'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' is looking for families in the Phoenix area. How to apply

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is back and the show is looking for families in the Phoenix area.

The reality TV series provides home renovations for families who typically give back to their communities or have an inspiring story. The full renovation includes interior, exterior and landscaping within seven days while the family is sent away.

The show was originally on ABC from 2003 to 2012 with host Ty Pennington and was brought back for one season in 2020 on HGTV with “Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson as host.

The reboot will star Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, who created The Home Edit, a global lifestyle brand.

Here's what to know about "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and how you can apply to be on the show.

Why did they cancel ‘Extreme Home Makeover'?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the decision to cancel the series in 2012 was due to low ratings. The series struggled to keep viewers after a switch from Sunday night to Friday night on ABC. The show also ended up having a lot of competition with other networks and series.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” also attracted criticism after some families couldn’t afford the houses they were given, with high property taxes, utility bills and foreclosures.

The 2020 season aimed to address that by giving “dramatic” but not “enormous” makeovers. According to USA Today, the reboot was not giving people more house than they needed.

How long does it take ‘Extreme Makeover’ to build a house?

Kim Lewis, the lead designer of the show, worked on the series for six years. She shared with House Beautiful that the homes were actually built in about five days, even though the show advertised that it was a full week.

Within that time frame, everything for the house was planned, ordered and gathered to be installed.

Do the families have to pay for the house on 'Extreme Home Makeover'?

In 2020, the show confirmed to CountryLiving.com that “HGTV doesn’t cover the cost of the mortgage.” However, they take measures to make sure the house is as affordable and sustainable as possible.

This includes considering each family’s situation, the home size, emphasizing the home function and design and creating ways to offset increased expenses due to taxes and utility costs.

This could include using the latest energy-saving technology or sometimes having the show's partners provide financial assistance to families.

How many families from 'Extreme Makeover' are in foreclosure?

Many families have had financial difficulties after being given a renovated home by the show.

In 2017, Arlene Nickless had to leave her home in Holt, Michigan, after struggling to manage the mortgage. The home was built by “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” in 2008 after her husband Tim Nickless, a nurse, died from contracting hepatitis C after being pricked by a patient’s contaminated needle, according to the Lansing State Journal.

The mortgage increased to $113,000 toward the end of 2016. In September, Nickless’s home was sold in foreclosure.

In a 2005 episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” 9-year-old Kassandra Okvath was battling cancer and wanted the show to make over the cancer ward at the University Medical Center in Tucson where she was a patient. The producers also surprised her family with a two-story mansion in Gilbert.

Soon after, the family suffered financial difficulties including unexpected utility and tax bills, leading to a foreclosure proceeding. According to a 2009 Arizona Republic article, they struggled to pay bills, sometimes having to sacrifice their cellphones and TV to pay for necessities.

In the end, they had to put their house up for sale.

And according to the St. Augustine Record, the Harvey family in Florida lost their home in 2011 due to missed mortgage and loan payments after their home had been renovated by “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” in 2005.

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What's different about the reboot of 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'?

Associate casting producer Anastasia Monsell said they're looking for people who own a home, rent or are displaced. Maybe they've been affected by the current housing price crunch and haven't found a place they can afford.

She said the new version of the show is "gifting" a house mortgage-free. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will also only building homes that make sense for the family they are working with. They won't be creating huge mansions, but the homes will be customized.

Shearer and Teplin also will help people go through and organize their belongings. They will look at what's useful and what can be given away, Monsell said.

Families will pay for electricity, water, WiFi and other utilities as well as property taxes.

Producers want to give a home to someone deserving. This could be a person who is constantly giving back, someone who has helped others during natural disasters, or a reliable person others depend on. They're looking for "amazing people and stories in Phoenix."

"We're really just trying to help people who are amazing members of the community who have not been able to buy a home because of whatever circumstances may have come in their life," Monsell said.

How do you get picked for 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'?

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is looking for a Phoenix family for its upcoming season. Applicants can be a homeowner, renter or currently displaced. You can apply or nominate a family at extrememakeover.castingcrane.com.

The deadline to apply is Monday, Sept. 4.

Maybe you’ll have the opportunity to hear Shearer and Teplin say, “Move that bus!”

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Reach the reporter at dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Extreme Makeover's' new season: Here's how to get picked