Elementary School Teacher Wins HGTV Dream Home 2024, Admits She Almost Didn't Enter: WATCH (Exclusive)

"I have never won anything in my life,” says Marie Fratta of the moment that changed her life

The 2024 HGTV Dream Home has found its new owner!

Elementary school teacher Marie Fratta from Hawthorne, New York, has won the HGTV Dream Home prize package, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal. The 4th grade teacher — who hasn’t had the best luck with prize drawings in the past — called the win “surreal."

“I was shocked. I had never thought in a million years that I would’ve won this beautiful home. I have never won anything in my life,” Fratta says in the "ambush" video above. "My daughters are so excited and over the moon!”

The prize, valued at over $2.2 million, includes not only the fully furnished home designed by HGTV designer Brian Patrick Flynn and located on Anastasia Island, Fla., but also a new Mercedes-Benz E Class Sedan and $100,000.

The teacher of 25 years was selected from 130 million entries to the sweepstakes, according to HGTV.

Related: 25 Years of HGTV Dream Home! See Every House the Network Built (and Gave Away) from 1997 to 2021

HGTV Host Lauren Makk surprised the mom of three with the big news at a local restaurant, where her family, friends and coworkers gathered. Marie had been under the impression that the event was for a teacher appreciation dinner.

After Makk revealed the news, a shocked Fratta could be seen turning to hug her daughters as her friends and coworkers cheered.

When asked how she felt about the win, Fratta, clearly still in shock and after fanning away tears, replied that it still all felt “very strange.” One of her daughters jokingly added, “I feel like it’s a prank.”

Her daughter explains to Makk that it was her idea for her family members to all enter, to which her mom admits, "I was ignoring you."

Related: HGTV Designer Brian Patrick Flynn Spills Secrets of Its Dream Homes — and Why 2021’s Is Special

PEOPLE previously shared a first look at the stunning property in December.

The 3,300 sq. ft. home was designed with a combination of “classic coastal elegance” and “modern touches” with a color scheme of blue and white hues. The entryway of the home opens to a living room with a fireplace and sleek white sofas, then a dining room with a “beach inspired distressed table” and a “bright blue cabinet filled” kitchen.

The home’s main bedroom features skylights, a walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom. There are also two guest suites and a loft with a wet bar.

As for the home’s backyard, it features an outdoor kitchen and high-top bar, a pool with an elevated platform and a pergola with views of the Matanzas River and the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

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Marie, whose third daughter lives near the location of their new home, said she couldn’t wait to host family gatherings and use the big countertop and outdoor firepit.

As she and her family got into their new Sedan at the end of the clip, her daughter proudly stated, “We're putting the address in. We're going to Anastasia Island.”

To live out a similar dream, HGTV fans can currently enter to win the network's 2024 Smart Home prize package until June 10.

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Read the original article on People.