Flip Or Flop - General Discussion

[iMonrey]

Quote

I think what you are seeing is their outdoor kitchen. If you look through all 75 pictures on the second link posted, their actual kitchen has brown cabinets, grayish tan walls, and white counter tops. It would make sense that the outdoor kitchen would be floor to ceiling tile to withstand the elements. 

You're right but . . . the rest of the house is also mostly gray everywhere. Christina really hates color doesn't she? Even the baby's room is a wash of brown and gray earth tones. 

[txvoodoo]

6 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Christina really hates color doesn't she?

She is not a designer. She has no design ability.

God, I miss Sarah Richardson.

[MsTree]

I don't think it's about hating color as it is about using calming colors and being trendy. 

Some people don't like fire engine red or cobalt blue, or even day-glow colors in their home. It's a personal choice.

That said, if you want to see lots & lots of colors and mixed patterns, watch how Mina & Karen decorate their homes in "Good Bones".

[Rabbittron]

Did anyone watch tonight? I want to know if it is worth watching on demand.

[answerphone]

Tarek says, "Oh, the driveway. I really didn't even think about the driveway."

Ridiculous fake script and the usual stilted acting.

I only watch this show now to snark here. And it's interesting to me, because I don't live too far from their flip neighborhoods.

Does every show have to end with someone doing a karate chop on a throw pillow?

[txvoodoo]

I haven't watched in ages but watched a little tonight. My god, it really highlights how little chemistry these 2 have - and they never had it. And they're so wooden. 

[sheetmoss]

I thought they were quite pleasant together lastnight

[doodlebug]

3 hours ago, sheetmoss said:

I thought they were quite pleasant together lastnight

Well, they weren’t involved in any contrived divorce drama; but they are very stiff and awkward, especially in their  scenes together.  They’ve always been mediocre actors and maybe it’s the divorce or maybe I’m tired of them, but it seems even worse this season.

It does seem like they are making some different design choices this season;  not every house gets white shaker cabinets and subway tile, although every exterior must be gray. I think all the different regional Flip or Flops has made them step up their game a little.

[mojito]

7/12 episode. I thought the tile accent on the exterior of the house covered too much house, it went too high up. 

[WarnerCL45]

On 2018-07-10 at 9:07 PM, txvoodoo said:

She is not a designer. She has no design ability.

God, I miss Sarah Richardson.

I was finding Sarah’s decorating choices boring - too much blue, too modern.  Everyone’s decor is the same now.  Very sterile.

[lynxfx]

13 hours ago, answerphone said:

Does every show have to end with someone doing a karate chop on a throw pillow?

lol I'm pretty sure it is just a running joke now between all home renovation/selling shows. 

I still can't believe that place was 4 bedrooms. I was thinking they would merge two to make the master but I guess more bedrooms allows higher listing price on paper.

The backsplash was ugly but I did like the feature wall and tying it into the peninsula. 

[sheetmoss]

5 hours ago, mojito said:

7/12 episode. I thought the tile accent on the exterior of the house covered too much house, it went too high up. 

It all reminded me of  a shower inset  too... and not in a good way - I did  not like it

Edited July 13, 2018 by sheetmoss

[ByaNose]

This was one of their uglier flips. I thought the outside was horrendous. Tile on the outside? The kitchen was bigger but disjointed. The accent wall was okay but it was just stick-on shiplap. It’s not entirely a new thing. Also, who invited the annoying 12 year old? Unless, she’s paying for the house she needs to pipe down. How many faces did Christina make? I’m asking for a friend. 

[DietCokeJunkie]

Were these the shoes Christina had on the other night? Good lord! Who wears $1000 shoes to a construction site? Give me a break! https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/valentino-garavani-rockstud-slingback-100mm-pump-prod194670317?ECID=NMDR__FB_daba&utm_medium=display+remarketing&utm_source=NMDR__FB_daba

[sheetmoss]

2 hours ago, DietCokeJunkie said:

Were these the shoes Christina had on the other night? Good lord! Who wears $1000 shoes to a construction site? Give me a break! https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/valentino-garavani-rockstud-slingback-100mm-pump-prod194670317?ECID=NMDR__FB_daba&utm_medium=display+remarketing&utm_source=NMDR__FB_daba

You do when they're a tax deduction.

[doodlebug]

9 hours ago, DietCokeJunkie said:

Were these the shoes Christina had on the other night? Good lord! Who wears $1000 shoes to a construction site? Give me a break! https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/valentino-garavani-rockstud-slingback-100mm-pump-prod194670317?ECID=NMDR__FB_daba&utm_medium=display+remarketing&utm_source=NMDR__FB_daba

Someone who isn't actually doing the work but considers herself to be a TV star?

[iMonrey]

I did see this latest episode, but I honestly don't remember a thing about it. T&C's flips have become so boring and repetitive. They never really do anything distinctive that makes them stand out from the crowd. At least with Aubrey and Bristol you get some kind of train wreck to marvel at - all of T&C's flips look the same anymore. Bring back Ken and Anita!

[OnTime]

3 hours ago, doodlebug said:

  12 hours ago, DietCokeJunkie said:

Were these the shoes Christina had on the other night? Good lord! Who wears $1000 shoes to a construction site? Give me a break! https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/valentino-garavani-rockstud-slingback-100mm-pump-prod194670317?ECID=NMDR__FB_daba&utm_medium=display+remarketing&utm_source=NMDR__FB_daba

The same person that wears false eyelashes and excessive hair extensions to put up one piece of tile and make a "super cute" backsplash.

[lynxfx]

16 hours ago, ByaNose said:

This was one of their uglier flips. I thought the outside was horrendous. Tile on the outside? The kitchen was bigger but disjointed. The accent wall was okay but it was just stick-on shiplap. It’s not entirely a new thing. Also, who invited the annoying 12 year old? Unless, she’s paying for the house she needs to pipe down. How many faces did Christina make? I’m asking for a friend. 

Tiling the outside of a house seems to be getting quite popular. You will find it on a lot of model homes in new communities. It is usually to accent the architecture (think feature wall) and used in place of stonework. When done right it can look really cool and expensive. I agree, their use of it wasn't the best. It didn't really match with the color of the house and the band of stone made it look like one of their showers.

The kid was annoying and surely fed a bunch of lines to say. I prefer Aubrey and Bristol's open houses. They don't seem to hide the negative opinions.

[iMonrey]

Yeah the tile on the outside just looked plain wrong to me. And I don't get why stick-on wallpaper cost $1200. You could buy that in a role for shelf lining paper at about $7 a roll. 

[penbrat]

On ‎7‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 11:26 AM, WarnerCL45 said:

.  Everyone’s decor is the same now.  Very sterile.

Every house they have ever done on Flip or Flop looks the same to me.  Exactly the same.  And if people prefer that kind of décor that’s fine.  But I like a little color and character in décor.

On ‎7‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 8:44 AM, doodlebug said:

Someone who isn't actually doing the work but considers herself to be a TV star?

Why do I have this bad feeling that she (or maybe he) is going to end up on Dancing with the Stars in the fall?

[WarnerCL45]

17 minutes ago, penbrat said:

And if people prefer that kind of décor that’s fine.  But I like a little color and character in décor.

Maybe they do this so you "can make it your own" - but it's not my taste, for sure.  On one episode of Masters of Flip, they had very bold colors on the walls (and, I believe, a ceiling), hated it.  But then, I'm the queen of beige, taupe, and grey!

On 13/07/2018 at 11:35 PM, DietCokeJunkie said:

Who wears $1000 shoes to a construction site?

The female half of the teams seem to do this quite often.  I hope it's just for the cameras.  

[iMonrey]

Quote

I realize the flipping stars are under no obligation to maintain their marriages for the public but something about the greediness and tabloid nature of Christina & Tarek's personal issues really turned me off.   And when I saw they had become involved with one of those traveling, how-to-flip houses, snake oil organizations, I lost all respect.  Greedy.  Sad for their children.

The format just doesn't work anymore. I mean, the original premise was this young, married couple with this cute little girl, starting out in the flipping business. It's all broken now. The marriage is over, there's no real reason for them to be business partners at this point except they still want the income from the TV show. It's so forced and fake. 

[Angeltoes]

I almost fell over with the latest episode because Christina didn't once mention gray. 

Of the two of them I prefer Tarek but, bless his heart, he's a terrible actor.  You can tell he's reciting memorized lines.  And she is very enamored with herself and can't keep her hands off her hair.   

[Percysowner]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

The format just doesn't work anymore. I mean, the original premise was this young, married couple with this cute little girl, starting out in the flipping business. It's all broken now. The marriage is over, there's no real reason for them to be business partners at this point except they still want the income from the TV show. It's so forced and fake. 

Well, I'll be honest, I wouldn't give up a well paying job just because I got a divorce. Heck, if it was the way to keep my job, I would have tried really hard to work with my ex-husband.

Before the divorce, Tarek battled cancer, then Christina had a high risk pregnancy. Both of those can cost a LOT of money. Medical bills are the number one reason people go bankrupt. I don't think they were going bankrupt, but they did have bills outside of their ordinary spending.

HGTV told them they could keep the show, and they decided they could co-exist in order to keep working. I don't blame them at all for the decision. I DO blame HGTV for the uncomfortable "fighting" we see. They are in control of the final edit and some of the conflict scenes seem to have been shot at a different time from the flipping part of the episode, which makes me think HGTV asked for that to be inserted. The show has been schizophrenic this season with T&C fighting in one episode then doing a regular flip in the next. I suspect HGTV is trying to figure out if they can make the show work and what format works best. From what I know, the ratings have been good, because people like to watch a car wreck. HGTV may try to keep the show going if the ratings hold up. And why not? If people are watching, then the advertisers are getting their money's worth. I don't know if I will continue to watch, my life has gotten busy and there is only so much I can follow, but I don't blame T&C for keeping the show going.

[DVDFreaker]

22 hours ago, penbrat said:

Why do I have this bad feeling that she (or maybe he) is going to end up on Dancing with the Stars in the fall?

I doubt either one can dance so I doubt it will happen

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, DVDFreaker said:

I doubt either one can dance so I doubt it will happen

Didn't stop Kate Gosselin.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Well, I'll be honest, I wouldn't give up a well paying job just because I got a divorce. Heck, if it was the way to keep my job, I would have tried really hard to work with my ex-husband.

If their flipping business is as successful as they say it is, then they don't need the show. They can be equal partners in that business without really working together much. There's no real reason for them to go look at houses together and pick out finishes together and have one-on-ones to determine prices and so forth. That's all just a front for the show. 

But I suspect the show drives their business, and without they wouldn't have much of a business. 

[ByaNose]

The show is getting so annoying with the bickering. We get it. You are divorced. Jeez! Can we just move on. That said, I did like the idea that “Christina” had of running the penny tile in different directions in the bathrooms. Simple idea but I never thought of it. I will definitely be doing that in my new place. 

[xtwheeler]

On 7/6/2018 at 8:56 PM, topanga said:

I agree. 3 bed, 2 bath, 1800 sq feet? Not worth 1.1 million. That must be some neighborhood. 

I grew up in Arcadia. Virtually all of it is a pretty great neighborhood when you're comparing it across the board, but for just Arcadia itself, that isn't a particularly special neighborhood. The selling point in Arcadia is that virtually every public school is rated an 8, 9, or 10. For comparison, the public high school that the swankiest part of neighboring Pasadena zones to is a 4. Absolutely no one there will send their kid to public school, so factor in spending $20-45k per child per year for private school. At least in Arcadia public school is an option.

For reference, my parents bought in Arcadia in 1972. 2000 square feet, half an acre, $60k. Sold in 1992 for about $600k, and now (with an addition of about another 1000 square feet, that house is valued at almost $3 million. One of the benefits of owning property in CA, though, is it is virtually always the first real estate market to recover after a dip, and once you buy, your property tax is essentially locked at the original value (not reassessed every year). So in 1993, my parents were still paying property taxes on a property value of $60k, while in a house worth 10x that.*

*It is more complicated than this, slightly, but for the purposes of this, close enough.

[topanga]

Man, that was awful. Not the flip, which was actually quite nice, but the fake conflicts over Christina’s boyfriend, Tarek’s “jealousy,” and the poorly-acted arguments over design. More than anything else, it took away time we could’ve spent watching more of the flip.

Like the leaking from the water heater. How was that fixed??

I do think they spent a lot of money (120 K?) on a house they bought at almost 700 K. I wonder how long it’s going to take to sell.

That tri-level was indeed dated-looking, but when they finished, it looked pretty modern. I loved the finishes in the kitchen—which makes me think Tarek DID NOT choose them. His design choices have always been terrible. I thought there would’ve been way too much white in the kitchen, but the quartz? Marble? counter and island had enough gray contrast to keep them from being bland.

[doodlebug]

26 minutes ago, topanga said:

Man, that was awful. Not the flip, which was actually quite nice, but the fake conflicts over Christina’s boyfriend, Tarek’s “jealousy,” and the poorly-acted arguments over design. More than anything else, it took away time we could’ve spent watching more of the flip.

Like the leaking from the water heater. How was that fixed??

I do think they spent a lot of money (120 K?) on a house they bought at almost 700 K. I wonder how long it’s going to take to sell.

That tri-level was indeed dated-looking, but when they finished, it looked pretty modern. I loved the finishes in the kitchen—which makes me think Tarek DID NOT choose them. His design choices have always been terrible. I thought there would’ve been way too much white in the kitchen, but the quartz? Marble? counter and island had enough gray contrast to keep them from being bland.

It was painful, especially Christina's pouting and whining that SHE was the designer and there was no way anyone else could do it as well as she did.  She uses the same cupboards, backsplash, tile, marble in virtually every single flip, it ain't rocket science.  And she is no designer.

[ByaNose]

I’m so glad we got to meet Christina’s new boyfriend. Not!

 

OMG! A whole season of the Bickersons?!? I don’t know if they’re contracted for another season after this. If they are I hope they calm the F down with this “storyline”. Does HGTV think people want to see them bicker in every confessional? Usually, it’s the annoying homeowners we have to put up but this ridiculous. That said, the house looked great. We have plenty of those homes in the northeast (Philly) and, it was neat to see how you could modernize them. Also, Christina anyone could design how you design. You weren’t the first and you’re certainly not the last. Pipe down!

[Ninamags]

Well they are bringing a lot more drama.  Cristina is being petulant and bitchy. 

They also showed her new boyfriend.  I really don't care about him, nor care to see him on the show.  

[lynxfx]

The guide had this listed as a repeat with original airing back in June so it skipped it. Luckily Tivo recorded it anyway as a "suggestion". I wonder if these episodes are being aired out of order which is why we get some with no divorce talk, and others that seem to focus on it. 

It is so nice that Desert Flippers is back on. Interesting flips and the couple is watchable.

[MsTree]

5 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I don’t know if they’re contracted for another season after this.

I heard somewhere that Cristina has her own show debuting next year.  Sorry, I don't recall the title.

[ByaNose]

4 hours ago, MsTree said:

I heard somewhere that Cristina has her own show debuting next year.  Sorry, I don't recall the title.

Yeah, I had read that. I was under the impression that it was a test run but sandwiched between another season. Their show is still successful so I don’t think either of them (or HGTV) are leaving the cash cow. I just want the talking head confessionals to stop. 

[iMonrey]

I just don't understand why the show has to be so phony. Are we really supposed to believe Christina would just get dropped off at the house by her new boyfriend? How's she supposed to get home? Is her boyfriend coming back to get her after she's finished filming, or is Tarek supposed to give her a ride? This is just so dumb. Even before they were divorced I never understood why the show insists on all the pretense. It would be ten times more interesting to see how all of this really works. Show us their offices and the employees who actually do the work of finding the houses and getting them inspected. Show us their warehouse full of overstocked hard wood flooring and granite countertops. 

I also think this is making Christina look worse than Tarek. I was 100% on his side. Why try something weird and different when they are already way over budget? How is Christina any more a "designer" than either Tarek or Keith? It's not like she went to design school, she started out in real estate just like Tarek. And yes, it's about time Tarek put his foot down when it comes to the budget. Now he doesn't have to give in to her every whim because he doesn't have to hear about it at home anymore.

[sarthaz]

Show sucks now. I don't watch HGTV for drama. Same with CNBC. Feels like another one of those shows where some producer is trying to amp up a bunch of drama that nobody wants. Tarek and Christina are not interesting personalities. They never have been. The star of the show is the renovations. As a parent and a human being, I care that their children are OK, but beyond that, I don't give a rat's ass what is going on in their personal lives. What a waste. I'm not sure I can tolerate the new incarnation of the show where the producers are clearly forcing the tension narrative instead of just showing interesting renovation projects.

[MsTree]

I actually thought tonight's show was fairly "normal" for them...and I enjoy seeing the kids once in a while.

[Hpmec]

Apparently the powers that be at HGTV think we can't get enough of Christina, and they've decided she deserves her own show. The series will focus on her life at the beach where she'll be making over her newly purchased home. Watching paint dry would probably be more interesting than watching a wealthy young newly divorced mother of two from the OC tool around in a luxury car, shop, walk the beach with her "hot" (her description) new British reality tv guy boyfriend, and make predictable boring design choices for her own outrageously expensive new digs. I think Real Housewives of OC might be a better fit.

[lynxfx]

oops wrong thread

Edited August 3, 2018 by lynxfx

[iMonrey]

Seems to be a new trend this season where "inventory is low" and they have to spring for more expensive houses. They only made a $10K profit on this one - which in TV speak probably means they really lost money on it.

And I'm endlessly fascinated with / horrified by Christina's shirts. Did y'all catch the one with the dripping pink lips on it? Yikes.

[lynxfx]

First time in a while that the flip almost flopped. $10k profit on a $775k sale is pretty bad considering they probably didn't include any carrying costs. Probably was a break even flip or lost money.

Seems like they wasted some money in the backyard. While cool, I doubt that fire pit increased the sale price. Plus it sure smoked a lot as the metal started burning.

Holy Charlie Brown bathroom tile. I like unique designs but that was so ugly. I can't believe anyone walked in there thinking it was 'beautiful'. 

No drama this week so is HGTV just alternating episodes with and without divorce drama? Sure has seemed like it.

[ByaNose]

This was one of their uglier flips. I don’t care for the kitchen cabinets but the white countertop balanced it out somewhat. I hated the herringbone tri color tile in the bathrooms. They were horrible colors. The backyard firepit. WTF? The pool was nice but the fake turf was dumb. It probably saved them money rather than using concrete, stones or having it landscaped. I guess a profit is a profit. 

[mojito]

I was glad to see different cabinets than the white Shaker style. I wonder how long it will take for everyone to start demanding that style? I can't get into fire pits but this one was cool. Didn't notice smoking, but that could be a major problem.

I shook my head at the comments of the potential buyers. 

"Isn't that paint beautiful?"

"Yeah, it gorgeous."

White paint.

You'd be hard pressed to find homes in these parts that didn't have ceiling fans in almost every room. I don't understand why these desert builders are always commenting on how hot it is but never install ceiling fans. 

[sarthaz]

On 8/3/2018 at 12:19 PM, Hpmec said:

Apparently the powers that be at HGTV think we can't get enough of Christina, and they've decided she deserves her own show. The series will focus on her life at the beach where she'll be making over her newly purchased home. Watching paint dry would probably be more interesting than watching a wealthy young newly divorced mother of two from the OC tool around in a luxury car, shop, walk the beach with her "hot" (her description) new British reality tv guy boyfriend, and make predictable boring design choices for her own outrageously expensive new digs. I think Real Housewives of OC might be a better fit.

Truth. I'd honestly rather watch Tarek rehab from back surgery. The way Christina shows up on the scene in every episode carrying a handbag on her elbow and painstakingly adorned in what I'll call Never-Used Workout Chic has always bothered me. Is she on her way to the gym? Did she go to the gym and then go get a full makeover and put on brand new workout clothes before heading to set? It just feels so strange and fake -- I don't want an entire show like that.

[WarnerCL45]

I really don’t mind their flip show (only a half hour - yay!), but their personal lives - boring!

[LizDC]

[lynxfx]

Ughh, this just means that they think the drama is a ratings grabber and we'll get a lot more scripted scenes from them.