Flip Or Flop - General Discussion

[MsTree]

As far as I'm concerned, neither Tarek or Christina won the bathroom challenge.  Those geometric floor tiles are enough to make you dizzy.  Can't wait until that trend is over.

[Ninamags]

Well, yesterday's episode was nice. I was surprised that they actually worked really well together.

They are a good pair when they concentrate on the flipping aspect of the show. They are on the same page aesthetically speaking (boring and uninspired as it may be).  The fact that they picked similar looks for the bathrooms speaks volumes. 

I am sort of sad to see them come apart like they did, especially after mini-Tarek came around,  but I think they realize that as long as they keep it professional and both do what they like best, they could continue to work together and make money.  

I also have no interest in her new show. 

 

Wonder when the next season will start up. 

[iMonrey]

So Tarek finds a $450K house and Christina finds a $750K house and they have to argue about which one to go look at? Excuse me? Why can't they look at both then decide which one is the better investment? This is so freaking stupid. The show is so geared around them arguing and bickering it's risen to a ridiculous level of fakery. How dumb does this show think we are, anyway? As if Tarek and Christina both just happen to be driving around with a camera man in their passenger seat filming them while they call each other to argue about which house to look at. 

I agree both bathroom floors were far too busy, but I think the 3D design is worse. Imagine going in there when you're drunk. I also thought both choices for the kitchen back splash were terrible. The grey glass tile was too busy and square black tiles would have been too dark for such a small house. 

[AngelKitty]

The shiny black tiles in the shower is a big mistake. Keeping them free of water spots will be a job.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The shiny blue tiles in the other shower were just as bad.  Both bathroom floors would have been deal breakers for me, but I could never live in that expensive area anyway.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

I love Desert Flippers too, and I've started recording it, and then watching that when Flip or Flop is on.   I love that there is such a variety of houses in Palm Springs, and they use different styles that fit the house.

 I can't stomach T & C and their bad acting.  

Another one I can't stand to watch was (if I have the name correct) was Vintage Flip, that was the L.A. area one with friends of T & C, and they bragged how they did vintage restorations, but I saw very little original in any of the houses, and open concept does not equal vintage.     

Edited September 10, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[Dawn]

12 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I agree both bathroom floors were far too busy, but I think the 3D design is worse. Imagine going in there when you're drunk.

I completely agree. Tarek's were busy, but Christina's were giving me vertigo through the TV -- with no alcohol involved. I can't imagine dealing with that after a couple of drinks! Those tiles were terrible. Tarek's mirror was also awful. But in a case of the lesser of the two evils, I agreed with Tarek being the "winner" of that challenge -- the mirror should be fairly easy to replace, and I didn't completely hate his tile (and a rug/bathmat would help).

[amcfar]

On 9/7/2018 at 12:43 AM, MsTree said:

As far as I'm concerned, neither Tarek or Christina won the bathroom challenge.  Those geometric floor tiles are enough to make you dizzy.  Can't wait until that trend is over.

I can't handle those busy black and white floor tiles. No way, no how. Give me a simple neutral tile (either solid color or slight wood grain) any day over that dizzying nightmare. I don't like the busy black and white tiles that have been used in some of their previous kitchen backsplashes and bathroom walls too. I like simplicity. 

Of the two bathrooms featured in this episode, I'd choose Tarek's over Christina's. The mirror could be easily replaced. I liked the vertical strip of blue tile in the shower, but the poster who mentioned water spots is right. That'd be a problem with any dark tile and if I were to tile a shower I'd want to stick with all lighter colors for that reason.

[Meowwww]

I can’t handle Christina’s bitchface all the time.  I always thought she was high maintenance, but now she is way over the top with the clothing, cars, shoes, jewelry. 

“Look at me!   See how fabulous I am now that we are divorced!”

[Gam2]

We once stayed in a very high end, expensive home owned by the best friends of my husband’s uncle. Got that? It was next door to the aunt and uncle’s house on a lake where a family wedding was being held. They had a black tub, shower enclosure and bathroom sink. OMG. We stayed there for 3 days and I tried to clean all of them before we left and the family returned. Impossible to clean, soap scum on everything that I couldn’t remove no matter what I used. I can’t even imagine how much the wife of that family hated that bathroom!! They had huge bucks so I don’t know why they didn’t gut that bathroom and redo it. Or why they chose those in the first place. 

[Ninamags]

I, too, like the Desert Flippers.

I really like the Vegas couple aesthetic. I know sometimes it's a bit much but the "pops of color" really are innovative. It would only work in Vegas, to be sure.

 

I still watch Tarek and Christina but the diva, spoilt attitude  is getting tiresome. 

I also really like the Memphis couple, is it Music Flip?? She is so, so pretty. Her wardrobe is beyond awesome. Her husband is a lovable dork as well. 

[iMonrey]

WTF, a clip show? It's weird how different they both looked back in the first season. It wasn't that they just looked younger - it wasn't that long ago. Tarek had a fuller face and was just more normal looking. Christina had about 50% less makeup, extensions and jewelry. 

I'm not sure this show really merits this kind of "best of" episode. It's in constant rotation and we've seen all the episodes repeatedly. It's not like it's been around for 20 years or something. If they're going to re-visit past flips they should do another "follow up" where they go to one of the homes they sold and see what the owner has done with it. (It would be hysterical to find out a home owner has torn out some hideous design choice Christina made.)

[AngelKitty]

As soon as I saw it was a clip show, I hit exit and delete.

[MsTree]

I had the feeling that the clip show was to remind viewers of their past relationship, especially for any newbies just tuning in. I also thought that maybe they want their viewers to see just how well they now get along, especially after the negative feedback they rec'd about the new season as it relates to their constant bickering and snarking of one another.

[doodlebug]

6 hours ago, MsTree said:

I had the feeling that the clip show was to remind viewers of their past relationship, especially for any newbies just tuning in. I also thought that maybe they want their viewers to see just how well they now get along, especially after the negative feedback they rec'd about the new season as it relates to their constant bickering and snarking of one another.

Also, clip shows are far cheaper and easier to produce than original episodes. Production saved a bundle and filled the slot with an ‘original’ episode.

[Rabbittron]

26 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Also, clip shows are far cheaper and easier to produce than original episodes. Production saved a bundle and filled the slot with an ‘original’ episode.

To me it seemed like they were saying you see even though we're divorced we still get along like we did when we were married no problems here.

[AngelKitty]

But who cares? The point of the show is the flipping.

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, AngelKitty said:

But who cares? The point of the show is the flipping.

For most of us, it is.  But, it seems that there is a portion of the audience that is invested in them as people and wants to see snatches of their personal lives, maybe even more than they want to see the flips.  TLC has people doing audience research, there must be people out there who want to see this stuff or they would've done a clip show focused on the actual flips rather than the demise of the marriage.

[mojito]

Does it seem to anyone who watches these flipping shows that pickin's are getting really slim? They seem to be paying more for crappier homes.

[doodlebug]

4 hours ago, mojito said:

Does it seem to anyone who watches these flipping shows that pickin's are getting really slim? They seem to be paying more for crappier homes.

I think part of it is because the Southern California market has exploded over the past couple years and everyone is paying more for crappier houses.  But, on a flipping show like this one, I would not be surprised if production doesn't help them to buy some of the uglier properties because it makes for a better storyline.  They're not above staging things on these shows; for all we know, they're exaggerating the price paid to buy the house just like they pretend that every house sells at the end, even though we know a lot of their deals fall through and they end up accepting lower offers to get rid of the houses.

[sarthaz]

On 9/6/2018 at 3:47 PM, iMonrey said:

As with everything else about this show, the true story would probably be far more interesting than the fabricated one they use for TV.

So true. I'd rather see 15 minutes of analysis of what really happened than look at Christina's stupid face while she picks out tiles in her never-actually-used workout clothes.

[mojito]

Quote

I think part of it is because the Southern California market has exploded over the past couple years and everyone is paying more for crappier houses. 

I have watched the Nashville flippers seem a little anxious about having to find homes to flip, too. Same with the desert flippers. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tarek has had two bouts with major cancers, and also had a major back surgery, and I think injured it again recently, so I imagine that he lost weight from that.   He might also want to keep that weight off to ease the load on his back and all of his joints.   

It was strange to look back and see that at one time they actually liked each other, and struggled with their finances.  

Edited September 20, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[topanga]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Tarek has had two bouts with major cancers, and also had a major back surgery, and I think injured it again recently, so I imagine that he lost weight from that.   He might also want to keep that weight off to ease the load on his back and all of his joints.   

It was strange to look back and see that at one time they actually liked each other, and struggled with their finances.  

They were nicer to each other, but what I realize now is that Tarek was always kind of a dick. The way he talked to his mother and even Christina sometimes was really rude. I think I overlooked it because he’s cute, and I liked him better than I did Christina. But yeah, he always had an inflated sense of his own importance. 

[Rabbittron]

I could watch all the shows if they were all like the one last night because all they were talking about the homes that they did.

Edited September 21, 2018 by Rabbittron
No coffee

[iMonrey]

OK - I distinctly recall from one of the "Flip or Flop Follow-Up" specials that the first "upscale" home T&C flipped, they admitted they lost money on it from the carrying costs and the hard loan. Now they claim they made a $30K profit on that same house. Get your stories, straight, liars.

[AngelKitty]

You have got to be kidding me. Another clip show? Deleted.

[MsTree]

The clip shows really aren't all bad because if you're like me, I forget half of them the next day...especially from the earlier days.

[AngelKitty]

5 hours ago, MsTree said:

The clip shows really aren't all bad because if you're like me, I forget half of them the next day...especially from the earlier days.

I know, but it's the principle of the thing. They do repeat their shows all the time. ?

[iMonrey]

Hard to believe, but there have been 108 episodes of this show. I guess it just seems like fewer because they all tend to look alike.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I liked the Desert Flippers episode this week, I'm not sure if it was the new episode, or the rerun, but someone (tall and male) left a bathroom window open all night, and it rained in, or something, but a bunch of water came in, and the lights and vanity box got wet, and there was no screaming out of either of them.   They just cleaned it up, and got rid of the wet boxes, and no fireworks.   It was very refreshing.  

[ByaNose]

Christina looks really different from the old days.

Edited September 29, 2018 by ByaNose

[AngelKitty]

So I checked this latest episode and it's still not a regular show so I just took this off my series recording list. I'm not interested in listening to them discuss past flips.

[Angeltoes]

New real episodes won't be back until next spring.

https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a22686489/flip-or-flop-season-8-hgtv-christina-tarek-el-moussa/

[ByaNose]

Hopefully, next season they will drop their divorce storyline. We all know they are divorced. Let's get back to Flip or Flop.

[Ninamags]

Eric and Lindsey continue to be adorable.

I'm glad the Vegas flippers will get another season to "glam up" their flips. 

[topanga]

On 9/27/2018 at 8:53 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I liked the Desert Flippers episode this week, I'm not sure if it was the new episode, or the rerun, but someone (tall and male) left a bathroom window open all night, and it rained in, or something, but a bunch of water came in, and the lights and vanity box got wet, and there was no screaming out of either of them.   They just cleaned it up, and got rid of the wet boxes, and no fireworks.   It was very refreshing.  

I just watched that episode. I really like their personalities,  and I almost always like their interior designs. But IMO Lindsay 'jokes' too much about Eric's incompetence in different areas. That might just be their dynamic, but I hate it when one spouse makes the other spouse the butt of his/her jokes. 

Then again, Chip and Joanna made me want to throw up--they were too lovey-dovey. I guess there's no satisfying me.

California real estate is so boring--at least the affordable* houses we see on Flip or Flop and Desert Flippers. I mean, the houses themselves are fine, but 99% of them are single story homes that look almost identical on the outside--the garage in the front but turned sideways, they have 3 bedrooms, 1 or 2 bathrooms, similar floor plans, and similar backyards.

I am impressed by what the contractors and designers on Desert Flippers do the make the homes look unique on the inside. 

 

*If you accept that $350-400,000 is considered affordable California real estate nowadays.

[iMonrey]

It's kind of fun seeing them reminisce and take questions from the crew. (I also don't have to pay as much attention). But the continuity stinks. In this last one, Tarek had some kind of noticeable white earpiece in his left ear that appeared and disappeared practically in every shot.

[SuzieQ]

These stroll down memory lane episodes have outlived their usefulness!  One per season is fine but doing 4 or 5 in a row is just boring!!  How many "we're divorced but we're so cute and cool together" episodes are we supposed to suffer through??  They've also had the same clothes on for each one.  Total gagfest!!

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tarek's role for the seasons before the divorce was finding the properties, and occasionally Christina would find one, so it seems to be a consistent theme with the flip shows, one person finds the property, and the other is the designer.  

Edited October 24, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[CrazyInAlabama]

I like Desert Flippers, and really like the relationship.   I think it's funny that they said in the first season that Lindsey likes demo, and Eric really doesn't.  

I think Eric's the one who goes through all of the new listings, and short sales, and foreclosures, and decides which ones are decent prospects for flipping, and estimates about how much they'll cost to redo, and then Erick and Lindsey decide on which one to go after.    I'm sure they get investors for some, and he scouts for those houses also, and estimates the time and money it will take to fix, and if it makes economic sense to both parties.     There was an early season one that was nothing but walls, and the investor backed out because of the time and money involved, and then they went with the tiny condo that they could afford by themselves.  

Eric is has a background in commercial and residential real estate and flipping, and has been a mortgage broker too.  I'm guessing Lindsay's probably an agent too, so they can buy and sell their own flips.    I think if they stay on the market for a while, they probably have another agent that handles it, so they can work on more flips.      That's why the closing costs are so low on prospective sales.    Also, it's a reason that they can get quick contracts, escrow and closings on houses.  

Edited October 25, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[mojito]

I like the Desert Flippers. I was stunned by what they did to the last two pools: tanning shelves and/or hot tubs. What a waste. One of those pools was actually large enough to swim in before they ruined it. 

I wish these shows would spend more time showing the finished product sans the clutter of staging.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The reason some of the older pools are so deep is that they used to have diving boards.     The legal liability of having a diving board is prohibitive, and most pools they put in now are shallower, and really what I think are called splash pools.    Lots of people that buy in Palm Springs are buying retirement, or second houses, and they mostly hang out in the hot tubs/spas, or on the tanning shelf, and might not even really swim.   I think a lot of the party people just have events by the pool, but don't even swim.         I did like the huge pool and giant spa on the million dollar plus house, but the upkeep must be tremendous.     

I think some of the houses they flip are in gated communities, and probably have a big pool connected with the HOA.     

The reason the Bennett's houses are staged so much alike is that I think they usually use their own furniture, and only on the big houses do they call in the same stages that I've seen on Flip or Flop (L.A. edition).       I remember one episode this season where they showed their own living room, and showed there was way too much furniture in it, because they used it for staging, and stored it at their place.       Staged houses sell faster, and for more money than empty houses.     It seems strange, but if you do furniture and finishes that are in proportion to the dimensions of the rooms, the rooms look bigger with furniture.  

[Glory]

I caught a marathon of the post-split episodes and I'll say that while I don't really care why they're getting divorce, Christina's snark is next level. She's definitely got the Jim Halpert eye roll at the camera down pat. If either one of them was using this opportunity to prove they were "star" enough for their own show, then I think that Christina played her cards exactly right. 

[ByaNose]

Tarek & Christina were on Access Hollywood Live today. Natalie Morales did an on site interview during a renovation project. She asked a lot of questions about their divorce and working together. Both Tarek & Christina got their shots into each other but were attempting to make it like it was in good fun. The taped piece ends and Natalie, Kit & Scott Evans mouths were agape. Natalie didn’t hold back and said the whole interview was uncomfortable and she was glad to get out of there. Tarek and Christina mst love the money & fame to continue doing the show. It must be a joy for the behind the scenes crew people. Not!!!!

[MsTree]

I caught part of that interview...and my impression is that Christina is a real ball buster! 

It's like whatever Tarek says, she has to disagree. Just STFU Chrissy! You no longer have the right to speak for Tarek.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I remember reading reports from crew members during the divorce and the season they filmed after that, where the fighting got so bad they had to separate them.   

I still think it's funny that one of the backyard redo episodes said T & C were redoing their pool too, but that part was never shown, because reportedly the pool contractor was Christina's 'friend' Gary.    He was coincidentally  the witness to Tarek walking out, after he saw something on her phone and triggered a fight.    He showed after Christina called him to come to their house (he was working nearby), and was reported to be the boyfriend that she was texting at the time.   

Personally, I think she had effectively left the marriage a long time before the blow up.   

Edited December 17, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[doodlebug]

People magazine is reporting that Christina has married her boyfriend, Ant Anstead, in a 'winter wonderland' ceremony at their home.  Supposedly, they invited friends and family to a  Christmas party which turned out to be their wedding.  People has pictures up on their website.

[MsTree]

5 hours ago, doodlebug said:

People magazine is reporting that Christina has married her boyfriend, Ant Anstead, in a 'winter wonderland' ceremony at their home.  Supposedly, they invited friends and family to a  Christmas party which turned out to be their wedding.  People has pictures up on their website.

Great! Maybe now she can stop being a bitch towards Tarek.

[ByaNose]

7 hours ago, MsTree said:

Great! Maybe now she can stop being a bitch towards Tarek.

Doubt it. It’s her thing.