N.C. Woman Buys First Home and Wins $1 Million Lottery Prize a Week Later: 'It Was Unreal'

A North Carolina woman got the surprise of her life when she purchased a winning lottery ticket just one week after buying her first house.

Patricia Simmons, of Greensboro, said she bought a lucky $30 Millionaire Maker scratch-off ticket from Fairway One Stop on South Elm Eugene Street in Greensboro, which resulted in a $1 million win, according to a press release from the North Carolina Education Lottery.

"I just stared at it," Simmons told lottery officials. "It was unreal to see that."

Simmons, who works as an in-home aide, said she has "been in shock ever since" her win.

However, she wasn't the only one surprised. Her husband also couldn't believe it when she called him to tell him the news.

"He said, 'Tricia you're playing,'" she told lottery officials. "He wanted to see the ticket."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Simmons, who only had 90 days to claim her prize, went to lottery headquarters on Monday to get her winnings.

She ended up choosing to receive a lump sum payment of $600,000, which with taxes amounted to a total of $427,509 in take-home winnings.

RELATED Video: Grandfather of 10 Who Sold $2 Billion Powerball Ticket Gets $1 Million Prize: 'We Are Excited'

As for what she plans on doing with the money, Simmons said the funds will go towards paying off her monthly mortgage every month — something she had been concerned about as a new homebuyer.

According to the North Carolina Education Lottery, portions of ticket sales from scratch off lottery tickets raise $2.5 million a day on average for education. The lottery raised $33 million dollars last year.