NEWS
June 17, 2008
Reality show filmed in Eagle to air June 25
A reality show that was filmed in Eagle and throughout the Treasure Valley last summer and was bumped off NBC's lineup in February is now slated to air on Wednesday, June 25, according to an NBC spokesman.
"The Baby Borrowers" is a show about young couples who get a crash course in caring for other people's babies, toddlers, "tweeners" and teens. It got bumped out of the NBC's schedule in February by another reality show, "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad."
The premise for "Baby Borrowers" is that teenage and young adult couples - in this case, 18- to 20-year-olds - want children but don't understand the varied and round-the-clock responsibilities of parenthood.
In this show, which promoters are calling "an intriguing social experiment, "they get a crash course in caring for other people's babies, toddlers, "tweeners" and teens.
Before they are released back into the real world, the five young couples also must spend time caring for senior citizens, some of whom have serious health issues.
The show was based in Northeast Eagle - in a cul-de-sac on North Shadowfox Place off Old Horseshoe Bend Road, south of Floating Feather.
Filming wasn't limited to Eagle. The cameras followed the families as they visited area attractions; some participants in the show held short-term jobs.
Find out more about "Baby Borrowers" at this Web site: http://www.nbc.com/The_Baby_Borrowers/
Famed Money Manager is perhaps best known for his timeless wisdom that you can beat the pros by focusing on stocks of companies where you either work or shop or have some other edge. But a more relevant Lynchism today is this gem: Ignore the headlines.
That's no easy thing. How do you tune out all the chatter and ink on recession, housing, subprime woes, the credit crunch, rogue traders, insolvent bond insurers, $100 oil and nukes in Iran? It's enough to make you sit on your thumbs and wait before making any big moves. But what, exactly, are you waiting for?
There has rarely been a moment in history when you couldn't scare yourself into doing nothing. And yet, as Lynch observed nearly 20 years ago, "in spite of all the great and minor calamities that have occurred ... all the thousands of reasons that the world might be coming to an end--owning stocks has continued to be twice as rewarding as owning bonds."
A top reason to not buy stocks, in Lynch's view, is if you don't already own a home--in which case, that should be your first investment, since an owner-occupied home is nearly always profitable. Through a spokesman, Lynch reaffirmed these views to me--housing debacle and all.
When prices are falling, few people have the discipline to buy stocks, a house, gold, art or any other asset. But those who do pull the trigger excel in the long run. As John D. Rockefeller famously said, "The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets."
And the streets are stained crimson. Start with stocks. They have been pummeled this year. GDP braked sharply last quarter, and there has been plenty of panic about a recession. The Federal Reserve is slashing short-term interest rates at the fastest clip in decades. But if you stick to your steady, diversified plan while everyone else is retreating, you will be happy years from now. For one thing, Fed rate cuts always lift the economy eventually, and the stock market typically starts responding just as headlines get gloomiest. Sure, the market could fall again before recovering. But the recession may be half over already--or we may avoid one altogether. You just never know.
As for housing, certainly some skepticism is in order. Formerly sizzling markets in Florida, Nevada, Arizona and California probably haven't seen the worst headlines just yet, though they may well be close. And "jumbo" mortgages, those more than $417,000, are likely to remain artificially high for a few more months while banks work through their credit issues.
But let's say you are emotionally ready to be a homeowner. You have good credit, plan to stay put for five years and have been waiting for the perfect entry point. It's time to get serious--before an inevitable rise in interest rates wipes out your advantage. "The thing that will make home prices stop falling is the very same thing that will push mortgage rates higher," says Jim Svinth, chief economist at mortgage firm Lending Tree. So anything you gain by a further drop in prices might be offset by rising financing costs.
Consider a typical home that sells for $218,900. You put down 20% and get a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at today's rate of 5.5%. Monthly principal and interest come to $994.31. Let's say that 12 months from now the same house goes for 10% less, or $197,010. But by then the recession is history and the Fed is jacking up rates to stem inflation. If mortgage costs rise a point, to 6.5%, your monthly payment would be $994.94 and you'd have saved nothing. Meanwhile, home prices might steady and sellers might become less willing to negotiate. And you have spent a year living someplace you'd rather not be.
It's more complicated if you must sell before you can buy. But that logjam won't persist forever--and if it appears you'll be trapped for a few years, try to refinance at today's lower rates. Risks always seem most acute when the headlines give you ulcers. But that's exactly when you should think long term--and get off your thumbs.
'Baby Borrowers' taken from NBC lineup
- STATESMAN STAFF
Edition Date: 02/06/08
A reality show that was filmed in Eagle last summer and set to air on Feb. 18 has been bumped off NBC's schedule, according to an NBC spokesman.
The new air date for "The Baby Borrowers" - a show in which young couples get a crash course in caring for other people's babies, toddlers, "tweeners" and teens - has not yet been announced. The show was filmed in Eagle and throughout the Treasure Valley.
"Baby Borrowers" got bumped out of the NBC's schedule by another reality show, "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad."
Firm to sell houses used for reality show
A Meridian construction company built the houses for an NBC reality series.
BY KATY MOELLER - kmoeller@idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 01/10/08
But Keith Borup of Borup Construction said he and his crew enjoyed the experience and are eager to sell the houses after the series premieres Feb. 18. The three-bedroom, 1,700-square-foot homes will sell for $250,000 to $287,000
The show, which was filmed in August, was originally slated to air last fall.
"It was fun to see the inside details of how these things work - the amount of detail on some of this stuff and the money they spent," Borup said.
"Baby Borrowers" is one of several new reality shows on NBC that are filling the slots of scripted TV shows, such as "Heroes," that are on hiatus as the Hollywood writers strike drags on.
The premise for the show is that teenage and young adult couples - in this case, 18- to 20-year-olds - want children but don't understand the varied and round-the-clock responsibilities of parenthood.
In this show, which promoters are calling "an intriguing social experiment," they get a crash course in caring for other people's babies, toddlers, "tweeners" and teens.
Before they are released back into the real world, the five young couples also must spend time caring for senior citizens, some of whom have serious health issues.
The British version of the show was controversial because some thought it was exploitative and possibly dangerous to the youngsters.
Borup said that what he saw appeared very safe.
A nanny was assigned to track each of the couples, and TV cameras set up throughout the houses were constantly monitored.
"They had paramedics on site 24/7," Borup said. "They were just super cautious."
The show was based in Northeast Eagle - in a cul-de-sac on North Shadowfox Place off Old Horseshoe Bend Road, south of Floating Feather.
The show's producers looked at several places to film. Part of the reason Eagle was even on the list of possible sites was because Borup's draftsman has a brother who works at the production company that created "Baby Borrowers."
Borup provided five new houses for the set of the show, and another five houses for the off-screen television crew.
Filming wasn't limited to Eagle. The cameras followed the families as they visited area attractions; some participants in the show held short-term jobs.
"I understand there's a lot of shots of the whole Valley and what a wonderful place it is," Borup said.
The houses he provided to the show were painted five different colors - yellow, blue, brown, red and green - and the interiors were designed to match. Borup admits that it was more excitement than some in the neighborhood wanted.
"They were very, very understanding and cooperative," he said.
Borup's company didn't get paid, but they did get to keep a few things left behind - car seats, plastic toys and appliances. He was thrilled by an unusual souvenir he received from executive producer Tom Shelly - a former "Survivor" producer.
"He gave me a voting urn from 'Survivor: All-Stars,' " said Borup, 60, who tried and failed to win a spot on "Survivor Australia" about seven years ago.
He still likes reality TV shows, even after experiencing the hectic, behind-the-scenes reality of "Baby Borrowers."
Katy Moeller: 377-6413