The Marreros were not the first to win a new home on television, only to find they couldn't afford the place.Ī Texas family who won a home in a Home and Garden Television sweepstakes were hit with a massive tax bill in 2005. "We tried taking out lightbulbs and doing other things to save energy, but the house still eats a lot of power." "It's too much," said Marrero's son, Billy Joe. On May 1, another $1,512 was due.Īnd the utilities, he said, cost about $10,000 a year. In February, he wrote out a check for $1,512. Marrero, who lives on a pension of $939 a month, paid $2,016 in property taxes in November. But Marrero said he quickly burned through the money, paying off debts that stretched all the way back to a 1994 heart surgery.Īfter he became a local celebrity, Marrero said, the collection agencies came calling, threatening to put liens on the home. Hovnanian & Sons, the home's builder, gave the family $59,000 to cover expenses.
5, and the episode featuring the Marreros aired in November.
#EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME EDITION SEASON 1 HOUSES TV#
The TV show handed over the keys to the home, built in less than a week, on Aug. I'm going to see what we can do to keep it." "I didn't know it would turn into a circus," Marrero said. He reversed course today, in part because Urban Promise Ministries, which donated the land for the house, has right of first refusal on any sale. "I felt like there was a lion coming after me." I didn't want to lose the house to the taxes," Marrero said.
Living on a small pension and staggering under the weight of old debts and new taxes, Marrero said he panicked this week when he briefly listed the home for sale. Their five-bedroom house, built by an army of volunteers from the hit TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, also came with some hefty bills. After the television crews left town and the attention died down, Victor Marrero and his five sons were left with more than a dream home.