A family who had their modest rental transformed into a sprawling mansion on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition have revealed how the TV dream ended in disaster – forcing them to flee the property after facing two devastating consequences.
On Extreme Makeover, host Ty Pennington would rally volunteers to dramatically overhaul the homes of ‘deserving’ families, shouting the now-famous line: ‘Move that bus!’ to reveal the extravagant transformation.
But behind the glossy TV moments lay some hidden nightmares, realtor.com reports.
More than a decade after the original ABC series ended in 2012, former participants have come forward in Vice TV’s Dark Side of Reality TV, claiming the promised fairy tale quickly turned into a financial and emotional ordeal.
Among the most shocking stories is that of the Okvath family from Arizona, who were featured after young Kassandra, then seven, was battling cancer.
Her family were living in a small rental when producers stepped in, not only agreeing to renovate the hospital’s cancer ward, but buying the rental and replacing it with a six-bedroom mansion with a high-tech cinema.
A family who had their modest rental transformed into a sprawling mansion have revealed how the TV dream ended in disaster (Kassandra Okvath as an adult)
After the Okvath’s were handed a mansion, they could not keep up with skyrocketing bills – and had to shut down half the house and eventually borrow $400,000 just to stay afloat
The generous gesture initially left the Okvaths in tears. They were handed the deed, mortgage-free, and believed their luck had changed. But their relief was short-lived.
‘It was an expensive house,’ said Kassandra’s mother, Nicole. ‘Our first electric bill was like $2,200, which was way more than our rent ever was, and I about died.’
The Okvaths tried to keep up with skyrocketing bills by shutting down half the house and eventually borrowing $400,000 just to stay afloat.
But another nightmare soon emerged. After their new home, brimming with gadgets, was aired on national TV, thieves began targeting the property.
Costly security measures were installed, but to no avail.
Eventually, facing mounting debts and the threat of foreclosure, the family sold the home in 2009 during the height of the housing crash – fetching just $540,000.
After settling debts, they were left with only $8,000. Still, Kassandra, now a healthy adult with two young daughters, remains optimistic.
Another disturbing tale comes from the Higgins siblings of California. Orphaned as teenagers, they were taken in by the Leomitis family, who applied to the show to create a larger space for the newly expanded household.
On Extreme Makeover, host Ty Pennington (pictured) would rally volunteers to dramatically overhaul the homes of ‘deserving’ families
Kassandra, then seven (pictured), was battling cancer when show bosses renovated her hospital ward and handed the family their dream home
Another disturbing tale comes from the Higgins siblings of California, who were orphaned as teenagers then taken in by the Leomitis family
The producers responded with a lavish nine-bedroom rebuild, complete with brand-new cars and tech for all the teens.
‘The night after they finished filming, me and my brothers and the Leomitises had a meeting, and we were told we had to turn our cars in, so the dad could get a new truck,’ claimed Shari Higgins.
Her brother Jeremiah added, ‘I constantly didn’t feel wanted… It was so degrading and demoralising, and it makes you not want to be there.’
The siblings say they were eventually kicked out and fled the house with nothing – not even photos of their parents.
They later filed lawsuits against both the network and the Leomitis family, citing fraud and emotional distress.
While the case against the network was dismissed, the Higginses were awarded $50,000 in a settlement with the Leomitis family.
And these two families aren’t alone in their struggles with the show.
Reports suggest that by 2020, at least nine families featured on the programme had given up their homes, with two suffering foreclosure.
Joined by the happy family, host Ty would shout the now-famous line: ‘Move that bus!’ to reveal the extravagant transformation
An example of a home that featured on the show before renovation by the building and design team
The same home pictured after the renovation – the programme saw houses completely refurbished with new rooms, patios and gardens added
Ty Pennington himself addressed the fallout in a 2018 interview with The Wrap, defending the show’s intentions.
‘We left them with a financial adviser,’ he said. ‘However, if the family chooses to triple-mortgage their house to start a business… that’s their own demise.’
He added: ‘That’s how you lose your home, is you’re like, “Oh, let’s use it as a lottery ticket and see what we can get out of it.” And then you lose it because you can’t make the payment.’
With rumours of another reboot of Extreme Makeover in the works, families like the Okvaths and the Higginses are left wondering whether the reality TV fairy tale was ever meant to have a happy ending.