This is the 3,300-square-foot "Dream Home" given away as part of an HGTV contest. | HGTVThis is the 3,300-square-foot "Dream Home" given away as part of an HGTV contest. | HGTV
This is the 3,300-square-foot "Dream Home" given away as part of an HGTV contest. | HGTV

HGTV’s ‘Dream Home’ sweepstakes has a winner

Published on May 22, 2024 at 3:42 pm

Fourth-grade teacher Maria Fratta lives in New York, but now she has a place to stay in Anastasia Island.

Fratta was announced Wednesday as the winner of HGTV’s Dream Home sweepstakes. A new, fully furnished home in St. Johns County is just one of the prizes Fratta receives — she also takes home $100,000 and a new Mercedes Benz. 

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The entire package is worth $2.2 million. Fratta was selected at random from among 130 million entries.

Maria Fratta | HGTV

The contest ended in February, but the announcement of the winner was held up for months while St. Augustine sorted out unsanctioned modifications to the home. The city’s Planning and Zoning Board last month retroactively approved improvements made to the home to prevent erosion and protect nearby waterways. 

Located right near the Matanzas River, the 3,300-square-foot home includes three bedrooms and four bathrooms. It comes decked out with a loft, an outdoor kitchen, a pool and more features. 

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A group of Fratta’s coworkers, students and friends surprised Fratta with the announcement by luring her to what she believed to be a teacher appreciation event.


author image Reporter Noah Hertz is a Jacksonville Today reporter focusing on St. Johns County. From Central Florida, Noah got his start as an intern at WFSU, Tallahassee’s public radio station, and as a reporter at The Wakulla News. He went on to work for three years as a general assignment reporter and editor for The West Volusia Beacon in his hometown, DeLand.
author image Reporter Noah Hertz is a Jacksonville Today reporter focusing on St. Johns County. From Central Florida, Noah got his start as an intern at WFSU, Tallahassee’s public radio station, and as a reporter at The Wakulla News. He went on to work for three years as a general assignment reporter and editor for The West Volusia Beacon in his hometown, DeLand.

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