Despite her initial reservations, Gail Warren decided to apply for a popular home remodeling show, and she attributes it all to her late husband.
The 50-year-old widow told People that she started her application for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” two hours before the deadline and finished it in the final hour.
The renowned home remodeling show from the 2000s returned to television this month and showcases Gail and her Texas family. Gail’s late husband, Rev. Fred Warren Jr., was well-known in the city of Hutto for his work.
Following Fred’s death, Gail and the couple’s three children—Taylin, 9, Lathan, 12, and Zoe, 11—shared a home with the kids’ grandmother, Lily Crutchfield, which was far too tiny.
According to her, other people had previously encouraged her to apply, but Fred “spoke” to her the night of the deadline.
“It was as if my husband was like, ‘I need you to apply, I need you to apply, I need you to apply.’ It was just a strong push,” Gail recounted.
The family is currently doing well in Austin, Texas, where their house was constructed in September 2023.
“They have changed my life, because I was drowning and I didn’t realize how much until after coming here. Fred, in his own special way, was pushing me to apply, but I didn’t realize the magnitude of what was going to happen in my life.”
The show hired Taylor Morrison as the season’s official home builder, ensuring that the homes being built were both inexpensive and livable for families.
Taylor Morrison CEO Sheryl Palmer stated, “We just wanted to make sure that these families were going to be fine.” The goal, she said, is to give families an opportunity to “live in these communities for a long, long time without the worries [or] the financial worries that would generally go along with it.”
Palmer added, “As wonderful as the experience was, I don’t think we could have lived with putting somebody in a home that we knew [was unaffordable or unmanageable].”
Furthermore, the organization assisted in making sure families were financially secure. Following the show, each family received a lump sum of money that the homebuilder and developer believed would help them with the transition.
Gail and her family have been enjoying life in their new home for the past year. The mother of three said she has been “doing well with maintaining” the property, which was built with affordability in mind.
Gail is glad to see Fred’s legacy flourish.
She remarked, “It’s an amazing moment just to see that even some of his dreams are still coming through, but being blessed upon his children and the family. It’s definitely very special.”
