Flip Or Flop - General Discussion

[Albino]

20 minutes ago, Maya said:

The kitchen and bath looked like they were designed by two different people who had never met each other. 

That reminds me of something someone once said about male genitals...it looks like they were designed by 2 different art directors LOL

[iMonrey]

Quote

I have to say, that's one thing that bugs me - they list the "closing costs" on every deal, but if they're acting as - at least - the realtor for the seller, then at least part of that should be included in their profit.

I don't understand how closing costs work. I do know that "seller pays closing costs" is something used as an incentive to make a property more enticing, so maybe it's T&C's standard strategy to do so. I'm assuming otherwise that either the buyer pays them, or they are split between the buyer and seller. Maybe the figure they show is for when it's split. I dunno.

[Zoe]

6 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I don't understand how closing costs work. I do know that "seller pays closing costs" is something used as an incentive to make a property more enticing, so maybe it's T&C's standard strategy to do so. I'm assuming otherwise that either the buyer pays them, or they are split between the buyer and seller. Maybe the figure they show is for when it's split. I dunno.

In California's market it probably doesn't make sense for them to cover the buyer's closing costs.  They would still need to pay the buyer's agent fee (3%), taxes, and insurance though.

[hatchetgirl]

Closing costs here in California ARE weird. When we bought, in hindsight, I must admit the agents and the mortgage guy were more than willing to throw in money out of their costs.  So i feel it's just sort of this slush fund that someone gets...

[topanga]

18 hours ago, Maya said:

That was one of the ugliest kitchens I've seen in a long time. Plus it seemed like nothing in that house was cohesive. The kitchen and bath looked like they were designed by two different people who had never met each other. 

I really hope they are planning on doing a second coat of paint on the exterior brick. 

Just so I say something nice - I liked the master suite. 

Maya, Maya, Maya. You don't have to say anything nice, you know. But you're a good person for finding something nice to say. 

I also hated the distressed brick. I agree with jcbrown's husband, that the exterior of the house looked like a "Before" shot. 

But I liked all of the interior. Even the asymmetrical tile. I thought it looked artistic. 

[Albino]

I loved the raw edge shelves Christina demanded chose for the kitchen.  If only they actually tied-in to the interior instead of the privacy fence outside.  WTH?

Overall I liked the end result, but I really don't remember anything except the shelves.

[doodlebug]

I was really happy to see Israel again, he's great!  I agree, those rough edged shelves didn't really go with the subway tile or the rest of the kitchen or house.  They'd have looked a lot better if the rest of the house was more rustic than modern in theme.

Edited July 29, 2016 by doodlebug

[iMonrey]

So I guess they do still use Izzy on their projects. It's kind of weird we haven't seen him in so long. I understand they've got 10-20 flips going on at any given time and Izzy can't be the contractor for all of them, and that they have their own contractors now. I'm just curious about how they choose which ones to show on their TV episodes. I'd been speculating they weren't showing Izzy because it didn't service their brand to promote his business, which is understandable. Maybe they got a lot of feedback from fans saying they missed Izzy. The two contractors we've seen more frequently these past couple of seasons don't have much in the way of personality. 

[cattykit]

The only--and I mean only--thing I liked on this ep was seeing Izzy.  Those wood shelves over the godawful ugly subway tile created about the fugliest combination I've ever seen.  And the market in SoCal has to be even crazier than I thought for there to be a bidding war on that tired, tiny, cookie cutter house.  Their designs have become more predictable than Nicole Curtis's, and I didn't think that was possible. 

[ByaNose]

The shelves & the white backsplash looked great. Just not together. They're two different design asethics that don't go together. The kitchen looked nice & bright. Of course, making it white will do that. LOL!! The bathrooms were nicely done, too. I agree with the realitor (and, thought so beforehand) that the dinning space was way too small. The table was shoved against the wall because there wasn't any room for it. Overall, it was a nice flip and they made money. I will say that was the first time I ever heard them discuss an appraisal. I totally forgot about it with all their flips. The house might look like a million dollars but an appraisal might not think so.

[Albino]

1 hour ago, ByaNose said:

The shelves & the white backsplash looked great. Just not together. They're two different design asethics that don't go together. The kitchen looked nice & bright. Of course, making it white will do that. 

I agree.  Christina should make all her kitchens white with stainless appliances.  Oh...wait...

[doodlebug]

11 hours ago, ByaNose said:

The shelves & the white backsplash looked great. Just not together. They're two different design asethics that don't go together. The kitchen looked nice & bright. Of course, making it white will do that. LOL!! The bathrooms were nicely done, too. I agree with the realitor (and, thought so beforehand) that the dinning space was way too small. The table was shoved against the wall because there wasn't any room for it. Overall, it was a nice flip and they made money. I will say that was the first time I ever heard them discuss an appraisal. I totally forgot about it with all their flips. The house might look like a million dollars but an appraisal might not think so.

It's happened several times over the years on the show that the bank wouldn't appraise the house for the amount needed for the loan.  In one case, the buyer came up with more for the down payment to make up the difference. Another time, they had to drop the sale price so the loan would be approved.

One thing this show does is make me ever so glad I don't live in SoCal where people are forced to pay ridiculous prices for tiny little houses with no character or interest.

[StaceyNotStacie]

I liked the idea of shelves, just not those wooden shelves. Glass shelves or something gray to match the countertops would have been better. 

[PepperMonkey]

IZZY! I miss him.

Is Christina pregnant again? I'm encountering these stories (on less than reputable sites, tbh) about how they just had baby BRAYden, but she's having another this August? I keep thinking it's something confused because I haven't seen them say anything about it. Also, she had a rough labor and delivery, and Brayden was born LAST August, so unless they had an oops, which is entirely possible, I don't know what to believe.

The only thing that ever really bothers me about the show (because I never miss it) is Christina's vocal fry and the way they act like they've never encountered (insert crisis here) before. Foundation problems? WHAT?????? Re-pipe? HOW MUCH??? OH NO!!!! Load bearing wall?? ARE YOU SERIOUS??????  It's just a little disingenuous at this point.

Finally, I'm not a big fan of precocious kids either, but I have always been fond of Taylor. My only complaint of late is the way she seems to "rag" on Tarek or maybe she's always done it and we've never seen it. Maybe it's their running joke. The episode where the baby was born bugged me because she was saying the baby looked like her and Mommy but not "YOU" and then "Well, you didn't nail it, but you did good." Okay, actually, I thought that was funny. They're a cute family though, and Christina seems to be a good and attentive Mommy. While still being beautiful.

[chessiegal]

I sincerely doubt Christina is pregnant again, especially being due next month - all her pictures on FB show her being her trim self.

I didn't think the shelves in the kitchen fit in either,

[Broderbits]

Guess I'm the only one who actually liked the wood shelves contrasted against the white tile. I like varying textures. One thing I AM sick of on all these home shows is the checkerboard tile insets in showers & backsplashes and the resulting oohing & ahhing like it's some fabulous new design feature. Move on already.

[iMonrey]

I didn't like the shelves at first but after the house was staged and there were things on them they looked OK. My issue is that I'm sick to death of white subway tile in the kitchen. T&C must have a whole warehouse full of it somewhere, I swear they've used nothing else this entire season, and I'd never in a million years want that in my kitchen. Bathroom, OK - but not the kitchen.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I hated the "reclaimed" shelving with the subway tile. Mismatched and awful.

But what I really hated is that they covered (or replaced, God forbid) beautiful original oak flooring with ugly gray laminate floors. I curse them with the pain of a thousand paper cuts.

[topanga]

On 7/29/2016 at 11:37 AM, doodlebug said:

I was really happy to see Israel again, he's great!  I agree, those rough edged shelves didn't really go with the subway tile or the rest of the kitchen or house.  They'd have looked a lot better if the rest of the house was more rustic than modern in theme.

 

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I didn't like the shelves at first but after the house was staged and there were things on them they looked OK. My issue is that I'm sick to death of white subway tile in the kitchen. T&C must have a whole warehouse full of it somewhere, I swear they've used nothing else this entire season, and I'd never in a million years want that in my kitchen. Bathroom, OK - but not the kitchen.

Izzy! Yeah, it was nice to see him again. And the last time we saw him, the house also had a big crack running through the foundation. 

The rustic shelves grew on me, too. I like the way they looked with the staging. And I know staging is just for aesthetics, but I hate all of the useless knick-knacks the stagers put on shelves. 

10 hours ago, PepperMonkey said:

Finally, I'm not a big fan of precocious kids either, but I have always been fond of Taylor. My only complaint of late is the way she seems to "rag" on Tarek or maybe she's always done it and we've never seen it. Maybe it's their running joke. The episode where the baby was born bugged me because she was saying the baby looked like her and Mommy but not "YOU" and then "Well, you didn't nail it, but you did good." Okay, actually, I thought that was funny. They're a cute family though, and Christina seems to be a good and attentive Mommy. While still being beautiful.

Taylor has always been hot-and-cold with Tarek. I remember when she was younger, there were times she'd enthusiastically hug him and say, "Bye, Dada! Love you!" And in other episodes, she wouldn't want him to kiss her. I have my theories: Christina might be the tougher parent, which means Taylor knows she can get away with ragging on Tarek, the pushover parent. Or maybe she spends most of her time with Christina, not Tarek, and the only time Tarek gives her lots of attention is when they're filming a Flip or Flop episode. Which would make anyone resentful, even a young child. But I'm armchair psychoanalyzing the family. I could be totally wrong. 

[Broderbits]

Topanga said:

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And I know staging is just for aesthetics, but I hate all of the useless knick-knacks the stagers put on shelves. 

IMHO that particular stager, who we've seen in an earlier season as a flipper, really clutters up the rooms with stuff. It's almost like he's trying to sell his merchandise instead of the house. Do people really want to live in a Pier 1?

[Cranky One]

On 7/22/2016 at 0:41 PM, iMonrey said:

. I don't get the big hang-up with bricks anyway. Every time they find bricks they have to be changed, like bricks are so offensive all of a sudden. I guess bricks are right up there with linoleum flooring and Formica counter tops, huh?

My brand new built home not only has a brick archway leading into another room, it also has one wall that's solid brick, which I love! I now live in Mississippi and all the new houses have brick in the interiors. What I don't love about it is that it's not smoothed out like you normally see and really rough and is a dog hair magnet! However, I agree with replacing linoleum and Formica (even though in my last house that was built in 1989, I lived with mauve Formica kitchen counters for 10 years cuz it was in good shape!

On 7/24/2016 at 1:37 AM, MsTree said:

Oh please...I'd take Taylor all day long and twice on Sundays (she hardly says two words) instead of someone like Milania at that age. Now THAT's precocious!

I love Taylor and her huge grin! She cracks me up!

On 7/26/2016 at 2:17 PM, iMonrey said:

I don't understand how closing costs work. I do know that "seller pays closing costs" is something used as an incentive to make a property more enticing, so maybe it's T&C's standard strategy to do so. I'm assuming otherwise that either the buyer pays them, or they are split between the buyer and seller. Maybe the figure they show is for when it's split. I dunno.

I sold my house TX house in January and every offer we got, the buyer asked for closing. A lot of times it's because they can't afford your asking and don't have the money for closing. We went to contract with one person that offered us 9K over asking because he needed that much in closing (It gave us an offer we accepted, but the guy was a nutjob and that fell through). A few other offers we had, would offer a lowball price AND ask for closing.  Anyway, the people we sold to were the only ones that didn't ask for it. We didn't ask for closing for our current house, but I think the builder threw in $3K.

As someone who used to live in south Orange County and has family that still does, I STILL shake my head at the housing prices. I've noticed that they don't do south OC...probably because it would be too expensive to flip, but surely there are some houses that need help south of Tustin (I think they did one there?). Also, if memory serves correctly, the areas they are flipping aren't that great. I may be wrong, but if the house they are flipping is that bad, the rest of the neighborhood can't be that great for the most part.  I mean, if you're flipping a house that people are breaking into (staged or not) or other shenanigans (or if people have bars on their windows that we don't see), I sure as hell wouldn't want to live there...or have the nicest house on the block.

[iMonrey]

And that house was right across the street from an apartment building, so the neighborhood was mixed housing. And yet they were still able to command a price in the high 400K range. Sheesh.

Quote

My only complaint of late is the way she seems to "rag" on Tarek or maybe she's always done it and we've never seen it. Maybe it's their running joke. The episode where the baby was born bugged me because she was saying the baby looked like her and Mommy but not "YOU" and then "Well, you didn't nail it, but you did good." 

I'm sure Taylor takes her cue from the way her mother teases Tarek. She sees mommy ribbing daddy like this all the time so she's going to do the same thing herself.

[mojito]

I might have found the shelves and the back splash more acceptable if 1) Christina didn't frame them as some sort of modern design and 2) the kitchen didn't need more cabinets; why would anyone want to have to dust their dishes? And why clutter up a home with decorative crap that also needs dusting?

It's a little humorous that when Christina wants to try something new (to her), she finds a lame reason for doing so (makes the room look larger, is modern, etc.) rather than "I wanna try this to see how it'll turn out". 

As for Taylor....she's a little kid and kids say all sorts of things that grown ups tend to ignore....because they're just kids.

Edited August 1, 2016 by mojito
edit mistake

[Mrs peel]

On ‎7‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 6:22 PM, jcbrown said:

I hated the exterior of the house, too. I had been doing something on the computer and listening to the show. Looked up when my husband said "ugh" at the exterior and asked, "wait, that was the before though, right?" I thought it looked dreadful.

We have double sinks in our master but that is because our overlords like to drink from the faucet and play in the water while we are in there. Double sinks mean we can use one and the cats can have the other.

Hold on, your cats are willing to not take over the sink you are using?  How did you train them to do that?  Mine ignore the second sink unless I am thinking of using it!

I'm getting sick of this show, as others have said, it's the same rinse and repeat.  My pet peeve is whenever they buy a house in an HOA, and then are shocked, shocked I tell you, that are HOA rules on things like paint color and fencing.  Who would have thought ?!?!  Oh, other than 2 experienced real estate agents/house flippers.

And of course I get blinded by Christina's bad veneers whenever she speaks.

Quote

How did I miss this look when I was living in the middle of the century?

I agree.  I think of limed oak furniture and lots of turquoise.  The kitchens were white, until the 60s

On the east coast, it was pink and grey bathrooms and knotty pine kitchen cabinets (think Mad Men).

[Gam2]

Yeah, I'm getting really tired of the same designs in every house, the faked surprise at every bump in the road, her too-large teeth, false eyelashes and lisp. Most annoying to me is how she just cuts her eyes at whoever is talking instead of actually turning her head to look at that person. My husband would think I had a crick in my neck from sleeping on the wrong pillow if I did that. Or had lost my mind.

[jcbrown]

2 hours ago, Gam2 said:

Most annoying to me is how she just cuts her eyes at whoever is talking instead of actually turning her head to look at that person. My husband would think I had a crick in my neck from sleeping on the wrong pillow if I did that. Or had lost my mind.

You know, I've noticed that and never articulated exactly why it looks so off and you are exactly right! She always looks like she is about to say something snarky but it is just her weird affectation of not turning her head. I wonder if she thinks her face looks better from a certain angle and that is why she does that?

[okerry]

Aw, I'll admit to enjoying this show. I think the "shocked" reactions we see are to let the audience know what can happen when you try to flip a home without checking everything. Of course T&C already know what can happen. They're trying to demonstrate to the audience what can go wrong and what you can do about it. That's kinda what the show is about it.

I find it all informative - who knew you could actually raise and level a whole house, if you have the $$$$$ to spend on it? I've learned that people just love to slap on illegal, unpermitted additions that can cause real problems later on. And yes, some folks don't realize that you have to check with the HOA first when there is one.

I also like the way T&C interact with each other. It's nice. No, I'm not associated with them in any way - I just enjoy the show.

[NewDigs]

And it's just a 30 minute show so things seem to happen quickly then on to the next episode, or not.

We get confused which episodes we've seen. They sometimes all seem the same and we're left with, Haven't we seen this one? 

And I wish I had a dollar for every time my husband asks, Did they say what the HOA fees are? But that happens across-the-board with any of these real estate shows.

[topanga]

On 8/20/2016 at 11:26 AM, okerry said:

Aw, I'll admit to enjoying this show. I think the "shocked" reactions we see are to let the audience know what can happen when you try to flip a home without checking everything. Of course T&C already know what can happen. They're trying to demonstrate to the audience what can go wrong and what you can do about it. That's kinda what the show is about it.

I find it all informative - who knew you could actually raise and level a whole house, if you have the $$$$$ to spend on it? I've learned that people just love to slap on illegal, unpermitted additions that can cause real problems later on. And yes, some folks don't realize that you have to check with the HOA first when there is one.

I also like the way T&C interact with each other. It's nice. No, I'm not associated with them in any way - I just enjoy the show.

Thanks, okerry. You've summed up nicely why I keep watching this show. Yes, I roll my eyes when Tarek and Christina learn about the "surprise" plumbing or electrical issues or the surprising permit requirements from the City. 

But I still enjoy seeing the "Before" and "After" shots. The transformations they make on these homes are incredible. And even if I don't always agree with Christina's design choices, the finished product is always nicer than the original... Except for that distressed brick house. That look was butt-ugly. 

[iMonrey]

They seem to be doing some kind of special episodes called "Selling Summer" starting this Thursday so maybe it'll be a nice break from their tired formula. I really liked when they did the Follow Up episodes because they broke out of their usual mold to revisit and expound on whether previous flips were really successes or flops. The problem comes from the fact that after you've seen about a dozen of their regular shows they all start to feel the same and I think that's probably dictated more by HGTV than T&C. 

[StaceyNotStacie]

I like the 30 minute aspect of this show. I've tried watching Fixer Upper and while the houses are nice, I can't stomach an hour of that couple. I don't know what it is, but there's something about that couple that just grates on my nerves. At least Flip or Flop gets right to the point. 

[iMonrey]

The weird thing about Fixer Upper (versus Flip or Flop) is that the buyers are not looking to re-sell at a profit, so the design can be very specific to their own tastes. So why do the houses all end up looking the same, with the usual shiplap and whatnot? I mean, I get that if you hire Joanna to do your interior design your're going to get something that looks like all the other rooms she's ever designed, but still. You'd think there would be a bit more variety. 

Christina and Tarek, on the other hand, are trying to sell to a mass market and give their houses the broadest appeal, so they can't do a lot of very wild and taste-specific designs. The sameness of their designs gets kind of monotonous but at least it's more understandable.

[Broderbits]

IMO, Fixer Upper is a much more "cult of personality" show because those homeowners expect to get the Magnolia Farms treatment and that the house will look like every other one Joanna's touched. At least until she takes all the furniture & decorative junk back to the farm, since I understand they don't get to keep those items. Then they can go buy the stuff back and list the place for rent as a "Fixer Upper" experience!

T&C, on the other hand, are in business to flip and sell. I love when we get to see what buyers have done to put their own stamp on a house.

[auntjess]

On ‎8‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 3:12 PM, Mrs peel said:

On the east coast, it was pink and grey bathrooms

Yes, I had one, but that house was built in 1964.  It also had a yellow & brown master bath, and gray and white one.

[Honey]

On 8/23/2016 at 2:30 PM, iMonrey said:

The weird thing about Fixer Upper (versus Flip or Flop) is that the buyers are not looking to re-sell at a profit, so the design can be very specific to their own tastes. So why do the houses all end up looking the same, with the usual shiplap and whatnot? I mean, I get that if you hire Joanna to do your interior design your're going to get something that looks like all the other rooms she's ever designed, but still. You'd think there would be a bit more variety. 

Christina and Tarek, on the other hand, are trying to sell to a mass market and give their houses the broadest appeal, so they can't do a lot of very wild and taste-specific designs. The sameness of their designs gets kind of monotonous but at least it's more understandable.

Sorry this is off topic for this thread, but I've read that quite a few of the homes featured on the show are listed as rentals in Waco.

What was it Christina kept saying?  "Dialed" As in this backyard is "dialed"?  Is that her new saying, as in "dialed in"?

[ByaNose]

This Flip was too modern for me. I didn't like it at all. Of course, if someone gave it to me for free I wouldn't turn it down.

[doodlebug]

Watched last night, not sure how much longer I can keep it up, though.  Christina's vocal fry is so grating; you'd think someone at TLC would send her to a voice coach.  And, if I hear her refer to the color gray one more time as 'pretty', I will go right over the edge.  Girlfriend needs a thesaurus, gray is many things; soothing, calming, neutral; but pretty it is not.  I did find it amusing when she was holding the stack of color swatches picking out the wall color and the ones on top were attractive shades of blue and pink.  I thought to myself, 'where's the gray? Christina doesn't like actual color.'   But then, Old Reliable pulled out the gray from the bottom of the pile and pronounced it 'pretty'.  Nice fakeout.

Edited August 26, 2016 by doodlebug

[Albino]

Since when is a nice green lawn considered too downscale for a million dollar home?  The back yard looked like a theme park FFS - water feature, fire pit, pool,  hot tub, 2 (or 3?) seating areas, built-in barbecue, yada yada yada.  Then Tarek and Christina decide that a small patch of grass behind the home wasn't up to snuff and struggle to come up with a Big Idea to make it more interesting.  Hey...what about a putting green?  OMG yes!  

Have they never seen House Hunters?  Virtually every HH wants "green space" for their dogs or kids.  Or just something natural out there. 

[iMonrey]

At least they're trying something different with this show, although it seems rather odd they'd start airing "Selling Summer" episodes at the end of August, when summer is almost over. Maybe the Olympics screwed up their schedule.

Braydon is cute but I groaned out loud when I saw his hair fixed in a faux hawk. Don't do that to the poor kid.

What on earth was Tarek wearing around his neck in some of those talking heads? It was some weird metal necklace and I couldn't make out what the heck it was supposed to be.

One thing I will never get over is the criminally high prices of homes in SoCal. Over a million dollars for that little cracker box house, just because it's in SoCal and near the ocean. That same house in the midwest would cost less than a hundred thousand dollars. As Miss Daisy would say, "Highway robbery."

Doodlebug - I said the same thing about the gray, especially when she was holding a color swatch of varying shades of gray and picked one in particular as "pretty," as though they weren't all just . . . gray. You'd think in a "beach house" they could inject a little bit more color and go for a more beachy vibe, but I guess they know what's going to look "high end" and sell for what they're asking.

[NewDigs]

The only positive thing I could come up with about the gray is that it does appear as a blank slate to a buyer. Too many colors might present too many chances for the, My things will never go with this!, remarks.

eta: but gray? Howsabout white or ivory?

And agree with @iMonrey about SoCal prices. Real jawdroppers. And their curb appeal is just not all that. Guess they need all the "toys"(bbqs, spas, fire pits etc.) to help justify the prices. I'd prefer some green space.

Edited August 26, 2016 by NewDigs

[Eeksquire]

Quote

The only positive thing I could come up with about the gray is that it does appear as a blank slate to a buyer. Too many colors might present too many chances for the, My things will never go with this!, remarks.

I chuckle every time someone says that on one of these shows.  It's paint.  PAINT.  aka, the cheapest, easiest thing to change in a house.  It's one thing if you hate the cabinets, the carpet, the tile, etc., but the paint color is a really easy fix.

[NewDigs]

45 minutes ago, Eeksquire said:

I chuckle every time someone says that on one of these shows.  It's paint.  PAINT.  aka, the cheapest, easiest thing to change in a house.  It's one thing if you hate the cabinets, the carpet, the tile, etc., but the paint color is a really easy fix.

But I've been seeing them put in some grayish planked floors and tilework too. And I still don't understand floor tile that looks like a wood floor. And not a subway-tile fan. At all. 

I think it's a dreary color that, though easily painted over, looks, to me, dull. But we're yellows and blues and reds.

But I get your point and am sure I've rolled my eyes more than once over some complaints about easy fixes. 

[Honey]

I love tile that looks like wood.  It holds up better for pet owners, or for those near the beach where sand and water will destroy a hardwood floor pretty quickly.

I agree about grey being blah.  Grey is pretty if enhanced with another color like teal, soft pink or a soft yellow, now that is pretty, but grey alone is meh.

It's so funny I just can't hear Christina's vocal fry, and I'm someone who gets really annoyed when I hear it.

[doodlebug]

35 minutes ago, Honey said:

I love tile that looks like wood.  It holds up better for pet owners, or for those near the beach where sand and water will destroy a hardwood floor pretty quickly.

I agree about grey being blah.  Grey is pretty if enhanced with another color like teal, soft pink or a soft yellow, now that is pretty, but grey alone is meh.

It's so funny I just can't hear Christina's vocal fry, and I'm someone who gets really annoyed when I hear it.

I'll second the tile that looks like wood, especially in the kitchen.  When I remodeled my kitchen, I got wood laminate.  I loved the look, but, between the dogs and water damage from leaks; it didn't last at all.  Replaced it with wood-look tile and it looks brand new, years later.  Cleans up quick and easy too.

When they decided that somehow a putting green was the answer to the 'dialed in' look for the backyard, I found it amazing. I live in a very middle class suburb of a Midwestern city and at least 2 homes on my block have putting greens.  Of course, they also have regular backyards with swings, patios, etc.  If it isn't that uncommon here where we get snow; it cannot be that big a deal in SoCal.  As a matter of fact, there are even some local companies that specialize in installing and maintaining putting greens at private homes.  However, I must say, my neighbors' greens are nicer than the one on the show; they have real grass.  And the houses are worth nowhere near a million bucks.

Edited August 26, 2016 by doodlebug

[silverspoons]

I have watched this show only to see the variety of houses and neighborhoods and price ranges in SoCal. I certainly have not been fan of the staging of the how they find the house, how they bid on the houses and of Christina's personality.

I still can't believe people will pay 1.2 million dollars for a home  next to a house that had a tarp for a carport and a messy backyard. I guess I see why so many people moved where I live in Southern Utah from So Cal and are excited about 350k brand new homes.

I was shocked to learn Tarek and Christina are into those overpriced scam real estate seminars. The type you see on tv (remember Amando?) and they offer a free seminar. Then Tarek and Christina are too busy to attend so they have high pressure sales people sell packages of coaching for up to 50k. I know many of the flipping show hosts did this but I didn't know Tarek and Christina were into this. I can't believe so many people would have over 5-10-40k to them for help coaching (and the coaching is just from some random salesman, most of the coaching is done from Northern Utah by clean cut LDS men). 

[iMonrey]

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I chuckle every time someone says that on one of these shows.  It's paint.  PAINT.  aka, the cheapest, easiest thing to change in a house.  It's one thing if you hate the cabinets, the carpet, the tile, etc., but the paint color is a really easy fix.

And yet time after time on all of these HGTV shows the home buyers walk around and make a big stink if they don't like the color on the walls. Now maybe it's all producer driven and they don't really care that much but for as often as we see it happen you would have to assume paint colors are a deal breaker for a lot of these buyers. Especially the ones who insist they have to have a turn-key home and don't want any kind of renovations, not even painting. In that case it does make sense for the designers to use neutral colors, although it seems like grey has replaced white or beige in that capacity.

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I was shocked to learn Tarek and Christina are into those overpriced scam real estate seminars. 

silverspoons I have to admit my opinion of T&C dropped quite a bit when I learned they lent their names to that kind of scheme. 

[auntjess]

That million + house looked really close to the house next door.
And they talked about it being near the beach, but I didn't see anything, maybe they could have done an aerial, that showed how close it really was.
I hope the DIY people who be doing a "That's So Teen" episode in the future, will take note of all that damn gray paint.
I liked it, and Moroccan pattern rugs, at first,, but there's just so so much of them.
 

[Cranky One]

I'm with y'all on them doing these seminars. If it weren't for the show, I doubt business would be so booming.

They paid $750k for the house or around that? How in the hell does it appraise for $1.2k which I believe they got a cash offer for...but I guess if it's a cash offer, it doesn't have to appraise because you're not getting a loan?

[Cranky One]

T&C posted this on air open house for today on their FB page.

On-camera open house tomorrow 2-4 pm
11763 Forest Grove Street
El Monte, CA 91732

Before flip 

And after flip

Alrighty, then...

[Eeksquire]

...Is that ... mulch? Covering the entire backyard? At first I thought it might be gravel, but I am so perplexed.  The rest of the house (inside) looks like standard Christina gray and white design.  (Which is ok with me, but the fireplace was a little much in this one.)