Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

[ploal5333]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

I don't think they're THAT poor. She must be making between 50K-80K per year. Federal funds, she's the head. Can someone check into this?

[Karen]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

Ploal, why do you think she may make that much? heck, the county prosecutor doesn't even make 100K here, which I think is shameful! anyway...ya got me curious. (she got a grant to buy the old building and land the center is on, but that's a one time gift, the grant is)

Craig, I want to understand how the families do and what they are faced with long after the bus leaves, too. I googled it over a year ago, time to do so again, as there's probably more sites that talk of it by people kin to or related in some way to some winning families, with four seasons being completed.

I did find talk of that "renting" the family house while it's rebuilt cuz there's some clause that when you rent.....any improvements aren't considered a gift cuz of some loophole, and then other sites insinuated that the IRS just hasn't gone after the few families cuz of their high-profile and it, the IRS wanting us all to not hate them so much, etc, I kid you not. Hmm.....I'm gonna google it again and read up on it, and surely as time passes, if this family has tax problems which we pray not, but this is a small island and I bet word will get out and we'll finally find out if the state income tax people go after them, etc. It is a huge gift and taxable when we're given huge things like this.

Leiliko, I saw it too and it was so precious! Just seeing how they reacted from afar, oh what a precious site and sept will rock, for seeing and hearing that first reaction, and the inside of the house, etc and how they acted when first seeing it all. Wow~

PS...editing this in....the Honolulu Advertiser did explain that they didn't even sleep in the house last night and are moving in more clothes, etc today, but that this precious soul, the Mom said that it's too pretty to sleep in, it's like a hotel. she must feel she is dreaming, and God bless her and her family to handle this all fine...as the mos. pass. In fact, if there's one last pull for the community to give money to help them through some one-time tax bill and I don't mean property, but the gift/income thing.......let's just get it announced and all of us give five bucks or whatever.

A ton of people doing just a little bit can be huge. I'd be more than glad to, if needed.

[anapuni808]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

I don't think they're THAT poor. She must be making between 50K-80K per year. Federal funds, she's the head. Can someone check into this?

Where do you come up with this? She started Keiki o ka Aina with her food stamps!!! You obviously don't know the non-profit world in Hawaii - nobody who works in this field gets rich! and if they were making $$$, I'm sure they would have spent some of it to fix their old house!

Shame on you.

[ploal5333]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

Momi comes from a comfortable middle-class background. She's not your typical foodstamp mama. But credit to her for giving back to the community, which is more than I do. Sorry if my previous comments offended anyone.

[Random]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

PS...editing this in....the Honolulu Advertiser did explain that they didn't even sleep in the house last night and are moving in more clothes, etc today, but that this precious soul, the Mom said that it's too pretty to sleep in, it's like a hotel. she must feel she is dreaming, and God bless her and her family to handle this all fine...as the mos. pass. In fact, if there's one last pull for the community to give money to help them through some one-time tax bill and I don't mean property, but the gift/income thing.......let's just get it announced and all of us give five bucks or whatever.

Too pretty to sleep in?

Mo' better I go over and break in their bed for them.

[anapuni808]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

Momi comes from a comfortable middle-class background. She's not your typical foodstamp mama. But credit to her for giving back to the community, which is more than I do. Sorry if my previous comments offended anyone.

and just what exactly is a "typical foodstamp mama"? I come from a comfortable, middle-class background also. Today, I had to empty out my laundry quarters in order to buy food. So let's not generalize please.

By the way, when you include the word "if" in your apology - it's considered a "conditional" apology. In other words, IF your comments offended that's an "oops". IF they didn't then you don't really give a rip. It's nothing more than a CYA move and doesn't really mean anything. I'm sure that's not what you really intended with your very thoughful apology.

This whole thing is way off thread and I do apologize for derailing what should be a happy conversation with all of us spending our time wishing the Akana family well in their new home. and wishing them continued success with the assistance they provide to families in the local community. Sometimes good deeds do bring great rewards as we have just witnessed this past 10 days.

[Karen]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

Anapuni, I don't believe you derailed this thread, nor did I. We're all reading the news stories online and watching it on tv, hearing about it on radio and then commenting on and reacting to what media is reporting. They are telling us things like that this precious family even shops for their clothes at used clothing shops, etc. Of course it is apropos for me to wonder how they'll deal with the tax issue, in other words....just what does come for them next, from our state tax and fed. tax people?

This does matter and it may be one last time we can all help them. If the taxes are billed and they are shocked and in a terrible predicament I think all of us that can spare a buck or a few may want to and be willing to help them over this one last hurdle. Not out of line to be discussing this.

Random, LOL~

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

I didn't want to derail this thread either, but when you get a massive gift like that, you gotta expect taxable ramifications (if any). Sometimes when a good deed like that is done to unsuspecting recipients, the support evaporates when the media packs up and leaves, leaving the proud giftee with a huge tax burden and a bigger problem than before. She needs a good CPA to sift thru all this.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

She started Keiki o ka Aina with her food stamps!!!

Is that the same school that got a DOE grant a few years back? First the school benefits, then the family - the universe has been smiling on them in recent years.

[Karen]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

She didn't "start the school" with her food stamps, but she did, being an earthly angel she actually bought snacks for the kids with some of her food stamps. I think that was reported to show us just how hugely she cares for others, with her heart and actions, and it really does speak volumes.

Craig, I respect that none of us here want to "derail" a thread cuz we all really care and are very jazzed for this wonderful family. Surely on this small island and the way the news loves to report things, and we all here have our various connections that we can learn of any tax problem they may have, and then pour out aloha like hasn't been seen since the last large need. Most of us just need to know about such a need, to want to jump in and we do.

Any state and federal tax will be a ONE time charge, so we can all, if needed jump in and help them this one last big way, in my opinion. I can't imagine this money hungry machine called the tax dept. not going after its share.

[1stwahine]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

Antonio and I took a drive this morning to pick-up a friend up there in Kalihi Valley.heheheh Near where the homes are. OMG!!! Oka!!! Beautiful!! No traffic either. I took my time driving and looking.

Auntie Lynn

btw: I Pua but if need be I would donate to help with any taxes for this Special Lady and her Ohana.

[tutusue]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

You know with the valuation going wayyyyy up due to the lot improvements there, how will she afford the property tax assessment when it comes due?

I do understand that this was a "Gift" to her so there may be no taxable consequence, but even a gift has taxable value, so I'm not sure how to interpret this when it comes tax time both in income and property.[...]

I don't know the answer to either the gift tax or the property tax questions. I've been told one tv show doesn't want "her" () guests or audience taxed so the show has arranged to pay the one time gift taxes.

Property taxes are another animal as they're annual. And, yes, that's quite a chunk of valuable property now. I'm sure I'll be showing my ignorance on this subject but I wonder if the property can somehow be incorporated into the non-profit.

EMHE seems to be enough of a well oiled machine that I'd guess they arrange for or suggest financial counseling up front. All the families this show helps are in need. I can't imagine they wouldn't find a soft pillow for them to land on. What's the use of huge improvements only to have the families not be able to afford to keep them?

[ploal5333]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

My google results re salaries. I don't know how many individuals this represents, but I think it's rather interesting:

http://204.203.220.33/EINS/990327534...4_024D6967.PDF

And btw anapuni808, the reason I said 'if I offended anyone' is because not all were offended. There are some who are willing to have open minds.

Regardless of what you believe I feel, I am happy for them. I just don't like the fact that the media is painting them as poor when it simply may not be the case.

[Karen]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

Sue, this can get touchy in a technical, legal sense cuz their privately owned home is on the same land with the center which is non-profit. maybe they will divide the land from the house, but oh my they do have some legal rangling to make, and by "they" I mean the tax assessers. Hmmmm, however, no way they can legally make the private house part of the non-profit tax bill unless the owners put in writing that the charity owns the house. Maybe...that is the way to go...hmmm......like a preacher living in a parsonage the church owns? I wonder.....

[tutusue]

Re: Exteme Makeover Home Edition in Hawaii

My google results re salaries. I don't know how many individuals this represents, but I think it's rather interesting:

http://204.203.220.33/EINS/990327534...4_024D6967.PDF[...]

In the link above, check out pages 7 and 14 (pdf, not actual). I don't see Momi's name mentioned...or I somehow missed it!