Every Sunday evening, you can find me watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Each week some deserving family receives a new or newly renovated home. I have been known to shed a tear or two when the bus driver moves that bus.
A few weeks ago while I was perusing the Asbury Park Press, I came across a story titled is 'Extreme Makeover' house for sale? The story was about the Marrero family in Pennsauken, NJ. The family received a brand new 3,000 square foot home that was built on donated land. The family also received $60,000 in cash to help with uitlities and other bills.
It appears that the house which is almost 3 times the size of the old house is an energy hog. The father still is on a fixed income. So once the bus has moved on out of the state, the recipients were left with huge tax & utility bills. If a family could not afford to maintain a 1,000 square foot home how do you expect them to maintain a 3,000 square foot home?
As a result, a number of the recipients of these donated homes have considered selling. Pennsauken, Philadelphia, Atlanta and there may be others. ABC gets great ratings and we get to feel good for one hour per week. But are we really helping the families? Is this show a blessing or a curse?
Leander McClain, Realtor & Real Estate Consultant, Burlington, NJ 08016 609-505-6578
Its great entertainment and we get to shed a tear or two, but I agree if they cant maintain a smaller home how can the deal with the big one. Id also be interested in knowing if they can get the homes sold. Ive noticed that many times they put a super home in not such a super neighborhood.
Leander:
I've seen the show and often wondered just how these recipients could continue to maintain the lifestyle once the show left and reality set in.
Thanks for sharing.
I knew something struck me as funny about that show! LOL Hmmm... kinda goes back to the old adage of "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; Teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime". Maybe there should be a show that gives away rental property assets so that the family now has real income, not just expensive stuff that they can't afford or maintain...