Story Created:
Jul 17, 2009 at 1:50 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Jul 23, 2009 at 9:18 AM CDT
Nearly 150 families have had Ty Pennington knock on their door.
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has crossed the country several times over, giving families a new start to their living conditions.
But once the cameras, the builders and the volunteers leave, not every family goes on to live happily ever after.
Some of the "EM:HE" homes have gone into foreclosure. Others have proven difficult to sell.
“It’s a little too much for the three of us”In 2008, A Sandpoint, Idaho, man put his "EM:HE" home up for sale. Eric Hebert told the
Bonner County Daily Bee his electric bill went up after moving into his new home and he could no longer afford to manage the home time-wise and financially.
ForeclosureIn 2008, a Georgia home build by "EM:HE"
went into foreclosure. The homeowner told WSB-TV they invested money they received from the builder into a construction business that did not do well.
A Michigan family considered moving into a mobile home after falling behind on the mortgage of their "EM:HE" creation. The couple's
mortgage nearly doubled after re-financing once the show was shot.
Tax Troublein 2004,
Newsweek reported investigated the tax implications of a family receiving a home of significant value. The magazine's reporting found the show uses a lease/tax-free rental arrangement to make the tax burden easier on recipients. The subject of that story even reported some of the features built into the house not working or failing over time.
Code ViolationsA Florida homeowner had
a $29,000 lien against her property because of code violations. The Wall Street Journal reported the problems began when the owner moved into the home and received permission from Seminole county to run a volunteer organization from it.
"The goal of the show is to help people."
in 2004, USA Today reviewed tax records of the home "EM:HE" had built and found several examples of homes where the property tax bill increased substantially.
David Goldberg, the president of the show producer's, Endemol USA, told the newspaper they discuss the potential tax implications of a show build. Previous winners have said the show encourages families to consult a financial planner.
; "Click for StormVision Doppler Radar")
Most Viewed