Austin-area man hits the jackpot with HGTV Dream Home

Jeff Yanes of Kyle, TX was one-in-136 million when he was chosen as the winner of HGTV's Dream Home. The catch? The house is in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Yanes won the fully-furnished home, a $250,000 cash prize and a 2021 motorhome from Camping World after entering in the sweepstakes multiple times over the course of five years. HGTV's ambush crew underwent a virtual interview with Jeff and his girlfriend, Jody, who thought they would be on a show about HGTV fans. The two were shocked to learn they had actually won.

"I didn't think it was true. I thought someone was messing with me," Yanes told HGTV.

Jeff Yanes and girlfriend Jody couldn't believe that they had won the HGTV Sweepstakes. (HGTV.com)

As it turns out, Yanes isn't ready to leave to leave the Hill Country behind. He instead decided to take the $750,000 cash prize given to winners who do not want possession of the winning home.

That leaves the Cape-Cod style home now on the market for a cool $2.39 million. The home's price includes all of its appliances, nautical decor and red-white-and-blue furnishings, pushing its value up to 2.8 million. The home's nautical design reflects its location on the bank of the Sakonnet River.

Yanes, an independent contractor who owns a bread delivery route to Austin-area grocery stores and restaurants, helped deliver food as an essential worker during the pandemic. He and Jody may not be packing their bags for the Northeast, but they do admire the nearly 3,500-square foot home, especially its rooftop deck.

"It's everything you could want in a house, (so) it's hard to pinpoint one room," Yanes said. " (But) the rooftop deck overlooking the river (is a great place to) have a cold beverage or cup of coffee."

Take a look at the aptly-named dream home here:

HGTV's 2021 Dream Home

The rooftop deck was Jeff's favorite part of the home, complete with a wet bar and river views. (Realtor.com)