In spite of the noise and chaos that will be pervasive for the next week, everyone to whom 6News' Sarah Cornell spoke said they hoped the publicity will lead to help for a neighborhood they perceive as forgotten.

From her front porch, Mary Louise Trice has a bird's-eye view of the home that will be demolished to make way for a beautiful new home. She watched the buzz of activity on the street all morning with one goal in mind.

"I want to shake hands with (show host) Ty (Pennington)," Trice said. "That's what I want to do."

Trice and her sister, Ethel, have lived in their Oxford Street home for most of their lives. They've seen the neighborhood go through a lot of changes over the years, many of them not welcome.

"We have a number of boarded-up houses, as you can see, but we still have homeowners," Ethel Trice said.

Residents were pleased to see "Extreme Makeover" RVs roll onto their street early Saturday. Eugene Akers, who is a friend of Bernard McFarland, said he hopes the new home will both brighten the neighborhood and shine a light on the improvements it desperately needs.

"We need sidewalks, as you can see," Akers said. "We need clean up, fix up, and folks just need to take care of their properties."

The McFarlands' brick house has been standing as long as most neighbors can remember. Although it has changed owners several times, its integrity has stayed the same.

In one week, the 1,200-square-foot staple on the corner will become a 2,500-square-foot hope for the neighborhood.

"The blessing has come on Oxford Street, a miracle for Brightwood," said the Rev. Fitz Hugh Lions.