I don't know if you think the same way I do about this reality show?

I work for an architect firm and even the best designer here will take
several days before making up his mind and finalize a project as simple
as a bathroom remodel. Now we're talking of redesigning a complete
house (and not a small one) for a client the designer(s) don't even
know in the first place. Just the construction alone of a 300K$ is
nearly impossible in a week even if you staff it with 10 000 workers.
You reach a point where the number of worker becomes a nuisance and
slows down the entire project. Plaster, paint, varnishes and all those
products need time to dry too.

I think this TV show lies to the public at least on one aspect: they
have work prepared already before showing up at the door of the lucky
family. The design and the construction dwgs are already made minus
maybe a few details, the prefab house has been ordered already and
ready to ship, etc.

What do you guys believe?

Cyberben

wrote:

What do you guys believe?


1.) It's a TV show.

2.) There's no Easter Bunny.

"2.) There's no Easter Bunny. "

Wha???? sniff!

writes:

I think this TV show lies to the public at least on one aspect: they
have work prepared already before showing up at the door of the lucky
family. The design and the construction dwgs are already made minus
maybe a few details, the prefab house has been ordered already and
ready to ship, etc.

Anyone would have to be crazy to think they don't have 95% of the project
preplanned before they start. You don't get a building permit and line
up a contractor and 100s of workers overnight.

I'm sure they interview relatives and friends to find out what the
families like beforehand. I'm also certain they have the blueprints
drawn beforehand. Thay would have to for permitting and such.

They used to do silly things like claim they have no house and then the
next day a prefab house shows up from Canada. No way anyone builds a
prefab house overnight, let alone ship it from Canada. I noticed they
quit doing this silly stuff.

It is still an interesting TV show. They really ought to do a show that
shows how they go from picking a family all the way to the door knock and
everything in between that happens before the week of building.

Brian Elfert

Obviously, I don't beleive a single minute that all that bluff is
possible. I'm in the business and I just know too well it's impossible.

There are only 2 things that **** me off with this show:

1. It gives a "tangible proof" to the uneducated public that all this
crap is possible so you quickly get requests from your customers to
hurry up because "they can do it on TV". They want you to design and
draw the working dwgs of their dream house in 24 hours.

2. The second biggest problem is when SWMBO watches the show and gives
me that disgusted look and says: "Gheeeez, they can build and furnish a
house in one week and it takes you months to complete a small piece of
furniture".

Cyberben

On 5 May 2006 11:28:07 -0700, wrote:

I don't know if you think the same way I do about this reality show?

I work for an architect firm and even the best designer here will take
several days before making up his mind and finalize a project as simple
as a bathroom remodel. Now we're talking of redesigning a complete
house (and not a small one) for a client the designer(s) don't even
know in the first place. Just the construction alone of a 300K$ is
nearly impossible in a week even if you staff it with 10 000 workers.
You reach a point where the number of worker becomes a nuisance and
slows down the entire project. Plaster, paint, varnishes and all those
products need time to dry too.

I think this TV show lies to the public at least on one aspect: they
have work prepared already before showing up at the door of the lucky
family. The design and the construction dwgs are already made minus
maybe a few details, the prefab house has been ordered already and
ready to ship, etc.

What do you guys believe?

Cyberben

Sure, it ain't no extreme makeover, but it didn't take a week either:


"If speed were all that mattered, how fast could you build a home?
Some years ago, the Building Industry Association of San Diego County
sponsored a competition among builders to answer that question. The
home had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and was made from standard
materials.

The fastest time: 2 hours and 45 minutes. How do you build a house in
less than 3 hours? By forgetting everything you thought you knew about
building a house. The winning team used 700 people divided into
subgroups of carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and other
tradespeople. For weeks, the teams practiced to find ways to
accelerate the process. During the competition, the winners managed to
complete the rough plumbing in 8 minutes and set the main roof in just
over 9 minutes.

It was fun -- and the experience also generated useful insights. Which
is why Professor Tom Malone, of MIT's Sloan School of Management,
shows a video of the competition to his students and executive
audiences. "I use it to illustrate the power of speed," Malone says.
"Not just as a way of satisfying customers but of inventing whole new
industries. It helps people free up their minds to think about how to
build organizations for the 21st century."

Bill :

Last year, when they occasionally ran an adjunct program called "Extreme
Makeover Home Edition. How'd They Do That?" I thought we were going to get
a little more insight into what goes on in the pre-planning stages of the
show. That show did focus a bit more on the construction than on the sob
story of the family, and we did see some behind-the-scenes stuff like the
fact that scenes such as the one where the design team shows up at the front
door with the bullhorn often have to be re-shot, but they never really got
away from the myth that all of the magic just materializes on day one. They
also have not done anything to dispell the myth that so many of the great
things that happen on the show are a result of Ty Pennington picking up his
cell phone and placing a call to "a friend." One somewhat surprising thing
I got from that show, however, is that it would appear that Ty really does
take a major role in the design and construction of his "secret project"
room.

Unfortunately, "How'd They Do That?" is about as close as we're likely to
get to seeing what goes on behind the scenes. Anything more revealing than
that (i.e. how many months in advance the preliminary work begins, how they
apply for and receive a building permit in a small town without the word
getting out, how they arrange for a guy to take a week of vacation without
his boss spilling the beans, etc.) would be a little like pulling away the
curtain and revealing the true nature of the Wizard of Oz.

Lee

--
To e-mail, replace "bucketofspam" with "dleegordon"

_________________________________
Lee Gordon
http://www.leegordonproductions.com

wrote:
I don't know if you think the same way I do about this reality show?

I work for an architect firm and even the best designer here will take
several days before making up his mind and finalize a project as simple
as a bathroom remodel. Now we're talking of redesigning a complete
house (and not a small one) for a client the designer(s) don't even
know in the first place. Just the construction alone of a 300K$ is
nearly impossible in a week even if you staff it with 10 000 workers.
You reach a point where the number of worker becomes a nuisance and
slows down the entire project. Plaster, paint, varnishes and all those
products need time to dry too.

I think this TV show lies to the public at least on one aspect: they
have work prepared already before showing up at the door of the lucky
family. The design and the construction dwgs are already made minus
maybe a few details, the prefab house has been ordered already and
ready to ship, etc.

What do you guys believe?

Cyberben


Several things have bothered me.. no argument that the people they
choose deserve the help, but to go from 'poverty' to 'mansion' in a
neighbourhood of far less value homes.. why not expand the area and
spread the funds around a bit..

Speaking of which.. with the resources available to them, I was
surprised that except for one program, they could have applied their
manpower and resources to alleviate a lot of the gulf coast destruction.

Given their on going efforts to out do themselves with million dollar
mansions, I seldom watch the program anymore..

--


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

C D Patterson
Victoria, BC. Canada

"Lee Gordon" wrote in message
. ..
snip

Unfortunately, "How'd They Do That?" is about as close as we're likely to
get to seeing what goes on behind the scenes. Anything more revealing
than that (i.e. how many months in advance the preliminary work begins,
how they apply for and receive a building permit in a small town without
the word getting out, how they arrange for a guy to take a week of
vacation without his boss spilling the beans, etc.) would be a little like
pulling away the curtain and revealing the true nature of the Wizard of
Oz.

I can only imagine that they sign their life away when they "apply" to have
their home made over, because having gotten most of the way through a major
home addition, my biggest question is how they get a building permit without
the city talking to the actual owner.

todd

"ghost" wrote

Several things have bothered me.. no argument that the people they choose
deserve the help, but to go from 'poverty' to 'mansion' in a neighbourhood
of far less value homes.. why not expand the area and spread the funds
around a bit..

Speaking of which.. with the resources available to them, I was surprised
that except for one program, they could have applied their manpower and
resources to alleviate a lot of the gulf coast destruction.

Given their on going efforts to out do themselves with million dollar
mansions, I seldom watch the program anymore..


There is that. And I agree with you.

I used to watch it too. But when it became a game show format where little
if anything was shown as to the actual construction details, it became a lot
less interesting. When it became a manipulative process to make you feel
sorry for the housing "victims, game show winners", I got totally turned
off.

If they really wanted to help these folks, there are a lot better ways to do
it than building a mansion with designer bedrooms.

Afterall, what is the objective here? To build houses or to really help
people? I don't think they know.

Ok. They did a house in our county about 14 or so months ago and
yes, it was done in an entire week! The producers cooperated with the
County
Bldg Dept to get the permits way ahead of time, a design was also done
and all furniture, fixtures, etc were all stockpiled. They worked all
day/night
on the thing and it was a big event. The house was where the daughter
has
a condition that prevents her from being in direct light. The had an
Inspector
onsite for the entire time. The biggest noise that came out of it was
the
that the house was appraised at a tax level MORE (obviously) then the
original house. Here in Calif, we have Prop 13. Your tax level remains
at level
until 1) you change owners or 2) remodel. The family was a bit put out
about
the taxes. Not sure if they got some relief. The show claims that there
is
a loophole for taxes if they RENT the house while the family is out.
Not sure
what got resolved.

But as to the building, yep, they do it in the time they say! Teamwork
and
very, very tight planning. The architect and builder were all assigned
well ahead
of time and plans were approved by the County before the Extreme
Makeover
team arrived.

MJ Wallace

"B A R R Y" wrote in message
...
wrote:

What do you guys believe?


1.) It's a TV show.

2.) There's no Easter Bunny.

EXACTLY!!! Along with a ton of others. Trading Spouses, Survivor, the list
goes on! It's a TV show. But wait, what about Star Trek, or.........

Along with a ton of others. Trading Spouses, Survivor, the list
goes on! It's a TV show. But wait, what about Star Trek, or.........

I can't vouch for the others but clearly, Star Trek is real. How else can
you explain how we've been assimilated by the Borg?

Lee

--
To e-mail, replace "bucketofspam" with "dleegordon"

_________________________________
Lee Gordon
http://www.leegordonproductions.com

Lee Gordon wrote:
Along with a ton of others. Trading Spouses, Survivor, the list
goes on! It's a TV show. But wait, what about Star Trek,
or.........

I can't vouch for the others but clearly, Star Trek is real. How
else can you explain how we've been assimilated by the Borg?

Lee


ROAR.. and there are several different species.. HD, L, R..


--


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

C D Patterson
Victoria, BC. Canada

wrote in message
ps.com...
I don't know if you think the same way I do about this reality show?

I work for an architect firm and even the best designer here will take
several days before making up his mind and finalize a project as simple
as a bathroom remodel. Now we're talking of redesigning a complete
house (and not a small one) for a client the designer(s) don't even
know in the first place. Just the construction alone of a 300K$ is
nearly impossible in a week even if you staff it with 10 000 workers.
You reach a point where the number of worker becomes a nuisance and
slows down the entire project. Plaster, paint, varnishes and all those
products need time to dry too.

I think this TV show lies to the public at least on one aspect: they
have work prepared already before showing up at the door of the lucky
family. The design and the construction dwgs are already made minus
maybe a few details, the prefab house has been ordered already and
ready to ship, etc.

What do you guys believe?

Cyberben


While I generally don't appreciate their work, it is definitely possible.
I saw a video of an effort I believe in San Diego where they were trying to
set a world record for building a house in record time. It took over 18
months to plan and 750+ workers but they literally built this house in under
3 hours (I forget the time but it was under 3 anyway). They made use of
fast curing materials and worked in expert precision....obviously, 18 months
gives a lot of practice. It really was pretty incredible to watch even if,
at the end of the day, I wouldn't have lived there! They had inspectors
there checking everything as they went and at the end, they issued the
occupancy certificate. Judging by the hair cuts, it appeared they did this
in the 70's sometime.
Anyway, I personally think the show is crap and is more about the emotional
aspect vs. renovation so I don't watch it.
Cheers,
cc

wrote in message
ps.com...
I don't know if you think the same way I do about this reality show?

I work for an architect firm and even the best designer here will take
several days before making up his mind and finalize a project as simple
as a bathroom remodel. Now we're talking of redesigning a complete
house (and not a small one) for a client the designer(s) don't even
know in the first place. Just the construction alone of a 300K$ is
nearly impossible in a week even if you staff it with 10 000 workers.
You reach a point where the number of worker becomes a nuisance and
slows down the entire project. Plaster, paint, varnishes and all those
products need time to dry too.

I think this TV show lies to the public at least on one aspect: they
have work prepared already before showing up at the door of the lucky
family. The design and the construction dwgs are already made minus
maybe a few details, the prefab house has been ordered already and
ready to ship, etc.

What do you guys believe?

Cyberben


The home they just built in a week is near where I live, they did build it
in the time they stated, in the rain a large majority of the time. They had
people working on it 24 hours a day.

Of course they have it planned out ahead of time, it is VERY orchestrated
and planned to meet deadlines, many local companies and contractors were
involved, and the local news followed it very closely.

For the most part, what you see is what really happened.

"Lee Gordon" wrote in message
. ..
One somewhat surprising thing I got from that show, however, is that it
would appear that Ty really does take a major role in the design and
construction of his "secret project" room.

Unfortunately, "How'd They Do That?" is about as close as we're likely to
get to seeing what goes on behind the scenes.


First thing they should do is shove that bullhorn up Ty's ass. Damn, he can
be annoying.

I'm sure many of us would be interested is the actual planning, seeing the
Gantt chart that was hanging in one of the trailers, etc. My guess is the
basic construction is a variation of existing plans that the company has
built many times in the past so they know the steps to be taken. Materials
are probably pre-cut and/or pre-fabed when possible. That would allow for
practice runs as that model is built 20 times in a development someplace to
check the feasibility of having three plumbers in the bathroom at the same
time.

Last week the Hartford Courant had an article about the cop in Kansas that
got a new house. A year later, it is still "as seen on TV" but he is
appealing the $4000 property tax bill. These people end up with no
mortgage, but plenty of tax and utility costs.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
...


Last week the Hartford Courant had an article about the cop in Kansas that
got a new house. A year later, it is still "as seen on TV" but he is
appealing the $4000 property tax bill. These people end up with no
mortgage, but plenty of tax and utility costs.



He can't afford ~$300 a month?

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

Last week the Hartford Courant had an article about the cop in Kansas that
got a new house. A year later, it is still "as seen on TV" but he is
appealing the $4000 property tax bill. These people end up with no
mortgage, but plenty of tax and utility costs.

As if there is some comparison.

I have never even heard of the show outside of here. I watch very little TV
but I know what you mean about distorting the public view. There are way to
many people that believe that TV represents reality.

wrote in message
oups.com...
1. It gives a "tangible proof" to the uneducated public that all this
crap is possible so you quickly get requests from your customers to
hurry up because "they can do it on TV". They want you to design and
draw the working dwgs of their dream house in 24 hours.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
Gantt chart that was hanging in one of the trailers, etc. My guess is the
basic construction is a variation of existing plans that the company has
built many times in the past so they know the steps to be taken.

Sure, I agree with that. Every house built has an open, similar concept.
There's always a plasma TV above a fireplace, all the appliances are bought
at Sears, everything (in the house anyway) is almost exactly the same except
for some personal trimmings. Even the walkway up to the front door is
similar as is the facade of the front of every house. It's a cookie cutter
installation. Nothing wrong with that I guess only after you've seen the
show a few times, it gets boring real quick. Only thing different to see is
the reaction of the family during the last ten minutes when they arrive home
to see what has been done.

"todd" wrote in message
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message


Last week the Hartford Courant had an article about the cop in Kansas
that
got a new house. A year later, it is still "as seen on TV" but he is
appealing the $4000 property tax bill. These people end up with no
mortgage, but plenty of tax and utility costs.

As if there is some comparison.

I've never seen the show, but in many areas there is a comparison. In some
areas of Houston it is not unusual to find monthly property tax/utility
bills at 97% of the monthly mortgage payment, and rising.

Giving some poor schmuck a new mansion ("new" has a $pecial connotation to
the appraisal districts) and then sticking him with the property tax/utility
bills that go with a big house is typical of the nearsightedness of the
warm-and-fuzzy do gooder mentality.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

"todd" wrote in message
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message


Last week the Hartford Courant had an article about the cop in Kansas
that
got a new house. A year later, it is still "as seen on TV" but he is
appealing the $4000 property tax bill. These people end up with no
mortgage, but plenty of tax and utility costs.

As if there is some comparison.


We don't know that. The old house may have had a low rate mortgage with 20
years paid and a $100 payment. While I'd gladly pay the 4k taxes with no
mortgage, but, if you are disabled and have minimal income, it could be
difficult. Not to mention doubling of heating or AC, more labor to clean
it, etc.

Considering the house he has, the assessment is probably correct and he has
no gripe, but we just don't know.

On Sat, 6 May 2006 01:23:10 -0500, "todd" wrote:

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
m...

Last week the Hartford Courant had an article about the cop in Kansas that
got a new house. A year later, it is still "as seen on TV" but he is
appealing the $4000 property tax bill. These people end up with no
mortgage, but plenty of tax and utility costs.

As if there is some comparison.


... as opposed to the person who *does* have a mortgage. Plus plenty of
tax and utility costs.

Just because taxes may be rolled into a mortgage payment through an
escrow account doesn't mean the homeowner is not paying taxes. (I'm sure
that wasn't your point, it's just amazing how many people actually have
that viewpoint).



+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
. com...


"todd" wrote in message
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message


Last week the Hartford Courant had an article about the cop in Kansas
that
got a new house. A year later, it is still "as seen on TV" but he is
appealing the $4000 property tax bill. These people end up with no
mortgage, but plenty of tax and utility costs.

As if there is some comparison.


We don't know that. The old house may have had a low rate mortgage with
20 years paid and a $100 payment. While I'd gladly pay the 4k taxes with
no mortgage, but, if you are disabled and have minimal income, it could be
difficult. Not to mention doubling of heating or AC, more labor to clean
it, etc.

Considering the house he has, the assessment is probably correct and he
has no gripe, but we just don't know.

Well, it's not like these people are chosen at random by flipping through
the phone book. They are (or should be) fully aware of the parameters
before putting their name in for consideration to be on the show. I suppose
if it's too much of a burden, they could always sell and use the proceeds to
buy a house they can afford.

todd

Have you noticed how many people in "dire straights" with no money to repair
their little shack, show up on the program with the latest $150.00 hairdos,
jewellery, $50.00 manicures and the latest fashion ready to go on their
"vacation" while they get a new house built for nothing. Some looked genuine
in their need, others look like they are taking the show producers on a scam
to get a new house.


"ghost" wrote in message
news:_jR6g.127840$7a.30469@pd7tw1no...
wrote:
I don't know if you think the same way I do about this reality show?

I work for an architect firm and even the best designer here will take
several days before making up his mind and finalize a project as simple
as a bathroom remodel. Now we're talking of redesigning a complete
house (and not a small one) for a client the designer(s) don't even
know in the first place. Just the construction alone of a 300K$ is
nearly impossible in a week even if you staff it with 10 000 workers.
You reach a point where the number of worker becomes a nuisance and
slows down the entire project. Plaster, paint, varnishes and all those
products need time to dry too.

I think this TV show lies to the public at least on one aspect: they
have work prepared already before showing up at the door of the lucky
family. The design and the construction dwgs are already made minus
maybe a few details, the prefab house has been ordered already and
ready to ship, etc.

What do you guys believe?

Cyberben


Several things have bothered me.. no argument that the people they choose
deserve the help, but to go from 'poverty' to 'mansion' in a neighbourhood
of far less value homes.. why not expand the area and spread the funds
around a bit..

Speaking of which.. with the resources available to them, I was surprised
that except for one program, they could have applied their manpower and
resources to alleviate a lot of the gulf coast destruction.

Given their on going efforts to out do themselves with million dollar
mansions, I seldom watch the program anymore..

--


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

C D Patterson
Victoria, BC. Canada

A friend of mine donated RVs to this show through his RV business...
supposed to air Mother's Day. The show gave him t-shirts, photos of his
family with Ty, autographed photo of the whole crew, etc. I'm curious to see
how it comes out on the air!

John

Swingman wrote:

: Giving some poor schmuck a new mansion ("new" has a $pecial connotation to
: the appraisal districts) and then sticking him with the property tax/utility
: bills that go with a big house is typical of the nearsightedness of the
: warm-and-fuzzy do gooder mentality.

Do they also have to pay income tax on the house (since it's a gift)?

Last year Oprah Winfrey gave everyone in her audience one day
a new car. They had to pay income tax on it, which was
a nasty surprise for most of them.

-- Andy Barss

"Andrew Barss" wrote in message

Do they also have to pay income tax on the house (since it's a gift)?


IIRC, there is some sort of a lease deal. The show owns the house and
leases it to the new "owners", thus avoiding the tax. I don't know the
details, only that is was in the newspaper some time ago.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message

IIRC, there is some sort of a lease deal. The show owns the house and
leases it to the new "owners", thus avoiding the tax. I don't know the
details, only that is was in the newspaper some time ago.

I'm willing to bet that this "lease arrangement" is also designed to prevent
a family who has just been given a new house from immediately selling it off
for the money.

ghost writes:

Several things have bothered me.. no argument that the people they
choose deserve the help, but to go from 'poverty' to 'mansion' in a
neighbourhood of far less value homes.. why not expand the area and
spread the funds around a bit..

In some cases, they have gone through the neighborhood and distributed
needed goods to the neighbors. I would imagine the neighbors get some
sort of compensation for the show ruining their lives for a week or more
with construction noise 24x7 and the huge crowds.

I liked the show a little better when they were actually remodeling the
houses and not creating huge mansions.

Brian Elfert

"MJ" writes:

onsite for the entire time. The biggest noise that came out of it was
the
that the house was appraised at a tax level MORE (obviously) then the
original house. Here in Calif, we have Prop 13. Your tax level remains
at level
until 1) you change owners or 2) remodel. The family was a bit put out
about
the taxes. Not sure if they got some relief. The show claims that there

The families should realize when they apply for the show that their
property value will go up and thus the taxes will go up. I guess in some
cases the family did not nominate themselves. In probably 50% of the
cases, the family gets a large check that should cover the taxes for a
number of years.

A bigger concern could be the income taxes on the new house. Wouldn't
the states and the IRS consider the added value of the new house as
income and send the family a large tax bill?

Brian Elfert

"Edwin Pawlowski" writes:


Last week the Hartford Courant had an article about the cop in Kansas that
got a new house. A year later, it is still "as seen on TV" but he is
appealing the $4000 property tax bill. These people end up with no
mortgage, but plenty of tax and utility costs.

Maybe the taxes and utility bills do up, but they probably aren't as high
as the former mortgage and taxes combined unless someone had a pretty
inexpensive house.

They could tone down the ceiling heights in the houses they build. A 20
foot ceiling is going to cost an arm and a leg to heat/cool.

Brian Elfert

"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
They could tone down the ceiling heights in the houses they build. A 20
foot ceiling is going to cost an arm and a leg to heat/cool.

Yes, but it makes for good TV

I'm willing to bet that this "lease arrangement" is also designed to
prevent
a family who has just been given a new house from immediately selling it off
for the money.

I suspect the homeowners have to sign a contract with ABC before going on
their vacation that, among other things, grants the show permission to alter
or tear down their house. I imagine there is language in that contract
which establishes who is responsible for payment of taxes, utilities,
maintenance, etc. There must surely also be a clause in there about the
minimum amount of time the family must wait before selling off any of the
assets.

You'll notice than on some shows there will be a ceremony at the end in
which the contractor or some other benefactor either presents the family
with a substantial check to offset the cost of maintaining the new house or,
in some cases, pays off their mortgage. It appears to vary according to the
needs of the homeowners. Therefore it is likely that the producers do
sufficient research to be sure they avoid leaving the family in a financial
predicament that would come back to haunt the show with negative publicity.

Something similar happened with Oprah Winfrey's famous car giveaway. She
filled her audience one day with deserving individuals and surprised them
all by giving each one a brand new Pontiac but soon thereafter stories
started appearing in the news that not everybody could afford the taxes on
those cars so some of the recipients were going to have to sell the cars and
others initially refused to accept them. It was a potential embarrassment
so her staff did some scrambling and eventually got General Motors to bump
up the prize to include paying the taxes for each winner.

Lee

--
To e-mail, replace "bucketofspam" with "dleegordon"

_________________________________
Lee Gordon
http://www.leegordonproductions.com

"Lee Gordon" wrote in message
It was a potential embarrassment
so her staff did some scrambling and eventually got General Motors to bump
up the prize to include paying the taxes for each winner.

Knowing the IauRaS, that's probably taxable too.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/6/06

Not so with this one local family. They really were pinched
with the extra tax bill. Also, any "winnings" they get
from the producers of the show,
they will have declare as income. Even if the money came as rent -
which is what they do to avoid the big problem - all the work they
do could be considered income, but signing a rental agreement,
that allows for the renter to remodel, allows the family to get
that without a tax penalty.

Also, taxes are "forever". Meaning, if they got a check for $100,000,
that would only cover taxes for about 10 or 12 years, at best
on a million dollar house here in Calif.

MJ Wallace

Brian:

Found this on a website:

---
Shows like "Extreme Makeover" are also finding innovative loopholes to
help the families avoid a burdensome tax bill -- turning the renovation
into a tax "gift," for example.

"In terms of the value of the house itself, we consulted with tax
experts and learned that a homeowner can lease their property to the
production company for 14 days for the purpose of the shoot," says
David Goldberg, president of Endemol USA, which produces "Home
Edition."

"So any improvements made to the home are exempt from federal and state
taxes. It's a win-win situation for everybody."

The shows consult with the families beforehand -- letting them know
what may be in store for them come tax time.

"We don't have a slew of disgruntled families or people being adversely
affected by tax ramifications," Goldberg says. "It's all very clearly
detailed [to the families] beforehand, not only in written contracts,
but verbally. They're all aware of that.

"We want to make it a pretty minimal issue for them."
---

MJ Wallace

On Sun, 7 May 2006 12:28:54 -0500, "Swingman" wrote:

"Lee Gordon" wrote in message
It was a potential embarrassment
so her staff did some scrambling and eventually got General Motors to bump
up the prize to include paying the taxes for each winner.

Knowing the IauRaS, that's probably taxable too.

It is. What usually winds up happening is that the giver winds up giving
the taxes plus the taxes that cover the gift for the taxes. We used to do
this at my employer; back when $100 meant something, one of the incentive
gifts for employees was to give them a $100 check after they had done
something noteworthy (where I came from, it had to be *very* noteworthy --
our employer wasn't exactly known for its largesse income-wise). In order
for the employee to walk away with $100, the actual payment wound up being
$100 + all of the applicable taxes so the check would really be the
intended amount.



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If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

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On 7 May 2006 11:37:37 -0700, "MJ" wrote:

.... snip
Also, taxes are "forever". Meaning, if they got a check for $100,000,
that would only cover taxes for about 10 or 12 years, at best
on a million dollar house here in Calif.

Thought earlier in the thread, the comment was that they were building
*big* houses. In Kalifornia, isn't a $1M house on the order of a 400
square foot efficiency apartment? GD&R



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If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

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