This just makes me so mad!

[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]

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!

[osadg]

Taxes..

I live in Idaho, and about two years ago Extreme Home Makeover came to a small community here and rebuilt this AMAZING house for the family with sick children here. The house was incredible, and the family was so grateful, but not long after the show aired, the family was about to lose the house because they couldn't afford the taxes. Again, the surrounding communities came together and help pay off the taxes the family couldn't afford. But how long is that going to keep going on? They build these amazing houses, but then what really happens to these families who can't afford the new payments?

[Like2Plan]

One question I have is how do the new homeowners afford the income taxes? If they are given a new home worth 450,000 plus a cash amount of 100,000, would they be able to average this out over several years? Even averaging, that would be a lot.

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.

But in the case of the Atlanta home, weren't they given 100K to help with expenses in addition to the mortgage being paid off (unless it all went to income taxes)?

The house was incredible, and the family was so grateful, but not long after the show aired, the family was about to lose the house because they couldn't afford the taxes. Again, the surrounding communities came together and help pay off the taxes the family couldn't afford. But how long is that going to keep going on? They build these amazing houses, but then what really happens to these families who can't afford the new payments?

Again, I don't know about the impact of the income taxes on this family and their home. But, if they only have to come up with utilities and property taxes, I wonder if the family could even afford rent? Nice home or not, it sounds like they would have to struggle.
I have not seen all of the shows, but some of the homes are tailored to the special needs of one or more of the occupants. These accommodations are something they could not get in any other conventional home.

Some homes which are awarded as part of government programs have restrictions on gains until the homeowner has owned the home for quite a few years. I wonder if the show will put similar restrictions on the winners in the future?

I also wonder if they might in future restructure the cash given and set up a trust to fund only property taxes. utilities, home repairs and upkeep?

[Ima saver]

Good question, sounderalla!! They showed the lady in her car leaving the house on tv this morning. She looked fairly young and healthy to me.

[GoodBuyGirl]

I never undserstood why they build these people houses they couldn't even afford the electric bill on.

[gamecock43]

good point sounderella

[MiikeB]

Also to consider is the fact that they are not selling there old homes, so they still have the mortgage to pay on the old house. So a family barely getting by now has to worry about all existing bills plus the new heat, electricity and tax bills.

Although it doesn't excuse this behavior, make no assumption that these makeovers fix people up for life.

[SnoopyCool]

Also to consider is the fact that they are not selling there old homes, so they still have the mortgage to pay on the old house. life.

I believe the show pays off the old mortgage.

[sounderella]

Also to consider is the fact that they are not selling there old homes, so they still have the mortgage to pay on the old house. So a family barely getting by now has to worry about all existing bills plus the new heat, electricity and tax bills.

Although it doesn't excuse this behavior, make no assumption that these makeovers fix people up for life.

They usually tear down the old house and build the new house where the old house was

[bjl584]

Having money is no substitute for being educated ABOUT money. You see this sort of thing play out again and again. Sad but true.

[pedersoc]

I just read another article about it here:

Year to Date "Best Bargain Gone Wrong"

Cheryl