HGTV’s 2024 Dream Home on St. Augustine’s Anastasia Island Sells for Under Asking on National Lottery Day 

On National Lottery Day, an unofficial holiday meant to celebrate the thrill of winning big through a luck-of-the-draw competition, a home once handed out in a sweepstake was passed along yet again. This time, instead of hitting the jackpot, the sellers lost out on $500,000. 

The HGTV 2024 Dream Home has sold for 2.2 million dollars, $500,000 dollars under its original asking price. It’s the third time the now four-bedroom, five-bath residence located on Anastasia Island, FL has exchanged hands since it was first won by a teacher in New York. 

Nestled in the intracoastal, exclusive community of Pelican Reef, the prize pad offers luxury, but laid-back coastal living- perfect for lounging around both inside and out. 

The open-concept living, dining room and kitchen is a modern design giving an easy flow between spaces for a large family or entertaining. The state of the art kitchen brings the outdoors in, with layers of blue throughout. The main room also includes a cozy reading- nook, a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows that stretch out to a large sun-drenched back-porch looking over the Mantazas River. 

Designed for year-round enjoyment the outdoor space includes a heated pool, perfect for one to dip in, while another cooks in the outdoor kitchen- the perfect prize for a summertime host.

Indoors, the primary bedroom gives a retreat from the rest of the space one may never want to leave in exchange for full relaxation, including a full dressing-room closet and an enormous ensuite with a double spa-like shower. The other bedrooms also offer walk-in closets and beautiful private bathrooms.

Upstairs a bright and warming loft, which has balconies overlooking the entry-way and backyard, offers a separate living space or one to escape to or for young-ones to play freely. 

This is all combined with plenty of storage and helpful spaces to make living as easy and organised as possible; a second entrance storage, butler’s pantry, a grab-and-go mud room and plenty of versatile space in the garage. 

So, why won’t anyone hold on to the easy-living, stylish, waterfront property?

From Dream Home to Dream Deal

Marie Fratta was selected as the winner of the 3,300 square-foot dream retreat back in 2024, in the annual Dream Home giveaway. The prize-package also included a brand-new Mercedes-Benz. Fratta’s fortune didn’t end there, she also inherited a property fully-furnished by celebrated designer Brian Patrick Flynn. 

Winners get the offer of taking the home and all of its offerings, or to “cash-out” for $650,000. Fratta and her family opted to keep the Floridian sanctuary- and that’s when she really struck gold. 

The Westchester County teacher told People she was “over the moon” at the time of winning in April 2024, but it wasn’t ideal for them to move South to the sought-after spot. Instead they decided to sell it just three months later, after enjoying it as a brief holiday spot. 

The savvy-thinking got Fratta three times the prize money she would have had if she opted for the cash-out- with all of the furnishings, the designer dwelling was valued at $2,069,595 million dollars, and quickly generated strong interest. 

Longtime real estate agent Matt Territo, who lives close to Anastasia Island, hopped on the opportunity on behalf of his buyers as soon as he heard about the sale. He quickly made Fratta an offer she couldn’t refuse- $1,999,950 before it even went live on the market. 

Public records show by Sept. 4, 2024, it was sold for $1,999,995. 

WIth more than just sheer-luck, Fratta  catapulted herself toward millionaire status.

Upgrades and a Quick Exit

The property then entered the hands of its second-owners, John and Jane Pope, according to Territo who spoke to Realtor.com earlier this year. 

The couple moved into the house and added their own finishing touches, adding to its market value. Though it came full-furnished, the designer dwelling still had plenty of projects for the former contractor John Pope to take on, including an empty 470 square feet of interior space over the garage.  

“The space was roughed-in when they bought it” Territo said. “But John, being a contractor, finished it out as an extra bedroom and bathroom. That took the total to just under 3,600 square feet.”

They also added on a few cosmetic changes, a pool heater, outdoor gate and a HVAC system to better accommodate the weather. 

But, Territo said more opportunities beckoned the couple away. The Pope’s decided they wanted to head further south and jumped at a deal in the Fort Myers area, re-listing it near the end of April for $2,699,000. 

“They loved it” Territo explained, “but they got the chance to move to a retirement community and didn’t want to pass that up.”

Three months later, fittingly, on National Lottery Day, the magic wore off. The once-lucky listing sold for $2.2 million dollars- $500,000 below the asking price.

The sale finally happened after two price drops: $200,000 on May 1st, and then another $100,000 drop on June 6th, which Territo stated were driven by the sellers. 

“They moved it much faster than I would initially move it. I felt they priced it very well from the very beginning.”

Despite the good value, Territo still faced some unique challenges when selling the listing and all of the furnishing’s that came with property when it was first won in 2024. 

“We had a lot of interest, but people assumed something must be wrong with it…it was just suspicion because it had changed hands so quickly.

“I always had to clear the rumour-mill.”

“A lot of locals already have homes nearby, so they don’t need another set of silverware, rugs, curtains,” he said. “They don’t want to pay extra for stuff they don’t need.”

In the end, that fully furnished aspect became one of the main draw cards for the buyer, who lives out of state but has family local to the area. Luke Newcomer, the buyer’s agent, explained, “She’s from Connecticut, but her parents live here. Her goal was to get something close to family, and this home was perfect for that.”

Newcomer added, “It was sold turnkey. Everything in these photos came with the house and that was really important to the buyer.

“All she has to do is bring her clothes and toothbrush.”

There are unlikely to be many future moderations to the home as well, Newcomer explained the new owner is a big fan of the HGTV designs. 

“Every room kinda has its own personality and kinda set up and that was cool to her. I’’m sure she might swap a few things here and there and her own flavour, but the overall theme is more than likely gonna stay consistent and the same.”

From the inside out, the house was a perfect fit.

“She looked at everything; oceanfront, gated communities, waterfront. This one checked all the boxes,” Newcomer said. “It’s a really special house with high-end finishes in a great gated community. You don’t see homes like this come up very often.”

After all the twists of fate- a prize home, a quick flip, renovations, and a lottery-day sale- it seems this is finally the dream home that luck led to its perfect match.