'Extreme Makeover' home in Atlanta in foreclosure

accessatlanta.com

'Extreme Makeover' home in Atlanta in foreclosure
Harper family may lose luxury remodeled home in Clayton County

By MARK DAVIS
accessAtlanta
Published on: 07/25/2008

Things couldn't look better three years ago for Milton and Patricia Harper of Lake City, who giddily accepted the keys to a small castle, plus enough money to pay taxes on it for 25 years. It was a product of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Now, the Clayton County house is a two-story, turreted example of how things can go wrong. It's in foreclosure.

STAFF / AJC

(ENLARGE)

Patricia and Milton Harper face foreclosure on their 'Extreme Makeover' home.

STAFF / AJC

(ENLARGE)

The Lake City home has 5,500 square feet after the 2005 makeover.

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The Harpers used the house at 5489 Ahyoka Drive as collateral for a $450,000 loan, Clayton County mortgage records show. Records at the law firm handling foreclosures for the lender, JPMorgan Chase Bank, say it is in foreclosure. The four-bedroom house with decorative rock walls and a three-car garage is scheduled for auction on the Clayton County Courthouse steps Aug. 5.

The Harpers, who declined interview requests when reporters knocked on their door Friday, told WSB-TV they got the loan for a construction business that failed.

Failure seemed an impossibility in February 2005, when ABC TV viewers got a look at the stunning home constructed in a subdivision three miles east of I-75. Painted dark olive and covered with specialty shingles, the home's domed door opened into a structure that featured four fireplaces, a solarium, music room and a porte-cochere that connected to Milton Harper's new office. The yard was a study in landscape art, with young magnolias, fieldstone and a Leyland cypress hugging one corner. A black metal fence ringed it.

It had taken shape in six intense days in January 2005, when Atlanta-based Beazer Homes USA and "Extreme Makeover" demolished the Harpers' old home, plagued by a faulty septic system. Professionals and volunteers came together to erect the largest home that the "Extreme" team had ever built.

Materials and labor were donated, but the home would have cost about $450,000 to construct. When they were done, the home dwarfed all the ranch and split-level structures in neighboring lots.

That was not all. Beazer Homes' employees and company partners raised a quarter-million dollars in contributions for the family. The sum included scholarships for the three Harper children and a home maintenance fund.

The Harpers, whom ABC chose from among 15,000 "Extreme Makeover" applicants, spent the week in Disneyland while 1,800 people swarmed about the site. The family returned to a new home, plus contributions worth about $200,000.

They opened the home to lots of friends, said Amber May, 18, who lives a few doors away from the Harpers.

"It will be midnight," she said, "and we'll see six cars and a million kids" at the house.

Another neighbor, Brittney Harris, said the Harpers seemed considerate.

"They're good, quiet neighbors," she said.

Perhaps they are, said Donald Williams, who was visiting Harris. But he doubted their business acumen.

With $450,000 "they could have just bought a business," he said.

A representative for Beazer declined comment. A representative of ABC offered an e-mail: "'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' advises each family to consult a financial planner after they receive their new home. Ultimately, financial matters are personal, and we work to respect the privacy of the families."

Law firm McCalla Raymer LLC, which has a team of specialists handling JPMorgan foreclosures, confirmed that the Harper home is on the calendar for auction next month.

The news left Lake City Mayor Willie Oswalt wondering what went wrong. He recalled a chilly January day when he and a handful of others wrestled an aged beam into place in the home's living room. The Harpers' future seemed just as solid, he said.

"It's aggravating," said Oswalt. "It just makes you mad. You do that much work, and they just squander it."

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Comments

By lori

Jul 29, 2008 9:34 PM | Link to this

I do not feel sorry for this the mom and dad, but for their children. I feel sorry for the families who would have REALLY appreciated this home and the donations and who would have used the donations appropiately. There are so many families who could use the help in the times that are going on in the world, there are single parents and homeless families. I do not blame anyone but the home owners, see what being greedy gets you, FORECLOSURE!!!!!

By God is Just

Jul 29, 2008 9:32 PM | Link to this

Wow, I see all of these racists post and see how white people will take one situation to bring out their stereotypical, racists true selves. This is not about race. It is about ill-informed people. Alot of us are not where we should be as far as intellect. Just listen to some of these posts. I hope that the black people out here reading this can see truly that racism is alive and showing its evil head everyday here in america. We will never be excepted as equals by white people. They will always have this "twisted" idea of who we really are. They have no clue..but then some of them do have a clue who we really are. We need to know who we are and let this ignorance, this stereotyping and hatred of us as a people roll off our backs. God is just. We should unite as a people and stop looking for white people for anything! We can do it but we have to unite. When we are taking care of our own, there won't be anything that they can say about us. Their judgement will come soon enough.

By Irene

Jul 29, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this

The Harpers took advantage of an overgenerous gift and did not appreciate the sweat of hardworking volunteers & heartfelt donors. They, and I'm sure many of their "friends & family" also, were totally overwhelmed by their unexpected "fortune"and sudden spotlight thought they could not fail. However, most people start a business with no business acumen and fail miserably. But the REAL VILLAIN of this story is JPMorgan - the mortgage lender!! How did the lender ever income qualify the Harpers for such a huge loan and how could the house have appraised out for the loan amount in this moderate neighborhood!!!!!!I smell a predatory lender in this sad story and a very loan agent!!!!!!!!!!I'm sure that the Harpers knew that they didn't qualify, but their loan agent/broker probably doctored up the loan application somehow to get the loan approved. As a homeownership counselor, I've seen too families get into loan programs which they didn't qualify for but would do anything to get the loan, not realizing the consequences in the future.

By Josh

Jul 29, 2008 8:51 PM | Link to this

This couple examplifies what is wrong with America as a society today. We want to give people fish instead of teaching them how to fish. What is gods name did they do with all that money? This couples behavior duely insults everyone who voluntered time to help build that house. I am sure they will play the victim role of the mortgage broker and they will get another couple hundred thousand loped off their mortgage.

By frank

Jul 29, 2008 8:44 PM | Link to this

Look! bottom line is that these people have no concern for what has been given to them. Along with that, look how as Americans we give in this country...I guess America is turning to be the fool's of the World?!?!? These people who "had" this home are idiots. I think Extreme Makeover should do a better job selecting who they what to help. Also, I LOVE the liberal media saying that the Haper family was the latest victim of the foreclosure crisis. When they were the cause of their own problems....WOW!!! America WAKE UP!!

By blane

Jul 29, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this

I am so angry about this story. As I sit here, I have become disabled and about to go into foreclosure, I also have a elderly mom that lives with me and I hope and pray every night for a way to earn enough to save my house and take care of my mom. I can not imagine the stupidity and downright selfish greedy idiots these people are that could get into such a mess. This was such a tremendous gift that I could not even begin to dream about. I could never in good conscience let all of those good people down who collected money on their behalf. I have not one single ounce of sympathy nor do I believe their story about a failed construction business either. Makes me want cry. Especially when there are those like me who could never never do what they did. I could never live with myself. What a shame. I feel sorry for those who gave so much out of the goodness of their hearts, I feel sorry for their kids who will never learn that when you receive, you try and give back not take advantage. Shame on them. Shame. Best regards to all.

By Jackie

Jul 29, 2008 8:35 PM | Link to this

All I can say is what a shame! I live in Myrtle Beach, SC we had a house built here. I also worked in the Mortgage business, recently lost my job. When the house was being built here we thought to ourselves why don't they build 4 or 5 houses and help out more families than just one family?
Also why would you start a construction business, when the bubble popped? This upsets me deeply! They should have never been able to get a mortgage, there should have been some clause or contract between ABC and the homeowners so this wouldn't be allowed. This was a chance to start fresh, and they seem to have taken advantage of it.

By Jackie

Jul 29, 2008 8:34 PM | Link to this

By Chris

Jul 29, 2008 8:32 PM | Link to this

There are two problems with this story. First is that every story I have seen about it starts off blaming the economy, like "Extreme Makeover hit by foreclosure crunch" and stuff like that. As if these peoples situation has anything to do with some sort of national crisis caused by outside forces, when in most cases people in foreclosure are in it because of the poor choices they themselves made. I am so tired of hearing news reports blaming everyone but the home owners for their financial problems. Second, those people should be taken out behind the house and spanked. To think of all the hard work of the volunteers and the money people gave out of their own pockets, it literally makes me ill. I hope they stop having kids, and get someone else (who are not idiots) to raise the ones they already have. I am trying to tone it down a bit for general consumption, but these people are the perfect example of what is destroying our country. Taking every handout and gift, taking advantage of anyone you can stealing anything you won't get caught for, using anyone and everyone including your own children to advance your personal life goal of being a lazy piece of crap. I would not be surprised for one second to find out that they spent every penny of the money that was intended for the taxes and for their kids education on nothing but personal items. Clothes, cars, jewelry, booming stereos and of course lots of 24 inch chrome rims. I wonder if they paid any of the delinquent bills they no doubt had racked up in the years before ABC and the others came in and bailed them out. I doubt it. Pay bills for stuff you already have?? !!! That is just crazy. I hate to say it but there are probably 3 or more people out there like this for every 1 person who is hard working honest and really believe you should pay your bills before you go and rack up more debt for luxuries. They just make me sick.

By Larry Henson

Jul 29, 2008 8:30 PM | Link to this

What we need is our fellow countrymen to start calling themselves AMERICANS and to stop being self segragating Bigots! The Demo Rat party has murderd 44,000,000 American babies (mostly from so called smart families) not from the welfare types! Welfare has caused this craziness to expand. Charities play "political correctness". Email me for Facts - not for feelings. Realize that the USA is a Republic, not a democracy (mob rule). The 44,000,000 illegal criminal invaders should BECOME Americans, drop, spanglish from our businesses. And have the people who helped build this home, email me for the solution. Or contact the one honest Publicly Supported Charity NRCSAVESHOMES.org
Also go to JBS.org Ready.gov and stop thinking that the President is supposed to be your daddy... have a nice day!

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