Let's Get Ross an Extreme Home Makeover!

[PJmomrunner]

I was watching The View the other day and saw a family in Ohio get an instant laundry room makeover and I guess the fact that Ross lives in Ohio got me thinking "if anyone could use a bit of good fortune in his life it's Ross." Here's the application:

http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/casting.html

It looks like one of us can fill out the application as one who doesn't know him but rather knows of him or he can apply himself. If we do it I figure we can write the condensed version of his story on the application and include a link to this thread. If he does it he can fill out the application and maybe we can get a group together to road trip to his house to make a video and include a link to this thread.

As moderator of this forum that serves as an invaluable support system to so many heart patients Ross helps thousands of people in return for zero remuneration. I don't know if the forum would exist six years after its inception if it were not for his vigilant attention to it. His story (what I know of it, anyway) would bring tears to the eyes of and warm the heart of the most hardened healthy-hearted soul--just the sort of thing the show typically does. And I remember talk of his needing a roof and imagine any number of other things that his family's medical bills have put on the back burner for years.

What do you all think?

 

[geebee]

Love the idea - where do we go from here assuming this is okay with Ross?

 

[Christina L]

P.j. -

P.j. -

It is a great idea! However, Ross may live in a palace for all we know!! He is The King of VR.com after all.

Ross, does your home need a makeover?? Would you be all for this?

Christina L

 

[Ross]

Hey if I could just get the County Health Department off my back about hooking up to the county sewer system, I'd be happy. Heck right there alone is close $8000. My problems run deeper though. If I were to get this makeover, what would my property tax value be then? I'm close to not being able to afford it now. Lord knows this place is falling apart faster then it can be fixed. I'd just need to win the super lotto so that I know I could keep paying my property tax.

 

[tobagotwo]

Heck, we can do this ourselves...

I've got the chainsaw! Who wants to meet up at Ross's house?

Slightly overzealous,

 

[Mary]

Heck, we can do this ourselves...

I've got the chainsaw! Who wants to meet up at Ross's house?

Slightly overzealous,

I'll bring the coffee.

 

[Barbara Stewart]

Makeover

Makeover

Seems worth a try. Ross could use some good things to happen to him. Who's going to start the ball rolling and what do the rest of us do? I'm not close to Ohio, but if other Texans were going I might be able to tag along with them.
Barbara

 

[Karlynn]

I think Extreme Home ran into issues of people not being able to afford the property-tax issues, as well as the gift tax issues. I have the impression that now that is dealt with behind the scenes so that the recipients are not left with a house that they cannot afford to live in.

I'm all for it. Great idea PJ! Let's get a campaign going.

 

[Phyllis]

If that's the case, Karlynn, then by all means, let's go for it!! I vote to let either Mary or Hank fill out the application.

 

[CThrock]

I love that show !!!

I love that show !!!

It would be great to have this done for Ross. They do alot of great things for people and he deserves it. Let me know if there anything I can do to help.
Crystal

 

[Susan BAV]

I think that's a really good idea, P.J.!

Tobagotwo's "Chainsaw Mansion Massacre" idea could work too, if Ross would prefer that....

It probably would be good to just double check that Ross and his wife won't get stuck with some exorbitant tax issues also...

I think that someone should probably ask Hank too to make sure he's fine with -- and prepared for -- all the possible publicity...

 

[bvdr]

It would be great to have this done for Ross. They do alot of great things for people and he deserves it. Let me know if there anything I can do to help.
Crystal

DITTO! What a great idea and I think he is a perfect candidate!

 

[Mary]

If that's the case, Karlynn, then by all means, let's go for it!! I vote to let either Mary or Hank fill out the application.

I'm willing to help Hank with any help he might need filling out an application.

 

[Glenda]

What a wonderful idea! I'm all for it. Nobody deserves it more than Ross. We all owe so much to him & Hank. I'm not close to Ohio either but I sure would love to be there when it happens.

 

[Granbonny]

Great idea..but, where would Ross/Lyn/Chris have to move to for a week?Do they put the occupants up in a motel?Remember that Ross is on O2..24/7................Lyn works nights and Chris is getting ready for surgery...I'm with Bob..I have a very handy Hubby..and if Ross needs any repairing to his house........I'm sure that John would be glad to come and do anything.......I think someone needs to write to his county to forego the $8,000 to hook up to their sewer system......What do you have now, Ross, a septic tank?.......Don't know how the county can make people spend that kind of money..if your septic Tank is not having problems........Have any of your other neighbors had to deal with this?......I'm sure it is just another way for your
County to make money off the little people. Bonnie

 

[Phyllis]

I'm willing to help Hank with any help he might need filling out an application.

Thanks, Mary. I knew you would come through!

Bonnie, I am sure that they provide for the winner to stay elsewhere during the renovations.

 

[Karlynn]

Bonnie - the best part is that they send the family on a luxury vacation for a week while all the work is done!!!! They have had families with health issues where they needed to take that into consideration and put them up more locally at a luxery hotel/spa etc.

 

[Ross]

Slow down people, I need to look that application over and legal aspects as well. It all sounds fine, but I'm not going to be able to really leave except locally and I'm not sure about the rest. I want more details before people come knocking at my door. I appreciate the concept, but it's questionable at the moment.

 

[PJmomrunner]

Excellent! I'm glad there's so much enthusiasm.

Like Karlyn said, they do send the families on luxury vacations and they have accomodated people with all kinds of disabilities on the show and what's really wonderful is they retrofit their homes to make their day-to-day lives more manageable within those limitations.

I never thought of the tax consequences. I would imagine they have found a way to make a cash gift to the family that would be used to cover the gift taxes and the immediate property taxes, but I don't know if they set up anything to help out in the future. Worst case I guess you turn them down if accepted after all the details are known. (Which would be a huge bummer, of course, but why not cross that bridge when (if) we come to it?)

I'll help Mary and Hank any way I can long-distance. Is there anyone near Ross who can do a videotape?

 

[Karlynn]

That's the beauty of the show. You get a nice new house with accomodations for disability - Oxygen hooks up in each room?

Like I said, they had been criticized at first for saddling families with home they can't afford. I have not heard that in a few years and I did read something that they do work out the financial aspects so that families don't lose the homes that were built for them.