Left with more than $100,000 to pay off on their mortgage, and an increase in property taxes and utility bills, the Hassalls have decided that the stress of the home is more than they can take. Although some in the community are angry with the decision, most seem to be sympathetic to the Hassalls’ situation.
Background: Other “Extreme Makeover” homes go on the market
Eric Hebert put his “Extreme Makeover” house up for sale last year, saying that he couldn’t afford the maintenance on the home, according to the Associated Press. Hebert, of Sandpoint, Idaho, then took out a loan against the house. In February, the bank foreclosed on the house when Hebert became unable to make payments.
Victor Marrero moved into his “Extreme Makeover” home in August 2007, and then in May 2008, he put the New Jersey home on the market for nearly $500,000. According to MyCentralJersey.com, Marrero said the home “was too costly to maintain” and that the money he’d been given by the show was not enough to pay all of his debts. One day after he listed the property, however, Marrero removed the listing.
In Atlanta, one “Extreme Makeover” family has had nothing but financial trouble since moving into their new home. Milton and Patricia Harper received their home in January 2005. The family used the house as collateral for a $450,000 loan to start a construction business. When the business failed, the house went into foreclosure in July 2008, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.