Kingston Kinsmen Dream Home Lottery could be shelved for this year

The annual Dream Home Lottery in Kingston may be scrapped this year according to Ryan Hanes, chairman of the Kinsmen Dream Home Lottery.

The Kinsmen Club of Kingston say they are working on getting a home built for the draw, but due to some issues between the builder and the developer of the home, they have had to hold off on the lottery process. Usually by the end of March, many people would have purchased their tickets and would be anxiously waiting for the draw. This year the tickets have yet to go on sale.

The annual Dream Home Lottery has been taking place in the limestone city for the past 30 years. It’s one of the main fundraisers for the Kinsmen Club of Kingston, which benefits a number of local charities and groups.

Hanes said they are still trying to secure a house to offer as the grand prize.

“Right now the challenge is securing the lot, but we are working really hard on that. We have a location in mind,” Hanes said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Right now the challenge is securing the lot, but we are working really hard on that. We have a location in mind," Hanes said.

“We have a builder that’s excited to do it, who has an amazing home that they want to build,” the chairman added. “It’s an issue between the builder and the developer. They just have to reach an agreement to get started.”

Hanes won’t elaborate on what the “issue” is, but he did say he’s hoping everything will be resolved between the builder and the developer in the coming weeks. He also says he can’t reveal the details of the home, such as who the builder is, where it will be built or what it will look like, only to say the retail price will be significantly higher than previous years.

In the past a typical dream home would retail for approximately $550,000.

Hanes says he can’t offer details on when tickets will go on sale until the issue between the builder and developer is resolved.

“I wish I could tell you next week. I wish they were for sale a month ago but we’re doing everything we can. I’m frustrated,” Hanes said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I wish I could tell you next week. I wish they were for sale a month ago but we're doing everything we can. I'm frustrated," Hanes said.

Hanes hopes to have everything resolved as soon as possible. But if not, he says this year’s lottery will have to be postponed until next year.