HGTV Announces Winner of 2026 Dream Home — See Her Sweet Reaction

Another lucky HGTV fan has joined the ranks of previous Dream Home winners.

On Thursday, May 7, the network unveiled the winner of the 2026 Dream Home, which is located on Lake Wylie in North Carolina. In an Instagram clip, the home’s designer, Brian Patrick Flynn, surprised Atlanta native Eileen Reimer with news that she was this year’s Dream Home recipient.

“It’s go time! Let’s do this! I’m gonna pretend like I’m walking in from the parking lot, and I found these keys,” he told the camera before walking into a local restaurant, where Reimer was gathered with her friends and family.

“Is there somebody here named Eileen?” he asked before walking up to Reimer. “I believe I have your keys. Can you come here for a second?” Flynn proceeded to hand Reimer a set of keys with a keychain that read “Eileen’s Lakehouse.”

“Do you have any idea why it says ‘Eileen’s Lakehouse?’” he asked Reimer, who replied, “Uh, no.” He went on to reveal, “You are officially the winner of the HGTV Dream Home 2026 on Lake Wylie, North Carolina.”

A shocked Reimer covered her mouth in surprise. “Oh, my god!” she exclaimed, sharing her excitement that the Dream Home is close to her family. Looking at her loved ones, she quipped, “Somebody here is a mole!”

 

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Flynn revealed that the “mole” was Reimer’s sister-in-law, Margaret, who stated, “I could not wait for today to happen!”

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In addition to the Dream Home, Reimer also won a $100,000 check. “How do you cash this?” she joked. Reimer and her family and friends ended the video by shouting, “Thank you, HGTV!”

Fans congratulated Reimer on her Dream Home win and also mourned their losses in the post’s comments. “Dang… I really wanted this one, BPF is one of my favorite designers!! I’ve been entering for 16 years, it will happen one day! Congrats it’s a STUNNING DREAM home!!!!” one user wrote. Another added, “I’m heartbroken, but happy for Miss Eileen!!!!”

Someone else shared, “This is my favorite reveal & my favorite house in one!” A different person posted, “I’m so happy for her. one day this will be me.” A separate commenter stated, “Wow!!! Wow!!! Wow!!!!! This was the best house hands down.”

In an interview with HGTV after the big reveal, Reimer told the network that she has been entering HGTV sweepstakes for years. “When I see something close (geographically) that appeals to me, I am going to enter…never expecting to win,” she said, noting that the Dream Home’s Charlotte, North Carolina, location was a big selling point. “Lake Wylie gets us four hours closer to them,” she explained. “This was meant to be; it wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t supposed to.”