Flip Or Flop - General Discussion

[sistersledge]

So I guess Pete is the buffer in the new episodes...

[Artsda]

So they separately met up at Starbucks, went in and ordered coffee and separately left. Noo that doesn't seem calculated just for the papz at all.

 

'Flip or Flop's' Christina & Tarek El Moussa's Awkward Hug After Coffee Run

http://www.tmz.com/2016/12/15/flip-or-flop-stars-christina-tarek-el-moussa-together/

[Maharincess]

In tonight's episode "we decided to go with white cabinets and white counters",  no shit dumb ass, that's what you decide to go with in every single house.  I HATE white cabinets and counters. 

With their white and gray everything they're the most bland, unoriginal " designers" I've ever seen.  

I always thought it was weird how Tarek would say "Christina is expecting a baby".  

In a lot of situations it's much, much better for the children for the parents to seperate than it is for them to have an " intact" family. That term is kind of offensive, like a single parent with kids aren't a family. 

Edited December 16, 2016 by Maharincess

[Maya]

9 hours ago, Artsda said:

So they separately met up at Starbucks, went in and ordered coffee and separately left. Noo that doesn't seem calculated just for the papz at all.

 

'Flip or Flop's' Christina & Tarek El Moussa's Awkward Hug After Coffee Run

http://www.tmz.com/2016/12/15/flip-or-flop-stars-christina-tarek-el-moussa-together/

That was painful to watch. 

[LazyToaster]

9 hours ago, Maharincess said:

In a lot of situations it's much, much better for the children for the parents to seperate than it is for them to have an " intact" family. That term is kind of offensive, like a single parent with kids aren't a family. 

ITA - back many years ago when my husband & I divorced - one of my kids' teachers referred to ours as a "broken home".  I was very offended.  Yes it did "break" in a sense when we split up.  It was bad - it was awful - for a while that is.  But, we all healed and evolved.  From my perspective my kids and I were still very much an intact family.  Their Dad was - and still is in a way - part of that family.  Is it how we thought it would be on wedding day?  No, but it works.  A family will - with much mutual respect and time - reorganize itself and feel normal again.  Family is what you make it.  

[Honey]

1 hour ago, Maya said:

That was painful to watch. 

I now understand why some celebrities punch the paps.  Lol

That guy was so annoying I wanted to punch him.

[Honey]

37 minutes ago, LazyToaster said:

ITA - back many years ago when my husband & I divorced - one of my kids' teachers referred to ours as a "broken home".  I was very offended.  Yes it did "break" in a sense when we split up.  It was bad - it was awful - for a while that is.  But, we all healed and evolved.  From my perspective my kids and I were still very much an intact family.  Their Dad was - and still is in a way - part of that family.  Is it how we thought it would be on wedding day?  No, but it works.  A family will - with much mutual respect and time - reorganize itself and feel normal again.  Family is what you make it.  

I can't tell you how much I hate that term "broken home".  If all the parents do is fight, it's much better to separate than to keep a family intact, "for the kids sake".  The family was much more "broken" when it was all together.

I don't care what some people say, if people are fighting that much, it's impossible not to do it front of the kids.  So, I call bullshit on people who claim that.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Honey

[mojito]

This thread has lost its way. Maybe the gossip and speculation can move elsewhere?

This most recent flip was awful. Pete picked this house that needed much more than $30K to rehab, they were unable to get the house central heat and air, and replaced the pool liner with another one. Pretty ghetto for their usual standards. Imagine my surprise when Christina picked out 50 shades of gray to go along with all the white.

It's kind of annoying when they go continue to try that $30K rehab budget. Have they ever had a budget so low? By now even the viewer knows that it's too low.

[hkit]

10 hours ago, Maharincess said:

In tonight's episode "we decided to go with white cabinets and white counters",  no shit dumb ass, that's what you decide to go with in every single house.  I HATE white cabinets and counters. 

With their white and gray everything they're the most bland, unoriginal " designers" I've ever seen.  

Personally, I despise the trend of white cabinets. Wood is beautiful, show it off! Paint it only if it is cheap (which, in the case of T&C, it often is). Anyway, their style is not to my liking, but I wouldn't consider them bland or unoriginal designers. I see it more as savvy business decisions to make their homes appeal to the largest audience possible. I will, however, judge them on their own home's design, which seems equally boring.

My husband and I  had a game we've been playing during the show for some time. We put it on mute, and then we provide the audio as if we were Tarek and Christina. It's usually all snark and we often pretend they are bickering/fighting, and having seedy affairs with Izzy, the staging lady, and other people who come on the screen. I feel really shitty about doing that now. 

[eskimo]

On 12/14/2016 at 9:24 PM, suebee12 said:

I have been watching HGTV most of the day while I was wrapping Christmas presents and noticed that the Flip and Flop Christmas ads seem to have been edited. The endings have not included the part where they lovingly kiss each other to a still of them in a Christmas wreath. I guess the network decided to fix that little kiss!!

I've only seen it once since they've edited it and I noticed that they did not show them all together as a family (IIRC).  It cut between her with one or both of the kids to him with one or both of the kids.  You could see an arm or a bit of someones hair in the other persons shot from time to time so you could tell they were all together when they shot it.  Then at the end just T & C in a wreath together.  So not only did they get rid of the kiss, they seemed to get rid of all family shots.  I think HGTV did the best they could with what they had. 

Edited December 16, 2016 by eskimo

[Zoe]

17 hours ago, Cranky One said:

Neither my husband or I wear a wedding ring and will be married 27 years next month.  My dad never wore one either and my parents have been married for 57 years!

There should be a new show tonight.  It will.be weird to watch.

Tarek was wearing his ring in the latest episode.

I wonder if the split has made HGTV shuffle the episodes.  We got two Pete episodes in a row, and this one clearly should have aired before the summer-themed episodes considering Christina was barely pregnant for most of it.

[eskimo]

13 hours ago, Artsda said:

So they separately met up at Starbucks, went in and ordered coffee and separately left. Noo that doesn't seem calculated just for the papz at all.

 

'Flip or Flop's' Christina & Tarek El Moussa's Awkward Hug After Coffee Run

http://www.tmz.com/2016/12/15/flip-or-flop-stars-christina-tarek-el-moussa-together/

I would have loved to see that camera man fall over backwards and smash the camera into the ground.  What a parasite. 

They can't even get coffee together now without being judged on their motivation behind it, or if they showed proper emotion and technique in a hug.  Maybe not, but what if they just wanted to get a coffee together?  Maybe the presence of that twat with the camera still being there when they came out changed their plans, or maybe it was set up.  All I know for sure is that I don't know for sure.   

[qtpye]

I have no idea how accurate the source is...apologies if this was already posted.
 

Quote

 

Christina and Tarek have separated but will be slow to pull the trigger on an actual divorce because both sides know the results will be costly," a source told Hollywood Life adding, "Besides figuring out custody of their children, together the couple has tons of assets they have accumulated that neither one is quite yet ready to let go of."

"They own multiple properties, luxury cars including a Bentley, and an Escalade, tons of cash and lots of other big-ticket items too. She is currently living with their kids in their massive $3 million dollar [£2.3m] home in Yorba Linda, California and Tarek's presence in the house has been replaced by a team of nannies," another source told the gossip website.

Christina and Tarek's seven-year marriage was reportedly filled with marital problems, despite them being portrayed as a "happily married couple" on their show Flip Or Flop.

Following their announcement, the two even revealed that they had started seeing other people, but were not ready to make things public as yet.

"Anyone who has spent a halfway decent amount of time with them could have seen this coming. In a lot of ways they just seemed wildly incompatible. She has champagne tastes and he's a beer-from-a-can kind of guy," People magazine quoted a source as saying.

 

[iMonrey]

WTF? Christina was still pregnant in this episode, barely even showing. Why are they airing these episodes so wildly out of order? This one should have aired last season. What happened, did they film too many last season or something? I mean, it's kind of a big deal when most of last season was based around the arrival of the new baby and culminated with his birth, name reveal, etc.

As for the house itself . . . you know what would be a really surprising episode? If they budgeted the correct amount of money to begin with and spent exactly what they expected to spend. Because they know going in they need a new roof, new wiring and new plumbing. Because you should know those things before you even make an offer on the house. Especially the roof. And especially if you do this for a living.

You know what else would have been kind of neat? Especially since their budget was so tight? Maybe salvage one or both of those retro bathrooms with the blue and pink tiles. Clean them up, regrout them, retrofit the shower and tub. Maybe some buyer will think it's kitschy and buy it.

Quote

And aside from Flip or Flop, as I understand it they also have their own construction/design business, an separate company with an office and employees.

Yes but they have those things as a direct result of the success of their show, and it's pretty much a given that the survival of their business is going to hinge on the survival of the show as well. It's no wonder they want to keep doing the show. Without their TV reputations and credentials intact, who would want to hire them to do remodels or designs? And they're not going to need all those employees and their own contractors if the show is cancelled and they don't need to do 10 flips per season.

Quote

So they separately met up at Starbucks, went in and ordered coffee and separately left. Noo that doesn't seem calculated just for the papz at all.

I want to know what that weird medallion is hanging around Tarek's neck. I've seen it on the show before. 

Edited December 16, 2016 by iMonrey

[Ohmo]

Full-length People feature.  (Shorter versions were discussed in the various People articles; contains ads)

Tarek and Christina El Moussa: Inside Their Split

[Eeksquire]

The thing that kills me, as far as their "budget" goes, is when Tarek says something like, "If we can get this house for $XX, then we can make it work" and then inevitably the seller rejects it and he immediately capitulates and is like, "Ok, how about $XX + $15k?" Like: doesn't that mean you SHOULDN'T go forward dude?

[silverspoons]

20 minutes ago, Eeksquire said:

The thing that kills me, as far as their "budget" goes, is when Tarek says something like, "If we can get this house for $XX, then we can make it work" and then inevitably the seller rejects it and he immediately capitulates and is like, "Ok, how about $XX + $15k?" Like: doesn't that mean you SHOULDN'T go forward dude?

I dont mind if Tarek wants to waste the extra money or have a tight profit margin but remember these 2 are selling a real estate seminar to regular folks for between 2k-50k! People watch the show and they feel they somehow know the couple or can relate and then turn over their life savings to meet them. As much some of us  feel duped watching when they acted happy, think of the people that paid 50k this summer to meet them in Vegas for a short advice session.

Ill admit Ill still watch in reruns because I like to see the different cities and homes. I love million dollar listing LA (and NY) but the average person isn't spending millions on a home.  Most of Tarek and Christina's homes seem to hit the 350-650k range which I guess in CA for a 2 income couple with decent careers is realistic or maybe as a home after they sell a starter home for profit and have a larger down payment.

[txvoodoo]

9 hours ago, mojito said:

This most recent flip was awful. Pete picked this house that needed much more than $30K to rehab, they were unable to get the house central heat and air, and replaced the pool liner with another one. Pretty ghetto for their usual standards. Imagine my surprise when Christina picked out 50 shades of gray to go along with all the white.

It's kind of annoying when they go continue to try that $30K rehab budget. Have they ever had a budget so low? By now even the viewer knows that it's too low.

The backsplash made my eyes hurt. It was SO cheap, obviously tile sheets, and poorly installed so that the seams were repeated in the exact same order all the way around.

 

BTW, about the paps? In all likelihood, one of them informed TMZ that they'd be there. I mean, what are the chances that a pap is at a random Starbucks NOT in the middle of LA? They wanted to have a visible show of "we're trying to make it work." 

[Sam215]

This latest one did it sell?   TiVo cuts it off even when it's set to add a few minutes.  The whole house seemed bland and very very white.  

[nb360]

Raise your hand if you think this show just got really, really fascinating. The contractor is the "new guy": http://www.tmz.com/2016/12/15/flip-or-flop-breakup-witness-dating/

[KAOS Agent]

It sold for $20,000 over asking which seemed ridiculous to me. The lack of central AC should have been a huge drag on the value of the house. It made no sense to me that anyone would pay so much for a house without it in Southern California.

[Tosia]

12 hours ago, hkit said:

Personally, I despise the trend of white cabinets. Wood is beautiful, show it off! Paint it only if it is cheap (which, in the case of T&C, it often is). Anyway, their style is not to my liking, but I wouldn't consider them bland or unoriginal designers. I see it more as savvy business decisions to make their homes appeal to the largest audience possible. I will, however, judge them on their own home's design, which seems equally boring.

My husband and I  had a game we've been playing during the show for some time. We put it on mute, and then we provide the audio as if we were Tarek and Christina. It's usually all snark and we often pretend they are bickering/fighting, and having seedy affairs with Izzy, the staging lady, and other people who come on the screen. I feel really shitty about doing that now. 

OMG, I would totally LOVE to hear your snarky convos during the show!  How fun! 

[silverspoons]

3 hours ago, KAOS Agent said:

It sold for $20,000 over asking which seemed ridiculous to me. The lack of central AC should have been a huge drag on the value of the house. It made no sense to me that anyone would pay so much for a house without it in Southern California.

The 20k over asking is a red flag to me that someone needed creative financing. I bet the 20k went back towards the down payment (in the form of some other credit or however they work it) so they people could qualify for a loan. Some people really want a house and overlook the A/C if T&C can do creative financing.

I have always found it odd that when a house appraises the lack of a master bathroom or A/C does not take the appraised value down much but it sure does in reality effect the listing price. I know in our area the lack of a master bath knocks about 10k off the appraisal and A/C about `15k.

[AngelKitty]

I just recently heard about their break up so came here to get more info, so thanks.  I started watching last year while in the hospital and then I read in a health magazine in my oncologist's office about Tarak's fight with cancer and how they worked so hard to have another baby so I was saddened to hear of their troubles. It will be interesting to see how this affects the show and whether or not it will continue.

[Artsda]

 'Flip or Flop' Stars Working On Fixing Their Marriage

http://www.tmz.com/2016/12/16/flip-or-flop-tarek-christina-marriage-working-it-out/

[AngelKitty]

He doesn't look familiar.  Have we seen him on the show?

[iMonrey]

Quote

'Flip or Flop' Stars Working On Fixing Their Marriage

You know . . . they have to realize this news could torpedo their show and their business in one fell swoop so I imagine they're in full damage control mode. I hate to be a cynic but it wouldn't surprise me if they pretend to reconcile just for the sake of their image then continue to live separately in private.

[Chai]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

You know . . . they have to realize this news could torpedo their show and their business in one fell swoop so I imagine they're in full damage control mode. I hate to be a cynic but it wouldn't surprise me if they pretend to reconcile just for the sake of their image then continue to live separately in private.

Great point. 

[millennium]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

You know . . . they have to realize this news could torpedo their show and their business in one fell swoop so I imagine they're in full damage control mode. I hate to be a cynic but it wouldn't surprise me if they pretend to reconcile just for the sake of their image then continue to live separately in private.

I don't know how they can hide it.   TMZ's got their scent now.

I read Christina's hooked up with one of the contractors from the show.   Maybe I'm being unfair, but it all seems kind of skanky to me.   

How do you repair your marriage knowing your wife is dating one of your contractors?

Edited December 17, 2016 by millennium

[MrPissyPuppy]

1 hour ago, millennium said:

How do you repair your marriage knowing your wife is dating one of your contractors?

Well if it helps them get a better price ...  

[zoeysmom]

21 hours ago, Sam215 said:

This latest one did it sell?   TiVo cuts it off even when it's set to add a few minutes.  The whole house seemed bland and very very white.  

it is weird-on the over the top Million Dollar Listings the houses seem to be all white as well, with marble and lots of grey accents.  So I guess that is what the market bears.  I have always used light grey as a neutral because it pops the art work better than taupe, beige  and now I seem like a conformer.  I even used French oak floors.  You know your choices are on the upswing when six months later you see your beautiful floors, reduced to laminate at Costco.  Same with upholstered head boards use to be a high end luxury item now everyone sells them. 

Personally I think Pete picked more of a mud grey than neutral grey.  Kind of suits his personality.

Edited December 18, 2016 by zoeysmom

[twilightzone]

When I now stumble on the show while channel surfing, I just move on.  This is suppose to be one of HGTV's highest rated shows, but I just can't see how it can survive the tabloid circus aftermath.

Anyway, I'd rather see more House Hunters.

Edited December 18, 2016 by twilightzone

[Maharincess]

Is it just me or does TMZ take forever to load? 

[Sam215]

22 hours ago, KAOS Agent said:

It sold for $20,000 over asking which seemed ridiculous to me. The lack of central AC should have been a huge drag on the value of the house. It made no sense to me that anyone would pay so much for a house without it in Southern California.

Thanks for the info.  The lack of air would be a deal breaker for me and I live in Indiana!  I really wish they would show the whole house and not rerun parts or show flowers and cars from the area.  

Speaking of of the creative financing, when we sold our Illinois house in 2002 we did creative financing with the new owners.  They paid over the asking price and we " carried" a small second mortgage for one year.  It seemed strange to us but we were paid in full.  Ironically they lost the home in foreclosure three years later. 

[iMonrey]

I'd be interested to know how much you really need central heat in Anaheim. I know you need A/C for at least a couple of months but when I lived in Northern California we got away with having a wall unit in the family room and that was all we really needed. Don't know about SoCal though.

Quote

I don't know how they can hide it.   TMZ's got their scent now.

I get the impression they didn't figure on their breakup making the news, and that their initial response was to put a brave face on it but now they're probably starting to worry about what this means for their business. So this "we're trying to reconcile" spin might be a desperate attempt to salvage their image and show. Who knows what HGTV is saying to them right now. Possibly "get it together or we're canceling you."

Edited December 18, 2016 by iMonrey

[Chai]

Radar online is reporting that Terek has been seeing his children's 23 year old nanny. What a horrible disgusting mess.

[txvoodoo]

21 hours ago, Sam215 said:

Thanks for the info.  The lack of air would be a deal breaker for me and I live in Indiana!  I really wish they would show the whole house and not rerun parts or show flowers and cars from the area.  

Speaking of of the creative financing, when we sold our Illinois house in 2002 we did creative financing with the new owners.  They paid over the asking price and we " carried" a small second mortgage for one year.  It seemed strange to us but we were paid in full.  Ironically they lost the home in foreclosure three years later. 

Probably not so ironic - they probably couldn't qualify for the full amount, for good reason. 

[Evil Queen]

On 12/17/2016 at 7:49 PM, iMonrey said:

I'd be interested to know how much you really need central heat in Anaheim. I know you need A/C for at least a couple of months but when I lived in Northern California we got away with having a wall unit in the family room and that was all we really needed. Don't know about SoCal though.

 

Just wanted to answer this since I don't live to far but I'm near the ocean where you don't see A/C in most homes/apartments. I'm born and raised in SoCal. Which if you live in land, like Anaheim, you will need A/C. We have more warm/hot months than the Northern part of the state. The further in land you go the hotter it will be for many months and even a few times in the winter some years. Which btw, most of Anaheim is not a great place to live either. Sure Disneyland is there but when you are outside that area its not exactly the best neighborhoods. More so if you go into one side of the town. I stopped watching this show after a few episodes when it had started. I know the areas they are buying these homes in and most are not the greatest neighborhoods at all. Unless something has changed over time I can't imagine its any different.  I am not sure where this house with no A/C was located but I can not see anyone paying for one with no A/C over asking unless its in an ocean city. There are more than enough homes for sale all over the place here that no one would need to do that IMO. Which this is another reason I stopped watching this show long ago. To much BS from them IMO. 

Editing to add...I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and back in the day we just had the window A/C units. We had one in the living room and another was in my parents bedroom. You had to have it otherwise it would have been miserable. There was no way in hell I would live without some sort of A/C if I was to live in land anywhere. Its hard enough where I am sometimes in the summer without it when the ocean breeze isn't there and we have nasty Santa Anas coming through. 

Edited December 19, 2016 by Evil Queen

[tessaforever]

I've been watching this show for years and Tarek's wedding ring is very inconsistent - sometimes he wears it and sometimes he doesn't. It's been that way for a long time. It seems to correlate with what phase they are in of the flip - if he's helping out with construction (which he used to do much more frequently in the early seasons), he doesn't wear it, and then in "family" scenes or open houses he's wearing it. 

As far as their timeline - I believe Brayden was born in September 2015, and the incident with Tarek and the gun was in May 2016. So I don't take Bray for a "saving the marriage" baby at all - I believe back when she was trying to conceive, and doing IVF, that they were still happy. As someone shared upthread, relationships can change on a dime. 

If the rumors about Tarek and the nanny and Christina and the contractor are true, then I do think they jumped into those relationships way too quick (divorce not filed, emotional issues unresolved, no time to grieve/analyze the breakdown of the relationship, young children needing time & attention), but I can believe that they got that out of their system and want to work on their relationship. 

My husband and I have had some terrible times in our 22 years, and honestly if I were a celeb I'm sure I would have filed for divorce at some point...but I'm just a regular person so I hung in there and I'm glad I did. What I really wish is that Tarek & Christina could sit down for a marriage counseling session with Chip & Joanna! They have a lot in common, and I think it would be helpful. HGTV, make it happen!

[Chai]

They most definitely can put their marriage and lives back together. It will take counseling and honest conversations with each other. It isn't easy as no one likes to admit negative things about themselves. But if they both apologize and honestly change the behaviors that led to this it can happen.

My husband and I did it. We wanted to make it work and we were lucky. We both realized what we almost lost. ( married 29 years)

[Honey]

9 hours ago, tessaforever said:

I've been watching this show for years and Tarek's wedding ring is very inconsistent - sometimes he wears it and sometimes he doesn't. It's been that way for a long time. It seems to correlate with what phase they are in of the flip - if he's helping out with construction (which he used to do much more frequently in the early seasons), he doesn't wear it, and then in "family" scenes or open houses he's wearing it. 

As far as their timeline - I believe Brayden was born in September 2015, and the incident with Tarek and the gun was in May 2016. So I don't take Bray for a "saving the marriage" baby at all - I believe back when she was trying to conceive, and doing IVF, that they were still happy. As someone shared upthread, relationships can change on a dime. 

If the rumors about Tarek and the nanny and Christina and the contractor are true, then I do think they jumped into those relationships way too quick (divorce not filed, emotional issues unresolved, no time to grieve/analyze the breakdown of the relationship, young children needing time & attention), but I can believe that they got that out of their system and want to work on their relationship. 

My husband and I have had some terrible times in our 22 years, and honestly if I were a celeb I'm sure I would have filed for divorce at some point...but I'm just a regular person so I hung in there and I'm glad I did. What I really wish is that Tarek & Christina could sit down for a marriage counseling session with Chip & Joanna! They have a lot in common, and I think it would be helpful. HGTV, make it happen!

To my eyes, Joanna looks at Chip like she absolutely can't stand him.  Lol

[hkit]

28 minutes ago, Honey said:

To my eyes, Joanna looks at Chip like she absolutely can't stand him.  Lol

I cannot stand them or their show, and this is a big reason why. I never felt like we were being fed some facade of T&C being a happy couple (even though we obviously have been for the past 6 months). But Joanna and Chip seem very phony to me. YMMV.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Which if you live in land, like Anaheim, you will need A/C. 

Do you need central heat though? The wall heater seemed so odd to me.

Quote

What I really wish is that Tarek & Christina could sit down for a marriage counseling session with Chip & Joanna!

Chip and Joanna would like preach religion to them. If that's not T&C's bag it's not going to help anything.

[slowpoked]

20 hours ago, Chai said:

Radar online is reporting that Terek has been seeing his children's 23 year old nanny. What a horrible disgusting mess.

What a mess indeed. And such a cliche. But maybe there aren't a lot of female house contractors around?

[Evil Queen]

7 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Do you need central heat though? The wall heater seemed so odd to me.

 

We do need heat at times. Which I know for where I am that our temps don't seem cold to many but its what I call Cali cold and for those of us from here know what I mean. This week is one of those times we actually need it here and there. Yet it will also depend on how your home is too. I know we lived in one house that it was a must when it got cold otherwise we would be freezing all night and sometimes in the day. When we lived in a townhouse though we didn't use it to often because our place kept warmth pretty good in the house unless it got to a certain temp outside. That is the one thing that the places in my area do have...heat. The house we were in had central heat. The townhouse had electric heat which was in the ceilings and something I had never had before in a place. Growing up we had just the one floor heater that was on each side of a wall but didn't heat the house up much really unless you stood over it. That thing was horrible for not just those reasons but I remember my dad having to light it again here and there too or having someone come out every year or other year to fix it. 

[mamadrama]

On 12/13/2016 at 0:19 AM, jcbrown said:

No private citizen needs an AR-15. This has changed my feelings about them, but not because they are separated and/or dating. It's the gun-nut thing. I would not live with someone with so many weapons in the house, especially with small children.

I am a country farm girl with guns. My husband is a British national that moved to the US to marry me. He was anti-gun until he moved here and got to "know" them. Now he has more than me. We love our pistols and antique rifles. We live in a rural area where everyone on our road has at least 10 acres-many have more. It's farmland with lots of wild animals, from bobcats to bears and coyotes, and all the families have at least one or two shotguns laying around. (Well, not like on the couch or anything like that. Responsibly.) I have no problem with people owning guns and being responsible users. 

With that being said, I totally agree with you on this point. Weapons like that are an entirely different can of worms. Frankly, they scare me and the people who have them make me a little nervous. 

 

The (issue? problem? thing?) I have always had with this show is the original price point of the homes. In my part of the world, you can actually find $25,000 homes. They're not in great condition but they are excellent flipping material. Buy them up, put three times as much money in them, and you'd still get a great profit. There's a house here in town that recently sold for $40,000. It had 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and an acre yard. The buyers invested $50,000 and turned around and sold it for $150.000. They didn't even need financing for the original buy-they were able to use cash. Flipping has, therefore, been accessible to lots of people in the area, regardless of income bracket. Now, I realize that I live in the probably the poorest part of the country and I've been to places where the average home is $500,000 or more. Still, it's hard for me to wrap my head around FLIPPING a house that originally sells for $300,000. I mean, for most of us where I live, that original price point is something most of us could only DREAM of ever affording-and that would be for our dream house. :-)

Edited December 20, 2016 by mamadrama

[ByaNose]

12 hours ago, Evil Queen said:

We do need heat at times. Which I know for where I am that our temps don't seem cold to many but its what I call Cali cold and for those of us from here know what I mean. This week is one of those times we actually need it here and there. Yet it will also depend on how your home is too. I know we lived in one house that it was a must when it got cold otherwise we would be freezing all night and sometimes in the day. When we lived in a townhouse though we didn't use it to often because our place kept warmth pretty good in the house unless it got to a certain temp outside. That is the one thing that the places in my area do have...heat. The house we were in had central heat. The townhouse had electric heat which was in the ceilings and something I had never had before in a place. Growing up we had just the one floor heater that was on each side of a wall but didn't heat the house up much really unless you stood over it. That thing was horrible for not just those reasons but I remember my dad having to light it again here and there too or having someone come out every year or other year to fix it. 

I'm in Pa and I can't remember if I had seen a large wall heat before. Somehow it stood out because the house was new looking and then you see this large vent coming out of the wall. I have a small square one just above the baseboard which isn't that noticeable but the wall heat vent was huge. Of course, if you need it....you need it.

[Artsda]

TMZ -  'Flip or Flop' Star Christina El Moussa Is Done with Tarek

http://www.tmz.com/2016/12/20/flip-or-flop-christina-tarek-el-moussa-tarek-breakup/

 

Flip or Flop Scheduled to End in 2017...for Now, At Least
http://www.eonline.com/news/816889/flip-or-flop-scheduled-to-end-in-2017-for-now-at-least

Quote

While the HGTV show's central figures Tarek El Moussa and Christina El Moussa recently confirmed their secret separation, questions have been raised about the fate of the 3-year-old series. 

E! News has learned the show is scheduled to last beyond 2016, but don't count on a 10-year run. According to a source, there are episodes that will be filmed in the new year in order to fulfill contractual obligations. "The show will end after that," the insider added. 

 

Edited December 20, 2016 by Artsda

[Hpmec]

It's unrealistic to think the show could survive the split. Seems a safe bet that future episodes to meet their contractual obligation will feature very little of Tarek and Chrstina together. He'll buy the property and deal with the contractors. She'll shop for the flooring, cabinets, and countertops. One or the other will handle open house duties and a voiceover at the end will tie things up. Gone will be the warm fuzzy scenes of the family at home and the sense of partnership and shared goals. Those two, with a lot of help, have fixed many broken houses. It's just sad that they're apparently unable to do the same for their marriage. Guess it's one of those "total teardowns" that can't be salvaged. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

 And while Christina's design skills are pretty good, they aren't outstanding.  Pretty much the same thing over & over. 

Which is why, business-wise, they are probably in big trouble. Up until now they've managed to build a thriving construction and design business because of the prestige of their TV show. People want to hire them so they can say they have a Tarek and Christina house, not because her designs are so fabulous or unique. Once they're no longer famous TV people, who's going to want to hire them? Contractors and designers are a dime a dozen. "We used to be on TV" doesn't have the same clout as "we're on a highly rated, popular show."