‘My Lottery Dream Home’ IDs 5 Home Features More Valuable Than Jackpots and Mansions

On “My Lottery Dream Home,” host David Bromstad is known for helping lotto winners splurge on mansions—but most homebuyers have far more modest goals, and windfalls, to make them happen.

In the episode “Texas Tranquility,” Jody has just received an inheritance from her father. But his passing is not a tragedy.

“My dad was 95, so he lived a full life,” she tells Bromstad.

She wants to move from Minnesota to Sugar Land, near Houston, to be closer to her daughters and grandchildren. She doesn’t need anything grand and fancy, just something that will be perfect for a senior living on her own.

Her daughter Marisa is helping her look and find the best way to use her $300,000 to $350,000 budget.

“Everything may be bigger in Texas,” says Bromstad. “But today we’re looking for something cute and compact.”

Their journey to finding the right house reveals that many features might be a lot more valuable than jackpots, or mansions, or even millions of dollars. Here are some criteria this homebuyer cherishes that prove that sometimes, it’s the little things that matter more.

Is it move-in ready?

When Bromstad, Jody, and Melisa tour a spacious 2,476-square-foot home priced at $399,000, it is indeed impressive, but there are many dated features that will have to go, including the dining room wallpaper.

Jody knows she won’t have the funds or energy to make changes like that if she buys a home at the top of her budget. That’s a big strike out for this otherwise magnificent house.

What’s the stairs situation?

Going up and down stairs multiple times a day might seem like no big deal at some stages in your life, but if you have young children or are nearing retirement age, you might want to think twice about a two-story home.

Jody knows this and tells David she prefers a single level, but he can’t resist showing her one two-story house because it checks off all the other boxes on her list.

She’s seriously tempted because it’s such a lovely home and there’s so much mature foliage outside, but she ultimately decides against it. Those stairs are fine for her now and the grandkids would love them, but she knows that as she ages, they might not be so convenient.

How much yard maintenance is required?

Next, David shows Jody a home on a third of an acre. The house has a lot to recommend it, but the yard is just too big for her. While she would like some outdoor space to do a little gardening and let the kids or grandkids run around a bit, a large yard will require more expense and time for proper maintenance.

What’s the traffic and noise like?

Jody is immediately attracted to one home before she even steps inside, all because of the peace and quiet of the area.

“I like that this is not on a through street,” she says, referring to the dead-end street the house is on. Traffic and noise will be limited.

Then she turns down another house because it backs up onto a noisy highway.

“As a gardener, you know what to do with it,” says Bromstad. “You just plant pine trees all the way up. Create a nice barrier of sound.”

But this homebuyers knows trees will take years to grow, and she’ll still have to worry about the air quality from so many passing vehicles. She rules that one out, too.

Last but not least, is it close to family?

Since Jody is moving to Texas to spend more time with her family, she wants to find a home that’s as close to family as possible without being right next door.

She looks at a home in an area called Butterfield Bliss. It’s modest in size (just under 1,700 square feet), but it is close to Marisa and her kids. It’s also only $299,000, well under her budget.

“It is a little dated, but then so am I,” says Jody, laughing.

You can paint and landscape and redesign a house all you want, but you can’t change the location. That’s the most important feature, as far as Jody is concerned.

Which house does this homebuyer choose?

It’s obvious that she goes with the Butterfield Bliss house.

“It was the cheapest,” she says. The money she saves will come in handy renovating her new home.

“I can paint, and I can work on the backyard,” she says.

She loves the fact that her kids and grandkids are nearby.

“You just can’t have a good relationship with the grandkids unless you’re almost there every day,” she says.

Priorities met and matched! They celebrate with a giant sundae for three.

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