ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla.,None — An Altamonte Springs woman, who was given a huge new home from ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition, could soon lose it to foreclosure. Sadie Holmes was on the show in 2006. She was given the home for free, so how could a bank take it?
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Holmes used the mansion as collateral on a loan she took out. She said she used the cash to support the ministry she runs out of the home and a thrift store across the street. Now, the fate of that ministry and the private home are both in question.
By any standards, the rust-colored Altamonte Springs home is grand. It was specially designed to house Sadie Holmes' family, her soup kitchen and thrift store ministry. Now, it's a ministry that is struggling badly.
"We're at the point where we can no longer do this by ourselves," Holmes said.
Holmes is asking the public for donations. She needs $5,000 in the next two weeks to help make late payments on her thrift store's lease, gas bill and on the loan for her private home.
WFTV was there in 2006 when the Holmes family first saw their new, free home as part of ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition.
In 2008, Holmes faced the county code enforcement board and nearly lost the property to $15,000 in liens. Now, she may lose the home to foreclosure.
"With the economy failure a year or so ago, we started down spiral. So where we're at today is we're struggling," she said.
WFTV asked why Holmes used a loan on her private home to help her struggling non-profit ministry. She says co-mingling finances is how she's always done things.
Holmes hopes the community will be willing to help, even if helping her ministry also means helping prevent a foreclosure on her family's personal mansion.
"I can't keep taking from my family and my own person because I'm not a billionaire," Holmes said.
Holmes said she's squared with the county on the $15,000 worth of code enforcement fines.
WFTV
