Extreme Makeover : Foreclosure Edition

With the economy hitting an all time low and the housing market in the crapper, ABC's hit juggernaut Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, gives deserving and usually impoverished families a completed, safe and always spectacular home , where the would not be able to acquire if not for the show. But with the recent outbreaks of foreclosures and lawsuits, maybe they should change the name to Extreme Makeover: Home Debt Edition.
It all started with the Harper Family.....................
Patricia and Milton Harper, head of the Atlanta Based family of 5


got there Extreme Makeover wish granted in 2005. When they were done, the home dwarfed all the ranch and split-level structures in neighboring lots.
Also, Beazer Homes' employees and company partners raised a quarter-million dollars in contributions for the family. Which included scholarships for the three Harper children and a home maintenance fund. But the Harpers...well the "ADULTS" used there new home as collateral for a 450,000 dollar loan on a new construction business and of course when that didn't pan out, the house goes!........Doesn't anyone watch the news on one of those huge flat screens that they gave you? Housing and Construction market has been in a downward spiral for over a year!
A representative of ABC sent out an e-mail: "'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' advises each family to consult a financial planner after they receive their new home. Ultimately, financial matters are personal, and we work to respect the privacy of the families." Whats more, the Mayor for the town said It's aggravating," ,"It just makes you mad. You do that much work, and they just squander it."
We agree!.....who the hell takes out a loan for that much against a house? A house that you had no chance of getting in your lifetime. You have been given this great opportunity and people have given their time and money for you to have a better life, and this is what you do with it.
I feel sorry for the kids, because they are really who suffer in this....they now went from poverty to living the like and back to poverty because of the actions of adults.
This home (that took about 450 K to construct) is now on the market for 950K....CLICK HERE to see listing....with the housing market as it is today, good luck with selling that!

NEXT UP......The Herbert Family
When Eric Hebert of Sandpoint, ID got the unexpected call a year ago that his sister had died, leaving her twin children orphaned, he became father to his niece and nephew.






Eric Hebert said maintaining the home is too expensive and time-consuming as he raises his late sister's 11-year-old twins, Keely and Tyler.
Hebert is worried that community members who helped build his home in November 2006 will think he is selling it to make a profit.
"I'm doing it not to lose money," he said. "I just hope people understand the reality of it."
Hebert is single, works full-time in construction and spends most evenings taking the kids to baseball and soccer practice. He said he wants to enjoy his time with his niece and nephew, whose mother, Francine Hebert, died in 2004 of a heart attack at age 37.
Maintaining the 3,600-square-foot home is expensive, he added. Since moving in, Hebert said, his bills have tripled.
Sullivan Homes co-owner Lori Sullivan said she understands Hebert's plight. Sullivan Homes was the primary contractor on the project. A number of other contractors from Bonner County and the Spokane area also helped, along with hundreds of local volunteers.
"It's too bad it's a burden for him," Sullivan said. "We're sad for Eric."
Hebert said he would not trade the "Extreme Makeover" experience for anything. He believes it has changed his life and the children's for the better, citing their opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., meet many caring people in the community and own the home.
But he said he doubts he will ever again live in such a nice home.
The house and the one-acre property it sits on are listed for sale for $529,000. Hebert also owns another two acres adjacent to the home and has listed that property for $160,000.
Hebert said he loves the home's layout and its private location, but after six months of thinking about what to do, he said he had to be realistic.

NEXT UP......The Kirkwood Family




This is a little different, as this is not a case of unable to pay for house, but rather, unable to fix there marriage.Dawne and Michael and their five children — received their Extreme Makeover in 2005 after they were living in cramped conditions due to black mold infesting their home. Dawne and Michael divorced this past August, forcing them to sell the house.




This home in Port Orchard, Washington, must now be sold due to the states community property law.....So you know that that means......assets must be halved between the spouses.
Even while living in such a home, Dawne Kirkwood has attempted to hold employment on top of raising her children — Michael Orion, 18, Jael, 14, Zion, 9, and Praize, 7, as well as Burgundi, 21. Michael has since moved to Tennessee, Kirkwood said.
Because of back property taxes, money owed to lawyers and life's expenses, selling the home has become the Kirkwoods' only option, she said.
Kirkwood said she wishes now that the home would have been placed into a trust for her children, and that they should own it. It was, after all, Kirkwood's daughter, Jael, who came up with the idea of writing to ABC. Mold and environmental dangers were threatening not only their home, but their lives.

On a more sad note comes the Byers Family
The family of four, which includes cancer patient Jenessa “Boey” Byers as well as her severely asthmatic brother.



Unfortunately Jenessa lost her battle with cancer and passed away, added to that
there's still $250,000 left on the old mortgage that they have to pay and then they have to start paying the property taxes on the new value of the home because it's a lot more than the old home was. They have started a fund for donations to help them stay in the home, but unless they get enough donations....they have to leave

Next Up....The Marerro Family
Billy Joe Marrero was one of three Camden, New Jersey children who were followed by ABC's "20/20" for 18 months as part of a documentary on children growing up in poverty, which aired in January of 07.After the show aired the family was nominated for an "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." and they were selected. The show gave single father Victor Marrero and his 5 sons a new home and about a year later , they put it up for sale....for 1 million dollars! (they have since taken it off the market!)



The Family moved into their new home on Federal Street in Pennsauken. In addition, the builder J.S. Hovnanian of Mount Laurel set aside $59,000 to help with bills according to Marrero. But celebrity can have its down side, and Marrero says he started getting bills he never knew he owed from years ago.
Marrero explains, "As soon as I moved in here, within a month a got bills way back from 1994 when I had my bypass. And they were saying they were going to put a lien on the house, so most of that money went to paying bills."
Marrero says it's an expensive home to operate and gas and electricity bills run between $700and $1200 a month. Property taxes are over $6,000. The nest egg, he says, is gone.
Marrero, who is on disability (due to his heart condition), says 3 of his 5 sons are now working to help out.
Also, they recieved additional support.......Rutgers University, the state university of New Jersey, has granted the five sons free tuition upon application and acceptance to the university. In addition, Margaret Marsh, provost of the Camden campus, said students have volunteered to tutor the sons. Acme Markets Inc. donated groceries for the family, filling their refrigerator and pantry. They also presented the Marreros with a $1,000 check for more food.As Tom Tobin, store director for the Acme store in Moorestown and Maple Shade, shook hands with the boys, he offered guaranteed jobs to the three sons over 16 years of age. (but we all know a handshake isn't a contact!).
In addition to education and food, Audrey Shapiro, director of public relations with Burlington Coat Factory, announced the company has donated 166 pieces of clothing to the family. She also handed Victor Marrero two new hats to wear and a surprise gift for him to give to his sons.The Marreros have also been given the opportunity to receive VIP treatment at the first home game of the Eagles football team. Three of the National Football League team's cheerleaders were on hand to give a little cheer and Leo Carlin with the Eagles invited the family to the team's training.Comcast Corp. has donated one year of their "Triple Play" services, which include digital voice, cable television and high-speed Internet. Commerce Bank had hundreds of volunteers on site during the build, as well as donating food to the workers and setting up the family fund to accept credit cards online and in-person at any of their locations.Tyson donated chicken to the family and $20,000 in chicken and meat to the City of Camden food bank, as well as $5,000 worth of coupons to the Marrero family for future Tyson purchases.Saladworks, who participated in the build and donated food, gave the family one year of free salads at any of their locations. Dad's Deli and Catering in Marlton donated food for the VIP tent and has also offered free meals to the family.Also during the press conference, Sam Martin, of Martin Insurance Company, gave the family insurance for the next three years.
The Urban Promise Ministries located next door ( who also donated the land to build the house on) says it will work with the family to help them find solutions to their problems. There are reports that is is no longer on the market due to the fact that Urban Promise may own the house now.......If they do, then the Marerro's are still in an unstable situation, since without ownership of your house or land, you can basically get evicted at any time!

That leads us to one of the more crazy stories out of the EM Camp...
The Leomiti & Higgens Families!



The Higgins family, five kids between the ages of 14 to 21-years-old, lived in a two-bedroom apartment in California, orphaned by the deaths of their parents. Their story grabbed headlines.
The family's church first raised money to help them out. Then, “Extreme Makeover" contacted the church to arrange an interview with the young adults. Maybe they could be the next “deserving family.”Fellow church members, the Leomiti family, then offered to take the Higgins family into their home. The lawsuit claims the family's motivation wasn't to save the kids from a life of despair. It was to get a newly built nine-bedroom house, mortgage paid, a week long vacation and other gifts like computers, stereos and cars. According to the suit against the Leomitis, ABC and the producers of “Extreme Makeover,” around the time the episode aired, the Higgins' moved out one-by-one as a result of a “orchestrated campaign” by the Leomiti family to get rid of them.
When the show was finished, the Leomitis' three-bedroom, two-bath house had more than tripled in size, to nine bedrooms and six baths in 4,267 square feet. Children who had slept on the floor or in the garage now each had a room. The energy-efficient house also had a Polynesian-themed back yard to celebrate the Leomitis' Samoan heritage.
The house, its mortgage paid by the builder that did the makeover, was presented at the "reveal" in February 2005. Videotape rolled as the families pulled up in a white limo, greeted by throngs of neighbors and well-wishers, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
With the new digs came a slew of other goodies, including two years' worth of groceries, audio and video equipment, laptop computers and six Ford compact cars — three for each family.
But that day's positive feeling was short-lived.
Within weeks, the two eldest siblings, Charles and Michael, then 21 and 19, had moved out of the house and were followed in short order by the others. By August, the orphans had hired a lawyer and sued the Leomitis, ABC and other defendants. The lawsuit sought unspecified damages on allegations that included fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract, although that last count has been dismissed.
Charles Higgins, the oldest of the five Higgins children, and the Higgins' family attorney, Patrick Mesisca, explain their case to "The Abrams Report" ( watch below)

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A judge has since ruled against them in their lawsuit against ABC. But just as Abrams stated int the video, is this issue really with the show or the Leomitis? With the timing of the events, it really sounds as if , after hearing thru the church that the show wanted to have the Higgins on, they then invited them in the home,....on the chance that if they were picked, there home would get done. ABC essentially stated that the Higgens were "Guest " in the Leomiti's home , so they don't really have any legal obligation to let them stay there.... That is really crazy!...If this story is true, the Leomitis wouldn't have had or needed the 9 bedroom home that the show gave them if not for the Higgens. But on the other hand, ABC, really messed up!. If they wanted to do something for the Higgens, they should have built a small house for them, not for two families who have no ties or legal obligation to stay together!
But this is just a long line of "Problems" that are wrong with the show. Questions arose when Theresa "Momi" Akana was picked for the Extreme Makeover program for Hawaii. The Honolulu Advertiser investigated their tax records and found out that both she and her husband made over $100,000 each in salary. Denise Cramsey, the executive producer of the show, responded with "I think Momi certainly fits the bill." She defended the pick, stating that they look beyond financial situation, and look into other factors, including family plight and contributions to the community.
One can't help but wonder, if Extreme Makeover is really about helping people as much as it is a television show with ratings?
The downfall of the EM contestants could be a combination of both the show and peoples internal sense of greed. People don't understand that when you get a house, that there are other expenses associated with it!, Upkeep, maintenance, heat, electric,TAXES! So though ABC is building you a bigger , better house, free of charge, its isn't exactly FREE. Ultimately its up the home owner to tell them NO, THAT HOUSE IT TOO BIG FOR ME TO MAINTAIN!...but really , what person is going to say that when they are living in less than desirable conditions? They are happy to have this bright , shiny, too expensive house to live in....if only for awhile!
Also, maybe ABC, needs to really investigate these "Situations" before they approve a family for this show, especially in the case of the Leomitis/Higgins family....instead of just going for the sob story or the story that can generate the best ratings.....I mean they really thought that building a 9 bedroom house for a family to live in that were "Guest" as put in there contract, wouldn't cause a future issue? two of my friends are still arguing over who drank the other persons 32oz Snapple Apple from a month ago,......imagine if it was a house?
The show said that they advise the winners to get a financial advisor, which is a great idea, but you would think that they would point people in the direction of a good financial advisor, like they do with the construction and charity people? Honestly , they just won a half a million dollar house...do you think they are thinking of or know of a good financial advisor?
All I know is that with the economy in the crapper and falling even lower, I think alot more "Foreclosures" are going to be coming to the surface and maybe Extreme Makeover:Home Edition needs to look at there business practices.....
Remeber the old saying "NO GOOD DEED ,GOES UNPUNISHED"?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT EXTREME MAKEOVER:HOME EDITION?
SHOULD THE SHOW BUILD HOUSES PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD?
DO YOU THINK THE LEOMITI FAMILY DUPED ABC TO GET A HOUSE?
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK?