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Reader's Digest Version of article: -Family wins absurdedly huge house and 250k prize money -Family makes decision to keep huge house, rather than selling it like the previous nine contest winners -Family surprised when they can't afford the upkeep and tax on huge house, in addition to their 7 cars, boat, and old house, all on a combined 40k/yr salary
Message edited by: magicboy2 on 2006-10-09 17:34:38 CDT
hes a fool. there are ways to minimize the expenses. IF he didnt have 7 cars and leaving the Chicago house with its mortgage vacant it would help, and strategic cutting down in other areas would let him afford it
There are minor complaints: The lights in the great room are going out one by one because the lamps that hang from the ceiling are so high, they'd need scaffolding to change the bulbs. Seriously, they have these telescoping bulb changers you can get at WalMart or Home depot for like 10-20 bucks. Install CFL bulbs, and you repeat the drill every 7-10 years.
Don, 41, and Shelly, 38, have never slept in the master bedroom--it's too secluded. At night, Don obsessively checks a live video feed of Donald's room, two floors away from the bedroom they occupy, to make sure his son is okay. For the record, their son is 10!!! This isn't a newborn, and he needs checking?
Further, obsession is a good word, because *I* know I'd be doing something other than looking at a live video screen at night with my wife next to me. Some people might have problems finding something more exciting to do, though...
The biggest problem, though, is that the Cruz family can't afford their new bounty. Don, a stay-at-home dad, and Shelly, an administrative assistant who's gone back to school to become an accountant, are quickly running through their winnings as they struggle to pay thousands a month for electricity, household help and other outsize bills for their outsize home. No, their biggest problem is that they are stupid, and stupid people + lots of money = bad situation. 250k, free mansion, free luxury SUV, and you just can't make it?
Stay at home dad??? Are you kidding me? The wife is an admin assistant, so you know she isn't making much. Their kid is 10!!! 10!! Not a newborn that needs diapers and formula. He is in school most of the day, so what IS dad doing? Dad is staying at home, and now they need to hire household help???? Why?? Thousands a month in electricity?? Why??? No way, not in Texas.
Living expenses drained the settlement as well as $20,000 the Cruzes had saved for renovations. They must hang out with Mike Tyson and Michael Jackson to run through 120k for living expenses.
In the 10 years that HGTV has run the contest, the Cruzes are the only winners who've chosen to live in the Dream Home.
Most of the rest sold, happily pocketing the cash. The Cruzes say they too had offers, for millions. But as soon as Don saw the house, he was determined to find a way to make it home.
Translation: I'm stupid, and I don't even know it. Two million for my house? Naah, I'll pass.
Still, Don figured, they'd be okay. After all, they had the $250,000 in cash that they'd won with the house. "We were used to living on $40,000 a year," says Don. "I thought we'd be able to live on the prize money for a few years at least." What is that 6 years roughly? We'll just hang out for 6 years with no plan, while I stay at home on my duff. Sounds like some of these 401k types "What? You mean I was supposed to plan for my retirement??"
Upkeep is $2,900 a month. Homeowners insurance runs $7,000 annually. The insurance and gas bill on the Cruz fleet (they own seven vehicles, including the SUV they won in the contest) costs $1,000 a month. That's on top of the $1,000-a-month mortgage payment for the Batavia house, which they've kept, just in case. $2,900 on what? That is a mortgage for an AWESOME home just about anywhere else, and they are spending that to keep the place standing? I doubt the home owners cost. 7k is a lot. REALLY REALLY a lot. All that pales in comparison to the lunacy of owning SEVEN vehicles, though!!! Finally, why have one house you can't afford when you can have, two?
They've donated $40,000 to charity. That they'll soon be the recipients of...
But Blankenship cautions that Cruz will need more money than he thinks since inflation will sharply erode the purchasing power of his portfolio over the next 20 to 40 years. What you say? Putting money in CD's ISN'T safe? Maybe I wasn't crazy after all. Heck, they might even have to buy stocks...
Whatever the Cruzes make from selling the house, Blankenship urges them to shoot for higher returns by spreading their money among a number of investments rather than putting the entire portfolio into CDs. Egads! He said it again!
On top of that, they had to take out a loan to pay off a $672,000 tax bill on their winnings.
$672,000 Tax bill......that they had to take out a 1 million dollor loan to pay off....as well as cover other expenses
Most people will never have to worry about the unexpected fallout from what looked to be a huge windfall. But like the Cruzes, millions of Americans may soon find themselves struggling to pay the bills for a house that's bigger than they really need and suddenly more expensive than they can afford.
Blame the strain of gigantism that has crept into U.S. home design, as well as rising interest rates and the expiration of low-rate introductory periods on popular adjustable-rate loans.
Economy.com estimates that at least 1 million homeowners will see their house payments double in the next two years. A study by First American Corp. suggests that one in seven who have recently taken out adjustable-rate mortgages will have trouble making their payments.
i read this when it first came out on Money. Dumb is an understatement. a family of 3 people (only two of which are old enough to drive) needing 7 cars. hey, they deserve what's coming to them.
codename47 said:Stupid is as stupid does. Don, 41, and Shelly, 38, have never slept in the master bedroom--it's too secluded. At night, Don obsessively checks a live video feed of Donald's room, two floors away from the bedroom they occupy, to make sure his son is okay. For the record, their son is 10!!! This isn't a newborn, and he needs checking? I also hope they are saving up for the therapist's bills. A kid who is being kept under constant video surveillance by his parents is probably going to grow up with a lot of issues.
SPREAD THE WEALTH Whatever the Cruzes make from selling the house, Blankenship urges them to shoot for higher returns by spreading their money among a number of investments rather than putting the entire portfolio into CDs.
somehow I get the feeling that CD's would be better for them..keep things simple for them..I really can't see with their great handling of money,from what we read above,that investing in the stock market would prove any better result.
SUCKISSTAPLES said:hes a fool. there are ways to minimize the expenses. IF he didnt have 7 cars and leaving the Chicago house with its mortgage vacant it would help, and strategic cutting down in other areas would let him afford iti have to agree. reading about these plus the $2k dog run & $5k xmas and $11k boat repairs and $1800 go kdart, etc, plsu trying to sell a house for 5.5m that RE agents say is worth $2.5m tops, made me despise rather than pity them. These people aren't hourse poor really, their primary problem is much larger than that.
MarkM said:i have to agree. reading about these plus the $2k dog run & $5k xmas and $11k boat repairs and $1800 go kdart, etc, plsu trying to sell a house for 5.5m that RE agents say is worth $2.5m tops, made me despise rather than pity them. These people aren't hourse poor really, their primary problem is much larger than that.
Sad to think that there are so many people like them that just live for the moment. Whether it's a few grand or a few million. They just manage to blow it all in about a year's time. Their son will most likely grow up inheriting their value and the cycle starts all over again. How are we ever gonna beat some sense into their head?
I know, petition for some type of mandatory basic finance class in high school. You pass if you can write a check legibly and know how to use a calculator such as those tools that show you how much you are paying for your neg. amort. mortgage.
"The upshot: The Cruzes have just $36,000 left from their winnings. What's more, to pay off the tax bill, as well as cover other expenses, they had taken out a $1 million loan. Monthly payments on it are around $8,000. They won't be able to pay it off in full until they sell the house.
It was when Don first got the tax bill that he knew that the dream was over. With no viable plan to pay for the upkeep on the house, let alone the tax bill, there was only one solution.
That night he huddled in the great room with his wife and son, knees touching, and told them they'd have to sell. Donald asked why. But when he saw his father crying, he stopped asking. The next day, they put the Dream Home up for sale."
"Hi, I'm long time lurker, first time poster, I want to do something really stupid, and instead of heeding the advice here, I'm hoping there is someone that will validate my stupid decisions for me."
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