The Harper family is back in the news again. In 2005, Milton and Patricia Harper of Lake City, Georgia were the recipients of a mortgage-free $450,000 two-story turreted McMansion courtesy of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
But just 4 years later, the home is in foreclosure for the 2nd time, and is scheduled to be auctioned off in Clayton County this Thursday (3/5).
The last time we wrote about the Harper family’s home going into foreclosure in 2008 we were sympathetic.
Milton Harper and his wife Patricia, a stay-at-home mom, have three sons, who, in 2005 ranged in age from 8 to 17.
Each time it rained, the family was driven out of their home at 5489 Ahyoka Drive in Clayton County by raw sewage backing up into the house due to a malfunctioning septic tank. The Harpers were forced — so they say — to sleep in the family van.
The Harper’s “Makeover” home was the largest such project undertaken by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition at the time. It took 1,800 volunteers six days to construct the McMansion costing $450,000 in materials and labor.
The 5,500 sq. ft. home boasted 4 bedrooms, a music room with eight turntables and recessed lighting, 4 fireplaces, a home office for Milton’s home-based security business, a solarium for Patricia’s plants, and a three car garage. Watch video.
In addition to the free mortgage, the Harpers were given $250,000 tax free by Atlanta home builder Beazer Homes to cover college scholarships for the children and to pay their annual property taxes for the next 25 years.
Despite the generous time and efforts of many, the Harpers managed to burn through the $250,000 in 2 ½ years. Once that money was gone, they needed more cash to maintain their newfound lavish lifestyle. So they walked into a bank and secured a $450,000 loan using every bit of the $450,000 equity in their home as collateral.
The Harpers said the loan was to start a construction business. But if the Harpers knew anything about the construction business, they could have renovated their original home themselves.
In 2008, the Harper home became the first “Extreme Makeover” home to go into foreclosure and an auction date was set.
On the eve of the planned auction, the Harpers struck a deal with Chase Home Finance so they could stay in their “Extreme” house. But, according to WSB TV, the house is in foreclosure again after the Harper’s defaulted on the new deal.
The Harper home is scheduled to be auctioned off on the Clayton courthouse steps this Thursday (3/5).
