Extreme Makeover May Not Be A Blessing

[Crankyshank]

Well, I watched the last episode and the family was putting a garbage bag into the toilet and going into the garbage bag because they couldn't afford a plumber. I think to some of these people $115 a month is a huge amount of money.

I just would rather see them help more people and build less lavish homes. I know it's all about ratings, but still. They build mansions in neighborhoods filled with crumbling shacks. It's just kind of sad.

This past episode made me very uncomfortable. That house should have been condemned.
I didn't understand how a healthy woman with several jobs (including a nursing job which would be well paying here), and 2 teenage sons that could work part time, could be in such a situation. I wonder if she was receiving any alimony or child support.

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

This is the exact reason, that I stopped watching. If ABC really wanted to help people, they could fix up 100 family homes, rather than do 1 outlandish one. They don't want to help. They want to profit from the misery of others. The bigger sob story---the better.

As for affording the houses, I imagine there are alot, who could not afford the upkeep.

I worked w/ girl a few years ago, who won a 3000 sq ft, furnished home, w/ a pool. The family lived in a trailor, and were barely making ends meet. Not sure how they rationalized buying a $100 raffle ticket, but anyway, they won.

There was no way they could afford the electric bill for the house, yet alone taxes, and upkeep. They sold the house, and bought a nice home in there neighborhood, and now there daughter is in college, which is something they never could have afforded before. At least they knew enough not to get into something they could never have managed.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

I too wonder about theft to the houses. Then I heard this -- I know someone who is related to the family who got the house in NJ. He told me that after the filming ended there were still handymen in the house doing a little finishing work and fixing a couple of things that needed fixing. Supposedly some stuff from the house went missing -- like laptop computers and ipods. They had to get in touch with the Extreme Makeover people and get the stuff replaced. It was the workers taking stuff!

What gets to me is how they do the kid's rooms on the shows. I keep thinking -- the room is great for the kid now when they are little, but how about in a couple of years when they are too old for a building block room or a doll house room.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Well, none have sold them, if you read the first article.

But really, how is a tax increase of $1400 over 12 months going to put them out of the house? That's just putting away an extra $115 dollars a month. They already were paying their regular mortgage, and that's all they need to keep paying. They don't have to worry about constant repairs, or wasted utilities. They can spend more time being productive, having slept well in beds, being able to actually cook food again, not having to get water from the hose next door, etc., etc...

Not that I don't think the show is ridiculous. I want to see 200% more house, and %500 less boo-hoo-hoo.

But you are forgetting that the IRS is saying they owe income taxes on the improvements and furnishings. In the article they said $20K if they are in the 10% tax bracket. That means the IRS thinks the increase is $200K. That would not put them in the 10% tax bracket but the 25% and maybe even the 33% tax bracket. The entire $50K would be gone and then some just to pay the IRS.

I personally think the houses are stupid when they are done. They have really dumb bedrooms (kids will hate them in a year or two) and way to much area for the family to keep clean. I love BBC America and the two cleaning ladies (Howw clean is your home?). These pimped out McMansions would be a great addition to this show in a few years. Too much house to clean for the family with so little time.

 

[hentob]

I remember the one show where they had ADULT children living in the house. They were so behind on their bills, but the children and mother had the dream of baking native foods and dancing native dances for their income. I believe they were from an Oceanic country. Anyone remember? I watched that show shaking my head. I am all for living your dream, but you have to stop at a certain point, work a JOB, pay your bills and then pick up your dream where you left off.

Well, Ty and the Gang come in, reward them with a new home and all is well. I wondered how in the world this would help this family. They needed job counseling, not a million dollar home

I would LOVE to see an Extreme Home Makeover: Where Are The Now? episode. I am sure many would be shocked

 

[pearlieq]

I have found watching this show to be less enjoyable lately. I always comment if they could not afford the collaping house how would they afford the McMansion+? They need to improve the house not pimp it out.

I agree. While the basic premise of the show is nice, I'm not crazy about the message that all problems can be solved with a McMansion. It's getting old and seems kind of hollow.

 

[hentob]

This past episode made me very uncomfortable. That house should have been condemned.
I didn't understand how a healthy woman with several jobs (including a nursing job which would be well paying here), and 2 teenage sons that could work part time, could be in such a situation. I wonder if she was receiving any alimony or child support.

The spin on that episode is on the website:

"..........she runs her own clothing donation center, which led to Sabrena's being selected to serve on a Hurricane Katrina relief committee at her church. To date, her organization has supplied hundreds of thousands of dollars to families and organizations hurt by the devastating natural disaster. The Jones family put serving their community first; they involve themselves with such charitable organizations as Toys for Tots, Mission Mississippi and many more.


While she's out serving her community, Sabrena's house is falling apart. Without financial means, the Jones family have been unable to make the home repairs needed to bring the house up to par...."

It's nice to be nice, but if you have 3 children and you live in squalor, you need to get your butt back into your own home instead of "volunteering in the community." Once you fix your own life, then you help others.

I just don't get it. Many of these people make SUCH poor life decisions. They need counseling, not a new home.

 

[hentob]

This one is a silly episode too.

http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/bios/411.html

Why in the world would they get a new home? They have two ADULT children and the rest are teenagers that will be out on their own before you know it.

That is a strange one I can think of a million more deserving families

 

[Crankyshank]

It's nice to be nice, but if you have 3 children and you live in squalor, you need to get your butt back into your own home instead of "volunteering in the community." Once you fix your own life, then you help others.

I just don't get it. Many of these people make SUCH poor life decisions. They need counseling, not a new home.

Yes MTE. They mentioned nothing about her sons contributing to the household. It really rubbed me the wrong way because here she is giving clothes away to others and spending all of her time working with the community, when her children have to defecate in a garbage bag. As a medical professional she should be aware at just got bad that is for the health. And where exactly were the trash bags being disposed?

Counseling and a helping hand would do wonders. A pimped out house, brand new car, and tens of thousands of dollars in gadgets isn't helping.

 

[netMick]

It's nice to be nice, but if you have 3 children and you live in squalor, you need to get your butt back into your own home instead of "volunteering in the community." Once you fix your own life, then you help others.

Yes, this annoys me too. "You've done so much for everyone else". Yeah. To the detriment of your own family. And don't give away your inventory. I don't know why they gave her a cash register for her store, since she'll probably just give it all away.

Actually, this was one of the more modest homes I've seen. It was pretty much walk through the door into the living/dining room. Bedrooms right off the main area. The "fun" room was the garage? What was that about? And then the store. Nothing too outrageous about this one.

 

[Feralpeg]

it is not that hard of a problem to solve -
sell the house, pay your taxes, and go live somewhere reasonable.




that "we're renting the house for 10 days and making improvements" to avoid paying the income taxes just pisses me off. They are paying those people an income of a new house for the use of their life drama to make a tv show. Income taxes need to be paid, just like WE all pay income taxes on our salaries.

Unfortunately, they build the homes on the original property. It is often in an area with homes of much lower value. Selling the house would be a problem because the house is worth much more than any other houses in the area.

 

[cybrkitn]

Every time I see Extreme Home Makeover I think about this. You take people who are barely getting buy living in a shack and give them a huge house worth a lot of money. How are they supposed to be able to afford the taxes?

Sure, sometimes they pay off the mortgage but not often. I wonder how many have to sell their fancy new homes or end up in a worse financial situation than what they started because they try to keep the house.

I think the same thing after I watch an episode, and I rarely watch it. I've often said to my DH, "If they had really bad living conditions prior, how can they afford a brand new house that is much bigger with all these amenities? And what about the mortgage and property taxes? They go up once you have a bigger house! Who pays for all of that?"

 

[bigmerle1966]

I rarely watch the show anymore because of the "boo hoo" and the "do they really deserve a new house" factor It really started to bother me when they had one lady, who had three daughters, two of whom were over 18, whose house had burnt down. She and the youngest were living in a shed on the property and the two oldest were living with friends because it was too much for them. Sorry they are old enough to get jobs and make their own way and mom could get an apartment for her and the younger one and sell the property.

I would have liked to see them do an entire season of helping re-build for people who lost homes due to Hurricane Katrina.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I rarely watch the show anymore because of the "boo hoo" and the "do they really deserve a new house" factor It really started to bother me when they had one lady, who had three daughters, two of whom were over 18, whose house had burnt down. She and the youngest were living in a shed on the property and the two oldest were living with friends because it was too much for them. Sorry they are old enough to get jobs and make their own way and mom could get an apartment for her and the younger one and sell the property.

I would have liked to see them do an entire season of helping re-build for people who lost homes due to Hurricane Katrina.

Some of the people we see on the show has a disaster happen that would be coverd by insurance, which they did not carry (could not afford?). How are they going to insure the pimped out McMansion?

 

[chyam]

I love what they they do but I really think they go way over and beyond....I would love to see them go back to those homes in 12 - 18 months and see what they look like then.
I have noticed that alot of times they are also given a check probably to cover some of the taxes etc. But I do agree that they should pay the adjusted taxes on the new home. I just don't agree that the homes should be so elaborate.
On another note, there was a Japanese businessman in Hawaii that was opening up a few of his mansions there to homeless naitive hawaiians for a period of 5 years, saying that those homes were just change in his pockets........why doesn't he just sell those homes and buy many smaller homes to give to the people, what does a homeless family know about living in a mansion?

 

[hentob]

On another note, there was a Japanese businessman in Hawaii that was opening up a few of his mansions there to homeless naitive hawaiians for a period of 5 years, saying that those homes were just change in his pockets........why doesn't he just sell those homes and buy many smaller homes to give to the people, what does a homeless family know about living in a mansion?

I saw that and thought the same thing too

The people in the upscale neighborhood were also very upset to be living next to homeless folks. I don't know how I feel about that

 

[Hedy]

Bumping in light of the other extreme makeover thread.

 

[snowy76]

I would have liked to see them do an entire season of helping re-build for people who lost homes due to Hurricane Katrina.

This thread has me thinking about Oprah's Angel Lane project. If I remember right, Habitat for Humanity worked on that project - Oprah basically put up the $. Those were adorable houses - brand spankin new, but not over the top, not big at all. Affordable! I think what Oprah did was far more effective for people in need. Those are homes that people can maintain in the long run.