The Georgia foreclosure crisis has claimed a mansion built by ABC’s popular “Extreme Makeover” show for the Harper family of Clayton, GA. I watched this show back in 2005 and it saddens me to see that the home was lost to foreclosure due to the family’s mismanagement of donated funds.
According to online reports, the Harper family used the two-story home as collateral for a $450,000 loan, for a construction business that failed. Atlanta-based Beazer Homes, its employees and company partners donated an additional $250,000 to the Harper family, including scholarships for the couple’s three children.
The money is now gone and the home will be auctioned off on the Clayton County Courthouse steps on August 5.
The 4-bedroom mansion was the most ambitious project in the series history. It took 1,800 volunteers six days to construct the mansion after tearing down the Harper family’s dilapidated house.
Costing $450,000 in materials and labor, the front door to the home opened into a magnificent foyer featuring 4 fireplaces, a solarium, a music room and a plush new office. (Source)
Now the Harper family members are right back where they started. ABC released a statement saying they advise each family to consult a financial planner after they move into their new home. “Ultimately, financial matters are personal, and we work to respect the privacy of the families,” the network said.
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I heard about this.Sad situation, but if you don’t know how to manage your money then this is what happens..
Oh and good morning to all
Morning Sharonda. It is indeed sad but it should be a lesson to many that have homes that are paid for and who choose to use them as collateral for whatever purpose. I feel for the family, I hope they have some type of stash to fall back on.
This is not even due to the foreclosure crisis. This is due to stupidity. I would not have put up my house for a new business, especially with the way the economy has been goping downhill for the past few years. Now their family has nothing. Truely sad.
Am I the only one horrified to find out they’re Black. I mean, bad decisons are bad decisions, but doesn’t it make you feel that much worse when it’s one of us. I mean, seriously, I feel terrible for them, BUT WHO DOES THIS SORT OF THING! You had a free house.
There are no words to even begin….hanging my head in shame.
I agree with you heavn_sent. It’s more of a shame that they are a black family. I saw the episode and they seemed like a really loving strong black family. Why do so many black people try to live beyond their means. I think it was great that they tried to start their own business but come on, $450,000 is insane. They should have crawled before they tried to sprint.
OMG..i read about this on fakeout a while back and assumed it was one of their lies..how do you mess this up??
I am embarrassed for them this is really a shame because
the show already don’t have many blacks on it and one of the few blacks that was able to have their life turned around go and do something ignorant like this.
This goes right along with the stereo type white people have of blacks. I hang my head in shame as well.
Yall are right it is embarrasing but more so sad, a failed business effort happens in life, most people are able to bounce back or restrategize. In this case, the fact that they are losing their home as a result of the business venture is disheartening. I am not banging my head but instead shaking it and will say a prayer …
I don’t really care whether or not it’s a black family. Nor would I be shameful or embarrassed. I’m tired of being embarrassed by other black people’s actions. White people go through foreclosures too the same way… everyone does.
They should’ve taken that money and invested into the house as said, instead of borrowing against the house. They should’ve invested in other real estate and used that money to build their construction business. That is just too much of a risk.
Lesson learned…
@ heavn_sent Says:
Am I the only one horrified to find out they’re Black. I mean, bad decisons are bad decisions, but doesn’t it make you feel that much worse when it’s one of us. I mean, seriously, I feel terrible for them, BUT WHO DOES THIS SORT OF THING! You had a free house.
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I read about this story earlier this week. I never thought the family was black. I guess I am more disappointed that this family is being exploited (for lack of poor judgement) but we are coming off the heels of watching “Being Black In America”. White ppl get one more thing to laugh at us about. SMH.
I think if they were going to start a business it should been poppin’ off at the home.But I have no clue about their business plans because my business teacher always told 10,000 to get your business going.Lord they should had hired a financial planner in the beginning especially if you get your house for free or by donations.
black people always get themselves in this type of situation. they make it hard for people who really need help.
money is the root of all evil.and i bet the kids arent going to college.
I don’t watch the show anymore. Why were they chosen? I heard they had sewer back up in their home. What other reason was there?
I remember watching this episode and bawling like a baby when they revealed the house to the family and watching their reaction, this is a very sad and unfortunate situation, but you can’t ignore the ignorance as well, to come from where they did and to be given the opportunity to live in that house and receive the monetary donations they did, it’s a tragedy that they didn’t seek financial guidance to better manage their funds.
It’s about behavior and attitude, if you don’t change these two no matter how much money you have or are given you will never prosper.
I wathed true life on mtv last night and it showed to white women one age 18 and the other was around that age as well, they were shopaholics-now I mean to the extreme-they were buying $100 jeans, designer clothes and purses etc. but one was paying her rent and the other spend her paycheck on the same day she got paid and only had .22 cents until her next paycheck-the irony in all of this is the one chick was driving a BMW but had medicaid -yep she went to counseling and she said good they accept medicaid and the other chick was living with her parents expense free, pushing a cadillac and by the end of the show her dad agreed to help her pay half for her boob job
LOl-the one chic was hiding in her house because rent-a-center came to collect payment she was crawling on the floor, eventually they came back and took the set because she had spent all her money on shopping
this is not a situation just limited to poor blacks-it happens all across the border-people who have manage but when they get some they can’t manage it and those who have money but don’t know how to manage it….
lotta typos-but you get the point
i have no sympathy for them at all …they were just stupid …$450,000 to start a business that neither had any background in at all ..he did home security systems for a living why didn’t he stick to that…they made a fool out of themselves and are worse off now then before ..their finances are a disaster ..because the economy is so bad who will buy that house for what it is worth ? they will still owe on whatever it is not sold for ….what were they thinking???
They were given $100,000 cash by the show also to help with the home maintenance. I do not feel sorry for them at all, they had a dream home given to them for free and they blew all the money and took out a loan. Why would anyone want to start a construction business when the housing and construction business has been going down for the past two to three years. I see this all the time though by being a foreclosure realtor here in atlanta, people living above their means and then lossing their home.
Damn shame…. i feel bad for anybody who loses their home. Wouldn’t want that to happen to anybody….
But whether your black or white, you have to make smart decisions. With the way the economy is going, everybody losin their home. White people, black people, pink, purple…..etc.
people need to make smart decisions. Don’t talk to your friend, your cousin or your cousin’s friend. Talk to a professional. When your going to get into a business, talk with a financial advisor, a business advisor.
I feel bad for the kids, to lose their rooms, their home. Its sad.
That’s pretty damn sad when you can’t keep a house that someone bought and gave you, all these dumb asses had to do was keep up with the utilities and the up keep, pure embarrassment..Now we know why some of our people never get out the hood or advance to anything better, bad money management skill.
@ PAGESINADIARY
black people always get themselves in this type of situation. they make it hard for people who really need help. money is the root of all evil.and i bet the kids arent going to college.
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Money is not the root of all evil, the love of money is the root of all evil. God created money for a specific purpose but of course if money is put before your love of God or taken advantage of then there are consequences that come with that & this situation is a good example.
Why should anyone feel bad for them, they made bad decisions and got themselves in this mess. I don’t see how anyone with the biggest financial burdens lifted off their shoulder would willingly go into that much debt again.
They could not afford the house that had before these one. So what made them think they could make payments on a 450,000 loan? To them it was free money. They need to check the kids scholarships and see if it still there.
who borrows 100% of their homes value? i guess. when i first heard this story, all i could say was: www.forrent.com
I’m lost….how do you let a donated home get foreclosed? Did they have to pay property tax?
@ Mzsuave Says:
I’m lost….how do you let a donated home get foreclosed? Did they have to pay property tax?
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They used the house as collateral(sp) for a $450,000 business loan. The business fell through, there for the house is the pay back to the bank.
This was just a very bad decision by the parents. Everyone wants to get ahead but in no way should they have touched a home that was PAID for that someone else paid for in order to make their life better.
I feel sorry for the kids, because they have to put up with their parents’ dumbness. That house should be in the family for generations to come. But as usual get the money out of it so they can get a bunch of rimmed up cars.
And to start a business you have to througly educated yourself on that business eat, sleep, and drink the knowledge of that business. Too often this is the kind of preparation our people are missing. We just start signing stuff and before you know it, some mess like this happens.
throughly educate…correction..
I remember that episode. The youngest boy wanted to be a doctor and they made his room up with all kinds of medical equipment. It was nice.
I feel bad for the family, they had no clue. It’s a shame that THEY had to be fronted on like that.
Like I said SOME blk ppl can’t do wrong right.
I know Ty Pennington (and whole lotta other ppl in the caucasian race) is sitting back somewhere saying:
“we shoulda never gave you nigga’s nuthin’”
I’m just sayin’.
@intensemocha
I saw that same show. It goes to show black people are not the only ones who have financial problems. I work on a job where actually I get more white people complaining they can’t pay their bills than blacks.
I feel for the family and the kids but how could you mess up a that blessing God gave them freely. You know how many people want a nice stable home for their family. Then all the hard work and money they put into it. It is really sad. Now it is going to make it harder on the next black family to get an extreme makeover house. Lawd have mercy…..
I wish I had the money to buy it too…
I saw on Oprah where they gave a white homeless man 100k to see what he would do with it. Needless to say the man bought his dream truck 34k, bought one of his friends a car and blew the rest of the money. He never thought once you try to really change his life. There are just some people who don’t care to change there situation. I think these folks instead of enjoying there new change of life, did a little extra. Just take a minute and enjoy your home, keep you same job and get comfortable for a minute. Just so sad!!!
WOW!! i am sadden to read this. What a beautiful blessing that must of been and now…I can only say WOW.
I did not know that Financial advisors weren’t already on deck. Aren’t they required. I didn’t know familes on this particular show had an option of NOT using an advisor.
kamini , COMMENT #35. I agree with you. I have always said that if I was blessed with a windfall of money, no matter the amount, unless I am already at retirment age, I would keep working. People don’t believe me when I say that, but I feel strongly about it.
i feel sorry for the kids only. the parents, not so much.
ITA about feeling it for the kids…..the parents took the kindness they received for granted…..
I hope they stress to their children not to make the same mistake with their money….WOW!
why it gotta be black people?
#35, i remember that show! i was really rooting for the man but he lost it.
this also upsets me because who gives someone $450k on a business loan for startup money when they have NO prior experience? i mean what was in their business plan? balance sheet? income statement? it had to be HELLUFIED! it’s almost like the bank did it on purpose just to get the house.
this business has GOT to have capital equipment or something they can sell off. i just can see it now. husband and wife quit their jobs, go into “business” for themselves, pay themselves a $100k salary each year, instead of professionals, hire brother in law to do all of the work, business tanks, and now it’s all gone.
Oh Know!!!! When I heard this story I was sad for them… Come on you all, lets put our money together and buy it back for them
Sandra youre the only or at least the first where ive seen the actually family! ive seen this episode a couple times! DAMN! why US!?!?! who cares about a construction buseiness when your kids college is paid for, house paid for and taxes for at least 25-30 years? I hope someone steps up and give them a second chance. that episode was so TOUCHING! there should be something some BALLER can do in the A! TI, JEEZY, 3stacks! i hope this turns out good and then somebody WHOOOP dey A$$ for being DUMB!
This is a very sad situation. What makes it even worse is that I know this family! My best friend/sister since JHS is the daughter of Mr. Harper! I am truly shocked - My best friend was just down in there visiting the family not to long ago and she said that the house was even more beautiful than what was shown on t.v.. I think us as african americans who come from little or nothing, when we do get a little something we tend to over do it because the experience is nothing like we’ve ever had.
I believe they were trying to do right by the money/home but not even realizing they were going about it the wrong way - but we learn from our mistakes. Unfortunately, due to the lack of financial knowledge this is a very hard lesson to learn from. I’m sure by the grace of god this family will get through this.
I will definitely be praying for them(especially the kids)because it’s going to be very hard to go back to almost nothing and start over from scratch. As I said, god is good and they will make it. This could have easily been one of us or our loved ones, so to call them out like that isn’t right. It may not be in the same way but trust me there are alot of people who don’t have manage their money correctly and get so opened off of a good sounding investment that they think is gonna keep their money long but are sadly misled such as the Harper family. So don’t front like it could have never happened to you!
Terrible money management and clear example of how you need to count your blessing and just chill. A new house would be good enough to last my lifetime. BUT getting a new home on TV doesn’t mean you’re all of a sudden business smart. Who the hell gave them that idea? Living beyond their means. It’s sad….I’m just glad it didn’t happen before CNN: Black in America aired, another thing that would’ve had me shamed bout OUR people…..*smh*