# Extreme House Makeover - then what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-house-makeover-then-what/375950 "2006-10-10T17:28:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-house-makeover-then-what/375950/1 "2006-10-10T17:28:03Z")
Perhaps this was covered in an earlier episode - I’ve only seen “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” a few times. Each time my heart has been warmed as a family that has faced hardships is given a gorgeous home with amenities galore. But each week leaves me wondering… Who pays the taxes? The increased insurance cost? (Both for the home and the vehicles many of the families receive). Down the road is this “prize” really a burden to these families? Heck, if someone waved a wand and tripled the size of my home I couldn’t afford the higher electric and water bills. Never mind my concerns about the soundness of a house that gets built in 42 hours… Searching yielded a few threads discussing taxes on prizes, but none specifically addressed homes. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extreme-house-makeover-then-what/375950/2 "2006-10-10T19:21:50Z")
Early on, this was more of a concern than it is now. Current shows usually include some cash gift to the family along with the house, which should keep 'em going for a while. Also, the recent houses have been a bit more realistic than the first-season houses, which is good; I felt sorry for some of those early families, living in mansions in their ratty little neighborhoods. Doesn’t always work out, though. Ever seen the HGTV “Dream House” giveaways? In the past ten years, only one winner has kept the house rather than selling it and pocketing the cash. [And it didn’t work out too well for him, sadly](http://money.aol.com/cnnmoney/realestate/canvas3/_a/the-house-that-swallowed-don-and-shelly/20060627161909990001): > [@](#): > > The Cruzes have just $36,000 left from their winnings [of $250,000]. What’s more, to pay off the tax bill, as well as cover other expenses, they had taken out a $1 million loan. Monthly payments on it are around $8,000. They won’t be able to pay it off in full until they sell the house.