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HGTV Smart Home in Dallas-Fort Worth has a winner from out of town

The home was won by a contestant from New Jersey.

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The 2019 HGTV Smart Home built in Roanoke for its annual sweepstakes giveaway has a winner: Maureen Rustrian, a credit analyst from Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

According to a release, Rustrian's name was randomly drawn from 97 million entries to win a prize package worth over $1.2 million. The giveaway includes the residence, furnishings, a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE, and $100,000 from LendingTree.

She discovered she won when she was ambushed at her home by HGTV designer and host Tiffany Brooks.

The HGTV crew first ambushed Rustrian’s husband at his fitness studio, enlisting his help to surprise his wife with a backyard summer barbecue that same evening, using the ruse that a friend from Boston was in town on business.

"I thought it was a joke at first, but then I realized that no one would actually have all this equipment with the cameras, lights, and microphones," Rustrian says in a statement. "And then, I heard Tiffany's voice – it's so distinct – and it slowly started to sink in."

Planned and built by local firm Highland Homes, the home is in a Roanoke development called Fairway Ranch, a sustainable community with walking trails, greenbelts, a community pool, and parks.

The residence spans 3,400 square feet, with three bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, and an "Old-World retreat" aesthetic. It features smart technology and energy-efficient materials.

Rustrian is a self-proclaimed HGTV addict who entered the giveaway online twice a day, every day during the sweepstakes period. She and her husband have never been to Texas, but will visit the home in the coming weeks.

According to Country Living, few people who win HGTV homes, whether the Dream Home giveaway or the Smart Home giveaway, end up moving in. The majority opt to take cash.

If they sell or take cash, they still get to keep the furnishings, car, and cash portion of the prize.

Her reaction to the ambush will be documented in an HGTV Smart Home Giveaway special premiering August 16 at noon on HGTV.

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greener grass in tx

Texas blossoms as No. 1 best state for gardening and homesteading

Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash

Texas is an ideal place to homestead, the study found.

If social media is any indicator, homesteading has been one of the hottest trends of 2024. And Texas is leading the charge as the No. 1 best state for homesteading and gardening, according to a new report by First Saturday Lime.

Analysts at First Saturday Lime, an insect repellant company featured on Shark Tank, evaluated the "suitability for sustainable living" across all 50 states based on six factors: Climate, community interest (a.k.a online search trends), gardening resources, farmland costs, and others.

The Lone Star State led the nation with the most farms and ranches on the market and the highest total acreage for sale. As of the study's publication, there were 7,520 total properties for sale, spanning more than 2.19 million acres of land.

Texas also ranked favorably for its farmland affordability. The state came in at No. 9 nationally with its average farmland price coming out to $2,800 per acre, the report said.

For comparison, New Mexico (which ranked No. 11 overall) had the most affordable average price per acre of farmland at just $700 per acre. Massachusetts (No. 48) and Connecticut (No. 42), however, tied for the most expensive price per acre, at $14,300.

Among the three remaining categories in the study, Texas performed the worst for its "gardens on Yelp per capita" rank. The study calculated Texas has 0.30 gardening and community garden establishments on Yelp per capita, placing Texas at No. 49.

Meanwhile, Texas' historically hot weather meant it ranked No. 43 out of all 50 states in the "favorable climate" rank, and the state earned a middle-of-the-road No. 35 rank in the "search interest per capita" category.

"Homesteading and gardening are growing in popularity, but some states provide better opportunities than others," the report's author wrote. "Whether you're after fresh produce or the freedom of self-sufficiency, choosing the right state can make all the difference."

Following behind Texas to complete the top three best states for homesteading and gardening are Oregon (No. 2) and Washington (No. 3), two notoriously rainy West Coast states.

Meanwhile, three East Coast states ranked at the bottom of the list as the worst states for homesteading and gardening: Rhode Island (No. 50), New Jersey (No. 49), and Massachusetts (No. 48).

The top 10 best states for homesteading and gardening are:

No. 1 – Texas
No. 2 – Oregon
No. 3 – Washington
No. 4 – Vermont
No. 5 – Delaware
No. 6 – Arizona
No. 7 – Wyoming
No. 8 – Montana
No. 9 – Hawaii
No. 10 – Colorado

The study sourced its data from Yelp, Google Trends, and the UDSA to determine each state's ranking.

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