Apr. 6, 2010: 30 years of This Old House

>> THAT IS A BIG JOB.¶3

>> YES, IT IS.

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WE'VE

GOT OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR

US.

LOOK AT THE BACK OF THE

HOUSE.

>> Rooney: WOW, BEFORE

THERE WAS A HOME AND

GARDEN TELEVISION NETWORK,

AND BEFORE HOME

IMPROVEMENT SHOWS BECAME

UBIQUITOUS, THERE WAS

"THIS OLD HOUSE."

AND IT AIRED 30 YEARS AGO,

AND IT HAS INSPIRED

MILLIONS TO TACKLE THEIR

OWN HOME PROJECTS.

FOR ITS 30th ANNIVERSARY

SEASON, THE CREW OF "THIS

OLD HOUSE" RETURNS TO

BOSTON TO HELP A

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

RENOVATE.

PEOPLE WILL SEE THE WRECK

TRANSFORMED INTO A

BEAUTIFUL HOME FOR TWO

LUCKY FAMILIES.

WITH ME NOW IS THE HOUSE

OF THIS OLD HOUSE, KEVIN

z.8O'CONNOR, AND DAVID FROM

NUESTRA COMUNIDAD.

I KNOW IT IS A CRITERIA

FOR THE SHOW, THE HOUSE

HAS TO BE WORTH IT, BUT

HOW DID YOU DETERMINE OR

SIZE UP THAT THIS ONE

WOULD HAVE BEEN?

>> WELL, IT HAS GOT A GOOD

STORY TO BE TOLD.

WHICH IS FIRST AND

FOREMOST FOR US.

IT IS A HISTORIC HOME, SO

WE KNOW THAT GOING IN, AND

IT IS A GIVEN.

>> Rooney: BUILT IN

1860s.

>> 1860s.

TWO FAMILY, PROBABLY FROM

THE VERY BEGINNING.

FOR US IT IS ABOUT THE

STORY.

IN THIS CASE, THE STORY IS

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE

FORECLOSURE CRISIS AND THE

COUNTRY, AND IN PARTICULAR

HERE IN BOSTON, AND WHAT

CAN WE DO ABOUT THAT IN

PARTNERSHIP WITH NUESTRA

AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.

>> Rooney: WHAT DO YOU

KNOW ABOUT THIS HOME,

DAVID?

DO YOU KNOW WHO'S IT WAS

AND WHY THEY FORECLOSED?

>> WE KNOW IT WAS

FORECLOSED SOMETIME IN

2006.

IT WAS OWNED BY A

LONG-TIME RESIDENT OF THE

NEIGHBORHOOD AND HER

FAMILY.

WE KNOW SHE NOW LIVES IN A

SENIOR APARTMENT BUILDING,

BRAND NEW AND JAMAICA

PLAIN.

SO SHE IS DOING OKAY.

AND HER DAUGHTER TOOK A

NUESTRA CLASS AND IS

LOOKING TO BUY HER OWN

HOME.

WE KNOW THERE IS A HAPPY

ENDING FOR THAT FAMILY.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE

2700 FAMILIES WHO HAVE

BEEN FORECLOSED IN THE

PAST THREE YEARS, THERE IS

NOT ALWAYS A HAPPY ENDING

IN BOSTON.

>> Rooney: KEVIN, I KNOW

YOU DON'T SCRIMP ON THE

WORKMANSHIP, BUT WHEN YOU

LOOK AT A HOUSE LIKE THIS,

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE

WHETHER TO GO TOP-NOTCH

WITH EVERYTHING, FROM THE

APPLIANCES TO THE WOODWORK

TOHOW DO YOU DECIDE?

>> WE'VE GOT A TEAM OF

EXPERTS WHO HAVE BEEN

DOING THIS FOR 30 YEARS.

AND THEY'RE BIG ADVOCATES

AND RESOURCE FOR US.

BUT USUALLY WE'RE WORKING

FOR A HOMEOWNER, AND IT'S

THE HOMEOWNER'S PLAY BOOK

AND THEIR DECISION.

>> Rooney: NOT THIS

TIME.

>> NOT THIS TIME.

BUT WE KNEW WHO WE WERE

WORKING FOR.

DAVID AND HIS

ORGANIZATION.

AND WE WERE GOING TO PUT

SOMEONE IN TO THAT HOUSE

WHO WAS PROBABLY A FIRST

TIME HOME BUYER, AND WHO

NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO

AFFORD IT.

THERE WAS A FOCUS ON

CRAFTSMANSHIP, BUT ALSO

MAKING SURE THAT THE HOUSE

IS NOT TOO MUCH FOR THEM.

IS IT SUSTAINABLE.

DO THEY NEED TO SPEND A

LOT OF MONEY FIXING IT UP

OR HEATING AND COOLING IT.

WE SAID WE DON'T WANT TO

DO IT.

KEEP IT SMALL AND

EFFICIENT AND USE

MATERIALS THAT ARE

DURABLE.

>> Rooney: IT IS GOING

TO BE A TWO-FAMILY HOUSE.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO

QUALIFIES TO LIVE THERE?

WHO IS GOING TO GET IT?

>> WE WERE USING

NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION

MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT, SO IT HAD TO

BE SOMEONE WHO IS MODERATE

INCOME.

>> Rooney: DESCRIBE

THAT.

FOR A HOUSEHOLD OF ONE,

LESS THAN $60,000.

FOR A HOUSEHOLD OF FOUR,

PROBABLY LESS THAN

$80,000.

WE ADVERTISED THROUGH A

LOTTERY PROCESS, AND WE

HELD A LOTTERY, AND THE

NAME WHO CAME UP IS OUR

BUYER.

AND SHE IS A FIRST TIME

HOME BUYER.

>> Rooney: OKAY.

DID SHE HAVE TO BUY THE

HOUSE?

>> YES.

>> Rooney: SHE HAD TO

PUT NO ONE DOWN AND BUY

IT?

>> YES.

>> Rooney: THROUGH YOU

OR THE BANK?

>> THROUGH US.

THE OWNER PUT HER OWN

MONEY DOWN.

AND THE CITY HELPED WITH

DOWN PAYMENT THROUGH THE

FEDERAL PROGRAM TO

ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BUY

THESE VACANT HOMES SO

THEY'RE NOT A BLIGHT IN

THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> Rooney: KEVIN, I KNOW

YOU'RE WORKING WITH AN

OWNER OFTEN, BUT HOW DOES

IT WORK IN TERMS OF A

BUDGET.

THEY SET IT, AND YOU WORK

WITHIN IT.

WHAT IF YOU MAKE

RECOMMENDATIONS.

IS IT LIKE WORKING WITH

ANY CONTRACTOR?

>> FOR THE MOST PART IT IS

LIKE YOU WORKING WITH ANY

CONTRACTOR.

YOU COME TO US AND TELL US

YOUR PLAN.

WE SIT DOWN WITH THE

CONTRACTOR, AND HE TELLS

YOU WHAT IT IS GOING TO

COST TO HIRE HIM.

AND YOU HAVE TO GO INTO

THE PROJECT EXPECTING TO

PAY THAT PRICE.

>> Rooney: OR 40% MORE.

>>> OR 40% MORE(LAUGHING).

THE GOOD NEWS STARTS FROM

THAT WAY FORWARD, AND

THINGS START GETTING

DONATED BECAUSE WE HAVE

PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE SHOW.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE

KITCHEN CABINETS SHOW UP

OR THE ROOFING MATERIAL.

AND IN THIS CASE, THE

ROOFING WAS DONATED, AND

THE CABINET AND THE

FLOORS.

AND THEY ADD UP TO THE

BENEFIT OF THE HOMEOWNER.

OF COURSE, THEN THEY UP

SIZE THE SIZE OF THE

PROJECT.

>> Rooney: WHAT COLOR

ARE YOU GOING TO PAINT

THIS?

>> IT IS DONE.

IT IS SORT OF A GREY,

TAUPEISH, AND IT FITS WITH

THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> Rooney: HAVE THE

PEOPLE MOVED IN YET?

>> YES.

THE BUYER IS VERY HAPPY.

I CALLED HER TO MAKE SURE

THE FURNITURE FIT THROUGH

THE DOORWAY, WHICH IT DID.

>> Rooney: AND IS SHE

RENTING OUT THE OTHER

HALF.

>> WELL, THERE ARE TWO

HOMEOWNERS.

THE SECOND OWNER IS GOING

TO CLOSE LATER IN APRIL.

>> Rooney: ARE YOU GOING

TO CONTINUE TO DO KEVIN'S

SERIES WITH FORECLOSURES.

THIS IS THE 30th

ANNIVERSARY, AND YOU'RE

DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT?

>> YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE

A FORECLOSURE FOR THE

UPCOMING SEASON.

WE'RE GOING TO DO TWO NEW

PROJECTS.

A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

STORY.

BUT I SUSPECT GIVEN THE

MAGNITUDE OF THIS PROGRESS

IN THE COUNTRY, IT WILL BE

A SIDE STORY FOR THE YEARS

TO COME.

>> Rooney: YOU MUST HAVE

RUN INTO -- HOW DID YOU

DECIDE WHICH ONE?

YOU HAD TO CHOOSE FROM

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.

IT IS NICE YOU CAME BACK

TO BOSTON -- TENS OF

THOUSANDS, AT ANY RATE.

>> BELIEVE IT OR NOT,

BOSTON WAS HIT BAD, BUT

NOT AS BAD AS MANY PLACES.

IN FLORIDA, 50% OF THE

HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

WERE ABANDONED OR

FORECLOSED ON.

IT IS A REAL PROBLEM HERE,

BUT A REAL PROBLEM

NATIONALLY.

WE CHOSE THIS IN

COOPERATION WITH DAVID'S

ORGANIZATION AND THE

MAYOR'S OFFICE, WITH THEIR

HELP.

IT IS UNFORTUNATE THERE

ARE THAT MANY OPTIONS TO

CHOOSE FROM.

>> Rooney: THE PEOPLE

WHO'S HOUSE IT WAS, ARE

THEY INVOLVED IN IT AT

ALL?

OR THAT'S THE WAY IT IS.

>> THEY HAVE BEEN BACK TO

THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND, ACTUALLY, THE

DAUGHTER -- WE LET HER

KNOW ABOUT THE HOUSE.

SHE WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE AN

OFFER.

BUT WE LET HER KNOW WE'RE

GOING TO BE REHABING OTHER

FORECLOSED PROPERTIES AND

WE HOPE SHE WILL BE

INTERESTED IN BUYING

ANOTHER HOME IN ROXBURY.

>> Rooney: HOW DID YOU

GET GOING WITH THIS?

YOU'RE THE THIRD HOST?

FOR ME IT WAS LUCK.

I WAS WORKING ON MY OWN

HOUSE, AND THEY CAME OUT

AND ASKED ME A QUESTION

AND OUT OF THE BLUE, I WAS

HIRED.

I'VE GOT GUYS THAT HAVE

BEEN DOING IT FOR 30

YEARS.

>> Rooney: SO YOU DON'T

HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE

DOING?

>> I ASK THE QUESTIONS.

>> Rooney: VERY GOOD.

KEVIN O'CONNOR, A PLEASURE

HAVING YOU.

DAVID PRICE, THANK YOU FOR

COMING.

>> A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

>> Rooney: COMING UP

NEXT WEEK, "GREATER

BOSTON" AND WGBH WILL BE

DOING A SERIES CALLED "THE

LAST RESORT."

WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT

A RESORT IN MASSACHUSETTS

NEEDS IN ORDER TO ENTICE

YOU TO VISIT.

GO TO WGBH.ORG AND TELL US

WHAT YOU THINK.

TOMORROW NIGHT, AN UPDATE

ON THE HEARTBREAKING

CHOICE SOME PET OWNERS

HAVE TO MAKE AND THE

RECESSION.

THAT'S TOMORROW AT 7:00.

I'M EMILY ROONEY.

GOOD NIGHT.