TLC allegedly paid for their house.

In the Duggars' first TV special, they lived in a tiny three-bedroom house that they crammed with 14 kids. Because they were outgrowing the space, Jim Bob purchased a large lot and built the house on it. On the show, Jim Bob claimed that he, John-David, and Josh all built the house together themselves with zero experience and with only help from one contractor. As for the money, Jim Bob said they made more than enough revenue renting out their various commercial properties.

If all of that sounds too good to be true, that's because there's a possibility it is. "Alice," the anonymous commenter who first revealed the Josh Duggar molestation scandal seven years before In Touch Weekly did, claimed that TLC paid the family $200,000 to complete their house. Although the Duggars bought the lot themselves and had already started construction way before TLC cameras showed up, the house was allegedly not up to code and incredibly behind schedule. According to "Alice," the only thing the Duggars paid for was the commercial-sized kitchen that they bought from an auction in cash. (The Duggars confirmed the part about the kitchen purchase in The Duggars: 20 and Counting!)

TLC sort of confirmed this during the special On the Road with 16 Children. While talking about the new home, the voiceover explained that TLC "helped with the finishing touches." Hey, that's all the confirmation we need.