Flip Or Flop - General Discussion

[ByaNose]

On 5/21/2021 at 5:49 PM, iMonrey said:

The camera work and editing were very careful to hide the house to the right of the San Clemente property. There is, however, a very quick glimpse of it and there appears to be a somewhat strange looking and rickety fence between the two houses, very close to the flipped house, and that the house to the right was a good deal lower down, so that the house they flipped actually overlooked the house next door. 

It is unsurprising that a house on a hill like that will eventually start to sink. 

Totally agree. It looks really nice in a magazine but it is impractical. First of all you don't have room for nearly as much stuff, and it's designed almost strictly for displaying wares rather than using them. Once you start taking stuff down and using them the effect will be spoiled.

Clearly the house had not sold by the time the episode was finished. I wonder what they actually wound up with. Carrying costs could have quickly eaten any profit. Once you start getting up into that price range it takes a lot longer to find a buyer. 

I wonder about the sale price, too. It’s been a while since filming & airing & they still didn’t have an update yet. Doesn’t sound good. 

[deirdra]

It looks like 4003-calle-bienvenido-san-clemente-ca sold for $2,050,000 on January 4, 2021

[CrazyInAlabama]

Good sleuthing, it did sell for $2,050 million.    My question is why there is no fence at the back property line?   Someone could easily get too close, and right down the hillside.   The ad only says 4 bedroom, I thought they said 5 bedroom on the initial walk through.    Since it sold months ago, I wonder why they didn't update it? 

[deirdra]

50 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

My question is why there is no fence at the back property line?   Someone could easily get too close, and right down the hillside.  

They probably didn't want a fence cutting off the view.  I also looked at it on Google Maps satellite view and there is a lot of vegetation on the hill below to catch someone who tumbles off the grass ;).  I also noticed a cement-lined drainage ditch cut into the hillside farther down. No wonder one part of the house had dropped a foot and many of the neighbours seem to have been doing things to try to shore up the slope below their houses.

[ByaNose]

5 hours ago, deirdra said:

It looks like 4003-calle-bienvenido-san-clemente-ca sold for $2,050,000 on January 4, 2021

Thanks. You have great detective skills. Now, I know who to check with on future houses. LOL!!!! That said, it was quite and investment and a nice return.

[iMonrey]

Quote

That said, it was quite and investment and a nice return.

Well, depending on when they actually bought it, since we don't know when this was filmed. They took out a hard money loan to buy the house, so carrying costs could have really eaten into their profit.

[ByaNose]

On 5/24/2021 at 6:34 PM, iMonrey said:

Well, depending on when they actually bought it, since we don't know when this was filmed. They took out a hard money loan to buy the house, so carrying costs could have really eaten into their profit.

Yeah, they took out some type of loan, right? I’m sure that interest probably ate into some of the profits.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think they had a hard money loan for that project.    I love when someone finds the flip house sale ads, they can't show everything on the TV show.     It's so nice to be able to see all of the rooms, and what the final product looks like.    It's only a public ad, and who knows what any buyer did to the house after the staging was removed.   

I wonder what the buyers think when they see what the house looked like, and what horrible shape some of them were in before remodeling.   For example,  I'm sure it says in the disclosure about foundation issues, but seeing the horrible reality on the screen shows the hideous truth.  

I'm looking forward to tonight's episode, a house with the yard overrun by cacti.     (I used to live in New Mexico, and that happened a lot, plant one ornamental cactus, and a few years later, tons of cactus that needed to be removed, and by professionals).  So house was bought unseen, but the outside piles of junk should have been a tip off.    Inside is hideous, kitchen stove looks like someone built a small wood fire on it. I would have removed all of the cacti in the front yard, not leaving the big one that could hurt someone.    I liked the shower wall textured tile, the stucco and paint fire place, but I found the kitchen back splash too glaring.     I would have done light gray cabinets in the kitchen.   

Edited May 28, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[CruiseDiva]

5 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I think they had a hard money loan for that project.    I love when someone finds the flip house sale ads, they can't show everything on the TV show.     It's so nice to be able to see all of the rooms, and what the final product looks like. 

I really like that as well, especially if the real estate ads have a lot of photos.

[answerphone]

Wowza.
 

Did they really have a profit of $230,000 for the Lakewood/smelly water on the floor/overgrown cactus house??😵

Edited May 28, 2021 by answerphone
Added some information

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes they did have a huge profit.   Places in the L.A. area are selling way over asking, getting multiple offers leading to bidding wars.     I'm always shocked at the buying price for a hideous dump like this, and the even bigger profits.     I really wonder what the buyer of this house thought when they saw the original condition of the house.    Tarek buys some very nasty houses, sight unseen, so we're seeing homes that are like the first few seasons.   

However, Tarek and Christina were lying when they said the outside looking so rough wasn't an indicator of the inside.    Yes, it was.  When the outside is trashed, the inside is too.   Tarek actually said that, but I'm sure was trying to put a hopeful statement out there, when he knew it was going to be bad. 

I think the really nasty ones from last season, and this season are from Tarek's operation that buys houses for low prices, sight unseen.   

Edited May 29, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[iMonrey]

Quote

However, Tarek and Christina were lying when they said the outside looking so rough wasn't an indicator of the inside. 

I didn't hear them say that. What I heard was that when it's this bad outside it's probably bad inside too. Maybe one of them said it and the other disagreed.  

[deirdra]

9 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

However, Tarek and Christina were lying when they said the outside looking so rough wasn't an indicator of the inside.    Yes, it was.  When the outside is trashed, the inside is too.  

And the reverse is not usually true.  Some hoarders who are worried about what other people think keep the front yard and front fascade neat and tidy, but the inside, garage & back yard are trash heaps.  

Edited May 29, 2021 by deirdra

[SunnyBeBe]

I didn’t see a thread for Christina’s show, so....I saw this and have been wondering for a long time, what happened to her second marriage?  Anyone know?  So.....they just grew apart? Her second is on rebound with Rene Zellweger. 

https://people.com/movies/renee-zellweger-and-ant-anstead-are-dating-as-he-finalizes-divorce-from-christina-haack/

[CrazyInAlabama]

It's in the same category as F or F, but it fell pretty far down the list.  

We'll never know what really happened with this marriage.       However, I'm wondering if they're filming more F or F seasons. 

[SunnyBeBe]

On 6/25/2021 at 1:15 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

It's in the same category as F or F, but it fell pretty far down the list.  

We'll never know what really happened with this marriage.       However, I'm wondering if they're filming more F or F seasons. 

Tks.

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[ByaNose]

I think he needs more tattoos <sarcasm>?  Not my type. Actually, her previous two husbands weren’t that type. I guess she’s mixing it up a bit. I still like Flip or Flop though. Although, I don’t watch Christina on the Coast. I’m not that into her. It is crazy how a little fame changed their little family. I’m sure they (Tarek & Christina) had their issues but I think fame and money just sped it up a bit. 

[SunnyBeBe]

8 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I always got the feeling there was something just beneath the surface when FLip or Flop first started. 

Edited July 9, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm watching the reruns on HGTV today, and the Mid Century Modern from this season could have been so much better.    They couldn't put can lights in, so the kitchen with black cabinets is hideously dark.    They could have put a peninsula or island with seating, but didn't.   The bathroom cabinets are black too, making the smallish bathrooms look even smaller.  White or very light cabinets would have been so much better, or even a flat panel light MCM wood.    

As usual, because of the market in LA, they sold with multiple offers, to a cash buyer.   

I have to laugh at Christina going into a house 'by herself', but she has a big camera crew with her.      

Edited August 30, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Artsda]

Tarek and Heather are married, congratulations to them.

 

[deirdra]

Are Hot Pants back in fashion?

[CrazyInAlabama]

The next season of Flip or Flop starts Thursday, 9 December. 

Since Tarek buys houses sight unseen if they're cheap enough, it should be another season of hoarders, failing foundations, and houses that it's hard to believe people actually lived in.    

Edited November 20, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[topanga]

On 11/18/2021 at 7:10 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

The next season of Flip or Flop starts Thursday, 9 December. 

Since Tarek buys houses sight unseen if they're cheap enough, it should be another season of hoarders, failing foundations, and houses that it's hard to believe people actually lived in.    

And I'm here for all of it. Which I don't understand, since I really don't like either one of them. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I really didn't like the house they flipped tonight.  It was boring, even with the fake drama over the green roof needing to be painted.    Too bad the first flipper ran out of money, because this one was boring, and I wish they had flipped another house.    I did enjoy the street corn vendor. 

Correction, the season was supposed to start on 10 December, not 9 December, but it started last night, 3 December.    

I couldn't believe how expensive the house was listed for, and sold for.     Even for L.A. prices, that was a lot.  

There was something about the vibe between T & C that was off, and I wonder if it's after their big fight on set?  

Edited December 10, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[iMonrey]

Quote

The next season of Flip or Flop starts Thursday, 9 December. 

And yet, the one last night was a new episode, according to my DVR. 

Quote

I really didn't like the house they flipped tonight.  It was boring, even with the fake drama over the green roof needing to be painted. 

I actually thought it was kind of interesting, they literally built the whole front end of that house from scratch. I was kind of alarmed to see that the walls were basically made out of plywood. 

I did not like the gold grout, though. It looked like brass which was popular back in the 80s (or thereabouts) so it made the house look very dated.

[Dehumidifier]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

 

I actually thought it was kind of interesting, they literally built the whole front end of that house from scratch. I was kind of alarmed to see that the walls were basically made out of plywood. 

 

Signed on to say this but you beat me so I'll second. Shocking really.

[MartyQui]

I think that’s what all walls are built out of?  They put Tyvek over it on the outside, and drywall and insulation on the inside.  I actually loved the house, and I’m not a fan of gold.  I thought the kitchen was gorgeous, the living room was a nice size, and the back deck and the fire pit really nice.  Still horrified by the prices in Southern California, even though I live in Boston, one of the most expensive cities in the country.

[Dehumidifier]

1 hour ago, MartyQui said:

I think that’s what all walls are built out of?  They put Tyvek over it on the outside, and drywall and insulation on the inside.  I actually loved the house, and I’m not a fan of gold.  I thought the kitchen was gorgeous, the living room was a nice size, and the back deck and the fire pit really nice.  Still horrified by the prices in Southern California, even though I live in Boston, one of the most expensive cities in the country.

Give me an old house with brick or stone outside and plaster on the inside. Quiet and fire resistant.

[ByaNose]

I thought it was funny when the green shingles were being put on. I said, “Who would put green shingles on?  I can’t believe they selected green”. It was nice to know they thought the same thing, too. I even agreed with Christina when she said you couldn’t even see the color from the back of the house. The house was very tiny based on the “dinning room” table. A table set for 3 or 4 is a sign that there isn’t really a dinning area. Of course, the island was huge which is sufficient enough. Of course, the house sold for an outrageous price but both Tarek & Christina were even amazed at the start of the show of the high price point of the area. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I've seen green shingles that weren't that glowing green that T & C ended up with.    I'm wondering how long the paint will stay on the shingles?   

[Sewlitaire]

The house looked like all their houses. And if you did a drinking game where you did a shot every time Christina said "glam", you'd be totally drunk by the end of the episode.

[CrazyInAlabama]

11 minutes ago, Sewlitaire said:

The house looked like all their houses. And if you did a drinking game where you did a shot every time Christina said "glam", you'd be totally drunk by the end of the episode.

Or "obsessed".  

[Gam2]

36 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Or "obsessed".  

I believe it’s “obsthesthed.

[CrazyInAlabama]

This week is a new episode, next Thursday is new, but it's followed by the wedding special.    I don't know if I can last through 60 minutes of air time for the wedding. 

On tonight's new episode, I loved seeing Izzy, and then his brother Rudy showed up too.    It's been a while since I saw Rudy.   However, the giant kitchen island maks the kitchen look small, and the baths and bedrooms are small.   Primary bedroom is small, and the bathroom for it is small too.    

Edited December 10, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[ByaNose]

On 12/7/2021 at 10:33 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

This week is a new episode, next Thursday is new, but it's followed by the wedding special.    I don't know if I can last through 60 minutes of air time for the wedding. 

On tonight's new episode, I loved seeing Izzy, and then his brother Rudy showed up too.    It's been a while since I saw Rudy.   However, the giant kitchen island maks the kitchen look small, and the baths and bedrooms are small.   Primary bedroom is small, and the bathroom for it is small too.    

The kitchen did look bright and airy with all the white but I agree about the island. When they were discussing the plans I just thought the kitchen was bigger for an island but when they showed the wide shot it took up too much of the kitchen thus making it seem even smaller.  Everything else was way too small. The family room was tiny with tiny staged furniture. The bedrooms and bathrooms were small, as well. Although, the bathrooms were beautiful looking. After all the talk about the “laundry room” they didn’t even show it. The outside was cleaned up nice but the staging patio furniture didn’t look comfortable. Of course, this being California it sold way over asking. I’m just shocked that it wasn’t in the million dollar range. Are Tarek & Christina losing their touch. And, one more thing. I thought I was going to hate the house color but the green was pretty. That said, I’d never paint my own house green but it was a pretty color that Christina selected. 

[ByaNose]

4 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

The kitchen did look bright and airy with all the white but I agree about the island. When they were discussing the plans I just thought the kitchen was bigger for an island but when they showed the wide shot it took up too much of the kitchen thus making it seem even smaller.  Everything else was way too small. The family room was tiny with tiny staged furniture. The bedrooms and bathrooms were small, as well. Although, the bathrooms were beautiful looking. After all the talk about the “laundry room” they didn’t even show it. The outside was cleaned up nice but the staging patio furniture didn’t look comfortable. Of course, this being California it sold way over asking. I’m just shocked that it wasn’t in the million dollar range. Are Tarek & Christina losing their touch?!

 And, one more thing. I thought I was going to hate the house color but the green was pretty. That said, I’d never paint my own house green but it was a pretty color that Christina selected. 

 

[iMonrey]

Have you ever noticed that when they do the first walk-thru of a house, the toilet seats are always up? Always. And you can usually see some dirty rust water in there too. It makes me realize they must come in and stage the house to look even worse than it actually does, so the before-and-after reveal at the end is that much more dramatic. The toilet seats are always down in the after shots, which you would naturally expect. There is no reason for them all to be up when they are walking thru the house for the first time, except to make the bathrooms look as gross as possible.

It makes me wonder how much else is staged in the "before" shots. Like maybe they actually bring in dirty old furniture and debris to litter the house with, and garbage to strew around the back yard. We almost never see a house that's just empty, and clean. And surely someone trying to sell a house would want to clean it out.

[CrazyInAlabama]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

It makes me wonder how much else is staged in the "before" shots. Like maybe they actually bring in dirty old furniture and debris to litter the house with, and garbage to strew around the back yard. We almost never see a house that's just empty, and clean. And surely someone trying to sell a house would want to clean it out.

A lot of their early houses were sight unseen auction properties.   

I bet most of them now are from Tarek's we buy houses, with hoarder houses, or others that are awful, and the owners just want them gone.     I bet a lot are inherited, or the person moved to assisted living, or for another reason was done wtih the house.   Or they were rental properties, and the tenants moved on and left everything behind.   

I've seen houses like that, where everything was left behind, including food in the fridge.     I've seen some former rentals, and they've been trashed.   So, I bet the show crew don't have to do much to make the place look back.   

Edited December 10, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[iMonrey]

Quote

I bet most of them now are from Tarek's we buy houses, with hoarder houses, or others that are awful, and the owners just want them gone.     I bet a lot are inherited, or the person moved to assisted living, or for another reason was done wtih the house.   Or they were rental properties, and the tenants moved on and left everything behind.    I've seen houses like that, where everything was left behind, including food in the fridge. 

Yes I'm sure a lot of them are, but there's no reason why the toilet seats are always up, every time, every episode, every bathroom. Now that I have pointed it out, make a note of it and you will notice it from now on too. It just isn't normal and it can't be coincidence. They are definitely doing things to make sure everything looks as horrible as possible.

[ByaNose]

I often have wondered why every house has to look like a bomb had gone off. Obviously, it’s for dramatic affect but I agree why can’t the house be normal but still need a ton of work? At least, that way it would cut down on Christina saying ewwww all the time. 

[Vivigirl10]

I binged and was catching up on some old episodes this weekend (still haven't gotten to the new season).  I know that they design these homes to appeal to the masses and I know it's been said a thousand times about Christina but her absolute lack of design knowledge makes me almost (almost??) embarrassed for her.  In one weekend, I watched her call patterned tiles (very excitedly) "modern", "farmhouse", "mid-century" and "southwest".  Are you telling me they truly fit every design aesthetic?  I always thought they were more Moroccan inspired (one term she's missed using) but hey, I'm no "designer".  I guess my point is, she always designs under some sort of titled theme but then uses all of the exact same products/looks.  Tarek really isn't any better.  Every single time she pulls out that same darn white cabinet door front he wets his pants like it's the first time he's seen such an innovative design idea. 

I'll still admit, I do like some of the end products and it's fun to see how far the houses come.  I just would personally never buy a home completely decked out in trendy finishes.  You never know when the trend will change and it's not like you can just do a complete remodel every couple of years (well, I can't at least!).  

 

[iMonrey]

Once again I am flabbergasted at what a 2-bedroom, 1-bath house will sell for in SoCal. I guess the extra land made it more desirable. I think if they had turned the garage into a studio it would have been worth the extra profit. I don't see prices coming down any time soon. They could easily afford to wait on selling it. God knows they have plenty of money, as evidence by their extravagant lifestyles. It just wouldn't have been practical for the show, that's the real reason.

[ByaNose]

First off, do the microphones used make the passing cars sound louder then they really are? I don’t live on a busy street so I was just curious if it’s done on purpose to magnify that a particular house would be harder to sell. The house turned out nice for a basic two bed/one bath house. I thought extending the yard and fence was a good idea because it made it huge looking outside with a lot of potential. I did think it was a odd that a house would have two garages but I understood it was faster to complete versus an outside dwelling. Of course, the house sole for an outrageous price which is the normal for the area and this show in general. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved seeing Izzy's brother Rudy on one of the flips.      

I hate that the wild prices in L.A. make houses on here very profitable, even houses that I think are too trendy.     Takeover Flip where they bought another flipper's abandoned property was OK, except I hated the gold border on all of the shower, and back splash kitchen tiles.   

[ByaNose]

Nice flip and it didn’t get near their asking of $999,000. They pretty much worked with what they had and made the one large bathroom into two. The kitchen looked nice although the window wall was all tiled which I thought was too much but it did look nice. The backyard was really small with a retaining wall hill view. I once saw a house like that (only it was in the $300,000 range) and, we passed on it right away because of it. It wasn’t practical and I want a flat yard. The realtor thought we were crazy to pass on it just because of the hill. She was saying it looked beautiful with the flowers and such. I was like who is going to climb that hill each year and plant said flowers? LOL!!!! 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I have another reason for disliking the hillside behind the house, in a bad rainstorm, all of the water will be right next to the back of the house.   Depending on the grading, and how the rest of the terrain is, and how water flows on the property, you could have serious problems. 

ALso, there was no room in back except that patio area, and that awful looking hill.    I wouldn't plant flowers, but some kind of ice plant or other ground cover that would be zero maintenance.     That mulch and flowers hillside will end up on the patio at the first rain, or if the sprinklers run too long.     

Edited December 24, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[sempervivum]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I wouldn't plant flowers, but some kind of ice plant or other ground cover that would be zero maintenance. 

Yes! I couldn't believe my eyes when the hillside post-renovation was just mulch with a few small perennials that I thought looked suspiciously like grocery-store mums. I assume removing the existing groundcover was necessary because they had to install irrigation- not sure if this is some building code requirement or if it's just assumed every homeowner wants irrigation. But a variety of drought-tolerant groundcovers would have been far more sensible. I have noticed that a lot of T & C's landscaping is bare-bones and not at all sustainable.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I have another reason for disliking the hillside behind the house, in a bad rainstorm, all of the water will be right next to the back of the house.   Depending on the grading, and how the rest of the terrain is, and how water flows on the property, you could have serious problems. 

I had the same thought. I look at a hill like that and immediately picture a mudslide.

[CrazyInAlabama]

On tonight's new one, Addition Condition, the Mid-Century Modern looks nice, except for that ridiculous blue and white back splash in the main house kitchen.   The back splash looked very cheap and gaudy.    Adding the ADU was so smart, and the L.A. market is still so over-priced.   

Adding the putting green was better than nothing, and probably the cheapest way to cover the former pool, but it wouldn't persuade me to buy the house.     I bet that pool needed to be totally redone, so you're talking tens of thousands, so filling it in was cheaper.   

The backyard putting green seems to be a popular item to put on flip houses.    I don't understand the appeal, but it shows up on this show, Tarek's Flipping 101, and a few others from time to time.    

Edited January 8, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[pep4]

My gawd!  That putting green was beyond stupid. 

Also hated the backsplash.