This just makes me so mad!

[sounderella]

On the news tonight here in Atlanta they spoke of the first Georgia home that was built by that show Extreme Home Makeover. Now if you haven't seen that show, they demo someone's existing home and then build an extravagant house to replace it for the less fortunate (usually facing financial burden, or extremely sick/dying children.) The house they spoke of in Atlanta is now about to go into foreclosure. What makes me mad about this is the fact that the mayor of the town paid off the mortgage after the house was built. So how could it go into foreclosure?? They took out a $450K 2nd loan less than 15 months ago and defaulted on it. Now the lady is saying she's not going to make her payment and keep the money because she's being harassed. It makes me so mad that they took something good hearted just to run off with some money. I mean my God, several 100 volunteers spent their time to help give them this gorgeous house and this is how they're thanked.

Here's the article:
'Extreme Home Makeover' House Threatened With Foreclosure - News Story - WSB Atlanta

[maat55]

It was bound to happen.

[gamecock43]

wow. that blows my mind too. Here money education is desperately needed, you cant fix problems with money. Sometimes people are in the financial bind they are in because they do not have money smarts, not because of extra circumstances.

[SnoopyCool]

I imagine their life is punishment enough, with thinking like that. Go on, take the money and run.

You know, that is really stupid. "Umm, I think I'll give up my secure home, a place I can live in forever, for $450k that will run out and then I'll be homeless or living in a trailor park." That, my friends, is clear, brilliant thinking.

[disneysteve]

There was another Extreme Makeover house, here in NJ I think, that the owners sold soon after the show aired. Like this one, the home was paid for free and clear when it was built, so they suddenly went from living in a pit to having a paid off, brand new, beautiful home with all the bells and whistles. But they chose money. I'd love to know where many of these people end up a few years after the show. How many of them get themselves back into financial trouble? Quite a few, I'm sure.

[rob62521]

Disneysteve, they probably wind up like some of the big lottery winners who win big and a few years later are broke and unhappy.

How sad that greed overshadows the good so many did on the makeover house.

[simpleyme]

I do not watch those shows as they make me irritated

the first house we ever had as a rental I lived in for years we fixed it up it was a beautiful little house the nicest looking one on the block clean and sweet

the lady that lived there for a couple of years paid rent well but was a slob ended up getting a habitat for humanity house , part of the qualification was that you have to live in "substandard housing" totally pissed me off the only thing substandard about my house was her filth and lack of ability to use a mop broom and a garbage can and clean up after her dog

whats good enough for working folk is not good enough for the non working , never quite understood that one

[Iceberglettuce]

thats just america's finest doing their best....

one important thing to learn from this is
"we can't have nice things"

[jIM_Ohio]

I would agree this pissses me off. Someone gives me a 400k home and the only thing I would need to pay is taxes. What a gift for sure!

I think a 60 minutes episode needs to cover this story. LOL

[PrincessPerky]

While the show pulls at the heartstrings I think it is a case of giving out fish without bothering to teach how to cook em much less find your own.

[Ima saver]

That is very upsetting!!

[cschin4]

Some people don't want to learn how to fish. I always thought that Homemakover show was a bad idea. If you cannot afford the type of house they are building for you on your own income, then you simply cannot afford it even if someone gives it to you! A bigger fancier home comes with bigger fancier costs, heating, maintenance and no doubt a large tax increase after the property is reassessed. And, again, it proves that people who get something for nothing simply do not place the same value on something that someone does who worked for it by the sweat of their brow.
More proof that socialism/communism will never work and that capitalism even with its warts and flaws is the only real practical economic structure.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by cschin4

If you cannot afford the type of house they are building for you on your own income, then you simply cannot afford it even if someone gives it to you! A bigger fancier home comes with bigger fancier costs, heating, maintenance and no doubt a large tax increase after the property is reassessed.

I've had the very same thought. People who were struggling to survive and living in squalor suddenly get a huge, beautiful, new home with every amenity. I've always wondered what happens when the camera crew leaves. Even if the mortgage is paid for, are these folks able to maintain what has been given to them?

[Thrif-t]

Originally Posted by cschin4

Some people don't want to learn how to fish. I always thought that Homemakover show was a bad idea. If you cannot afford the type of house they are building for you on your own income, then you simply cannot afford it even if someone gives it to you! A bigger fancier home comes with bigger fancier costs, heating, maintenance and no doubt a large tax increase after the property is reassessed. And, again, it proves that people who get something for nothing simply do not place the same value on something that someone does who worked for it by the sweat of their brow.
More proof that socialism/communism will never work and that capitalism even with its warts and flaws is the only real practical economic structure.

Yep these are my thoughts exactly!! At least it's down south and they don't have such high heating bills but I guess they have the electric bills for the air so it could be a swap. Plus who the heck wants to CLEAN those homes, YUCK I'd take the money and move to something smaller too

[JanH]

On the opposite side of the coin here....they've done a lot of homes. If only 50 percent get it right, then at least that many have gotten a leg up in life. Some of those people have had some terrible medical issues happen and maybe, several of those have been helped for the good. They only tell us about the ones who don't. They restored a school gym and a fire station in a nearby area clobbered by Hurricane Rita. Granted, it still didn't help those people who are still living in trailers and waiting for their homes to be more than pilings and floors. But, it did help the community get started going forward I hope.

I have wondered about those that can't afford to maintain such a home after it is built. I would hope that the people who choose the applicants think about that. Guess you can't always figure out who will make it and who won't.

[Gruntina]

The home channel (I forgot which one) but it is different than Extreme Home Makeover.

In this case you can win a house from a drawing or something. These are huge beautiful homes but there is a huge catch. If you win a house, you only get the house. You can not own the property the house is on. So if you cannot afford to live in it, you cannot turn it into a bed and breakfast, do business or anything the like. If I ever win a home and had a choice between the cash or the house, I would take the cash and run!

[cschin4]

Obviously the show has "good intentions". But, isn't that true of most social programs that end up promoting the squalor they try to prevent?
I recently tried to explain to my 12 yr old son that I would rather have a teepee that I earned and paid for than a mansion that was given to me. Unfortunately, he didn't get the lesson or point I was trying to make!

[PRICEPLUS]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Most lottery winners end up bankrupt so what does anyone expect. There has to be something leagally drawn up to protect these people from themselves. I'll bet that 450 large will be gone sooner than anyone here thinks!

[asmom]

You know what ticks me off? "Extreme Home Makeover" takes these poor, desperate people and exploits their stories for ratings. All of these volunteers come out not out of the goodness of their hearts but so they can say they helped out on a hit TV show. And then they build these super, elaborate over the top homes......far, far more than is what is needed. Ahem, a new house is not the answer to anyone's problems. Shame on all who think that once people are given a new house, free or not, then all their problems are solved.


I don't know exactly what happened with the couple in Atlanta but they are not the first to struggle after they are given these houses free and clear. Once these elaborate homes are built, they still have to be lighted, heated and maintained. The taxes are usually more than they were paying for their old dumps in the first place. And now they are under scrutiny for every step they make. Not a great place to be.

I disagree that it's a question of not valuing what was giving to you. I am sure that the majority of people in that situation have no concept of the burden that is being placed on them with their new, over-the-top homes. And once reality sinks in, they are overwhelmed.

EVerybody's mad because they feel used. So what? You get what you deserve. I can't stand that show.

[sounderella]

Originally Posted by cschin4

Some people don't want to learn how to fish. I always thought that Homemakover show was a bad idea. If you cannot afford the type of house they are building for you on your own income, then you simply cannot afford it even if someone gives it to you! A bigger fancier home comes with bigger fancier costs, heating, maintenance and no doubt a large tax increase after the property is reassessed. And, again, it proves that people who get something for nothing simply do not place the same value on something that someone does who worked for it by the sweat of their brow.
More proof that socialism/communism will never work and that capitalism even with its warts and flaws is the only real practical economic structure.

That was something I kept thinking about myself....how they were able to pay the taxes and and new increased power costs? The only thing I can think of is it being a trade off not having the house payment.


I just don't see foreclosure being the answer here. Now I'm not sure if there's a stipulation in the application for this show about not selling but if they were having money woes, they could've sold the house for practically any amount. It's not like they needed a set payoff amount. Which makes me think either there was a stipulation in the paperwork, they just had piss poor money management skills, or they took out the loan with no intention of paying it back. With her saying she's not going to make another payment because she's being harassed....I'm thinking it's the latter. That's a terrible reason to ruin your credit.

Also, what about the loan here? I wanna know who gave them a loan for $450K without showing proof of ability to pay for it. I mean my God, if you need to have a free house built for you, you must not have enough to afford a $450K loan!