Is the Houston Extreme Makeover: Home Edition home all those volunteers built for the Johnson family on Goodhope St. at last complete? Swamplot hasn’t been able to get an update: HHN Homes’ website has been out of commission for a couple of days, and the company’s email service may be down too. (Maybe that’s the best way for everyone there to get some much-needed rest after the double-overtime build?) Over the weekend, Swamplot photog Candace Garcia took a little stroll around the now-very-quiet construction site and came back with some interesting pictures, a few to-do items, and one burning question:
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Where will they park?
Among her finds were a missing window on that turret in front,
a side yard that looked like it could use some attention,
and playground equipment awaiting final assembly:
Some building materials were camping out in front of neighboring properties.
The drainage ditch across the street from the home looked like this:
In front of the Johnson family’s new house, there’s now a drainage pipe instead of a ditch:
But on the west side it doesn’t seem to connect to the adjacent property:
A gate on the opposite side of the house marks the entrance to office space for the Johnsons’ nonprofit. But it doesn’t look like it’ll keep anybody out. Will a fence be going in here somewhere?
The house next door at 3609 Goodhope is still for sale:
On the opposite side, a vacant-looking house has been spray-painted with a big yellow check mark. Is it coming down?
- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition coverage [Swamplot]
Photos: Candace Garcia
The bright blue sky and puffy clouds sure look great!
Was a broadcast date given for this particular build? I’d be curious to see that one.
Looks like they used “zero lot line” on one side. I guess to allow a bigger yard on the other side. To park their cars.
Looks like this will not be one of their better shows.
Looks like the Johnsons have not moved in? Maybe they’re waiting for the city to do the final inspection. Or waiting for the house to be completed for the final inspection. Or maybe looking for another house to buy when they sell this one.
“Just needs some finishing touches.”
The house was built in less than 10 days by volunteers. I’ve seen homes built by “professional” contractors that had more items on the ” Still-Gotta-Do List” after a YEAR of construction than this house. Surely Swamplot can find more deserving construction projects in Houston to lambast than this one.
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This story is lame, cynical, and a bore. Your loyal readers deserve better.
From John:
This story is lame, cynical, and a bore. Your loyal readers deserve better.
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But some of us are lame, cynical and a bore. Not me, of course. But some of us.
Har har har. Matt Mystery always cracks me up. Why didn’t Swamplot hire you in their recent spate of job postings. God knows I apparently wasn’t interesting enough. I didn’t so much as even get a response from the illusive ‘them’ after submitting my qualifications. But they surely lost out on talent with you.
Is that house going to melt the first time it rains?
Bobby, don’t give up.
John,
Very well put. Swamplot, is turning a story about a family who works tirelessly in the community to a blog piece about the insufficiencies of their well deserved new home really worth your time or ours?
i know the county’s not in a state of euphoria, but most Houstionians can still muster happiness in our neighbors triumphs.
Respectfully, your a douche.
JL and John:
Don’t blame Swamplot. It’s just a forum.
Opinions vary and we do have free speech here. Thank goodness.
PYEWACKET2:
Don’t blame Swamplot? What? It’s Swamplot’s forum; they decide what to cover, and what to post. I’m not complaining about anyone else’s opinions, and I stand by my opinion that this Swamplot post is below the belt, unnecessary, and lame. Hey, I’m a fan; a daily reader, and frequent commenter here; but I still choose to call them out on this one.
Call me old-fashioned but I’m still not entirely won over by a non-profit that promises to send me “a finance packet full of money secrets that will enhance your financial future” for my donation of $5 or more.
To quote John: What?
A major network home-improvement show came to town.
They ran into problems that threw them off schedule.
The project seriously impacted the neighborhood (closed streets, bright lights, storage on neighbors’ property).
There are very significant questions about the impact of this house on neighborhood property values and on the future financial health of the recipients, not to mention the track record of financial problems of some previous recipients.
Reporting and commenting on this situation seems EXACTLY within Swamplot’s purview; in fact more than any other media outlet I can think of except maybe HAIF, where it is also being discussed in a spirited way.
No one is saying that this family didn’t “deserve” help or that the generosity of the people involved isn’t good. But there’s a lot more substance to this story and I thank Swamplot for bringing it to light.
Marmer, you wrote:
“They ran into problems that threw them off schedule.”
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Not news. Name a single construction project in the history of mankind that didn’t “run into problems” and get thrown off schedule.
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“The project seriously impacted the neighborhood (closed streets, bright lights, storage on neighbors’ property).”
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Seriously impacted? For a week. Overblown hyperbole. Want to see serious impacting – try anywhere along a MetroRail or TxDot project line; projects that take months and years. Take a drive out to Airline and I-45, you’ll see a street construction project that has been going on at the corner with torn up pavement, blocked lanes, and no end in sight for a year. A year.
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“There are very significant questions about the impact of this house on neighborhood property…”
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Oh please, a hear that same argument about any upgrades made to low-income, especially minority neighborhoods. Sounds patronizing to me.
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“…on the future financial health of the recipients, not to mention the track record of financial problems of some previous recipients.”
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Records show that 5 of the 150 recipients have defaulted or lost their homes. Not far off recent national numbers for new home buyers. More important – it’s none of your business. It’s that patronizing thing again.
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“Reporting and commenting on this situation seems EXACTLY within Swamplot’s purview; in fact more than any other media outlet I can think of except maybe HAIF, where it is also being discussed in a spirited way.
No one is saying that this family didn’t “deserve†help or that the generosity of the people involved isn’t good. But there’s a lot more substance to this story and I thank Swamplot for bringing it to light.”
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Your opinion. Obviously, I disagree. Why do you think it’s Swamplot’s duty to only report on the perceived negative impacts of this project (which is what they’ve primarily done since it was announced)? Slamming the project for web hits and ratings may be good business, but it sucks as journalism.
On a side note can anyone enlighten me as to what that thing that looks like a tank is at the back corner of the home in photo #11? It looks a lot like a rainwater collection tank which would fit with the environmentally friendly theme. However the house doesn’t appear to have any gutters for rainwater collection.
John & JL: no one is picking on this family or begrudging them a new home. There are serious concerns about how much of a “gift” this home really is, and about the network’s exploitation of the home, and of the volunteer labor, for ratings and commerce.
If this house turns out to be a burden rather than a boon, where will the network be then? How will they help?
Priscilla, I think you miss my point – which is that those concerns are none of your, mine, or Swamplot’s business. The network isn’t exploiting that family anymore than Swamplot is, afterall. No one forced them to be on the show. The family hasn’t even moved in yet, none of us know them, yet so many are declaring, expecting even that they will lose the home. It’s insulting to say the least; and as I mentioned already – patronizing and cynical.
John this should be our concern. The network is making money off the backs of a lot of well-meaning volunteers and donors in the community.
If this “charity” model is broken, I think the community has the right to know, and to find out that it would be better to donate their time, money and materials elsewhere in the future.
Habitat and Project Row House could sure use that help more than ABC, and could help many more deserving families in the process.
the producer on sunday Aug 1 said 9/26/10 when the taping of the family coming home occurred
sorry meant to say the show will air on 9/26
Heights Weird, I worked on three different H4H homes while in architecture school. That system has its flaws too. The failure rate among H4H homeowners is surely larger than ABC’s. The current condition of some of the H4H homes in Houston is deplorable.
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As for Project Row Houses – it never ceases to amaze me just how much money and resources have been thrown at that “neighborhood”. A lot of homes could have been built for the costs of that “project”. It’s astonishing.
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I don’t see that any of the models are better than the others.
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I think there are many people who love to find fault with anything and everything, especially those things that literally have no effect on them whatsoever.
John wrote:
“…Seriously impacted? For a week. Overblown hyperbole. Want to see serious impacting – try anywhere along a MetroRail or TxDot project line; projects that take months and years. Take a drive out to Airline and I-45, you’ll see a street construction project that has been going on at the corner with torn up pavement, blocked lanes, and no end in sight for a year. A year.”
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OK, I can tell the difference between a public works project and whatever this is. The expectation about a public works project is that the inconvenience is worth it because the completed project will benefit the whole area over time. What benefit did the neighbors see? Did they give consent to limited access and use of their property for staging? I’m not saying they did not; I’d genuinely like to know and I think the Swamplot reader community is one of the most likely places to get a credible answer.
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“…Oh please, a hear that same argument about any upgrades made to low-income, especially minority neighborhoods. Sounds patronizing to me.
“…Records show that 5 of the 150 recipients have defaulted or lost their homes. Not far off recent national numbers for new home buyers. More important – it’s none of your business. It’s that patronizing thing again.”
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How is it patronizing to ask what the impact on the neighborhood is? How is it patronizing to raise the question about how financially challenged families can deal with maintenance and utilities on much larger houses? Those questions apply to all Extreme Makeover projects, not just in Houston. And like it or not, questions of neighborhood home value and the ability of residents to adjust to large sudden changes in their home’s value are common subjects for discussion here. (cf. The Heights.)
If I suddenly were given a much larger house for free I would struggle to cover the taxes and utilities, just as many other people who are currently doing their best to live within their means would. I’d be in exactly the same boat, why is it patronizing of me to ask the question?
And, now that I think of it, I wonder what the measure of “success” for Extreme Makeover projects is. According to the figure quoted, only 5 of the 150 recipients have lost their homes. Statistically, that doesn’t sound very bad. These are people who needed a helping hand, and no one questions that. But, are the kids doing better in school? Are the parents having more productive careers? Is the family’s health better, are their relationships happier, is their situation more stable? Let’s hear some success stories, some where there’s no question that the people are better off. Aren’t there some?
I agree that this story is very much an issue for Swamplot! Real estate. check. houston. check. economic interest current event check check.
And I give kudos to all writers with more energy & focus than I have.
This IS a blog afterall – all comers welcome.
Good to hear from you here, marmer.
Thank you, Miz Brooke.
To Marmer, very well said!
To Robin, thanks!
Marmer,
Your response just solidifies my beliefs on this issue. The long list of questions that you think you have a right to answers to from or about this family are obnoxious. Why is it any of your or my business how this family pays its bills? Why is it your business how their kids are doing in school or whether their personal relationships are better or not??? My goodness, who do you think you are? You wonder why I think it’s patronizing.
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I’m astonished that you actually believe that these very personal family issues are fair game simply because this family got a new, bigger, more valuable house – that you didn’t pay for.
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Why do you and many others seem to be assuming that this family can’t handle it, and that “we” need to be involved in their lives and decision-making because “we” know best.
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BTW, if you got all of your questions answered and found that your “concerns” were legitimate, what’s the point, what are you prepared to do to solve the problems? Any interest beyond simple voyeurism?