Our lucky winner Josephine Montgomery is a retiree from the village of Lindenhurst on New York’s Long Island. Her name was randomly drawn from 95 million entries to win the grand prize package worth over $1.6 million.

The HGTV ambush crew worked behind the scenes with Josephine’s family to break the exciting news, piggybacking onto a barbecue planned for her daughter’s birthday and wedding anniversary. After all the gifts were opened, Josephine’s grandkids asked her to watch a video they put together.

“I start watching this video, and it’s my grandchildren telling me how much they love me and thanking me for everything I’ve done,” said Josephine. “But then, I started seeing a bunch of people I didn’t recognize. I kept saying, ‘Who’s this? Who’s this?’ And then, all of a sudden, the video says, ‘Hi Josephine! Turn around.’”

Josephine was met with a crowd of unfamiliar faces. “At first, I thought it was Candid Camera,” she noted with a laugh. But one person stood out – it was none other than Tiffany Brooks. “I was shocked. I knew it couldn’t be Candid Camera if Tiffany was there.” It was then that she received the good news, and everything after was a blur. “I just remember it was very hot,” she added.

In 2012, Josephine’s house in Lindenhurst was completely wiped out in the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, so this bit of home-related news was decidedly more welcome. Though she never imagined she would actually win, she’s a close follower of HGTV’s home giveaways and always loves the design work. “They’re all done beautifully,” said Josephine.

The giveaway includes the residence and all its furnishings, a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e 4MATIC Plug-In Hybrid and $100,000 from national mortgage lender Quicken Loans®. The home is located in Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina, a Southern escape by the sea and one of the low country’s best kept secrets.