Extreme makeover in savannah (Decatur, Morrow: sale, foreclosed, condo)

[Newsboy]

Well, they finally announced today who the Savannah family is whose home is going to be rebuilt STARTING TOMORROW and lasting through Nov. 20 -- they live at 55th and Abercorn in Ardlsey Park, and as part of the build, about a six-block stretch of Abercorn is going to be CLOSED to traffic through the duration.

OK ... Good for this family getting a new home and all. GREAT exposure for the community. BEAUTIFUL neighborhood to highlight on national TV ... BUT!

CLOSING OFF THE BUSIEST STREET IN THE CITY FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK?! FOR A TV SHOW?!

Anybody else think this is just a TAD bit EXCESSIVE?! And inconvenient?!

[gentlearts]

I see what you are saying, but I'm sure they will route the traffic elsewhere, and I think people enjoy the excitement that having the show here causes.
In a few weeks it will be over, so no big deal.

[ellie]

It couldn't be in a much worse location, could it? Routing the traffic elsewhere is causing more trouble than it's worth and should cost the "acting" city manager her job. Terrible planning.

And gentlearts, this is not exactly the penultimate production event to ever happen in Savannah. I believe it will cause nothing but resentment due to the problems it will cause for locals going about their daily business.

[Newsboy]

The very idea that tens of thousands of people in this city are going to be terribly inconvenienced just so Ty Pennington can run around for a week acting like an idiot. I stopped watching that contrived melodramatic CRAP of a show a long time ago, when it became obvious it's all about the sponsors and NOT about making better lasting lives for the families involved (Google to find out how many "EMHE" families lose their homes to tax delinquency after the lights and cameras are long gone). Besides -- This show is small potatoes compared to the huge national media exposure this town gets all the time anyway (i.e. The just-concluded Film Festival). It's embarassing to see city officials -- and the local ABC affiliate -- bending their asses backward over this. And we're going to have to deal with daily news updates and front page coverage for the next week? GROSS!

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

I stopped watching that contrived melodramatic CRAP of a show a long time ago, when it became obvious it's all about the sponsors and NOT about making better lasting lives for the families involved (Google to find out how many "EMHE" families lose their homes to tax delinquency after the lights and cameras are long gone).

That has been my problem with the show all along. It's an example of "Give a man a fish, teach a man to fish." Seldom do these families have the sense of financial responsibility needed to hold on to their windfall. But we're supposed to buy into the idea that a magic wand has been waved by the benevolent gods of Disney and that all will be happily ever after.

[ellie]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

That has been my problem with the show all along. It's an example of "Give a man a fish, teach a man to fish." Seldom do these families have the sense of financial responsibility needed to hold on to their windfall. But we're supposed to buy into the idea that a magic wand has been waved by the benevolent gods of Disney and that all will be happily ever after.

I so totally agree. As sorry as I am that this family has a disabled child, I can't condone bailing out a pair of adults who had no better sense than to over-extend themselves by buying a home that was not in their price range because it was in such poor condition! Anyone ever heard of having the home inspected prior to buying?

I'm surprised protective services hasn't been knocking at their door. No better sense... They were prospective house-flippers!

And yet, these yahoos get rewarded for being irresponsible at the expense of everyone else who lives or does business in the area. (how's that for a rightwing rant?)

[Newsboy]

Funny thing is Ellie, I didn't have to think TWICE about what house they were talking about when announced on the news. I've driven by there many times and wondered what a dump like that was doing in such a classy neighborhood (and don't you know the TV producers LOVE the fact the site is right on the main drag in town and not somewhere out in a cow pasture? PUBLICITY!!!)

[ellie]

So are they really tearing down the whole house or simply gutting it? If they're building a new one from scratch, did they have to go through the same permitting and approval process that everyone else has to go through to get anything done in this town? What about inspections? Nothing like this ever gets done in a timely manner. Construction is the easy part.

There are far too many things that do not add up, IMO. Including, unfortunately, the father's so-called church he's founded. We'll be hearing about the fall out from all of this for many years, I imagine.

I'm not buying into it, AT ALL.

[ellie]

Addition:

The Simpsons stand to make a lot of money on this, if they can afford the taxes on their winnings. The fact that the husband founded a church 10 weeks ago, which is well within the window of time required for a new home to be designed and permitted makes me wonder if he had prior knowledge or a suspicion he might win, especially in light of the fact that he's worked with Extreme Home in the recent past. He might be thinking or may have been coached to know he's going to need a tax shelter.

And if nothing else, the future value of the home could be a stepping stone to tax free ownership of a building in the historic district.

Take a look at the links. The first one will show you the previous sale value of the home before it was foreclosed on. I'm wondering if I'm the only conspiracy theorist around.

http://prc.chathamcounty.org/PDF/2-0094-13-001.pdf (broken link)

TV show picks Savannah family for home restoration | savannahnow.com

[gentlearts]

I don't watch the show, but it seems to me that anything that draws attention to Savannah, such as 10 million viewers, is good for the Savannah economy.