Anyone know anyone picked by Extreme Makeover Home Edition?

[BoogasMom]

If so, can you tell me how the selection process went? I nominated my sister and actually heard from one of the casting producers wanting more information and some more pictures.....is that a good sign or do a lot of people get questioned after a nomination?

 

[buckler]

I don't know about the selection process, but are you sure your sister could handle this? Yes, the people get a new home, but they also get higher property taxes, higher utility bills, higher home owner's insurance etc. And typically, they don't pay your mortgage, so you still have the mortgage payments. Then, it becomes difficult to sell the home because it is so much nicer than the other homes in the neighborhood (big fish in a small pond).

In the future, they may tone the makeovers down a bit because people are having trouble keeping the homes. But please be careful what you ask for. Your sister may regret her good fortune if she was selected.

Wall Street Journal article

 

[BoogasMom]

Yes, I am sure she could handle it. The lot her house is on is rather small and therefore they wouldn't be able to build a very big house at all. Anything is better than the current situation she is in but I appreciate your concern.

 

[peyton18]

I think it's a good sign that a producer called you but I know several families in your area/state are probably being considered. I live in Wisconsin & a couple of years ago, Extreme Makeover interviewed several families & even shot footage of them then narrowed it down to 5 finalists before a decision was made. The general process was in the newspaper because 1 family considered had a high-profile tragedy occur so everyone knew of the family.

 

[BoogasMom]

She has a great story that would make for wonderful TV but I'm sure you are right about other families being questioned. Thanks for your response!

Anyone else have experiences to share?

 

[debbiecarr98]

I dont have any experience, but wanted to say good luck to your sister! I would imagine, because it has been widely publisized about people having difficulty keeping their homes, that they will probably really do much more of a screening than in the past because of the scrutiny. Not that I know anything about the process, just have seen a lot of stories regarding this recently.

 

[BoogasMom]

Thanks Debbie! We are praying hard for her! I read where they are going to stop building over the top houses for the families they pick which is completely understandable. Who really "needs" all of the amenities that they provide in those houses anyway? A flat screen TV in each room? A huge in-ground swimming pool? A new, well-built house sufficient for the size of the family is just fine in my opinion with the amenities needed by health issues, etc.

 

[crisi]

I have a friend who was involved in one. There was a large lobbying effort on the part of the community to get the show to choose that house (that was what he was involved in - not the building - the getting them to select that house and then promoting that).

 

[daughtersrus]

I don't have any experience but I know that there have been a few posts on the Community Message Board from people that have. You may want to post over there and see if they respond.

Best of luck to your sister!

 

[MAH4546]

Good article to read:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...5165840903285032.html?mod=WSJ_hp_editorsPicks

 

[miinutes]

If so, can you tell me how the selection process went? I nominated my sister and actually heard from one of the casting producers wanting more information and some more pictures.....is that a good sign or do a lot of people get questioned after a nomination?

What ever happened?

 

[bucket o' butter]

We had a family in our town chosen for a makeover. They had a seriously ill child and the grandmother had nominated them due to the high medical bills they had accumulated. It was a really neat thing to be part of and the family did get a really nice house. Now, the downfall...
When the family got their first electric bill, it was more than double what they were originally paying. Somewhere around $600 for the month. They were held responsible for this bill and almost had their power shut off because they didn't have the money to pay it. The construction company and ABC came back to the house to find out what the problem was. Apparently there was some mistake in the way it was hooked up and I believe they got it straightened out, but it was a headache. When they agreed to be a part of the show, they were given the choice of paying off their medical bills or paying off their mortgage. They chose the medical bills because that was the higher amount. So, they still have their original mortgage and higher utility bills. So, like the earlier poster said, make sure your sister can handle all this. The attention the family got was also very stressful. Of course, there were nasty people in our area who loudly complained that this family didn't deserve a home makeover. Things got posted on Facebook and in the local paper. The family was given counseling from ABC prior to the show because this type of thing always happens. Very sad, especially when children are involved. The makeover happened about a year ago and we recently found out the parents are getting a divorce. I don't know them very well, so I have no idea if it has anything to do with the bills, the makeover, or what. So, now the mom is living in this huge house with 4 kids and only works part time. I have a horrible feeling that she will lose the house sooner or later. I don't mean to be a downer, but really make sure your sister is ready for this kind of change in her life before pursuing it further. If you feel she is, then go for it! Good luck!

 

[miinutes]

I do believe that certain people need to really think in advance of the up side of it. Me personally don't really dwell on what others say, never have. I am a whatever type of person, you don't know me type of person. But I truly do believe that if anyone goes this route to get financial advice as soon as possible and be realistic. I am sure they ask the families opinion and I would ask for a green house. I would look into a savings account with the financial advisor for the tax purpose and try to put money aside if given any by donations for emergency purpose. I really wanted to know what happened with her sister because you find nothing online about finalist. This thought is just an opinion based on the average household.

 

[SandrA9810]

What I found pretty cool. I watched one of the specials on Discovery Health. About kids with abnormal diseases and such. One was of a young girl who could not regulate her body temperature, and had to wear a cooling vest to keep her body at normal range. In the show, they mentioned of their house being specially built for her needs, ultra insulated and kept around 60 degrees.
A couple weeks later watching re-runs of Extreme, it was the same girl. So not only did they go on tv to get a new house, they did a special on Discovery of her condition. At least that was one successful story.

 

[pipervali]

It looks as though the ABC team is trying to make the new homes they build on the greener side, so as to cut down the utility bills.

We had young widow and her daughter receive the Home Makeover treatment here last month for a new episode airing this season.

I was surprised about the whole process. ABC didn't pay for the new home. The materials were all donated and it was built exclusively by local volunteers. I'm sure they made money off of all the spectators who went out to watch the process, but the community at large paid for the rebuild, not the network or the show itself. One of the local universities has donated a full scholarship for the little girl, but she won't be using it for almost 20 years. A year's supply of groceries was donated by a local supermarket chain. Livestock feed was donated by one of the bulk pet stores. The woman did receive a brand new Ford, which is what I assume was the ABC contribution. She did not however have her mortgage paid off. But the original home was in quite a state of disrepair that it was not so much about the money, but more about the safety and welfare of her daughter.

I will say, the original home was dated back to the early 1800's, it kind of annoyed me that for the sake of getting the project done in a week, they completely tore it down with no thought to the original structure.

It was interesting to me that very little is done by the show itself. But in the end, a very deserving woman has a place that is safe for her child. So all's good.

 

[BoogasMom]

What ever happened?

Well, we never heard from anyone from ABC after the initial questions. I sent in the additional pictures that she requested and some contact information for some of the other people involved in my sister's "story". One of them received a phone call from the casting director but then.....nothing.

So my sister attends church with a young man with experience in "casting" in Hollywood. He has taken over the project and we are re-nominating her with his professional help. Thanks for your interest and I will try to remember to update the thread again when or if we hear anything else.

 

[pwdebbie]

EMHE is doing a Virginia Casting Call right now, looking for possible families. Here is the link:
http://www2.richmond.com/content/2010/sep/30/want-be-extreme-makeover-home-edition/

 

[pwdebbie]

I know one person who received a makeover and I sort-of-know another one. The first person was actually solicited by EMHE for a makeover, she never actually sent in an application video before hearing from them. They knocked on her door and asked if she was interested, and then she went through the process. This was someone from "back home" as they say. Then there was someone in our town that got one who was nominated by someone else.

 

[carly3592]

I don't know anyone personally, but my dad's girlfriend lives in the same town as one of the families that got the Extreme Makeover treatment. And during the week they were there we drove by the site (it was at night though so we couldn't see much, just a bunch of spot lights). And after the episode aired we drove by the house.

 

[FlyingBelle]

My husband was a volunteer worker a few years back (have the blue t-shirt!) He mostly had to work the overnight shift, nothing glamorous - so he never saw anyone from the show - just the local builder who was running the job. He said it was an interesting experience, but chaotic! He was concerned about the security for the family after the show was over, since the new home was head-and-shoulders above anything else in the neighborhood - said it came with quite the security system!