Flip or Flop Las Vegas - General Discussion

[LizBug]

Editor's Note:

Discuss Flip or Flop Las Vegas Here!

 

Just opening up a new topic for the show that debuts on Thursday, April 6th.

Edited April 5, 2019 by OnceSane

[WildPlum]

Eww. Just ... no.

Awful couple, awful house, awful staging with too much STUFF crammed in a tiny space. That kitchen counter should have been half the width so a normal dining table would fit.

Lol, loved the disclaimer the man made (I paraphrase) about "normal" people not being able to do the reno for $20,000, but since they were doing it themselves, they could. Hmm, except in just about every scene, it is someone else doing the actual work. So what he MEANT by "themselves" was "me and my cheeeep labor."

At least it was a reasonable price.

[ByaNose]

Wow! Tiny place crammed with stuff and ugly colors. Way too much green and the wooden tiles on the wall were UGLY! Her voice was annoying and he seems kind of a weekend project guy. They ain't no Tarek & Christina or Chip & Joanna Gaines.

[zoeysmom]

2 hours ago, WildPlum said:

Eww. Just ... no.

Awful couple, awful house, awful staging with too much STUFF crammed in a tiny space. That kitchen counter should have been half the width so a normal dining table would fit.

Lol, loved the disclaimer the man made (I paraphrase) about "normal" people not being able to do the reno for $20,000, but since they were doing it themselves, they could. Hmm, except in just about every scene, it is someone else doing the actual work. So what he MEANT by "themselves" was "me and my cheeeep labor."

At least it was a reasonable price.

I was thinking the same thing-we were gone for the weekend and they put the island in the wrong place.  I am curious how "they" get paid.  I was shocked the home sold for so far average median price for Las Vegas.  No pool, no functional eating area in the kitchen. 

My biggest pet peeve-the woman used "got" instead of have.

[Treehugger]

3 hours ago, WildPlum said:

Lol, loved the disclaimer the man made (I paraphrase) about "normal" people not being able to do the reno for $20,000, but since they were doing it themselves, they could. Hmm, except in just about every scene, it is someone else doing the actual work. So what he MEANT by "themselves" was "me and my cheeeep labor."

At least it was a reasonable price.

When Bristol started crowing about spending only $150 to have the damaged garage door repaired instead of replaced for $1,000, I laughed so loud that I woke my dog.  It just tickled me to see the cheeep labor banging on the metal rails with the hammers.  Now if I was the buyer of this flip, I would not be laughing.  

Not only was the labor cheeep, but the finishings were cheeep.  The house is much too small; it would not be a home for anyone with claustrophobia.  The living room was shoved right up into the kitchen.  The dining room table was tacky, and it was crammed into the space.  

This particular version of the show has potential for good snark, but it won't be appointment TV for me.  I can't believe that I'm feeling this way, but it made me miss Christina's design choices.  Quick, someone take my temperature and make sure that I'm not coming down with a fatal disease.

[ByaNose]

Maybe, I'm too use to larger spaces but that was really, really small. I know that T&C have done small spaces too but I think it's what this couple mainly does. They go for the cheaper houses which I admire but I don't think the flips are as impressive since the spaces are so small. I mean that living room was in the kitchen. The small farm house table was too big for the small kitchen. I can't recall if they staged it for four or six people or if it was shoved against the wall. Either way, I just didn't like the green. I don't have the color green but I did for the house. Green and Brown was just everywhere!!!!

[juliet73]

 I HATE Flip or Flop with T & C, but I checked this show out because I lived in LV most of my life. I agree with everyone else - way too much stuff, the wall was horrible, the oversized island, smaller dining area. The only thing that was okay was the master bath. The shower was nice and removing the wall and adding two sinks was a good call. However, the fixtures, mirrors, vanity, etc were sooo over the top. I chuckled when the girl said her buyers EXPECT a double sink; it would be a deal breaker if those was only one sink. Seriously?! It's a 1300sq ft house in a high $100k's/low $200k's neighborhood. I'll probably continue to watch, but just the beginning so I know what neighborhood they're in and the reveal. 

[WildPlum]

Christina does go for the shiny and the very trendy, but she also has a better grasp of proportion, use and space, I think. That wooden plaque wall made the room far too busy and added nothing from a function or use standpoint (also the version she saw in the shop had fairly ornate carving, the version he made was stained plain 2x4). The house had zero storage and instead of the wall-o-lumber needed a built in or at least a credenza with drawers.

I liked the idea of green better than the actual avocado green.

It is harder to flip in an area where the prices are lower because your reno budget is much tighter - although, percentage-wise, they made more on that flip than T&C usually make on their very-high end stuff. Where I live, the land is worth more than the house, so you don't see a lot of price discount for a house that needs a ton of work versus one that has been remodeled, so it makes it hard to flip for serious profit. Which is why most of the distressed properties that come to market here get bought by investors who slap finishes on and then rent the properties (vacancy rate of around 1.5%).

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, WildPlum said:

Christina does go for the shiny and the very trendy, but she also has a better grasp of proportion, use and space, I think. That wooden plaque wall made the room far too busy and added nothing from a function or use standpoint (also the version she saw in the shop had fairly ornate carving, the version he made was stained plain 2x4). The house had zero storage and instead of the wall-o-lumber needed a built in or at least a credenza with drawers.

I liked the idea of green better than the actual avocado green.

It is harder to flip in an area where the prices are lower because your reno budget is much tighter - although, percentage-wise, they made more on that flip than T&C usually make on their very-high end stuff. Where I live, the land is worth more than the house, so you don't see a lot of price discount for a house that needs a ton of work versus one that has been remodeled, so it makes it hard to flip for serious profit. Which is why most of the distressed properties that come to market here get bought by investors who slap finishes on and then rent the properties (vacancy rate of around 1.5%).

I agree about the wooden plague's. It didn't add anything but cause a distraction when walking in the door. LOL!!! At first, I thought she had mentioned some type of wall unit but it would have cost too much money or taken too much time. They really needed some storage space. Some type of walk unit was needed. Maybe, even 2 sideboards with maybe one or two of the plagues. That whole wall of wood was too much as shown by the picture on their HGTV page. Yikes!

[chessiegal]

The 6 inch mistake on the island placement really made the eating area cramped. Furniture to scale and overall less stuff would have made it look better.

[hilaryvm]

I didn't mind this show.  Honestly, I'm mostly in it for the start and end, and the stuff in between doesn't bother me as much, but her voice really got to me.  She needs to relax a little more on camera.

I also really liked that this was what seemed more realistic to me price-wise.  I live in a 1,000 sq. ft house and paid $240,000, so this was very close to what I have (although mine is 3 br 1 ba).  Their furnishings really made the space look smaller than it is.  I've had up to 27 people in my house for Christmas, and regularly host bunco (12 people, 3 tables), and while we're close, it isn't stuffy like this house looked.  They needed far less stuff to make it seem bigger and not over-flowing with stuff.

I'll keep watching, though, mainly because I like to see the before/afters.

[ByaNose]

15 minutes ago, hilaryvm said:

I didn't mind this show.  Honestly, I'm mostly in it for the start and end, and the stuff in between doesn't bother me as much, but her voice really got to me.  She needs to relax a little more on camera.

I also really liked that this was what seemed more realistic to me price-wise.  I live in a 1,000 sq. ft house and paid $240,000, so this was very close to what I have (although mine is 3 br 1 ba).  Their furnishings really made the space look smaller than it is.  I've had up to 27 people in my house for Christmas, and regularly host bunco (12 people, 3 tables), and while we're close, it isn't stuffy like this house looked.  They needed far less stuff to make it seem bigger and not over-flowing with stuff.

I'll keep watching, though, mainly because I like to see the before/afters.

I seriously had to look up the word Bunco. I live such a sheltered life and I'm 52. Who knew? LOL!!!

[Honey]

4 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I seriously had to look up the word Bunco. I live such a sheltered life and I'm 52. Who knew? LOL!!!

I have NOT lived a sheltered life, and I've also never heard of it.  I didn't look it up though, so I still don't know.  Lol

[hilaryvm]

1 hour ago, Honey said:

I have NOT lived a sheltered life, and I've also never heard of it.  I didn't look it up though, so I still don't know.  Lol

Not to get too far off track but it's a dice game that needs at least 12 people and three tables.  My point was that while 1,000 sq ft can be small and the way they decorated that house it certainly looked small, it doesn't necessarily have to be that stuffy, closed in, or crowded.  There's still room for more than 1 person to do something in a house that small!

[escapetoreality]

It's unanimous waaaaay too much stuff. Horrid. So derivative of T&C as well.

[chessiegal]

Say what you will about T&C, they hire professional stagers who know how to show case the space, not clutter it.

Edited April 8, 2017 by chessiegal

[ByaNose]

19 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Say what you will about T&C, they hire professional stagers who know how to show case the space, not clutter it.

I didn't even think of that.  I just assumed I saw them (staggers) but she did the staging, right? At least, they didn't show a professional stager. In the end, there was just one much going on for a small place. I'm sure whoever bought it was happy. 

[chessiegal]

I didn't see any professional stagers. All I saw was her going shopping for pieces to put in the house - waaay too many pieces.

[doodlebug]

I think its unanimous, the finished house was stuffed to the gills with unnecessary crapola.  If anything, the choices they made made the situation worse.  First, there was too much green for a flip.  While Christina goes overboard on the grays, at least she doesn't use color on big stuff that is expensive to replace.  The green in the marbling on the otherwise neutral countertop was as far as she should've gone.  Use pillows or candles or a vase of flowers to add color.  I think that's especially true in these less expensive homes.  I doubt a buyer would want to purchase all new furniture to match that specific shade of green.

The wall of wood, aside from being unattractive, IMO, added to the look of congestion and would be fairly tough for a buyer to remove.  Leaving that wall blank would've made the space look so much larger. A built in bookshelf with a some doors to hide stuff would've been far more practical.

The island in the kitchen was at least twice as big as it should have been.  It was disproportionate to the space and dwarfed the kitchen.  The fact that she then insisted on placing a table into the very cramped dining space next to it only exacerbated the problem.  I'm glad at least one of the prospective buyers pointed it out.

I live in an older home and my bathroom is about the size of the one in the flip.  Technically, I suppose I could put a double sink in there, but just because I could, doesn't mean I should.  Yes, two people could stand in there, shoulder to shoulder, unable to turn around independently, but why? 

The female flipper's Minnie Mouse on helium voice is not going to wear well with me and her 'staging' demonstrates just how important it is to use real pros for the job.

[WildPlum]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

I think its unanimous, the finished house was stuffed to the gills with unnecessary crapola. 

HGTV's Facebook page seems to be running about 90% negative (although a lot of the comments are about being sick of flipping shows).

[MrPissyPuppy]

I'm more of a minimalist, but there are people who love the tchotchkes so perhaps the staging will appeal to them.  Not a fan of the green either - although I mock Christina's 50 shades of grey, at least it's a neutral and not something that's a specific taste. 

[mojito]

I appreciate green and brown in nature, but not those shades together in a house. That sofa-thingy alongside the mini-farmhouse table was a monstrosity.

I liked how Aubrey declared that people in Las Vegas are so sophisticated that the require the best. So unlike the rest of America. We prefer mediocrity. 

Sorry, but not impressed by a repaired garage door that looks chewed up from the inside and did not have an automatic garage door opener. I guess that must be an uptown Las Vegas thing. 

I prefer the shows where the hosts (both of them) do some of the manual labor. I'm pretty sick of the wife with all the design ideas but no skills otherwise (including, too often, creative ideas). 

Edited April 8, 2017 by mojito

[juliet73]

3 hours ago, mojito said:

 

I liked how Aubrey declared that people in Las Vegas are so sophisticated that the require the best. So unlike the rest of America. We prefer mediocrity. 

 

I prefer the shows where the hosts (both of them) do some of the manual labor. I'm pretty sick of the wife with all the design ideas but no skills otherwise (including, too often, creative ideas). 

Lol @ LV being sophisticated! I fast forwarded through most of it so I didn't hear it, but that is hilarious! I lived there for 25+ years and I would never use sophisticated to describe the people out there. The majority of the LV population have moved there from somewhere else. If anything, I would think by moving there, people have gone down a few rungs on the sophistication ladder. 

I agree about both of them doing the work. But at least Vegas husband does the work; Tarek didn't do anything. That's one of the reasons I hate their show. Oh, and I can't stand Christina! But the chick on this new version is annoying too in a completely different way. 

[Sam215]

I am on the fence.  The couple seemed very nervous and like they had something to prove.  They bragged a lot.  I agree the house was way too crowded.  If she really wanted an island perhaps skinner and on the side of the living room to create a division of space.  Then a table would fit.  Also they took out a window in the kitchen where I think the sink was.  That made it darker and more closed in. I grew up in a 500 square for home that had a half unfinished basement to make about 750 liveable.  That house never felt as cramped as this one looked.  That wall of wood is a nice idea in a large house with a large blank wall. Storage or shelves would have been a better option.  All in all I will watch it again. 

[WildPlum]

We didn't actually SEE the Vegas husband doing most of the work. He hired the garage door repaired, the island placement was done, according to the wife, by someone else while they were on "vacation," there were multiple workers in the background during most of the "work" shots, we did not see them putting in any of the tile, someone else put in the countertops (no one in their right mind would try to do countertops themselves - specialty equipment, really specialized skills, especially if seams are involved). We did see him doing some demo, putting in a short section of flooring, making the wall decor pieces.

I don't actually mind that they don't do much of the work but rather act as the general contractor (as in Fixer Upper - you don't think Chip does all that work himself, do you? - Flip or Flop, Property Brothers, etc etc), I just want them to admit it. I hate seeing Tarek tile, he does a TERRIBLE job, gets thinset and grout everywhere. I'd rather see competent people working.

The thing that this show sort of had going for it was the reasonable reno budget - except that for anyone hiring a contractor, the actual budget would be twice that.

I was also amused by the "oh, we'll get $250k for this easy" then they listed in the high $240s and accepted an offer in the $230s

[amcfar]

That kitchen isn't big enough for an island that size!!! What on earth was she thinking??!! When Aubrey started talking about putting a kitchen table near the island, I was in shock; that dining room is the size of a hallway! If she really felt that the kitchen needed an island, why not a peninsula instead? That way a table could easily fit in there and people wouldn't have to do a shimmy to get between the island and the table. Also, a table being butted up against the wall really limits the seating. What about holidays or having friends/family over to visit? Not functional the way she designed it. Someone claiming to have flipped 140 houses should know better. 

Hated the wood wall! I'm a minimalist, so the first thing I'd do upon moving in is rip all that out. Oh, and I'd rip out the vessel sinks in the bathroom too. Not a fan of those impractical things. I also LOVE green and have it as an accent color in our home (the decor; house itself is neutral), but there was way too much green going on in that house! Green in the countertops? Um, no thanks! 

[Casually Observant]

Geez guys!  So much negative.  To give weight to my subsequent comments, I am a Realtor and I have worked for 7 different home builders in my area as their on-sight agent selling model homes ranging from condos to custom homes during our building boom.  Following that, I have been working as a listing and buyers agent for over 20 years.  

I know exactly how the model homes are staged and why they decorate the way they do and what any seller must do to get his home in shape for a quick sale and high price.  I also have a brother who is an award-winning landscape designer who has graced several magazine covers, so I know how to make a home's landscape be spectacular.

Being handy myself and watching homes being built from the ground up on a daily basis for a number of years, I was not afraid to buy, reno and flip my own homes which I did 8 times.  On my last flip, the sub I had hired asked me why I hadn't gotten my contractor's license since he thought I knew more than many general contractors he had worked with.  So, the point is, I'm not some novice commenting here...

Here are my thoughts on this show:

Negative:  

1. Producers seem to be cloning the T&C show and it feels like nearly a complete redux, including the pretty blond wife letting out a scream in the intro.

2. Wife's manner of speaking is off-putting. Too many 'like, like, like' and unfortunately, she suffers from valley girl speak + vocal fry. The way she speaks makes her sound like she is dumb, but she clearly is not.  A good voice coach would help her immensely, otherwise she is adorable.

Positive:

1. Very good looking couple.

2. Great job with the flip. They nailed what they needed to with the glam, the farmhouse theme and the color scheme for the area.  The green worked in my opinion. The interior staging was quite good and may have appeared cluttered to some of you, but that worked just fine and tied everything together well.  If the wife actually did the staging herself, she did an excellent job. I'm still trying to figure out how they managed to do the whole thing for $20k.  I sure couldn't have done it for that.

3. The landscape and exterior. Finally!  They actually knew what they were doing with this! The episode didn't have enough time to show it to us fully, but it was clear to me they did a far superior job for this small house than T&C usually did.  That was one of my pet peaves on that show. Their exteriors always sucked when they were done.  I never could get over how bad their exteriors looked, yet they still managed to get them sold.

Looking forward to next week. I have my DVR set. We'll see how it goes...

[BoogieBurns]

On 4/11/2017 at 8:51 AM, amcfar said:

Also, a table being butted up against the wall really limits the seating. What about holidays or having friends/family over to visit? Not functional the way she designed it.

From what I saw there was a bench for seating on the side of the wall. I have no idea how someone over the age of four could fit at the bench with the table that close to the wall, but there was technically seating. I have this minimal table from Ikea that is 4 chairs and just basic wood and 4 thin legs. It would fit well there and made more sense. She put bulky chairs. 

I hope the show gets better. I did like how the wife seems to be running the show and how she bargain shopped. 

[vesperholly]

Wife reminded me of Delia Deetz.

[ByaNose]

The latest Flip wasn't horrible but I didn't like it either. I guess I'm not into black & white. I love red but not in large pieces of fabric for curtains but it's easily changeable. The bathrooms were a nice improvement & basement looked like a great place to hangout. The only thing I don't understand are pergolas. They don't provide that much shade, do they? Especially, in Las Vegas heat. He could have easily built a roof. All in all, a nice house but I'm still not sold on the show or them as flippers/host. The husband seems so smarmy to me. Maybe, it's the tattoos. I know I'm in the minority about that but it's just not my thing.

Edited April 14, 2017 by ByaNose

[Sam215]

This one was better.  I don't understand fully the decision to not put in the deck.   That view was amazing.  Yes it was more but they added the pergola which didn't really add shade.  The deck would.  I don't get pergolas either but I live in the Midwest and we just use umbrellas as needed.  I don't see the pergolas adding shade but they are nice looking.  The bathrooms were nice and the lower level seemed like a fun hang out area.    I didn't appreciate the fireplace as much as they said buyers would   It seemed like a perfect spot for a tv   Loved the cow stool/ bench things   

TiVo cut off before the end   What was the final outcome?

[mojito]

Quote

The only thing I don't understand are pergolas. 

They can block around 50% of the sun (or more, depending on how wide apart the slats are), but this pergola was useless. I like them for when you want to be in the sun but don't want to be baked.

I think the all the hairy pillows and chairs in the staging made the place look more cluttered and chintzy; as a buyer, I would appreciate a lot less crap on the furniture, and a lot less crappy furniture. 

Aside from the useless pergola and the staging, the house looked nice.

Had to laugh at Aubrey's declaration of getting counter tops that were "different, funky, and outside of the box" and then she gets the identical quartz that has been used for the last few years by just about everyone else. Was this episode filmed a few years ago? Might've been outside of the box then. 

Not impressed. I think I'm just tired of shows that focus more on the after kitchen and living area than the work that needed to be done. That's probably why I prefer the DIY channel. 

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, mojito said:

They can block around 50% of the sun (or more, depending on how wide apart the slats are), but this pergola was useless. I like them for when you want to be in the sun but don't want to be baked.

I think the all the hairy pillows and chairs in the staging made the place look more cluttered and chintzy; as a buyer, I would appreciate a lot less crap on the furniture, and a lot less crappy furniture. 

Aside from the useless pergola and the staging, the house looked nice.

Had to laugh at Aubrey's declaration of getting counter tops that were "different, funky, and outside of the box" and then she gets the identical quartz that has been used for the last few years by just about everyone else. Was this episode filmed a few years ago? Might've been outside of the box then. 

Not impressed. I think I'm just tired of shows that focus more on the after kitchen and living area than the work that needed to be done. That's probably why I prefer the DIY channel. 

When she talked about counter tops that were "different, funky, and outside of the box". I thought she was going to do formica. Now, that would have been something different. LOL!! I hope she is aware that quartz is actually currently in. Maybe, she missed that in design school.

[doodlebug]

Once again, I thought the staging detracted from the home.  Aubrey's choices looked tacky and a little dated to me.  I think she was going for something sort of retro, Rat Pack in Vegas vibe; but it was distracting to me.  She also puts way too many tchotchkes around for my taste.  I did like the house better, there were some nice spaces including the game room and I would've loved to have seen what a balcony would've done for the kitchen/living room area.

[WildPlum]

He seemed a little less wooden this episode, plus a bit more competent. I don't like her any better, nor am I impressed with her taste and staging and picking the right countertop seems to elude her first try, again. The slab their little boy picked, now THAT would be picking "out of the box."

For people who have allegedly done 140 houses, there were a bunch of rookie mistakes - the fireplace, for example. The manufacturers have an exact template available for pre-installation, so you'd know exactly the opening size, even if you didn't have the product on site. Leaving the window behind it, walled in (presumably so that they wouldn't have to pay for the stucco work to remove the old window), was just ... cheap.

The tile mosaic floor in the entry was put in before they realized where the stair railing would have to be bolted and the railing covered part of the mosaic and had to be bolted down over it.

Could be that she's right about the Vegas market, though, and glitz is more important than anything. Never much of a Vegas fan, myself.

 

I hope the other Flip or Flop spin-offs involve people less "Tarek and Christina"-lite with more taste.

[ByaNose]

There's another Flipping show on HGTV but I don't think there's a thread for it. It's called Flipping Virgins. I don't know how to start a thread or else I would. Anyway, the host is Egypt Sherod. She's done other HGTV shows. She walks people through the process of buying & Flipping houses for the first time. She isn't too annoying and the flips look nice and are reasonably priced. The virgins are 10's x better then the couple on Flipping Vegas. IMO!

[tabloidlover]

They should have added the deck.  Would have paid off.  That was a very weird pergola, especially for the Vegas sun.

[Oldernowiser]

This woman's voice makes me want to put knives through my eardrums.

Rusty knives.

[Casually Observant]

SEASON 1, EPISODE 2

This 2nd episode of Flip or Flop Vegas was very good. I'm also of the impression the deck would have been worth it, however the Vegas market is much lower priced than many places and there may not have been enough room in the price to do so. The fact that the offer they took didn't come in for 3 weeks and was under the asking price tells you how tight that market is, unlike T&C's 'California/write your own price/anything goes' market.

Re: the argument about leaving the window in behind the fireplace - I believe she said she did it for two reasons: one- to keep the attractive exterior esthetics in place that the window offered; and two - to save money.  Makes sense to me.

Yes the decor was glitzy, but it definitely worked in my opinion for the local market. Nevada, CA, and AZ have their own type of style that is different than the midwest or east coast.

The wife's voice is becoming less bothersome to me, or perhaps she is more relaxed in front of the camera. 

The fact that she is a designer and he is a contractor is how they can do these flips for so little money, I'm guessing.  Their flips would cost twice as much for anyone else. Good for them. I wish I were so lucky!

[juliet73]

Ep 2:  I thought the flip turned out way better than ep 1.  However, she needs to reel in all the knick knack crap she uses to stage the homes.  If she used HALF of the stuff, it would look so much better, the rooms would look bigger and buyers wouldn't be distracted by all the tchotchkes.  I know she's trying to go for a "glitzy Vegas vibe", but honestly, that decor is limited to a very small buying pool.  As for the balcony...here is my opinion: If that side of the house faced the sun most of the day, then I think they made a good call not installing the balcony.  It's too hot mid spring - mid fall to sit outside and enjoy it.  However, if it didn't face the sun, I think they should have done it.  They could have saved money elsewhere - like putting ceramic tile in the entry, the artificial grass, etc.  

[WildPlum]

Ep 3 - I think her staging is actually costing her money. Sure, a lot of people can look past just "stuff" to the house beyond, but I though the broker's reaction to the red chandelier in the bathroom was pretty telling.

The house itself didn't help her any - that is an insanely stupid place to put a step down, right on the edge of the dining area. Note that the same bench seat as Ep 1 was pushed up against the wall, the dining table pushed up against the bench and then that hideous white faux fur fluff thing was pushed under the table. If you put a regular table and chairs there, I'd bet it wouldn't take more than a month or so for someone getting up from the table to push their chair backward off the ledge.

Didn't care for the nearly black floors at all, should have been, at most, medium toned. Sure, they saved money by refinishing the engineered floor and I think for a flip that is fine - but maybe not for a top-dollar flip, which is what they were looking for. This is the third episode in which they have badly overestimated what the house would sell for in what is supposed to be more of a seller's market than a buyer's market. Percentage-wise, Tarek and Christina are usually much closer in estimating what the house will sell for.

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, WildPlum said:

Ep 3 - I think her staging is actually costing her money. Sure, a lot of people can look past just "stuff" to the house beyond, but I though the broker's reaction to the red chandelier in the bathroom was pretty telling.

The house itself didn't help her any - that is an insanely stupid place to put a step down, right on the edge of the dining area. Note that the same bench seat as Ep 1 was pushed up against the wall, the dining table pushed up against the bench and then that hideous white faux fur fluff thing was pushed under the table. If you put a regular table and chairs there, I'd bet it wouldn't take more than a month or so for someone getting up from the table to push their chair backward off the ledge.

Didn't care for the nearly black floors at all, should have been, at most, medium toned. Sure, they saved money by refinishing the engineered floor and I think for a flip that is fine - but maybe not for a top-dollar flip, which is what they were looking for. This is the third episode in which they have badly overestimated what the house would sell for in what is supposed to be more of a seller's market than a buyer's market. Percentage-wise, Tarek and Christina are usually much closer in estimating what the house will sell for.

I thought the house itself had the most potential of the 3 we've seen so far.  Nice sized rooms, decent layout, decent yard.  However, I agree, the décor choices took away from the final product.  I don't care if they are in Vegas, I don't believe that a majority of buyers are impressed with faux fur rugs and pillows.  Her taste is cheap and cheesy, as was the chandelier.  And, I agree, if they were such talented flippers, they'd be selling their houses at full price.  Either they are not good at pricing their flips or, their flips just aren't as terrific as they pretend.  Since they mention neighborhood comps when setting their price, it must be that the houses they are flipping aren't nearly as desirable as other homes on the market.  The last house, they said comps were $220,000 and they priced the house just a little over that at $225,000.  Then,. a couple weeks later, they had to drop the price an sell for 10's of thousands under the comps. 

I have a feeling HGTV hired them because of their looks, not their talent.

[juliet73]

Ep 3:  I know exactly where this house is located.  I grew up about a mile from this subdivision.  It's in an "older" neighborhood (developed in the mid 80's) and part of the "Quail" neighborhoods.  (Quail Summit, Quail Terrace (this house) and Quail Ridge).  QS and QT are the "lower end" houses - they probably run around $400k and up.  QR is a guard gated $1,000,000+ community.  I would think the location alone on this house would draw buyers in (close to the strip, close to the airport, better schools, etc) Plus, because it's an older neighborhood, the lot sizes are bigger than average and real grass still exists.  Onto the house...Aubrey really needs to stop with ALL THE STUFF!!  I hated the game room right when you walk in the front door!! And the light herringbone tile floor in the game room looked awful with the dark wood floor in the dining room and family room!  I wish they would have kept the living room more formal and put the game room back in the family room area. The kitchen was meh. It had way too many textures/patterns. Between the busy granite, the backsplash, the tile cut out in the backsplash, the side of the stone fireplace, the herringbone tile and the horsey hood, there was just too much going on.  The master bedroom is nice - it will look a lot nicer when all the tacky bedding and STUFF is removed.  The small room off the master should have never had that horrible wainscoting/wall design built - it made the room appear even smaller.  Also, it should have been minimally decorated; the buyers could then decide what they wanted to use it for. Instead, they crammed it full of furniture and more clutter.  The master bath was lovely, except for that horrid red chandelier.  The other bedroom had so much furniture, crap and bright colors that it distracted from "seeing" the room.  The backyard was the best part of the house!  I think because it was the only area that the decorating was kept to a minimum.  One of the positives I can see about this show vs T&C is at least these two do their own staging, even though it is horrible and tacky.  It drives me crazy that T&C spend up to $4000+ EVERY episode because they hire a company to stage.  

[WildPlum]

32 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

Ep 3:  I know exactly where this house is located.  I grew up about a mile from this subdivision.  It's in an "older" neighborhood (developed in the mid 80's) and part of the "Quail" neighborhoods.  (Quail Summit, Quail Terrace (this house) and Quail Ridge).  QS and QT are the "lower end" houses - they probably run around $400k and up.  QR is a guard gated $1,000,000+ community.  I would think the location alone on this house would draw buyers in (close to the strip, close to the airport, better schools, etc) Plus, because it's an older neighborhood, the lot sizes are bigger than average and real grass still exists. 

Having googled around, the impression I get is that Vegas home prices languished long after a lot of places started coming out of the housing recession (the unemployment rate is supposed to be about 7.3%, a lot higher than most larger west coast cities), but started to uptick in 2016 and now it is really more of a seller's market instead of buyer's market, as the inventory has decreased. Is that your impression as well?

Also, lol at her "people from the Pacific North West would feel at home with this green" - no, on the west side of the Cascades up here it is GREEN green and that wouldn't look like home at all.

[mojito]

Quote

The kitchen was meh. It had way too many textures/patterns. Between the busy granite, the backsplash, the tile cut out in the backsplash, the side of the stone fireplace, the herringbone tile and the horsey hood, there was just too much going on.  

I so agree. The kitchen was so busy that it was hard to see it in a glance because my eyes were dancing around. Who'd've thunk that the colors gray and white could be so dizzying?.

In one of the promos, Aubrey stated that the Las Vegas market was the toughest one (or something to that effect) in the US. I figured out what it means. It means that when you overprice a home and furnish it with touches reminiscent of an Old West Hollywood brothel, people won't pay your price.

Quote

I have a feeling HGTV hired them because of their looks, not their talent.

HGTV might want to consider backing off the formula of the glammed-up blonde wife who calls herself a designer. Enough already. (Texas Flip 'N Move will remain my favorite flipping show, bad acting and all, because these are ordinary people who make the most of $1300 auctioned homes and sell them for $55K.)

[Finagler]

I thought I would give this show a chance but her constant "I saved thiisssss muuuuccchhh" just brings it down.  Plus the tone of her voice drives me nuts.  This last house with all the fake fur stuff was ridiculous.  Honey, if you want something that looks high end, stop watching the old western movies.  High end =/ brothel look.

I will be deleting this series from my DVR.  On another note, has anyone seen the House to Home show with Jasmine Roth?  It's on HGTV too.   I'm going to give that one a shot.  At least Jasmine doesn't have any weird vocal tics.   

[WildPlum]

1 hour ago, Finagler said:

I will be deleting this series from my DVR.  On another note, has anyone seen the House to Home show with Jasmine Roth?  It's on HGTV too.   I'm going to give that one a shot.  At least Jasmine doesn't have any weird vocal tics.   

Just watched it today and was fairly impressed. She had a lot of good ideas (the rusted tin top table and the window with air shocks not being among the good ideas), did a fair amount of the work while letting the pros handle the work that requires actual pros. The budget was probably realistic, $95,000 to do a facelift on the front of the house and then R&R the living, family, dining kitchen with all new flooring, cabinets, countertops and remove one wall.

[Sam215]

While the show is growing on me, I really disliked the dark floors and weird game room, I liked the kitchen and the back yard.  I wish she would stop with the " I got this so cheap" thing.  If I bought this house I would be upset.   It that it was cheap but that she said it was.  Maybe saying I was able to get a great deal to stay in budget or even actually showing the bargaining.  

 

Lovef the vegas meets old west brothel.  Very good discription

[juliet73]

5 hours ago, WildPlum said:

Having googled around, the impression I get is that Vegas home prices languished long after a lot of places started coming out of the housing recession (the unemployment rate is supposed to be about 7.3%, a lot higher than most larger west coast cities), but started to uptick in 2016 and now it is really more of a seller's market instead of buyer's market, as the inventory has decreased. Is that your impression as well?

 

Home prices are going up again, but not like they were 12-13 years ago.  Back then, I knew people that were selling their crappy homes in questionable areas for way way way more than they were worth.  There were bidding wars.  Investors were buying new homes like it was going out of style to rent them out. It was crazy!  I bought a brand new house during the craze and sold it a year later netting just over $30k.  Shortly after I moved, the market plummeted.  Less  than a year later, my former house was back on the market for $200k LESS than what I sold it for!  

5 hours ago, mojito said:

In one of the promos, Aubrey stated that the Las Vegas market was the toughest one (or something to that effect) in the US. I figured out what it means. It means that when you overprice a home and furnish it with touches reminiscent of an Old West Hollywood brothel, people won't pay your price.

 

LOL! I agree.  IMO though, LV might be a more difficult market for flipping because there are constantly brand new developments/communities being built all over the city.  If you had the choice between two average priced tract homes, would you choose the flip in an "older" neighborhood with older schools, older stores, etc and you would have to remove an ugly brown and green "decorative" wall in the living room and  or would you pick a brand new build on a brand new street with brand new schools, supermarkets, etc and you get to pick the flooring, finishes, landscaping, etc? Plus, the house would under warranty.  I know there are pros and cons for both new builds and resales, but when it comes down to specifically a flip in LV, I would take a new build every time. 

[mojito]

Las Vegas is not exactly the Last Frontier. Plenty of cities are still building, even old ones like Atlanta.