FAQs

Click below for answers to some of our most frequently asked questions (FAQs).

If you have any additional questions, please contact Home for the Holidays at 1-866-485-3239.

Unfortunately, the purchase of raffle tickets is not tax deductible. According to the IRS, you are not making a direct donation to charity as you are receiving something in return for your contribution, a chance to win a home or other prize.

There are 10,000 tickets available for sale this year. Over the past couple of years, the project has averaged about 6,500 tickets sold for each home raffle.

You may purchase a ticket as a gift for someone else and put it in their name. The only requirement is that the person must be 21 years of age or older and reside in the United States of America. Tickets may not be in the name of a company.

You do not need a printed copy of your ticket. If you purchase one online, an e-mail receipt and proof of purchase will be sent to you. Should you win a prize, some form of government-issued identification will be required to obtain respective prize.

Tickets are numbered for accounting purposes and reporting purposes; however, prizes are awarded based on the name on the ticket pulled, not the ticket number. Winners are then contacted by the phone numbers provided on the ticket.

The deadline to purchase tickets for the 2023 Home for the Holidays is Tuesday, December 12th at Midnight. Sales will end at the ticket outlet locations at the close of business on Tuesday, December 12th.

This year’s home is located in the Reserve at Woodlake Subdivision in Lafayette, LA. This new-construction, residential development is located off of Tolson Road near its intersection with Artisan Road – only minutes from River Ranch!

The home will be open to the public for touring only during official open houses. Open House dates will be announced soon!

The house may be staged by a local interior designer during the open houses; however, the furniture and decorations are purely for aesthetics and not part of the prize. They will not be transferred to the winner of the 2023 Home for the Holidays.

No, Home for the Holidays is not associated with Love Our Schools Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or their home give-a-way campaigns.

The Grand Prize Drawing will be held LIVE during an evening news broadcast on KATC-TV 3 on Wednesday, December 13, 2023.

The drawing is aired during a live newscast on television, so there is no need for you to be present to win. You may watch the drawing from the comfort of your own home. Should you win, you will receive an immediate phone call from Home for the Holidays Board of Directors members.
All winners are contacted immediately at the phone number(s) listed on the ticket and have THIRTY (30) days to take possession of their prize. Winners are also listed on this web site and announced on the Home for the Holidays Facebook page.
All winning tickets are placed back into the hopper for all future drawings, including the Grand Prize. This gives each ticket the potential of winning every single prize in the contest!
Should you win a prize, you need only present a valid form of identification issued by the government upon pick-up to claim your prize. You have THIRTY (30) days from the drawing date to take possession of your prize. Otherwise, it will be rewarded to a second runner-up.

A raffle such as Home for the Holidays is considered by the federal government as gambling, and as such, winnings must be reported on your tax return to the IRS. The amount of income tax withheld is determined by a CPA in accordance with IRS and State of Louisiana regulations. If you cannot pay the taxes on the home, or prefer not to take possession, a $100,000 cash option is available whereby the named winner can choose a one-time cash payout and Home for the Holidays retains possession of the home.

There is no requirement to live in the home. If you would like to sell it, you may begin the process as soon as you take possession at the closing. However, you may be subject to additional taxes from the IRS should you decide to sell without living in the home first. For more information, contact your tax professional or visit www.irs.gov.

For the grand prize only, the new-construction home, the selected winner will have the option to choose a one-time $100,000 cash payout and forego taking possession/claiming ownership of the home located at 109 Peaceful Hollow Lane in the Reserve and Woodlake Subdivision.

Proceeds are distributed to Faith House, Foster the Love Louisiana, Healing House: Hope for Grieving Children and Lafayette Habitat for Humanity.

After the Grand Prize Winner has accepted the home and Home for the Holidays has paid all construction costs and other project-related expenses, a special reception will be held during which time monetary contributions will be presented to each recipient charity. This reception will be covered on the news by KATC-TV 3.

The Home for the Holidays does incur construction, advertising and ordinary business expenses which must be paid before donations can be made to project charities. These expenses vary from year to year, but costs are reduced greatly by donations of materials and labor from community businesses. Home for the Holidays strives to keep costs as low as possible, and each year, the charities receive sizable donations of tens-of-thousands of dollars each. Since the project’s conception in 2005, Home for the Holidays has donated over $2.7 Million to its four adopted charities.