POSTED: 5:49 pm EDT July 24, 2008
UPDATED: 6:56 pm EDT July 24, 2008
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. -- An Extreme Home Makeover may be going bust. The first metro family who got a new home is facing foreclosure.
Channel 2 followed the progress as an army of volunteers swarmed a Clayton County neighborhood to build a new home for a deserving family on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" in 2005. When the show came to town, no one could have predicted what would happen less than four years later -- foreclosure.
A foreclosure notice appeared last Friday, a $450,000 second mortgage they took out less than 15 months ago was in default.
Patricia Harper, the homeowner, told Channel 2 she and her husband had struck a deal with Chase Home Finance to rescue their "extreme" home. Chase said they couldn't confirm that claim.
· SLIDESHOW: Clayton County Extreme Makeover
"I didn't really know what the circumstances were, I was kind of surprised. I was really surprised to read that," said neighbor Doris Rhodenizer.
Lake City mayor Willie Oswalt was among the 1,800 volunteers helping "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" build the Harper's new home 3 ½ years ago. Beazer Homes of Atlanta was the main sponsor. The mayor said he is baffled.
"Beazer gave them $100,000 cash, paid their mortgage off and they still can't make it," said Oswalt.
Harper told Channel 2 they invested the loan proceeds in a construction business and the business hasn't been good. She didn't say how much of the money is left.
"What's going to happen is instead of keep paying my mortgage, I'm going to take my money and not pay my mortgage because I'm being harassed," said Harper.
Transition train wreck.
1 day ago
5 comments:
Just testing.
This is a test comment also.
OK. I think I've got the facts straight. So I'm ready to rant! For the sake of clarity, here they are:
1st: Extreme Makeover rebuilds a house for the Harpers.
2nd: Beazer Homes of Atlanta GIVES the Harpers $100,000 CASH (for College!), AND pays off their (first) mortgage.
3rd: The Harpers invest that 100-grand in a construction business and take out a SECOND mortgage on their (already paid for) newly-remodeled home (sic!).
4th: Their purported construction business is SLOW and causes them to default on their second mortgage (ostensibly for NON-payment).
5th: The unnamed second mortgage company begins foreclosure proceedings.
6th: The Harpers claim THEY'RE being harassed!
OK! These people should be repeatedly flogged with a cat-o-nine-tails! And THAT would not be fit punishment for the stupidity of their actions.
Basically, they get a BRAND NEW house, completely paid for with NO mortgage. They spend the cash or *ahem* INVEST it in a "construction business" (yeeeaaahhh, right). Regardless, in any case they definitely DO NOT use the Benjamins to finance anybody's college education, which would've been both thoughtful and reasonable, much less the INTENDED PURPOSE for the gift. DOUBLE-DUUUUUUHHHHH!!!!
But it gets WORSER still ... these knuckleheads take out a second mortgage and DEFAULT on it! I understand that construction business was SLOW, but did they do any RESEARCH before investing in such a risky enterprise?
Moreover, does ANYBODY WORK a REAL JOB in this household?
Was there NO PLAN to make sure they paid the 2nd, so as NOT to lose their DREAM HOME?
Did they expect a fledgling entrepreneurship to pay ALL their bills - even without a 1st mortgage?
Are they laughably naive or just STUCK ON STUPID?!?!
Most people work hard all their lives to achieve one of the principal (EVERY pun intended) visions of the American Dream - HOME OWNERSHIP! These dunces get a FREE made-over home and completely mismanage their good fortune.
But here's the camel-breaker ... they have the NERVE to say THEY are being HARASSED?!?!? WHOA DADDY, now THAT is RICH ain't it???
Not to wish ill on anybody, but if they cannot settle their debt, I hope the mortgage company does foreclose. After all, even unquestionable NITWITS like the Harpers must reap the financial blight they have sewn. 'Nuff said!
Peezy fo' sheezy!
I thought the extreme makeover was for needy people. How do they rate getting this money? What was the reason they qualified for he makeover and the $100,000? Somebody answer THAT for me. There are a lot of needy people out there that would take the house and leave it at that. They wouldn't take it and try to do anything else with it except to live in the house, and send their children to college.
They should have given it to someone in New Orleans or Mississippi.
PEACE!
Totally agree - but I don't know whether to be mad or what...why...why...why would you take out a loan of that size and not take care of a free and clear home.... I just don't get it.
"God Bless the Child that's got his own"!
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