"dpb" wrote in message
...
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
...
According to my source, ...
... They have to meet certain guidlines in awarding the prize to be a
charitable setup for the show.

Does your "source" have the skinny on how taxes on the value of the prize
and other details of ownership transfer, etc., are handled? It would seem
unless the show either pays them up front or somehow else finds a loophole
most of these folks would go bankrupt trying to come up w/ the IRS
assessment on the value of the prize right off the bat.

After that, property taxes, higher utility bills, upkeep, etc., would seem
to be beyond the reach of most as well. I think it's too hokey to be
enjoyable to watch so have never seen an episode to completion but have
wondered some about the more practical and mundane aspects of what happens
after the bus leaves for good...

I've not asked him about that. He was the construction manager for the
builder on the job. I did read a while back that the house is leased to the
homeowner to get around the tax, but I don't know that for fact.

Do you think if you cannot afford to repair your 1000 sq. ft. house you can
easily afford the utilities on a 4000 sq. ft. palace? And the taxes that go
with it? Depending on where you live, I can see some of these places
costing $1000+ a month just in real estate taxes and astronomical heating
costs.

Some of the recipients certainly need help and are in trouble through no
fault of their own. A few though, seemed so intent on doing some other
charitable work that they just neglected to take care of the property they
own. Of course, we never know all the details .