Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Sad Forclosure

I saw this article today, its quite sad. But frankly I'm surprised this is the first family to lose their Extreme Home.


"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 shows 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."

I work for a company that provided services to one family (not the one mentioned in the article) and what I heard was that the receiving family was getting a lot of harassment from the community as not being "deserving" of such a home. They were getting hate mail and everything.

Aside from that, he described the house as incredibly impractical. The tween girl's bedroom didn't even have a closet.

Aside from that, these homes are huge and the maintenance and taxes has to be astronomical. It seems like a great and wonderful thing to, I don't know how much sense it makes to take a shack into a mansion with all the bells and whistles.

But then again, if I could get out of teeny tiny condo into mansion, I probably wouldn't think much past the front door. Taxes and electricity might not even cross my mind until after the first bill.

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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is BEYOND sad. It's wrong.

There should be a contractual agreement that the house cannot be used as collateral on anything.... as that was not the intent in which it was given.

(sigh)

Anonymous said...

It is sad. But maybe a taste of something good is still good, while it lasts - it's a gamble that's worth the risk?

I think most people would take the chance but it reminds me of those stories about the huge lottery winners who end up destitute. Who wouldn't want it all so easily? It just sucks that things that come easy tend to go that way too.

Ashlee said...

The one thing I have to say in defense of the producers of the show is that if the people have no house payment or rent payment, they should be able to afford the maintenance right? Maybe not. I wouldn't have any idea how much it would cost to keep the bells and whistles going. I cringe at my utility bills every month. :0) I agree with the first gal. They should put it in a contract that the new homeowners can't use the house for collateral on a loan. They were the recipients of the house...it was a gift to help better their lives. Whether or not their good intentions ended up being what the family truly needed is hard to tell. Just sad. You are right. :0(

Sister Sassy said...

I think you all are right. Good idea Sililquoy, you should email Ty :)

Kid, I'm sure a taste of something might be worth it. But it may go with the question - is it better to have loved and lost than to never loved at all? will it just make the lack of something all that more painful if you know what its like.

Cristan said...

I just keeping thinking of the old saying "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime."

JHS, Esq. said...

Hi Sisters -

Congratulations! Your post from March 27, 2008 titled “Who Are We..Our 100th Post” has been selected as our Post of the Day on “The Rising Blogger”. It is a site that awards posts, not blogs. We will email your winning badge to post in your sidebar and all our info, if you contact us with your email address. To encourage your readers to comment on your award, it helps if you make the first comment on our post about your blog, yourself. We ask winners to nominate a post favorite of a fellow blogger. Call it “paying it forward”. Neither is a requirement. You have won this award because we truly feel you deserve it. To reach “The Rising Blogger” site:

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Have a great week!
Judd Corizan

islandgirl4ever2 said...

This is sad!! My hub and I watch this show in France and we are always both sooo amazed at how quick they build these houses... and how OPULENT they are... I think that the houses should NOT be able to be used as collat. either... That just sucks, but it's sure a risk the family took... Can't imagine that people in the community could be so mean and hateful... I always cry when they read the winners' letters, but what do I know... it's all for show so who knows how much is really true.. Maybe the neighbours know something we don't know.. YIKKEESS!!!
P.S. I just found your blog on my friend, Barbara's blog post - family-counts.blogspot.com
Love your blog..
Leesa

Sister Sassy said...

Thanks Leesa!!

THe family that recieved the house in question. THe reason people were angry was because they were small business owners and percieved as being less needy.

There was a plane crash that destroyed there house...and a pilot with a family died. People that that the piolot deserved more consideration. There were articles about it in the papers and letters to the editors. It was sad.

Thanks for stopping by!

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