Here a video that is posted to her site on the Mustang Property at Christmas:
On her website, she says this about the inspiration to create the displays:
Quote:
Around Thanksgiving 2005, I received an email from my cousin with a video of this house with their lights “dancing” to the music. There was much debate as to whether this could actually be done – or was it someone taking pictures of their house with certain lights on or off and then superimposing it to the music. After some research – I found that it could, in fact, be done! The house belonged to a man named Carson and I discovered a wonderful group of people at a magical place called “Planet Christmas”.
The Christmas bug had bit me. And although there was no way I could get something like this together by Christmas 2005 – I set my sights on 2006. By March, I had most everything I needed, except a Grinch. (He followed shortly afterwards) I spent hours at the computer, getting the lights programmed to the songs, and made my children listen to Christmas music in the car. (Yes – that was me blaring Christmas songs in February!) A picture formed in my head of how I wanted everything to look. Christmas couldn’t come fast enough!
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Now here is the Coto Housing blog report on public records for the property: (Note: pretty good blog)
For the heck of it, we did the tiniest bit of research and the following is one of our chronologies on the Earl’s ownership of 5893 Mustang Drive.
3/30/01 – bought for $539,000 with a 1st for $431,000
4/15/02 – HELOC for $135,000
2/26/03 – refi 1st for $486,000
1/07/04 – refi first for $550,000
11/01/04 – refi for $750,000
5/16/05 – refi for $880,000 and fund a 2nd for $130,000 for a total of $1,100,000
date unknown – NOD records
12/20/06 – NTS records
4/25/07 – another NOD records
6/29/07 – a NTS is rescinded
10/23/07 – a new NOD records
11/21/07 – new NOD
1/28/08 – new NTS
2/20/08 – rescission
2/26/08 – NTS
4/07/08 – rescission
4/03/09 – NOD
10/09/09 – NTS
It appears to me that these folks have been given more than every opportunity to make good on their mortgage. What do you think?
2/05/10 – foreclosure auction for $697,000 to 3rd party, Conejo Capital Partners LLC.
Note that the Earls took out about $250,000 cash in May of 2005, and had recently taken out $200,000 in 11/04. She got the idea in Nov 2005, and had most of what she needed by March 2006 (by her own words).
Danielle Earl, however, justifies the display by saying the decorations were purchased prior to their financial hardships:
With the Earl family gaining notoriety in the media, neighbors have also criticized the Earls’ lavish holiday light displays — explained at http://www.danielleslightshow.com — questioning how they got behind on their mortgage if they had money for such excess….
…Danielle Earl said the bulk of the holiday decorations were homemade and purchased prior to the start of their financial troubles. She said the decision to do the display during the years when they were struggling came after a long discussion.
Yet her website states this in regard to the 2009 show:
Quote:
This year, we are 100% LED lights! Last year we had just over 15,000 lights. This year, we have over 25,000. Last year we were at 10.5 amps, but we still had a lot of regular lights. I am interested to see what the amp change is this year – adding thousands of new lights, but being strictly LED. Just to give you a hint, though – the ENTIRE SHOW is plugged into 1 circuit.
I’m guessing that 25,000 LED lights in 2009 amounted to some expense. However, going back to her statement that the equipment was paid for before their financial problems began, this is clearly false as she claims on her website that she got the idea in 2005 and had the show up by 12/06. But there just happened to be a Notice of Trustee Sale recorded 12/06 at the time of the first show (just 5 days before Christmas). Although, the date of the original NOD was not available, it occurred earlier in 2006.
The reality is that they took out $500,000 in cash between 11/04 and 5/05, and the NODs and NOTS filings hit in 2006- the first year they started the show.
I’m just sayin'[/quote]
holy shit batman…
Krista. You’re my kinda of woman (if you are one :))
