Every Sunday, Robert Linares starts his day by driving to a weathered yellow newspaper vending box near his Westchester home and buying a copy of The Herald.

``I'm looking for the Sports section and the employment classifieds,'' says Linares, a 27-year-old graduate of Florida International University who works as a highway toll operator in Miami-Dade but is seeking a job in public administration. ``I also look for the coupons.''

On Oct. 11, he filled out the biggest ``coupon'' in the paper: a sweepstakes entry for a $153,000 home in West Kendall.

That house is now his.

Linares is the winner of the sweepstakes ``Win a Home for the Holidays'' sponsored by The Herald/El Nuevo Herald, Garden Hills homes by LuckyStart and Burdines. His prize: a three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath single-family home.

His was among 500,000 entries.

``It's incredible. I've never won anything in my life,'' Linares said minutes after finding out he was a new homeowner. ``The way I'm feeling right now, I'm going to go buy Lotto.''

Before he heads to Tallahassee to claim any other prize, Linares will move himself and his parents, Rosalina Linares, 63, and Jose Jesus Linares, 75, into their new home. The old one, just blocks from his lucky vending box, will now be occupied by his older brother and his family, Robert Linares said.

``We're so thrilled,'' said Rosalina Linares, who will be in charge of filling the new home with $20,000 worth of furnishings from Burdines Interiors, another part of the prize.

Linares said he will keep on buying The Herald on Sundays.

``But I do still need a job in my field,'' he said.

Any takers?