Let’s Make This Simple.

Here’s everything you need to know about how Homestead Rising works.

How It Works

Quick Summary

  • Grand Prize: $500,000 toward a home — tax free (Homestead Rising covers all grand-prize taxes, closing costs, and fees).

  • Choose your location anywhere in the U.S. (where permitted).

  • 25 additional cash prizes (see full prize ladder below).

  • Public, livestreamed drawing on December 15, 2025.

  • A minimum of 15,000 paid entries must be sold to conduct the drawing. If the minimum is not met, all paid entries will be refunded minus credit card processing fees.

  • Homestead Rising reserves the right to extend the sweepstakes until March 31, 2026 if the 15,000 minimum is not reached by December 15, 2025.

  • No purchase necessary. Free mail-in entry method available.

Prizes

  • Grand Prize (1): $500,000 toward a home — with all grand-prize taxes, closing costs, and fees covered by Homestead Rising.

  • Second Prize (1): $50,000 cash

  • Third Prize (1): $25,000 cash

  • Fourth & Fifth Prizes (2): $10,000 cash each

  • Sixth–Twenty-Fifth Prizes (20): $1,000 cash each

  • Early Bird Prize (1): $5,000 cash, drawn once 15,000 paid entries are reached. The Early Bird winner remains eligible for all other prizes in the final drawing.

Cash-prize winners are responsible for their own taxes.

What the Grand Prize Winner Can Do

Winners decide how to use the $500,000 home award, anywhere in the U.S. (where permitted). Homestead Rising pays prize funds directly to verified parties (title company, lender, contractor, closing agent).

  • Build New: Apply funds toward purchasing land and building a new home with a licensed general contractor.

  • Buy Existing: Use funds toward the purchase price and closing costs of an existing home.

  • Mortgage Payoff + Improvements: Apply funds to pay off your existing mortgage and/or make approved renovations (payments made directly to lenders/contractors; pre-approval required; unused funds forfeited).

How to Enter

  • Paid Entry: Each entry is received by purchasing the official Homestead Rising Digital Download for $100. Every paid download = one entry into the sweepstakes. Confirmation will be sent by email.

  • Free Entry: A free mail-in entry method is available with the same chance of winning as paid entries. See Official Rules for exact instructions and deadlines.

Timeline

  1. Entries open — progress updates posted online.

  2. Early Bird Drawing — $5,000 cash once 15,000 paid entries are reached (winner remains eligible for final prizes).

  3. Final Drawing — held December 15, 2025, livestreamed publicly. If fewer than 15,000 paid entries are sold, the drawing will not occur.

    • If the minimum is not reached by December 15, 2025, Homestead Rising reserves the right to extend the sweepstakes until March 31, 2026.

    • If the minimum is still not met by then, all paid entries will be refunded minus credit card processing fees (charged at checkout).

  4. Winner verification & fulfillment — prizes awarded; grand-prize process begins within 24–48 hours of winner confirmation. Winners have 90 days to finalize their selection.

Transparency & Odds

  • Odds depend on the total number of eligible entries received.

  • Minimum threshold: 15,000 paid entries required.

  • Drawings are conducted publicly via livestream using a certified randomizer.

  • Winner initials, city/state, and prize paths are published for accountability.

Eligibility

  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., excluding NY, FL, and RI.

  • You must be at least 18 years old to enter. However, some states require you to be older to be considered a legal adult: 19 in Alabama and Nebraska, and 21 in Mississippi. If you live in one of those states, you need to meet that higher age requirement.

  • Void where prohibited.

Taxes & Fees

  • Grand Prize: Homestead Rising pays all grand-prize taxes, closing costs, and fees.

  • Cash Prizes: Winners are responsible for their own taxes and will receive applicable tax forms.

Digital Download

Every paid entry includes access to our official Homestead Rising Digital Download, provided at checkout. You’ll receive your file immediately after purchase, along with your sweepstakes entry confirmation.