'White House' Saved from Foreclosure

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- The current residents of the White House will not be moving out, after all.

The residents of the "Atlanta White House," that is -- Fred Milani and his wife.

Milani built and owns the Atlanta White House. It's a replica of the real White House. It's on a hilltop above Briarcliff Road, not far from the I-85/Clairmont Rd. interchange, in DeKalb County.

"They gave me a foreclosure notice, and I didn't know what I do with it," Milani said.

Milani was expecting the Atlanta White House to be auctioned on the steps of the DeKalb County Courthouse on Tuesday morning; he's fallen behind on paying back a $1.7 million note. He credits an Atlanta faith-based group, and prayer, with convincing his bank to re-finance rather than foreclose.

"They [lenders] want to work with me and modify the loan. My house is not in foreclosure" any longer.

The faith-based coalition of churches and community activists calls itself "A Mighty Move of God," or AMMOG. The group sets up on the steps of county courthouses every month on auction day offering help to homeowners who are facing foreclosure -- offering them time with attorneys and even offering them money, trying to prevent them from losing their homes at auction.

On Tuesday the group will be outside the Fulton County Courthouse auction, at 141 Pryor St. in downtown Atlanta, from 10 a.m. to Noon.

The group usually advocates for poor homeowners, but offers help to all homeowners.

"It [foreclosure] is not happening just to the average citizen within our community," said Dr. Robert Cobble, who works with the group as well as with Atlanta's Concerned Black Clergy. "It can happen to a person, a developer, like Fred."

Fred Milani builds mansions for a living; the economy has not been kind to house builders.

Milani built the Atlanta White House for fun, and for his family, in better days, in 2002.

It is a smaller version of the President's home. It has more than 16,000-square-feet of patriotic-themed luxury.

There's an Oval Office; a "Lincoln Bedroom" with a replica of the Lincoln Bed; chandeliers dripping with crystal; a grand staircase in the foyer; multiple guestrooms; a state dining room; a banquet hall; a "South Portico" with balconies leading to the outdoor, twin, wrap-around staircases; a waterfall in the back yard next to the swimming pool and bathhouse; and, in front, a large fountain in the middle of the circular driveway at the main entrance.

Milani built a guest house next-door that's almost as large as the Atlanta White House; it has a large, paved parking lot in back of it that serves both structures.

Immaculate landscaping includes shrubs, in the grass-carpeted front yard that slopes down toward Briarcliff Road, that are groomed to read "God [heart symbol] You."

Black iron security fencing -- tipped with gold paint on each, pointed rod -- surrounds the property.

Milani moved to the U.S. from Iran in 1979. He is now a U.S. citizen "'born again' 13 years ago" into the Christian faith, who flies the U.S. flag on a pole on top of his Atlanta White House "proudly."

In December, when Milani sought emergency help from AMMOG, the group immediately got him in touch with an attorney who went to the mortgage holder, on Milani's behalf and at Milani's expense, promising to play hard-ball, in court, for years.

"Property owners have rights" under Georgia and Federal law, Cobble said. "The average citizen does not know about that. In fact, not just the average citizen. Even Fred didn't know about it."

Fred Milani and the lender worked out a modified repayment plan. Milani insisted on repaying every penny he owes.

"The attorney was able to get with the mortgage company and the bank in order to come up with a win-win solution," Cobble said.

Milani and his wife want to continue to live in their mansion, but decided they have to sell it to inject cash into Milani's home-building business, to see the business through the tough times.

He's had two, prospective buyers, "a doctor and a lawyer," he said.

"They cannot get a loan. Good escrow, good money," but lenders will not qualify even them for a mortgage right now.

Milani's latest asking price: $9.8 million.

Homeowners who want to know more about AMMOG can call 770-896-0538, and go to the group's website at http://wakeup.to/amightymoveofgod