"Extreme Makeover" Home Faces Foreclosure

Family Featured On TV Series Worries About Rising Mortgage Payments, Debts

(AP)  Four years ago, millions of television viewers watched as a deaf couple marveled at the renovations to their home that would help them better accommodate their blind, autistic son.

But now the couple, Judy and Larry Vardon, worry that the home could face foreclosure. They were featured in a two-hour episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" that set a ratings record for the show when broadcast Nov. 6, 2004.

Weighed down by a mortgage payment that has almost doubled since the makeover and medical insurance that doesn't cover autism treatment for 16-year-old Lance, the Vardons are clinging to the hope that Larry will keep his job at Chrysler LLC's Sterling Heights stamping plant. The company is on the brink of bankruptcy as it and the other Detroit automakers appeal to Congress for emergency loans.

"I'm afraid I'm going to lose my house now," Judy Vardon, using sign language through an interpreter, told The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens. "This house really belongs to Lance. This is his environment. He can't speak out for himself, and I hope we can save this house."

ABC said 20.5 million viewers saw a crew led by host Ty Pennington rehabilitate the Vardons' 980-square-foot house near Detroit from the inside out, including installing cameras and flat-screen monitors allowing the Vardons to monitor Lance.

After the makeover, the couple refinanced the mortgage, and their monthly payments have nearly doubled - from $1,200 to $2,300. They had debts of $20,000 for the boy's therapy alone.

"We didn't have bad spending habits," Judy Vardon said. "My husband got laid off for a time, and insurance wouldn't cover Lance's autism therapy and some other things like his vision and special dental work."

The couple are working with a nonprofit group that aids families in crisis to help them negotiate a lower mortgage rate.

The Vardons remain grateful to "Extreme Makeover" and the volunteers who worked to renovate their house and make it safer for Lance.

"We're a close family that loves each other," Judy Vardon said. "I feel that I was given this life to show others that you can face these challenges."

[amburrlinde]

im doing a repot on this for my computer literature class. This is a crime right?

[positivespin]

Let me start by saying this was a success story by Extreme Makeover, a major network, and a major merchant, and a family that needed major help. The negativity on this blog is sad and to say the "plasma" televisions, and the "SUV''s" are and issue is shortsided and really appalling of this group of people. All of these gifts including the home was laid out for this family and the mortgage was in-line. Blame the "sub-prime" lenders, the investors, the banking industry, and the "law-makers", for getting the United States Economy in this disastrous mess! Do not blame the family. Understand this economy is for the first time since the "Great Depression" in another "depression" and not a "recession" We have had negative growth for the past 11+ months and layoffs for the past several years. A depression according to FINRA is 9 consective months of "negative" growth. We are in a depression. Let''s be positive. Help this nation move on and get this country going. Quit your belly aching about cars, televisions and such and get your paper and pencils, and emails out to your constituents about the poor lending practices that are still going on out there and correct the "beasts" that hurt this family. Fix the problem and move on with the issues. This is one person reflection of today in the life of America. God bless.

[crystalblue3]

I feel badly for this family (in particular) and if I had any ANY money to spare, I''d willingly give it to them even if it keeps them in their home just one more month.

[gasmask1]

We have no health care as Americans (this includes those of you with health insurance)but we do have Billions to give to banks, loan sharks and other financial institutions. Little Miss Susie Homemaker will now find out who the government helps just like the rest of us already have. Shame shame!!

[breckandy]

20K in med bills double your mortgage?
Bet there is a big screen Plasma TV in the picture and a big SUV in the driveway.

[peetrerb]

this isnt the first makeover house in trouble. bad theory to increase the value for families that couldnt afford the old house. just raise money for the needed and quit capitalizing on a tv show.

[tincup356]

they don''t build 120,000 dollars worth of house for that money. another example of greed, on the part of house builders and finance companies. Houses today are made out of inferior materials, and labor, and charged like they were custom made by high quality skilled workers with top line materials. more greed to consume America.

[Netterz]

One thing the rest of you with your crystal balls who see all and have never hit a financial low, and apparently have never OWNED anything CAN NOT SEE..thru that monstrous crack in your crystal ball, is that MI has been in a one state recession for almost 5 years now, thanks to our lovely Governor Granholm, that has either/or priced state owned factory locations/vendors/companies out of reach, or taxed them right out of our state. People are being forced to leave at breakneck speed because there are no jobs left here, that truck rental companies have no trucks to rent, they have to pay drivers to go get them from other states. Oh.. and another little tidbit of knowledge, shes done such a fantastic job of ruining this state, Obama is considering her for one of his privledged cabinet jobs. Welcome to the new USA..It will soon be called The United States of Socialism.

[missybelle-2009]

"After the makeover, the couple refinanced the mortgage, and their monthly payments have nearly doubled - from $1,200 to $2,300."

***??? They refinanced and their payments doubled?

What a couple of MORONS!


Posted by easeup at 12:51 PM : Dec 09, 2008

It seems from the story, which I read, that they had medical bills that needed to be paid, so they refinanced to pay those bills....???

[wiccantexan]

"The couple are working with a nonprofit group that aids families in crisis to help them negotiate a lower mortgage rate."

[simplemind2]

"Posted by CBSNews53 at 10:36 AM : Dec 09, 2008"

CBSNews53,
I work on a job for more than 25 years and NEVER travel anywhere.
My manager(s) and co-worker(s) constantly asked me where I was gonna spend my vacation(s) - I just gave them a smile back.
I stayed home with my better-half''s part-time job, we successfully raised all our kids to be University Graduates.
Each and everyone of them have a job.
We are looking after our Grand-kid for now.
During this current financial woes, we are able to go out spend - within our means.
I only hope the asset(s) that we saved could help our Grand-kid(s) in some way - Education for one.
Live within one''s means - including serious planing ahead!

[misssuzq]

I never liked that show. Sure, they are people who could use help, but they are also people who already have a home. Then EMHE builds a monster house in the middle of a street of little houses, and the value of the property has already gone down the minute it''''s done. Then there are mega utility bills to pay. Never saw the sense in this show. Posted by horse3farm

I agree with the comment that monster houses are plunked into the area where houses were pretty much the same as their old one and it looks horrible and pompous.

I do not see why homes cannot be built so they fit in and do not make the rest of the neighbors homes look not as nice. Instead of going up, go out back or basements.

[misssuzq]

No matter what their errors were, their insurance company failed their son big time and that stinks.

Not in the beginning so much, but now more mortgages are getting paid off, clearly their was not one of them, but come on, $1200 for a home...where can I get one?

[ladytatejack]

At a time when so many of us have trouble keeping food on our tables & gas in our 20 year old cars, I am grateful to all of you who can be the judge & jury to keep the ignorant, poor masses under control. I have no idea how I made it this far without all of you who are so much better & smarter than the average American. I will be thinking of you on Christmas morning as I watch my children open the gifts that I have saved all year to buy. I hope you also think of me when you are celebrating your holidays this year. To all of the other ignorant, uninformed Americans like me, Merry Christmas & may the new year be a lighter load.

[ejetton1]

I think it is bad that our people don''t understand,but it is not always the fault of the person, contracts can be hard to understand if you haven''t dealt with them before, I pray for the family that things get better.

[sassalin]

jfrance5,

I agree that people can be taken advantage of but at some point you must hold the person who signed the mortgage or car loan responsible.

It''s not the banks job to inform people of what they can afford or what a loan will do to them in the future. They are businesses not babysitters.

It''s called PERSONAL RESPONBILITY. If people are not intelligent enough to do some research then they deserve what they get.

[easeup-2009]

"After the makeover, the couple refinanced the mortgage, and their monthly payments have nearly doubled - from $1,200 to $2,300."

***??? They refinanced and their payments doubled?

What a couple of MORONS!

[simpsonman19]

Their initial mortage was $1,200 a month?! For a house that is only 31x31 feet? My apartment is about the same size as that, I pay less for rent and I live in the heart of a big city!

[beader59]

I was so naive in watching this show. I assumed that the mortages were paid off since I heard that said on one of their shows. This show is nothing more than a disaster waiting to happen. If the family can''t afford to improve their home a little, how are they going to afford a high mortage on a new larger home///
This sound like good press for ABC and a disaster for the ignorant families.

[presjfk]

I feel sorry for these people but they got something for free that only most of us dream about. Its a shame they couldn''t make this gift work for themselves long term.