in the air.
“Well”… he replied, ” What if I do this?”..and he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” he asked.
Hands still shot up!
“My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it..because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.” Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt, by the decisions we make, and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you never lose your value ! Dirty…clean…crumpled…or finely creased…you are still priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. You are special….don’t ever forget it.
Count your blessings…….not your problems
grandma
I wonder how many bloggers are still willing to send some money to the winner to help with the taxes?
While most of the post-drawing blogs have been pleasant and congratulatatory, there are way too many small, bitter people out there. You didn’t win. It was 39,000,000 to 1. Of course you didn’t win. Get over it. Go back to work and earn what you get in life.
Mary, how about a suggestion for next year now that it’s over for now in 2009. Why not reserve one room, such as the master bedroom because it’s so personal, as a blank slate for HGTV to work with the winner to design on their own. They could go to Ethan Allen (or whoever the sponsor is for 2010) and work with the designer to choose furniture, flooring, paint, etc. It would be fun for the audience too because we’d have a show or two after the big win to see how the new owner interprets their dream home once they’ve won it. Even if they don’t keep the house it would be great to watch. Decorating your own home is part of the bigger dream for all of us. I’d watch the show(s) and I’m sure the rest of the DH enthusiasts would as well.
Oh, and a suggestion for the future: The best floor plan I’ve ever seen which has room for EVERYTHING is the DRHorton Gilpin II. It is the best I’ve ever seen for storage, space, family, entertaining, etc….. Do something along those lines so it will be easy to sell for the winner. The reason the Florida home is unsellable probably has more to do with the totally bizarre and impractical floor plan than the bad housing market. Somebody had to say it, I’m just trying to be helpful. The floorplan in that home was an absolute disaster and well below HGTVs standards. I would want to know the truth if I was in HGTVs shoes – -
Well I have to admit that I was *very* disapointed I didn’t win last night and even had to walk away from the computer. I live in Alaska and didn’t have a live feed only what people were saying online. I knew it was only a dream, but I got so wrapped up into it I believed it was meant for me.. plus Im pregnant and hormones are HARD to control lol!
But I am so happy for the Smith family! I still have not been able to watch the videos.. I missed the TV special at 7pm since I was still cookig dinner and for some reason my sound isnt working on my computer.
I hope the Smith family invests wisely and that their lives are improved by what HGTV has done for them.
Oh and to make a comment about what collegemom said.. Yes I do “dream” about owning an affordable home, having children and not having a lot of money, only renting at the moment.. but when I really “DREAM” I look at the 1 mil plus homes on the Internet! When I make a search I put how many beds I want and NO LIMIT on the ammount of money then have it listed from highest priced to lowest.. I dream for an hour looking at all the wonderful photos of houses I will never own.. then I look at the “cheap” houses I will also never own.. then I look at trailers lmao! then log off.. but thats my take on HGTVs dream home. Keep at it! I love it! Even if I did get too emotional this year!
mcorrallo, I’ve sent my congratulatory card to the winners… with a picture of a dead president in it!
Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Smith!
Keep your home in Sonoma, sell your home in Sonoma, it is yours to do what you feel is best for you, so… honestly, it’s nobody’s business but your own what your final decision will be.
HGTV, please make the 2010 Dream Home bigger and better. You don’t call it “Dream Home” for nothing. It’s not called “Affordable Home” or “Mediocre Home”. It’s “Dream Home” for goodness sake! I am looking forward to 2010 to see the next season on HGTV “Dream Home”
A sweepstakes is great fun. A chance to win, or not. If you enter and then lose sight of the fact that you may not win, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
No “sour grapes” from non-winners, please! Be happy for the winners.
HGTV had specific posted rules for entering.
If one chooses to enter sweepstakes, read every word carefully.
I have a question for someone who is knowledgeable. How much is earthquake insurance on a home such as this one? Is it on an earthquake fault line? Any geologists out there?
Oh Well…..I guess I need to RSVP to the SISBP.
Deryck will attend SISBP in Sonoma?
[ ] Yes / [X] No
Bonnie B….I’m sure you all will have a great time @ SISBP, and thanks for keeping in the spirit of this year’s DH. Afterall….we bloggers did pick the winning tablescape for the Smiths! LOL
Gail…Thank you for doing such a great job as the very first Super-Fan! You seemed to really enjoy your new “job”(it really seemed like more fun than anything). And you got paid to travel and meet the handsome Jack Thomasson,beautiful Monica Pedersen,talented Steve Ledson,comical Norm Oliver,and let’s not forget the amazing BoBo,the “Super-dog”!!! I bet you won’t have as much fun on the GH09, but of course I’m sooo biased towards Sonoma.Hope to see you around town when you bring your family here for visits.
Again…many congratulations on your success with HGTV! Ingrid from Sonoma
Dear Gail,
What a fantastic job you did!
For 2010, Marco Island Florida, is MY DREAM HOME LOCATION!!!!!
I hope next year I will be the lucky one. My very best to the Smith Family!
Maria
Thank you Gail Iam so happy for the winner ,they said that they have been doing this for 10 years way to go thats great !! Dreams do come true just have to hang on to them!! Thank you again HGTV see you all at the GREEN HOME!!
Gail you were the absolute best!!!!!!!!! I will be blogging like a maniac on the green home blog I’ll know that Gail will make it exciting. Congrats to the winner! Well everyone keep dreaming it seems like the dreamhome just moved out and the green homes moving in I think the online tour starts in April. So what will we say for the green home instead of keep dreaming on those last few hours till the special? Well I would still say keep dreaming
And last this is not the end of me on the blog I hope all of you will keep on blogging and as we all ways say KEEP ON DREAMING!
Take me off your subscription list. I will take you off my viewing channels. I am mad that I didn’t win, and I could have lived a very happy life in Sonoma, with shoes on my feet and maintenance and taxes affordable for me. I am VERY DISAPPOINTED, and I will never enter one of your scam contests again. SHE was probabably a cousin of the guy pretending to draw those names. This contest is an illusion and a lie. It is cruel to people like me who want to win so badly, and win they never do.
Gail, maybe you’ll be a part of the Green Home hooplah. Thanks for the work you did here as it surely enlightened me more. I had only entered one other time and I never did anything other than enter. You made this educational for me. I doubt I’ll enter again but this was an interesting learning lesson this time no doubt!!
Gee, I was expecting to win..when a commercial came on, I went and freshened up in case my doorbell rang and I was told I won LOL Seriously, it was exciting to see them surprise the winner…it didn’t look like she had already been told…if she knew, she and her hubby are great actors and they belong in CA..LOL Look forward to next yr. Could a Tucson home be next?? How about my home city/state New Orleans, LA..Love to live back home, but still love my present home in Tucson, AZ HAPPY BLOGGING YALL!!
Whether they knew beforehand or not, it’s great that they won. Good for them! But I was thinking HG should do away with the mail in entries next year as that was a whole bunch of wasted paper.
Gail, thank you for being the most SUPER Super Fan!!! You’ve made this blog very exciting and you’ve made me feel like I was getting the latest news from a girlfriend. I’m so glad we still get to see and hear from you on the Green Home Blog.
Hope to see you a whole lot more on HGTV…you did a great job!!
Congratulations to the DH winner!
Excuse me Ingrid and BoBo, but didn’t you forget to mention the person who is the cornerstone of the design team–Linda Woodrum. She was there long before Monica, Kim and everyone else (except Jack) came along on the show. Shame on you!!!!
I have to agree with Victoria and K. I hope HGTV continues to build its future “DREAM” homes in the $2M range, and not average homes. Just because I already live in a million dollar home, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have the right to dream about living in a $2M home. My husband and I come from humble beginnings and have EARNED every cent we’ve made, and the lifestyle we have through our own hard work. We are grateful for our good fortune and very generous with our time, talent and financial resources when it comes to supporting philanthropic causes, so I don’t feel guilty about dreaming of a bigger house for my family. I’m sure there are a number of others out there like me who could have afforded to keep the Dream Home. The DH is about luxury. Keep up the good work HGTV! I’m looking forward to the 2010 Dream Home!
Gail, EXCELLENT job as super fan! I know you had a blast and you were fun and inspiring to watch…. and I will keep watching as the green home gets closer.
On another super fan note, I noticed that the casting for the new super fan needs them to live in Northern Cal…Is this correct?
Western Pennsylvania would be a great place for a dream home.
Gail plain rocks. Gail is golden. I cannot stop watching Gail!
Ah Gail, we hate to see you go but keep telling yourself what a privilege that most people will never experience and you at least got to step foot in the house.
And, I don’t understand why winners don’t give more credit with praise for the time, energy, money, etc. Well make sure you “BLOG” next year.
Congrats, to the winner, just I wish they would have at least let all of us know what state the winner was from because I changed my trip to Las Vegas to make sure I was home on that Sunday. That really sucked.
I remember one year HGTV gave away some cash to go with the house (I assumed it was for taxes). After seeing these winners so happy and excited, I sure hope they are going to be able to keep their win. Caleefornia is a big mess at the moment and I am sure the governator wants to get his hands on all the tax money he can.
Gail, You are so FABULOUS! You remind me of my best friend from college and I hope to see more of you on the HGTV channel!
Ok I was thinking and a home in Fayettville, NC would be great. And if they could make sure I am the winner that would be even better…LOL! That is where my very bestest best friend lives and I would LOVE to be near her.
That ones for you my dear BFF.
Hi guys.
I will keep this short and sweet
. But two Blogs really stood out for me.
Debbie: You spoke exactly how I feel, but I am just able to put it as elouquent as you did.
lifeisgoodatgrammas: I don’t know where you live, but you sound like a lady I would love to meet
.
Where do you get those great stories? I would love to read that book!!
I am not a big fan of the Green House but I will stop in on the GH Blog every now and then, to keep up with my new found friends.