"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" reboot features Phoenix family
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Clea Shearer (left) and Joanna Teplin host the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" revival. Photo: Ryan Green/Disney
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is back with a more sustainable strategy — and a Valley family is one of the first to benefit.
Why it matters: A recent episode of "Dark Side of Reality TV" on Vice revealed the unfortunate stories of what happened to some of the families whose homes were remodeled during the franchise's original run from 2004 to 2012 on ABC.
- The fancy upgrades came with expensive upkeep pricy utility bills and tax assessments, which led multiple families to put their remodeled homes up for sale because they could no longer afford them.
What's new: Michael Heyerman, a producer on this iteration of the series, told Axios the show now offsets some of the financial burdens of the gifted homes by offering money to the families to help with upkeep and taxes.
The intrigue: Scottsdale-based Taylor Morrison is the exclusive homebuilder for the rebooted show.
- Phoenix division president Brad Schoenberg told Axios that Taylor Morrison was very intentional with choosing locations and price -points that would allow families to thrive.
- "We want these families to be part of these communities. We don't want to [create] a burden for them," he said.
Zoom in: Melisha Alhambra, a single mom who adopted four siblings in 2021 to ensure they weren't separated in foster care, received a new home in southeast Mesa through the show.
- She had purchased an older home in west Phoenix in 2023 that she described as a "bad flip" with many fundamental issues. Case in point: The kitchen sink was the only functional one in the house.
- Alhambra's new home is more than she ever hoped for, she told us. She initially found the show application while searching for remodel assistance.
- First Horizon Bank provided the family with a $100,000 home fund, which Alhambra said has provided long-term financial stability.
What they're saying: "This will be our family home, forever. I'll be able to pass this on to my kids as an inheritance," she said.
Between the lines: This version of the show, hosted by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin from The Home Edit, places a greater focus on personal stories and healing than flashy home details.
- "There's just a lot more story. There's more heart, there's more humor, there's more attachment to the families," Shearer tells Axios.
Yes, but: "Move that bus!" is still a part of the show.
What we're watching: The Alhambra family will be featured on this Thursday's episode at 6pm on ABC and will stream on Hulu Friday.