Zombie House Flipping - General Discussion

[Mr. Sparkle]

I don't know why you're all calling this fake. I work in construction, and I can't even count the number of times we had to watch somebody's llama. 🙄

[Vivigirl10]

Quote

Keith’s fall off the ladder was so fake it was funny. And Jason’s “hammer through the window” was such a product placement ad it too was funny!

I hadn't watched this show in forever and had forgotten how God awful the hijinx and bad acting were.  It actually makes me grumpy.  Maybe I need to watch while drinking?

Loved at the end when the open house goers were texting Ashley that they were out front.  Funny, never knew that's how an "open house" worked.  I usually just walk right in.  But of course, what a nice set-up for the stooges to have to be all overly dramatic about their stealth removal of the llama!  While the family refuses to enter the home!  Oh Lordy. 

The saddest part was I thought the house looked terrible at the end.  The master bath was hideous and the kitchen was like some bad reject from the 90's.  

[sadtvjunkie]

Once again another lie. This has has not been bought or sold by "Mark". It has been owned by the same person since 1994. Bought for $385,000 back then. It has not sold for anything yet. Probably the homeowner paid them to upgrade their home. Also the first blond woman that showed up while they were removing the llama was Elizabeth Hart who has a local show here in Orlando called Ready, Set, Renovate. My husband's business partner used to live in this neighborhood. It is in a horrible school district.

[Jeeves]

On 9/14/2019 at 7:40 PM, Superclam said:

I don't know why you're all calling this fake. I work in construction, and I can't even count the number of times we had to watch somebody's llama. 🙄

I think I love you. 🤣 I'll call ya next time we have llama drama around here.

I just saw the latest episode, I think called "Bargain Bin," on DVR. There were critter hijinks, staged stunts, and Keith's usual fall through a ceiling. Although in this case it was a finished bathroom ceiling, they staged it carefully enough not to destroy fixtures or lights, so it was just a few square feet of drywall to replace, finish, and paint. 

The house was on the lower end of the market. They bought it for $80K and I think sold it in the low $200s if that much, but they said they made a respectable profit. They wisely didn't mess much with the floor plan. It's a small 3 bedroom 1 bath on a lot with a gigantic back yard. I can see it as a starter home for a couple or family or even a downsize move for a singleton or couple. The kitchen is small, and unless you want to start adding on to the house and rearranging the plumbing, there's not much to be done about that, so they just left the layout alone and replaced everything in there. 

Maybe it just wasn't telegenic and would look better in person, but I hated the gray floor tile + pale green wall color combination. I'd have had to repaint all the walls. And though I liked the tiles they chose for the bathroom, I loathed the artsy pattern they laid them in. That would drive me nuts to live with. 

I wasn't paying too much attention to the neighborhood and why house prices seemed to be lower there. Was it kind of sketchy or just not particularly fashionable?

Edited September 22, 2019 by Jeeves

[Mr. Sparkle]

I caught that one. They've finally released all the episodes on my OnDemand. I have 3 more. It doesn't look like there's a new one next week. 

There was one where Keith drives through the garage door, then another with a turtle and one with an iguana. The iguana was the most obvious set-up. Even my 12-year old can see how fake this is. 

[Pepper the Cat]

The mid-matched bathroom tiles would drive me nuts. And that colour was ugly!! The product placement on this episode was crazy. Are they so hard up for money that they have to advertise products and services to afford them?

[Mr. Sparkle]

I actually liked the tile itself, but the color and the way they laid it - yeesh. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

3 minutes ago, Pepper the Cat said:

The product placement on this episode was crazy. Are they so hard up for money that they have to advertise products and services to afford them?

The part with the restoration primer was the worst - "I know! We'll use Kilz Brand Primer! Kilz Brand Primer?? Yes, Kilz Brand Primer for all your restoration needs!" 

[Jg1955]

Yes I have seen most of the shows and this episode seemed to turn into an infomercial

[Mr. Sparkle]

Ha, I finally caught the drone episode. I feel like taking a poll: which is faker, the iguana sitting on the bed, or this whole drone drama? 

[CruiseDiva]

When I first watched the show I thought it was a serious house flipping program. Now I watch it as a comedy and I must admit I get the giggles when the antics start. To me, it's pure escape house renovation fantasy with a bit of house porn tossed in.

[sadtvjunkie]

Wow, they sure do spin the stories on this show. Justin Stamper bought this house Aug 18, 2017 BEFORE Huricane Irma happened for $80,000. That's the last sale showing so they still own it. No one has purchased it for a full price offer of $225,000. School district is good don't know why it hasn't sold other than price. Would be a good starter home but not for that price. Most comps in the area have sold for between $135,000-$180,000. Zillow shows an estimate of $177,000.

[sadtvjunkie]

This last episode was from 2017. Duke bought the house for $178,000 and they sold for $350,000. I appreciated  that they didn't have the crazy animals on, just a lot of futzing with the AC and water. Address is 1218 Ridgecrest in Orlando. Not in Southern Oaks which is a well known neighborhood  in Conway. They would have had to buy it for double the amount in there.

A real shame he insisted on covering up the terrazzo as well. It naturally  helps keep the house cool.

[Mr. Sparkle]

On 7/8/2017 at 11:45 AM, aquarian1 said:

I think I'm the only one watching this, but I still like it and they are showing new episodes.  Anyway, I'm watching a rerun of a new ep from last month (6/17/17 - Halfway Home) and it turns out there are construction liens on the house from the previous owners that our crew now needs to take care of.  One guy insisted on cash.  That seems shady to me, even though the lien checked out as being true.  I know it's a re-enactment, but "I need cash now" just seemed odd.

I just watched the rerun of this one. So ridiculous, but I liked how the guy came back at the end to check out the house. I wonder what the casting call for this one was - "tough guy needed?" 

[Pepper the Cat]

4 hours ago, Superclam said:

I just watched the rerun of this one. So ridiculous, but I liked how the guy came back at the end to check out the house. I wonder what the casting call for this one was - "tough guy needed?" 

Of course the guy was depicted as being “scary” because he was big and had tattoos. 

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

On 9/21/2019 at 5:43 PM, sadtvjunkie said:

Once again another lie. This has has not been bought or sold by "Mark". It has been owned by the same person since 1994. Bought for $385,000 back then. It has not sold for anything yet. Probably the homeowner paid them to upgrade their home.

That would explain the freakout about some of the redesign. I couldn't figure why the guy was so against the team's changes when he was supposedly about to sell the place anyway.

[Katydoodle]

I watched several episodes but it is just so, so staged that I was embarrassed for them. I understand there is no such thing as 100% true reality show but the show’s gimmicks seem to be thought up by 12 year olds with a video camera. Just cannot watch it anymore. 

[KarenD.]

Hi Everyone,

I actually just discovered this show and have been watching it. I agree that a lot of it is staged and fake but I am a landlord and preparing to renovate a home so just looking for design ideas  - so I am tolerating the shenanigans. On the episode called "The Bargain Bin" that aired on 9/21/19 two of the guys went to a Wholesale Warehouse/Store in Orlando and I would like to get the name of it. Does anyone know? 

Thx,

Karen

[patty1h]

Looks like they got renewed and S4 starts tomorrow.   I put it in my DVR cause I'm a fan of home remodeling shows, and also I'm curious if the team will be pulling the same over-the-top shenanigans as the prior seasons.  I hung in for S1 and S2, but the ever increasing level of foolishness finally got to me and I bailed.   

I'll give them a few watches to see if the show has grown up, but if they still treat the show as half comedy showcase and half reno show, I won't be sticking around.  

[Pepper the Cat]

New season! How exciting. 
What will be the disaster this week? Flood, fire, animal? Extra points if we see Rick the Reptile guy!

[Grrarrggh]

Their crazy antics are the only reason I watch. Every single house looks nearly the same after they've flipped it.

[Pepper the Cat]

Looks like they are cutting back on the drama. Of course, having Duke gone really makes a difference.

I wonder when this was filmed. Not a mask in sight.

[patty1h]

The designer guy Duke is not on the team anymore and no mention of him, but Justin still has the dog.  The first episode featured a 90 year old, 1000sf home with extensive termite damage and a rotted foundation - cost $220K.  The reno was business as usual:  they had the house fumigated for the termites and roaches, had the old electrical wiring replaced, new A/C and plumbing, pulled out cabinets and rotted wood floors and replaced windows.  There was the usual whining about how all these upgrades were eating into their profits, but it shouldn't have been a surprise in such an old wooden house.

Instead of outright tomfoolery and major disaster, they kept it low-key and went for "drama" instead -- it looked like the tree trimmers were going to damage the garage by dropping a big limb, but it didn't happen.   Ashlee had a "friend" come look at the almost finished house and turn up her nose at the floor finish, the new windows, the garage and that the noise from the nearby highway was loud, so we watched Ashlee be stressed that they won't get the desired price for the home.  They threw in a line or two about whether custom garage doors would be installed before the open house.  Last, they had a rat that ran into the garage, which they managed to trap (except it was a pretty blond rat, probably from the pet store).

This redo took over 60 days and they asked $350K.   If they keep the show a basic reno show, I may keep this on my DVR.

Edited November 6, 2021 by patty1h

[CrazyInAlabama]

They film in Florida, so the lack of masks wasn't a surprise for me.  I'm betting they test constantly, and if anyone goes 'on vacation' or has another reason for disappearing for a while, I can guess why.  

Ashley mentioned that the three cast members, plus the adorable Marley, have their own flipping company, and Duke stepped back for now.   It was only a brief mention.   

Edited November 6, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[FormerMod-a1]

The interior of this house looked small, but I did like the results.  It was also on a larger lot with a nice pool.  And, of course, Duke made an appearance. I wondered if he would given how Ashley discussed him in the first episode (not being part of the crew anymore but we'll see if he pops up, or something like that).

[CruiseDiva]

30 minutes ago, aquarian1 said:

The interior of this house looked small, but I did like the results.  It was also on a larger lot with a nice pool.  And, of course, Duke made an appearance. I wondered if he would given how Ashley discussed him in the first episode (not being part of the crew anymore but we'll see if he pops up, or something like that).

The house interior and back yard with new fence and pool looked nice. The original hardwood floors were stunning. With the exception of the front door, I really hated the colors chosen for the exterior. The mint green was hideous with that dark grey/blue.

[Pepper the Cat]

That was a cute house. I also did not like the exterior colours.

when will they learn to turn the water off before demoing the bathroom? 
 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I suspect that Duke, or anyone else who disappears and comes back is probably either in quarantine, or waiting for test results.    

I hated the outside colors of the house on the new episode, and one of the worst thing I've ever seen was the buffalo sauce paint on the fireplace bricks.  

Edited November 14, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Mr. Sparkle]

It was nice to see Duke back for a bit. It was not so good to see "neighbors" like the creep next door and the nosy neighbor down the street, who are clearly hired actors. I did like the reno, the tropical theme was nice, and the dark floors looked great. 

This house was a little less "zombie" than others. Mostly cosmetic improvements. 

[sadtvjunkie]

Their latest episode that takes place in Edgewood was funny and truthful about the small town. And the ticket at the end: priceless! Edgewood is well known in these parts for giving tickets. It's their only way to make money for the town. Everyone in the area knows to slow down in Edgewood. The police sit in their driveway of Town Hall on Orange Ave with their radar guns and stop people everyday. They don't even leave the property!

On other note hated the house. Hated the brick wall inside and that they didn't open it up to the living area. And they were too cheap to move the plumbing in the 2nd bath. Why is the sink still in the corner when it could have been moved over to the right a little ways so you didn't have to stand next to the toilet to use the sink?

[sadtvjunkie]

I realize this is for entertainment but I can't with their lying. The did buy the Catalpa house for $316,000 on 8/19/21 but still haven't sold it. For sure not for over $400,000. Let's be real, the original floors were butt ugly and that planter needed to go. And I wouldn't buy a $400,000 house with a carport. It should have been closed into a garage. I mean they weren't even comping the washer and dryer. It's also on the wrong side of Conway road. The better side of Dover Shores is on the East side.

[Mr. Sparkle]

I though the exposed water heater in the utility room was odd. They couldn't build a sheetrock enclosure? 

Also, I agreed with Keith. That McDonald's tile was ugly and looked patchy after they repaired it. 

 

[FormerMod-a1]

I don't know why the planter was kept, like at all.  It was intrusive and ugly.  Maybe.  maybe... if they had refinished it or something?  but that grey stuck out like a sore thumb.  Made we wonder if they  had someone specific lined up to buy the house (that wanted to keep it) and it fell thru.  Either that or it somehow effected things structurally somehow and wasn't worth it to change, but you think they'd mention that on the show. 

[patty1h]

6 hours ago, Superclam said:

I though the exposed water heater in the utility room was odd. They couldn't build a sheetrock enclosure? 

Those were my thoughts exactly when I saw that heater sitting on its little table...  at least build a little closet or partition to hid that big ugly thing from sight.  The only reason that I can see for the heater to sit out in the open like that could be some kind of housing code, maybe?  Otherwise, major design fail.

[sadtvjunkie]

They didn't sell it contrary to what they said. I don't care about the water heater but the laundry room didn't have a door. That bothered me more.

[sadtvjunkie]

Pepperidge: bought for $420,000 but hasn't sold yet contrary to what they said on show. Very ugly backsplash in kitchen and the bathrooms were awful with their 3 different tile choices. It was nice they laid same tile throughout it really does help keep a FL house cooler. I would have ditched one of the fireplaces, they are totally unnecessary in Orlando.

  I think 1 is un-permitted because there's only 1 listed in the property appraiser's notes. I believe the Keith bought it with his construction business because nowhere on the notes does it say Blueprint as the buyer.

I do like they are giving more realistic numbers this season for what things cost. A new roof is a huge expense.

[Grrarrggh]

I liked the bathrooms in the Pepperidge house, finally some sort of colour! Too bad it was the same for all three bathrooms. The backsplash looked fine in my opinion. Though how they can claim a house with those super cheap looking grey floors and open concept is "up market" baffles the mind.

[sadtvjunkie]

4038 Killian St house was purchased for $140,000 5/24/2021. Finally pending according to Zillow at $349,000 not $355,000. The bowling alley entry way was super ugly. Don't  know why they didn't reduce the step to just the front door and entry closet and open up the rest of the floor. The master bath floor was distinctly ugly with the green tile. I would have left the accent wall in the shower but everything else should have been white including the counter top. It's too distracting with 4 patterns in a small bath.

The green accent wall in bedroom DID NOT match the tile. I liked the pattern but thought it should have been painted grey like the doors. And don't even with the super ugly bird picture that bled over the white tile in the guest bath.I'm really hoping it was a sticker that could be removed. SO UGLY.

The roof looked good and getting rid of the screen porch and shed was a good call. Hate the color red so I didn't like the front door. The kitchen wasn't bad but needed a rolling butcher block or small island to set it apart from the living room.

Please stop Ashley from calling herself a designer. She is awful.

[Mr. Sparkle]

"These design choices aren't for everyone." 

Count me as part of the everyone! Those entrance tiles were ugly, as was the green accent wall in the bedroom, the tropical tile in the bathroom and the weird painting in the other bathroom. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

 The bedrooms were small.

I hated the main bedroom.    The green wall didn't match the bathroom tile at all, and I think the bathroom would have looked much better with the white hex tiles in the shower, and on the floor.    Plus, the gray closet doors were awful too. 

I didn't like the kitchen design either, it really needed a peninsula, or an island.     I don't understand why they are trying to sell to a family, but show a little dining table.    I hope that bird thing in the bathroom was a decal, and it's easy to peel off.    The back yard grass was sparse, and looked weedy.     Why do they keep painting fireplaces white?   If they really get used, that white paint will have soot on it in no time.    Brick or stone fireplaces are so classic, leave them alone. 

Edited December 20, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Pepper the Cat]

That green wall was terrible. The bedroom looked very small . The green tiles were ugly. And that bird thing in the bathroom was weird. I loved the woman who looked at it and said “that has to go”. Did not like the walkways either. 

[Grrarrggh]

The green wall was nice but looked horrible with the grey closet doors and didn't at all go with the ugly coloured bathroom floor tiles. The grey kitchen smack dab in the middle of everything yet with the light grey floors that always look cheap and that ugly tile walkway inside were horrible. I'm not even going to talk about the stupid bird painting. The main area needed brown wood/wood-look tiles, a wall or two, the fireplace that wasn't painted white, new cabinets that were blue/green/pink/black/wood. The main bathroom needed something other than the grey/white subway tile. The whole house screamed CHEAP, like nearly every flipped or Property Brothers done house on HGTV.

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

Just catching up now on Hulu. Re the Killian house: did anyone else notice that the front and back lawns looked AWFUL at the end? I don't know if sod is in short supply or they just ran out of money, but the grass was clumpy and had large patches of dirt. No way would I pay a third of a million dollars for a house with such a raggedy-ass lawn. Also: Didn't Ashley say the house belonged to a friend? I'm sure that friend loved Ashley and her co-workers mocking their former home and design choices on national TV.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The 4038 Killian house must have fallen out of escrow, or didn't appraise for what they wanted, because it's still for sale for $349,000, and it's been on the MLS for 78 days now.     So much for their boast about selling immediately.      

I hate the staging, with four little chairs in the living room, and that tiny dining table, it makes the house look smaller.    I don't know if it's just the photo, but the main bedroom closet bifold doors look like they will be hard to open with the bed so close.    I really hate the bathroom/shower floor tile too, and I guess the back wall of the shower is tile too?   It looks awful to me.        

Edited January 17, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[sadtvjunkie]

Finally they stop lying about the prices of their houses. Their 1306 Ceylon Dr actually was bought for $309,000 and sold on 2/1/2022 for $505,000. It is about $120 sf more than any other house sold in the area. If the other homeowners don't improve their properties the people that bought this one will be in a pickle if they want to sell.

These houses bang up against a very busy road and a lot of less than desirable retail/restaurant businesses nearby. There is an up and coming Hourglass district that is starting to take off with a foodie scene nearby but not enough to make me want to live there.

Funnily enough my dh has a cousin who lives round the corner on Berwyn who has been there for over 30 years. We knew people who would move into this area because it was one of the cheapest places to rent a home to be in the Boone HS district instead of Colonial across the street.

[CrazyInAlabama]

4038 Killian Dr just sold for $325,000.  It sold on 15 February 2022.  So, if that price is accurate, it sold for $24,000 less than the previous list price, plus carrying costs.   

1306 Ceylon Dr looks so much better on the realtor dot com picture.   The green under the carport looks so much lighter than it did on TV.   

[sadtvjunkie]

1518 Orangewood Ave. Please stop making Orlando area contractors look bad! Who the hell do they employ as a GC for these flips? They need to fire their ass! The house really did sell for $1.3 million to a Henry.... It was originally bought for $400,000 by another company who seemed to knock it down and start a rebuild. It is in a nice area. Very near to the hour glass district from last week but much better in my book. Loved that Ashley didn't get to "design" the house with her weird ass vibe. Most houses in the area only sell for around $350,000. So unless someone just really wanted this house with whatever Ashley and Kevin planned for it, it could have sat for awhile.

I live in a neighborhood that last quarter 2021, houses were going for more than $1 million but that has slowed so all the realtors are listing at $999,999 to see if that will bump them over the $1 million mark. Not sure it's working right now with interest rates going up.

[Pepper the Cat]

Where I live basic 30 year old bungalows are over a million. This house would have been at least 3 million. 
I felt all the techno stuff felt like product placement. ‘ you can control the blinds from anywhere in the house’ .

The “mistake” with the kitchen cabinets felt manufactured. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

55 minutes ago, sadtvjunkie said:

The house really did sell for $1.3 million to a Henry.

That's funny, because I just finished it 5 minutes ago and was thinking this "Henry" seemed like an actor. I guess he still might have been. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

1 minute ago, Superclam said:

That's funny, because I just finished it 5 minutes ago and was thinking this "Henry" seemed like an actor. I guess he still might have been. 

My guess is some of the buyers or other one time participants are very nervous on camera, or they got over being on camera after a bunch of takes.