Extreme Home Makeover?

Question

EHM is in KC doing a house in my neighborhood and several of us homeowners in the neighborhood have some questions that aren't being answered. We're worried about the receiving family's future in this new fantastic home. Who owns the house once it's done? Does the family or ABC? In the first season of the show, ABC bought the home from the family, did the makeover, then leased it back to the family to live in. Is that how it's done today? Who is responsible for the taxes on the house? When ones home is in need of such drastic repairs/makeover, then the new home is a showplace that usually doesn't "fit in" the neighborhood any more, how does the family afford the taxes? I like the show "Home Team" better, it's more realistic, and they help the families learn about home ownership. Also, how many of the families that have had makeovers are still in their new madeover homes? How many are in financial ruin because the tax problem the madeover house has caused? Just wondering...

Answer 1

Whoever owns the property is responsible for the property taxes. I haven't heard about tax foreclosures on EHM houses, but have heard some other cases where the contestants won a trophy house they couldn't afford to either maintain or pay the taxes on.

Usually the building codes, won't allow a structure that doesn't blend with the surrounding neighborhood.

If you were trying to put a new Ranch in a Victorian designated neighborhood, they wouldn't issue a building permit.

I do not know if EHM owns the property when done or not.

By selling the property to EHM, that allows them to do the makeover without local building licenses. Don't have a fit over that. Usually these local licenses are as much to keep competition out, as to guarantee quality work. In the case of EHM, I don't believe you'd have to worry about quality of workmanship.