This story contains spoilers, so consider waiting to read if you plan to watch the episode.
A Jacksonville couple recently appeared on a popular HGTV show as they searched for their dream home.
“My Lottery Dream Home” Host David Bromstad traveled to Jacksonville on the Sept. 1 episode titled “Pennies from Heaven,” featuring couple Alvin and Melissa searching for their dream home after winning $10 million from a scratch-off.
Alvin retired as a decorated Marine Corps veteran and he and Melissa have several children. Their son, Alvin Jr., who was also a service member, passed away suddenly at the age of 19 from an accidental fentanyl overdose, Alvin said in the episode.
“The day we won, we had just recently come back from laying our son to rest at Arlington National Cemetery and I had this oil painting of my son, and I was talking to him through the painting,” Alvin said to Bromstad on the episode. “I asked my son, what do you want me to do? And something came over me and said go buy a scratcher. My son knows I gamble occasionally.”
He bought the ticket, and lo and behold, won $10 million. So, he and Melissa were looking to buy their dream home in the city of Jacksonville. Prior to the episode, they were living in a three-bedroom with two-and-a-half bathrooms. Their wish list for the new home included 4-5 bedrooms so their older kids could come visit, a man cave, as many bathrooms as possible and a big yard.
Their budget was $420,000 and when Bromstad asked if they could go higher, the couple explained to him that the area doesn’t have many homes over that price, which Jacksonville Real Estate Agent Christi Lyn Hill, who was also featured on the episode and helped Bromstad narrow down homes for the couple to look at, echoed.
“Military towns like Jacksonville stay affordable because so many of the buyers and sellers are in the armed services and they move around a lot making it a busy market,” Bromstad said.
He ended up showing the couple three homes. The first was in Hyde Park at the end of a cul-de-sac and completely renovated. The house had five bedrooms, three bathrooms and sat at $405,000.
Melissa was a fan of the big living room, kitchen with granite countertops and large upstairs bedrooms. However, the couple was a little discouraged by the small backyard and lack of a man cave.
The following day, Bromstad showed the couple a home on Lenoire Lane, a five-bedroom house sitting on .6 acres at $420,000. The house also had three full bathrooms. Melissa fell in love with the staircase and kitchen, though she did express a desire in replacing the countertops.
There was a perfect guest room for Alvin’s man cave and a huge backyard.
The final home Bromstad showed Melissa and Alvin was in a new development, Kingston Place. The home had four bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and sat on .5 acres at $419,500. Melissa, again, fell in love with the staircase and beautiful open kitchen. She also enjoyed the front yard and stonework on the outside of the home.
Bromstad pointed out the high ceilings and Alvin noted the unique quirks of the home. The master bedroom and bathroom were large, and Melissa said the only thing she’d change would be the wall color. The upstairs bedrooms were also of good size, with the backyard as equally impressive as the last home.
Melissa, Alvin and Bromstad met at Flavor Hills to discuss the couple’s decision, which ultimately was the second home they were shown, Lenoire Lane.
“I like the renovation idea,” Melissa said. “I like something that we can go in and make it our own. So, even though it’s a flaw to some people, we actually like that we can go in and turn it into what we want. And he gets his man cave and a big yard.”
The episode jumped to two months later, where the couple and their family are enjoying their new home. Alvin filled his man cave with his own military memorabilia, his son’s and his oil painting.
Bromstad was also happy to cross another little southern city off his list, adding North Carolina has always been good to him.
You can watch the episode on demand or catch it when it airs as a rerun on HGTV.
Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at [email protected].
