Texas man wins HGTV Urban Oasis Giveaway contest

By Madeleine Marr11/7/2012

James Walley has a nice, new Miami spread. The married father of two from Texas won the 2012 HGTV Urban Oasis prize: a fully furnished, 20th-floor dwelling in the Paramount Bay condo, partially designed by Lenny Kravitz. The 1,700-square-foot, two-bedroom place is valued at $900,000. When HGTV personality John Gidding came to Walley’s Houston home to bring the news, James’ 6-year-old son knew right away what was up. “My son yelled up and down the hallway, ‘HGTV is here! HGTV is here!’” said Walley, who works in the IT department of a sporting goods company and entered twice a day almost every day until the contest ended. Walley’s reaction was filmed for an HGTV special airing 8 p.m. Dec. 28; he and his wife Denise will receive the keys from Gidding at the downtown-area property Friday morning.