tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263745103864967456.post7626678804037035525..comments2023-05-14T10:12:27.700-04:00Comments on KCBOOKS From Mom to Author & Everything in Between: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Reveal Day!Kristin Callenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11451563912645829952noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263745103864967456.post-55142571660592866332009-10-07T10:09:47.216-04:002009-10-07T10:09:47.216-04:00Hi Erik,
First I want to thank you for coming acr...Hi Erik,<br /><br />First I want to thank you for coming across my post and feeling strongly enough about my words to comment.<br /><br />A friend of mine is a neighbor of the Hill family, so I have witnessed the build and aftermath first hand. I have never and would never say that the families that are chosen don't deserve all that they get from Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I simply blogged about the process from an insider's viewpoint. I have always loved the show and think it's important to help others in need. At the same time, I was also surprised how much the neighborhood was affected by the whole process and how much the community donates for this one house to be built. <br /><br />Yes, the weather did play a huge role in much of the damage done to properties and equipment and most of the repairs have been done in the 3 months since. My point, or should I say my opinion, was that these neighbors dealt with a lot more than they realized they would. Besides the property damages, they also had their lives distrupted. As I'm sure you know, the construction did not stop at night. It continued day and night for the entire time. Armies of people and endless parades of trucks made their daily lives more challenging. Imagine the exhaustion of the neighbors by the end. Also, the show may have made accommodations for the chosen family's increased expenses but they fail to take into consideration that replacing an old house with one worth close to a half million dollars will affect the property values of the entire street. <br /><br />Watching this house come together, which was amazing to see happen in a week, I couldn't help ask myself: Since when does helping someone in need mean providing them with such excess? I stated, and I still believe that the show could do more for the entire community in addition to the family in need. A new house, of any size, would be an extreme change for most. The excess should be spread through out the community. Since most money, supplies, and services are donated by businesses in and around the community why not spread them just a little thinner to benefit more than just one family. Libraries and schools are always in desperate need of donations, up grades, and supplies. <br /><br />My intention of this blog was not bash the show or the families that are chosen for it. It was also not my intention to offend any of the generous people and businesses that gave their time, equipment, and expertise to this project. It's a great show that gives hope that everyone deserves the chance to achieve the American Dream and then they provide one family with an amplified version of that dream. I don't think it would hurt it's ratings to evolve with the challenging times and start helping the entire community they visit. <br /><br />Again I'll state that these are my opinions. You are welcome to agree or disagree with them. <br /><br />Thanks again for your comments. I will be watching the show when it airs on October 11.<br /><br />~KristinKristin Callenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451563912645829952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263745103864967456.post-46086402933261964692009-10-06T17:26:18.263-04:002009-10-06T17:26:18.263-04:00I happened to come across this post, today, as I w...I happened to come across this post, today, as I was looking around for more information regarding the build, since I donated services from a company i co-own to this build and to the VIP "It's A Wrap" party after the build. I neither agree or disagree about the size of the house. We should all be great full that someone is stepping up to the plate and lending a helping hand to families in need. Since extreme makeover has started, they have done over 160 builds and many more to come! I wanted to comment on a few things in the above two comments. The affordability of the house to the tenants is not an object anymore. As we have all probably heard, many of these homes were being foreclosed on or having to be sold because of the sudden increase in the property value, taxes sky-rocketing, utilities spiraling out of control, however, in order to build these homes now, the show must provide enough money to keep the family in the house or enough in private donations. Furthermore, everyone on the street, in whom house/yard must be used for the build must sign a waiver allowing use of there land. The show DOES pay for ALL of the yards to be done. If you take a drive down Mathers street you will see that every yard that was destroyed by the enormous crews, has been re-done. The show certainly takes into consideration all of the neighbors around them. Some people know or may not know that the week this build was happening, there were torrential downpours and everything, and everywhere was flooded, including the VIP tent where I was. Many companies, including mine lost a lot of money from equipment damages, but in the end it was all worth it, to be able to give to a deserving family and help a community better itself is something that words cannot express. I am not writing this in the state that I am "yelling" or "upset" at the above comments, but just to clarify, so when you do watch the show, you're not wondering about the neighbors houses and if the family can afford to stay there. <br /><br />p.s. The show will be airing this Sunday, October 11. <br /><br />-_-Erik-_-Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00038558361791311354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263745103864967456.post-78892659351096257752009-07-01T11:38:43.481-04:002009-07-01T11:38:43.481-04:00That is a good point. I have heard those same conc...That is a good point. I have heard those same concerns from members in the community. Even people who are friends with the family are worried they won't be able to maintain it. And to make matters worse, I just found out today that the police are now keeping extra watch on the neighborhood because fans think they can just walk in and see what the house looks like. Some have even walked into the neighbors houses to ask for a bathroom. This has really turned this quiet street upside down.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment.<br />Kristin :)Kristin Callenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451563912645829952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263745103864967456.post-80413104607099570612009-07-01T11:29:54.401-04:002009-07-01T11:29:54.401-04:00My husband and I have discussed this at length, an...My husband and I have discussed this at length, and we both feel the houses built should be scaled *way* back. Several people who get these homes can't actually afford to live in them long-term with the added maintenance and tax costs (if they could, they would have put that money into their existing home already), so they end up losing or fighting to keep the house anyways. And that's after all of the upheaval you've described to the neighborhood (which I personally wouldn't tolerate well). <br /><br />I think the intentions are good, but the houses should be built on a scale that fits in with the existing neighborhood (not huge, unaffordable "show homes"), and the show should pay for *all* damages inflicted on neighboring homes as well. Just my opinion, of course.Jamie D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05486427517423813962noreply@blogger.com