The Flipping El Moussas - General Discussion

[iMonrey]

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Follows couple Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae El Moussa during their personal and professional journey of newlyweds and real estate experts.

I wonder if there is really any appetite for this couple and their new show. I'm sure HGTV would love to recreate the early success of Flip or Flop, but I think the shine has worn off of both Tarek and Christina. And Tarek and Heather are basically just Tarek and Christina 2.0. 

The charm of Flip or Flop really wore off after the first few seasons. It was no longer a show about this cute young couple trying to make a living out of flipping while they hauled their little girl around everywhere they went and had to beg, borrow and steal to finish their flips. The show morphed into this glam Hollywood couple flipping million dollar mansions.

And that's what The Flipping El Moussas is too. Neither host is relatable. They are so glammed up it's distracting. And all their conversations feel very performative. Nothing feels spontaneous or real. The hour-long format feels too long too.

[CrazyInAlabama]

At least it's higher end homes and finishes.   I'm hoping they will focus more on the homes, designs, and finishes, with the usual remodel issues.    I like seeing flips from purchase to the end, but I'm not even looking at the personal stuff.      I liked seeing the mid-century home too, it was a nice change from the big white boxes.       I lik e seeing Jeff the contractor again. 

 It was better than F or F with the constant put downs, and arguing.     

[Bossa Nova]

Good observations from posters above ^^^^.

Also, just finished watching first episode.

Let's get this out of the way: My gawd, wifey #2 is the crazy spitting image of wife #1 , Christina. Blonde, skinny, brown eyed, same teeth. Same tacky over-done dressing style and makeup. But she does smile more. Christina always seemed so irritable and snotty.

Next: they gotta cool it on "babe" every other sentence, and "love you" and smooches. Yeah, so she's pregnant. Big deal.

Yes, Tarek is now too jaded and tarnished. Big fancy office.  He's weird and chilly too. Always was. I still keep thinking about his breakdown a few years back, while still married to Christina, where he had an incident that went public,  with brandishing a gun and running around the hillside. Something crazy like that.  

He is very uncharming.

 

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by Bossa Nova

[IOU Payne]

At least Tarek likes this wife. I never got the vibe that he liked Christina. 

[Bossa Nova]

So they had a baby boy in January. Named him Tristan.

 

[WendyCR72]

So, in essence, it's a repeat of "Flip or Flop" with a lookalike new wife. Just rerun "Flip or Flop" and save money, I say!

And I don't even like "Flip or Flop" much, but this is just a clone of that.

[iMonrey]

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And I don't even like "Flip or Flop" much, but this is just a clone of that.

Pretty much, except it's an hour instead of a half hour, and I don't think that works in its favor. There's too much filler involving Tarek and Heather - I didn't need to see their trip to the doctor to get a sonogram, for example. 

It also looks like they're going to be featuring million dollar listings instead of the mid-six figure homes Flip or Flop usually did. 

However many episodes they filmed, they must have done all the flips at the same time. Heather went from not even showing to looking like she was about to pop in one episode.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I thought the changing seasons, and Heather's changes with the baby bump were cute.    

They were always working on a lot of flips at one time.   I think they do about 80-100 a year, plus Tarek has a huge number of remodeled houses he rents out, and his Tarek Buys Houses company (they buy properties cheap).    So, with the higher price point of houses for this show, I bet there are few of the expensive ones, but they're probably more profitable than the mid-price homes. 

Edited March 5, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Infiltr8]

So at least they like each other vs the old show … curious if they will update and show final outcomes …found the house on Zillow — still for sale now listed at 2.695 million - below the break even point if i remember right … I actually thought they did not go too crazy with the remodel upgrades but in the current market, I wonder how many they might lose money on….

[iMonrey]

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So, with the higher price point of houses for this show, I bet there are few of the expensive ones, but they're probably more profitable than the mid-price homes. 

There are also probably more of them on the market, but on the other hand, they are harder to sell once they've been flipped. The mid-priced homes (if you can call a house that costs between 600 and 900K "mid-priced") get snapped up right away, while the million dollar listings tend to sit there. A big part of the format for Flip or Flop is the profit they end up making once the house has sold. Remove that, and you don't really know whether or not their investment was worth it. Sounds like this one was a Flop.

[GiandujaPie]

I saw parts of episode 1 while I was at the gym and I have to agree with those that say Tarek basically just swapped out Christina for a slightly younger twin. There really is no point to this show, other than because they just want to stay on tv and get free publicity for their business, which if HGTV is willing to pay them and people are willing to watch, why not? I've seen some of the older Flip or Flop shows before Tarek and Christina became famous and rich, when they were flipping smaller and older houses in SoCal and it felt more like an actual business than just doing it for tv filming purposes and to "build a brand" for social media. Now it seems that they are on tv just for the sake of being on tv and the multi-million dollar homes are less relatable. I also don't think we need to see so much "personal" stuff, but the show is an hour so I guess they have to have filler. The 30 minute Flip or Flop episodes were easier to watch and you could watch the whole thing without investing a big chunk of time. 

[ArtFossil]

I thought the decor of the home was horrible. Too cluttered and the post they kept in the kitchen was distracting and the fireplace was terrible and the deck furniture just looked sad. And the overall "design" was bland. No wonder they are going to lose money. I also loved how Heather a/k/a Christina 2.0 was so proud of "her" first flip when she contributed absolutely nothing to the design. All she did was parrot back whatever Tarek said and she was too busy to attend the design meetings. I don't think I can even hate watch this again.

[Pine]

I find Heather way too ditzy.

Hope it gets better. 

[b4pjoe]

My gosh…that was the longest 43 minutes of my life.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Do H & T really think I'm going to rush out and buy their 'brand' blankets, candles,  and other stuff for my home?   It's so generic, and I bet it's overpriced too.  The IKEA commercial has the same stuff, but a nicer style overall.   

It was good to see Izzy again.   The house turned out very nice, but I'm still surprised how small some of the rooms are in some areas, the house tonight has small bedrooms, and Heather saying how roomy they are doesn't change my opinion.  

Tarek still does the relatively cheaper flips, and some are remodeled and rented out, he has a huge portfolio of rentals.   His Tarek Buys Houses is one of those we buy anything, but cheap houses.  I suspect that's where the ones with the bad foundation issues, and trashed houses came from. 

On another show (The Deed: Chicago) Sean Conlon made part of his fortune doing flips, and he said on regular remodels, you want to go tradition, and not trendy.   However, people looking at flip houses want trendy, and the latest fad, because they want the new trends, and will probably have the money to remodel in a few years when the trends change.  So, Heather being in real estate sales probably does know about trendy, but that won't work for lower end properties if they also do those for their rental portfolio.  

Edited March 10, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[b4pjoe]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Do H & T really think I'm going to rush out and buy their 'brand' blankets, candles,  and other stuff for my home?

Yes I think they believe people will.

I was never a huge fan of Christina but Heather makes her look like a rocket scientist. The two of them together are insufferable.

[ArtFossil]

45 minutes ago, b4pjoe said:

Yes I think they believe people will.

I was never a huge fan of Christina but Heather makes her look like a rocket scientist. The two of them together are insufferable.

I appreciated Tarek’s ambition in the original Flip or Flop and also how Christina kept him grounded. And I look back fondly at the days when switching up the bathroom or backsplash tile was a big risk!

Heather is so vapid. What a waste of time and space.  

[alexa]

I saw the preview and knew I couldn’t watch.  His new wife does make his old wife much more tolerable, lol.  I started disliking watching their shows once it became about showing off their personal homes, their new families, etc.  As others said the original Flip or Flop had the best premise and the half hour length made it much better.  

[b4pjoe]

11 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

On another show (The Deed: Chicago) Sean Conlon made part of his fortune doing flips, and he said on regular remodels, you want to go tradition, and not trendy.   However, people looking at flip houses want trendy, and the latest fad, because they want the new trends, and will probably have the money to remodel in a few years when the trends change.  So, Heather being in real estate sales probably does know about trendy, but that won't work for lower end properties if they also do those for their rental portfolio.  

I think they feel lower end properties are beneath them. I would be surprised to see any lower end flips.

Heather needs her own office at the business. Heather needs her own credit card at the business. She has an assistant that follows her around. They have a dedicated designer at each flip. She brings nothing to the table and Tarek spends the whole episode telling how much value she brings to the business. barf!

[CruiseDiva]

12 hours ago, ArtFossil said:

Heather is so vapid. What a waste of time and space.  

I tried to watch this show because I like Tarek and Izzy, but had to change the channel. Heather's voice is like nails on a chalkboard. My ears just couldn't handle listening to her screech and squawk.  

[edie3]

11 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

Heather's voice is like nails on a chalkboard

I thought Christina's voice was bad...

[Scarlett45]

On 3/5/2023 at 11:24 AM, iMonrey said:

Pretty much, except it's an hour instead of a half hour, and I don't think that works in its favor. There's too much filler involving Tarek and Heather - I didn't need to see their trip to the doctor to get a sonogram, for example. 

It also looks like they're going to be featuring million dollar listings instead of the mid-six figure homes Flip or Flop usually did. 

However many episodes they filmed, they must have done all the flips at the same time. Heather went from not even showing to looking like she was about to pop in one episode.

I agree this is too long! Give me the flip in 22min. I will catch a few more episodes, I don’t mind Heather, I thought she added something to Selling Sunset and I can agree they like each other. 

[edie3]

I finally figured out who Heather reminds me of.  Tori Spelling.

[Pine]

I hope that they are personally reading these forums, because they are horrible.  I don't know how they may improve the show, unless Tarek gets a new wife, or boots her back to real estate, and goes it alone.  I prefer his 101 show to this screeching, smoochy mess o' rama.    Christine's new show is pretty bad too.  Guess their 15 minutes of fame is over.

[CynicalGirl]

Ugh. I don't think I can even hate watch this anymore. Especially for an hour. Spare me the New Adventures of New Christina 2.0. And the candles. Please. 

[Kemper]

I think one of the problems is that HGTV keeps giving its longtime hosts new shows. Property Brothers, both Tarik and Cristina, Allison Victoria and maybe a couple others I can’t think of. And the shows are basically clones. What worked a few (at least) years or a decade or so ago maybe doesn’t work now. 

[Jeanne222]

On 3/10/2023 at 10:39 AM, CruiseDiva said:

I tried to watch this show because I like Tarek and Izzy, but had to change the channel. Heather's voice is like nails on a chalkboard. My ears just couldn't handle listening to her screech and squawk.  

I came here to say just that!  Her voice is so annoying and she seems to think she’s just sooo cute!

Fell asleep midway so I missed the sonogram!  

I kept thinking of Christina watching this new show and laughing not that hers is any better!

 I’m done.

[CrazyInAlabama]

So. they're flipping a cabin in Big Bear, CA, and want to remodel a tiny cabin.     Then, are shocked when the ancient cabin exceeds their budget.   Adding the washer / dryer may overwhelm the septic tank.   First, you make sure the structure and foundation are correct, before you start talking wallpaper. 

Selling instead of keeping for a rental was the better choice.   Why did Heather buy a whole 'family' of wooden bears?    Just get one for the backyard at home, and skip the rest.   

I like the white ceiling, and dark beams.   However, the dark wall paint makes the house look smaller.    I hate the heavy looking light fixtures.  The built in banquette is a good idea, I don't know where else they could put a space to eat.   I really disliked the black they painted the interior and exterior.    I'm guessing the cabin will end up a short term vacation rental.  Being on the main street, and possibly being where there are places to eat, etc. is a plus for the owner.    Also, when it snows it will be easier to get around too, being on the highway. 

Edited March 17, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[b4pjoe]

Why Big Bear? Heather grew up close to there so she knows EVERYTHING about the place.

3 episodes. 3 different designers. Christina never hired designers.

We met Heathers parents. Her mom is almost as bad as Heather. Her dad reminds me of Amy’s dad on The Big Bang Theory. Not allowed to speak most of the time.

If anyone thought this would get better as it goes…SPOILER: it gets even worse.

Tarek wanted to price the cabin at $399,900. Heather suggested $439,900. Tarek suggested $439,800. Heather wouldn’t budge. Tarek gave up. Sold for $411,000. Profit:$55,000. Brunch money for Heather.

[iMonrey]

I wonder how Taylor and Brayden feel about being pawned off on their new stepmother's parents while dad and new stepmom go look at some property. Was there any reason they couldn't take the kids with them?

I gave up believing the initial walk-through was really the first time they saw a house years ago on the original show. Maybe during season 1 when they were buying houses at auction sight unseen (those were the good old days). But at least Christina was a better actress than Heather. Everything she says sounds so fake and performative. Nothing about these scenes feels genuine, and it's mostly because of her. 

As for the cabin remodel, I hated the black exterior. No offense to anybody out there who has a black house but I would personally never want to buy one. Or if I did because everything else about it was perfect, the first thing I would do is paint it.

There was just a very quick shot of whatever was across the street from that house and it looked like a truck stop or something. Not a vacation getaway spot.

[b4pjoe]

15 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I wonder how Taylor and Brayden feel about being pawned off on their new stepmother's parents while dad and new stepmom go look at some property. Was there any reason they couldn't take the kids with them?

I gave up believing the initial walk-through was really the first time they saw a house years ago on the original show. Maybe during season 1 when they were buying houses at auction sight unseen (those were the good old days). But at least Christina was a better actress than Heather. Everything she says sounds so fake and performative. Nothing about these scenes feels genuine, and it's mostly because of her. 

As for the cabin remodel, I hated the black exterior. No offense to anybody out there who has a black house but I would personally never want to buy one. Or if I did because everything else about it was perfect, the first thing I would do is paint it.

There was just a very quick shot of whatever was across the street from that house and it looked like a truck stop or something. Not a vacation getaway spot.

Agreed on the black house. They were complaining at one point about how hot it was there in the summer. That black color isn’t going to help. Plus it was butt ugly painted black. The only walkthrough showing was Tarik, Heather and her parents. Didn’t show any prospective buyers at all.

[sempervivum]

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

There was just a very quick shot of whatever was across the street from that house and it looked like a truck stop or something. Not a vacation getaway spot.

Yes, I was having trouble understanding the point of this (to me) very fancy remodel of a modest house in a scruffy-looking neighborhood. 

This is the first one of the new series I've bothered watching. Not sure I'll bother to tune in again. Heather brings nothing to the table but picking out some rando designer who will have to be paid, unlike Christina, who for all her faults was at least a qualified interior designer. The only expertise Heather is allowed to show is her 'how much can this sell for' skill, plus her giggling, shrieking and hugging talents. The outfits she wears to go check out the progress of the remodel make Christina's look positively reasonable. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Not sure I'll bother to tune in again. Heather brings nothing to the table but picking out some rando designer who will have to be paid, unlike Christina, who for all her faults was at least a qualified interior designer.

Two points here. One, they did not specify how much they paid this designer, assuming she did not work pro bono just to promote herself on TV. Two, I'm not sure Christina is any more "qualified" as a designer than Heather. She too started out with a realtor background, and somewhere along the way came to fancy herself as a designer.

[sempervivum]

31 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I'm not sure Christina is any more "qualified" as a designer than Heather

You're right, Christina does not seem to have a degree/license in anything. However, since the budgets for the old show never included anything for design fees, she definitely worked for free!

[b4pjoe]

Anyone can call themselves an interior designer. Christina did actual design for a number of years. Your taste may or may not think she is good but over the years they made a lot of money with her designs. Heather has not designed anything. In each of the first three episodes she hired an interior designer.

[Grrarrggh]

30 minutes ago, b4pjoe said:

Anyone can call themselves an interior designer. Christina did actual design for a number of years. Your taste may or may not think she is good but over the years they made a lot of money with her designs. Heather has not designed anything. In each of the first three episodes she hired an interior designer.

How do we know Christina did any of the work on the old FF? And even if she did, filming yourself dithering over the same design over and over doesn't make one a professional designer. At least not in my book. 

[b4pjoe]

7 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

How do we know Christina did any of the work on the old FF? And even if she did, filming yourself dithering over the same design over and over doesn't make one a professional designer. At least not in my book. 

Because we saw it on the old FF. It actually does make her a professional designer. Just because you may not like her design skills doesn’t make her not a designer. Heather can also call herself a professional designer. We just haven’t seen anything she has designed yet.

[Grrarrggh]

3 hours ago, b4pjoe said:

Because we saw it on the old FF. It actually does make her a professional designer. Just because you may not like her design skills doesn’t make her not a designer. Heather can also call herself a professional designer. We just haven’t seen anything she has designed yet.

We also "see" people doing that on other HGTV programmes, when it turns out they are actually using a designer behind the scenes. Not to mention, putting the same, nearly identical, kitchen/bathroom/fireplace/flooring/wall paint into 98% of the houses does not a designer make. 

[b4pjoe]

38 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

We also "see" people doing that on other HGTV programmes, when it turns out they are actually using a designer behind the scenes. Not to mention, putting the same, nearly identical, kitchen/bathroom/fireplace/flooring/wall paint into 98% of the houses does not a designer make. 

Like I said you don't need a license to call yourself a designer. She does. I’m sorry you don’t like her design style but she is a designer. I never said she was good at it and I am not a fan. Heather on the other hand is a clown show.

Tarek did hire an outside designer on one flip when Christina was out of town. It was one of the shows biggest flops.

[iMonrey]

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Like I said you don't need a license to call yourself a designer. She does. I’m sorry you don’t like her design style but she is a designer.

By that logic Heather is just as much a designer as Christina. Hell, so am I.

[b4pjoe]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

By that logic Heather is just as much a designer as Christina. Hell, so am I.

Yep. It is one of those jobs that doesn't need any formal education or training. What weeds people out is the end result. Christina is still doing it after many years. We have yet to see Heather design anything. Obviously both Tarek and Heather don't feel she is a designer or she would be doing it on each flip instead of hiring a designer for each flip. Maybe she will start designing and knock us out with fabulous designs. We won't know unless she tries though.

[Jeanne222]

Christina seems to always knock it out of the park. Plus she always has great ideas about knocking down pesky walls and letting light in!  

Heather just seems to be Terek’s new wife. When I saw the finished house it reeked of old money and stuffy!

But to be fair I was so annoyed with Heathers voice…I might have missed a skill that she might possess!

[Chris Knight]

Is an interior designer something you get a degree in, like maybe an associate degree ? Or some kind of certification  ? If not, then I guess I'm an interior designer, just not very good. 

When are the Flipping El Moussas on ? I saw the 1st episode but it sounds like there have been more. 

Not sure yet about Heather. I am sure I don't need to see all their cuddling and fawning over each other. It's nice Tarek leaves sweet post-its but that's not interesting. 

One hour of any El Moussa, past or present, is too long. I couldn't watch Christina's hour long episodes either. 

I wish Flipping 101 would come back. Now that's entertainment  !

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Chris Knight

[chessiegal]

17 minutes ago, Chris Knight said:

Is an interior designer something you get a degree in, like maybe an associate degree ?

You can get an Associate, Bachelor, and Master's degrees and even become licensed.

Quote

In order to become a licensed interior designer, a bachelor’s degree is usually required. (Most firms will require it.) The degree may be in any field, but your coursework should include interior design, drawing, and computer-aided design (CAD). It’s not necessary to specifically go to a design school, as there are interior design degree programs available at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s levels at many colleges and universities. But it is critical to carefully plan a course of study that includes a range of design classes.

Look for classes that cover a broad range of interior design topics. Course titles to look out for include:

Principles of Interior Design

History of the Built Environment

Color Theory & Application

Materials & Applications

Drawing & Composition

Perspective & Rendering

Interior Lighting

Computer-Aided Design

Sustainable Building Design

Business Practices

Building Codes & Standards

How to become an interior designer

I sincerely doubt Christina has any of these credentials. If she's had formal training, I haven't heard it mentioned.

[b4pjoe]

9 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

You can get an Associate, Bachelor, and Master's degrees and even become licensed.

Yes you can but you don't have to in something like freelance that they do.

9 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I sincerely doubt Christina has any of these credentials. If she's had formal training, I haven't heard it mentioned.

I would agree with that assessment.

[chessiegal]

To be fair, I think someone can have a knack for design without formal training. La-z-Boy offers free interior design advice. I have no idea what kind of training their salespeople have.

I have a friend who I would trust to do my house - her home is fabulous. My husband commented that her home looks like something out of Architectural Digest.

[Grrarrggh]

11 hours ago, chessiegal said:

To be fair, I think someone can have a knack for design without formal training. La-z-Boy offers free interior design advice. I have no idea what kind of training their salespeople have.

I have a friend who I would trust to do my house - her home is fabulous. My husband commented that her home looks like something out of Architectural Digest.

Sadly, instead of your friend it's people with no design talent whatsoever like Christina and Heather who get television programmes. 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Grrarrggh

[Jeanne222]

10 hours ago, chessiegal said:

To be fair, I think someone can have a knack for design without formal training. La-z-Boy offers free interior design advice. I have no idea what kind of training their salespeople have.

I have a friend who I would trust to do my house - her home is fabulous. My husband commented that her home looks like something out of Architectural Digest.

Some people just have that skill to make anything beautiful. I always thought Christina might be like that rather than a degree!

[iMonrey]

Hmm, no new episode this week. Cancelled already? 🤔

[b4pjoe]

7 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Hmm, no new episode this week. Cancelled already? 🤔

Unfortunately no. Next episode is out on 3/30.