JustErin said:

people win the lottery, and they spend, spend, spend.

The thing about Home Makeover is you get stuff, but you don't get money. You are supposed to basically live the same, just more comfortably.

JustErin said:

Yes along with the new property tax and utilities

banks said:

Which they are given money to pay.

NDRU said:

Yes, according to the article above, they are given money too.

"The Harper family of Atlanta, who received the show's biggest house to date, along with the money to pay taxes on it for 25 years"

JustErin said:

only the Harper famile was given that because the new house was so huge

Why not pay these people's debt off or actually give them a home?

roodboi said:

yeah, fck "U" 2!

banks said:

Oh ya, you sure it was only them??

JustErin said:

Yea and that's because their orginal house was really small and they ended up with something that looks like a mansion, the other familes are given other things like this other family was given over 300,000 dollars in scholarships for the 11 kids college education

Vendetta1 said:

I have always said that this show was ridiculous because they make these huge ass houses that would cost a fortune to maintain.

They should just pay off their existing mortgage and build a modest house.

Home Makeover made them get a $400,000 equity loan?

JustErin said:

They are not given the house.. They still have to pay whatever they owe on their existing mortgage... they get a new house built but they still have to pay that old mortgage

banks said:

Yeah, there's a risk in winning anything. If you win a car on The Price is Right, you have to pay taxes on it, right?

And you have to be responsible. Sounds like those guys were tempted by the equity loan, but it was 4 times as big as their mortgage, I don't know how they thought they could pay it.

Vendetta1 said:

I have always said that this show was ridiculous because they make these huge ass houses that would cost a fortune to maintain.

They should just pay off their existing mortgage and build a modest house.

banks said:

They get a brand new house at the same price as the dilapidated shit hole they were living in PLUS property taxes paid for 25 years. As long as they still have the jobs or income they had before, they're doing something financially irresponsible if they can't make that work. I WISH somebody would pay MY taxes for 25 damn years.

banks said:

They get a brand new house at the same price as the dilapidated shit hole they were living in PLUS property taxes paid for 25 years. As long as they still have the jobs or income they had before, they're doing something financially irresponsible if they can't make that work. I WISH somebody would pay MY taxes for 25 damn years.

JustErin said:

But one of the houses mentioned here was only 3200 sq feet that's not that big. I don't think ALL of them are huge.

SCNDLS said:

No baby.. Just the family in ATL got the taxes paid for 25 years because it is to this day the biggest house ever built on that show and the taxes was paid because it increased so much.

"We're very upfront with the families in telling them that there's a likelihood that the value of the house will increase, and therefore there will be a resulting property tax increase," says David Goldberg, president of show producer Endemol USA. "But we see that as a worthwhile tradeoff for receiving a new home, and I can't tell you how many letters I've received from families saying, 'You changed my life.' "

But how about income taxes on all the appliances, toys and building materials people get? Goldberg says the show pays each family $50,000 to rent its house for 10 days, and it relies on federal tax rules that say income on rentals of less than 15 days is non-taxable. The producers also believe that any improvements they make to the house while renting it also are non-taxable.

"We consulted not one but many, many experts in the field," Goldberg says of the solution, which saves families tens of thousands of dollars.

SCNDLS said:

3200 is huge to most people.

JustErin said:

I guess that's relative cuz I don't think that's "huge" certainly not a mansion and 3200 does not "cost a fortune to maintain" if it's a new home with the latest energy saving improvements
[Edited 12/1/09 18:10pm]

...paying for hydro...

SCNDLS said:

These people are usually going from tiny shitholes to these big ass homes, I didn't say it was a mansion but 3200 is pretty damn big compared to what a lot of people have and yes, a 3200 does cost a fortune to those that are used to heating, paying for hydro in a little house.

JustErin said:

where I'm from, that means something totally different...

JustErin said:

where I'm from, that means something totally different...

roodboi said:

Cinnie said:

I dont get it!