'Extreme Makeover' house faces foreclosure

LAKE CITY, Ga. - More than 1,800 people showed up to help ABC's "Extreme Makeover" team demolish a family's decrepit home and replace it with a sparkling, four-bedroom mini-mansion in 2005.

Three years later, the reality TV show's most ambitious project at the time has become the latest victim of the foreclosure crisis.

After the Harper family used the two-story home as collateral for a $450,000 loan, it's set to go to auction on the steps of the Clayton County Courthouse Aug. 5. The couple did not return phone calls Monday, but told WSB-TV they received the loan for a construction business that failed.

The house was built in January 2005, after Atlanta-based Beazer Homes USA and ABC's "Extreme Makeover" demolished their old home and its faulty septic system. Within six days, construction crews and hoards of volunteers had completed work on the largest home that the television program had yet built.

The finished product was a four-bedroom house with decorative rock walls and a three-car garage that towered over ranch and split-level homes in their Clayton County neighborhood. The home's door opened into a lobby that featured four fireplaces, a solarium, a music room and a plush new office.

Materials and labor were donated for the home, which would have cost about $450,000 to build. Beazer Homes' employees and company partners also raised $250,000 in contributions for the family, including scholarships for the couple's three children and a home maintenance fund.

ABC said in a statement that it advises each family to consult a financial planner after they get their new home. "Ultimately, financial matters are personal, and we work to respect the privacy of the families," the network said.

Some of the volunteers who helped build the home were less than thrilled about the family's financial decisions.

"It's aggravating. It just makes you mad. You do that much work, and they just squander it," Lake City Mayor Willie Oswalt, who helped vault a massive beam into place in the Harper's living room, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Mon Jul 28, 2:32 PM ET

Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080728/ap_en_tv/tv_extreme_makeover_foreclosure

What a bummer.

When we had money, and we were negotiating with the State as to put our farm into a Wildlife easement and Park (266 Acres) we reserved a life estate. Since the State cannot take a gift outright, we were given a penny on the dollar, but that was not our doing as we simply wanted to preserve the land from future “improvements”. It is a farm that has been in the family since 1860 on the St. Johns River. When I told the lawyers that the house would be paid off, they said “Oh you can use your house as collateral as it is still yours till your death” I said what? Write that out of the Deed, I don’t EVER want to be able to collateralize any of this property. I put the stipend into a Charitable Remainder Unitrust that is irrevocable. Not knowing what the future would bring, it is the wisest thing I ever did considering my adversary who has helped me into this hole, cannot get any of my property as nothing is in our names but the Trust.

Never borrow against your house. My opinion. ‘Hub

Now that makes me "ILL"...................

Evidently these folks DIDN'T APPRECIATE what was done for them.

A $450,000 home (which most of us could NEVER AFFORD), college educations for their kids, and a home maintenance fund of $250,000 and they have SQUANDERED IT ALL................. in about 3 years.............

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID

What a bummer.

It is a farm that has been in the family since 1860 on the St. Johns River. ‘Hub

I love that river. I spent quite a bit of time on it in one year between Jacksonville & Ponte Vedra. One of the few places left in florida that I really have fond memories of as it has been preserved in a special way. Oh but that stinky swamp gas smell takes a long time to get used to.:)




STUPID, STUPID, STUPID

they will be here posting soon about how stupid they were- LOL!:D

There is another Extreme Makeover house in Maine that was sold because the people could not afford the taxes on the new home.

Now that makes me "ILL"...................

Evidently these folks DIDN'T APPRECIATE what was done for them.

A $450,000 home (which most of us could NEVER AFFORD), college educations for their kids, and a home maintenance fund of $250,000 and they have SQUANDERED IT ALL................. in about 3 years.............

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID

Don't forget about all the mega-buck lottery and powerball winners that squander their winnings. Here is a link to an article about some of the 'winners'....

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/70165/winning_the_lottery_curse_or_a_blessing.html?cat=4 7

I always wondered about the homes and the people that get them. Most of the people are low income, so how do they expect them to pay taxes on the house. And I do think the homes are way over the top.

A 450k house in GA is a nice house. A 450k house here wouldn't be so nice.

they will be here posting soon about how stupid they were- LOL!:D

LOL Thats cold Bandit!!:D

Now that makes me "ILL"...................

Evidently these folks DIDN'T APPRECIATE what was done for them.

A $450,000 home (which most of us could NEVER AFFORD), college educations for their kids, and a home maintenance fund of $250,000 and they have SQUANDERED IT ALL................. in about 3 years.............

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID

I totally agree!

I dream of someone coming along and saving us from this mess our lives have become. To think these people had that golden opportunity we all dream of and they blew it big time does make me sick.

I have no pity on someone who is given free help and doesn't appreciate it anymore then these people did. Do you think Extreme Makeover will come in and save these people again? I sure hope not.

I have no pity on someone who is given free help and doesn't appreciate it anymore then these people did. Do you think Extreme Makeover will come in and save these people again? I sure hope not.


If they save these people again they should rename the show. "extreme bendover" yyeeooooow!!!!:tongue:

There is another Extreme Makeover house in Maine that was sold because the people could not afford the taxes on the new home.


Now that's sad. Taxes causing someone to lose there home is simply criminal. That's happening here in the state I live in to people who have lived in there homes for many years. The state is taxing people right out of their homes!

If they save these people again they should rename the show. "extreme bendover" yyeeooooow!!!!:tongue:

I see a idea for a new reality show!! Hey maybe one of us could forward this idea and we could reep the benefits and get out of debt!! What a great idea!!

This makes me sick! What a couple of morons. I would have to say that if I/we ever received a wonderful gift like this, I would lock away the deed and forget I ever possessed it. Extreme Makeover is one of those heart-filled, inspirational shows that would make any of us wish that there were more people out there that would do such a kindness, but then we hear about something like this? It's disgusting.

Easy Come, Easy Go!!... (All Lottery winers are like that too)

I see a idea for a new reality show!! Hey maybe one of us could forward this idea and we could reep the benefits and get out of debt!! What a great idea!!

Exactly. We call it Extreme Bendover but its about how the goverment screws us over with runaway inflation, over-taxation, and Social Security that we pay into but wont be there when we need it. You think they will give us a pilot series at least. :cool:

They fell into the same trap we all pretty much have.

Businesses fail all the time, and I guess if you had a paid for house and money to sit on it would be a dream to work for yourself. However operating your own business is not easy and for every success story there are hundreds who fail.

The problem is the lack of teaching folks in high school how to manage money. They want to teach kids about different religions, different lifestyles, but the single most important thing we do not teach and that is how to manage money. Nothing contributes more to choices in life, marital problems and opportunity in this country than how you manage your money.

They made a mistake and now they have to suffer the consequences for it. We should not judge them for their bad decision. I have made my share of mistakes and that is why I am in this forum.

The problem is the lack of teaching folks in high school how to manage money. They want to teach kids about different religions, different lifestyles, but the single most important thing we do not teach and that is how to manage money. Nothing contributes more to choices in life, marital problems and opportunity in this country than how you manage your money.

I have been racking my brain trying to remember if/when I might have had any financial managment information in school--and sadly I can think of only very little. There was a math class where we learned more or less how to fill out a check book, and perhaps a basic income tax form. I did have Home Economics in the 9th Grade, but my main memories are of learning how to sew an A line skirt, and bake a pie. I cannot remember anything about planning budgets or anything like that. This was 1966 when Home Ec. was required. Now if it is offered at all, it is an elective. I also think it only ran one semester.

When people work hard and earn their way into riches somewhere they learned to manage their money in order to get where they are. When riches are just handed to someone they never learned how to manage it properly.

Therefore it's not really that suprising that they found themselves in this situation.

I've often wondered when I watch the show how much these changes really help. Some of these people are stuggling to meet their day to day needs that is how their home ended up in the situation it was in. How much good does it do someone to have a beautiful house if they don't have the money to put food on that beautiful table.

I guess I'm not surprised. Nor do I really blame them that much. If I won the lottery tomarrow I can garantee I would make alot of mistakes with the money before I figured out how to live and what to do with it. Some people figure it out before the money is all gone and some never figure it out. I hope I would be in the first group.

About the only thing I can say about this stupidity is they are not a "victim".:unsure:

Hopefully they will enjoy their new home. :cry: