Texas Flip N Move - General Discussion

[Jeanne222]

Editor's Note:

Discuss Texas Flip N Move Here!

 

I've noticed a lot of posts here and there about this show.  Thought I'd start a home for it here

I haven't decided which team I like the best!  Last night was the workout home done for good friends.  Not much profit but a gift to friends.

Seems like they don't make much money on other flips!

Edited April 5, 2019 by OnceSane

[mojito]

Thanks for starting this. I love this show. 

I like that just about all of these people can handle tools and know something about construction. They are workerbees, most of them. I like that they are able to be more creative than other flippers, I guess because of the price of the homes and all the people willing to purchase at that price. 

I don't know exactly, but I suspect that these flips happen in under a month, so they make a nice chunk of change (and don't forget that Randy and Casey are also in the house-moving business). I like all the teams. If I had to pick a least favorite, it would be Gary's Girls only because the flips never seems satisfying when you consider a 4-way split. I do like that Paige and her husband are a separate team. 

[Jeanne222]

Thank you for commenting.  I was afraid I would be all alone!

I really like Paige and her husband.  I'm thinking the girls weren't as interesting.

I wonder how many flips they actually do.

They surely make good money on the moves.

I wonder if they include labour when they breakdown expenses.  If yes then the final profit would be bonus!

[mojito]

I'm guessing they do include hired help in their expenses.

The girls are just too many people. I'm impressed that Gary made sure they knew how to handle tools (I'm assuming it was his influence). I wonder if he has any other kids?

I like the way the teams interact with each other. I especially like seeing the women being more than just designers, and in the case of Paige and Raff (?) and Casey and Katrina, you don't feel that one person is doing most of the labor. I think Casey has evolved a good bit from builder to a guy with ideas who's okay with color (I'm thinking he used to be more conservative).

Did you watch the first season? I don't miss that doofus and his wife one bit. I saw he had a t-shirt with the ever-so-unique quote, "I am a professional" on it. And then attributed his quote to himself. He was entirely too enamored with himself. He did good work, I just didn't like his schtick. 

It was nice to finally see  the new guys. 

[Jeanne222]

Actually those homes come at a great price.  House and land coming in at around $100, on a lot of them.

Many are sold as second homes and lake homes.  It's an interesting business.

I think most of them are related.  The snow sisters, Gary's girls and Casey.

[mojito]

I'm not aware of Casey being related, unless you're talking about that doofus who was on the show initially. They were cousins. 

Land for $100? I don't follow.

Actually, I don't recall a house that cheap either. Or did you mean $1000?

I always found it interesting how many people in these parts live in very ordinary, even kind of unimpressive homes, but have land elsewhere and a second home. Texans love their lake homes. I guess that's why all but one lake are man-made. (Well, the problem with flooding might really be the reason....)

[netlyon2]

@Jeanne222, thanks for starting this. Texas Flip 'n Move is one of my favorite house flipping shows!

What do you all make of the changes to this season? In addition to adding a whole new team and a sorta-new team, it seems like they have cut the time spent on the auction process and are doing more single-focus episodes. I don't miss the auctions much, although I did like when they had each team discuss what their price range would be before the bidding started--that gave some interesting insight. 

(*whispers* I kind of have a crush on Myers Jackson. please don't judge me too harshly! ?)

PS

@mojito, I'm amazed at the number of people who "have land" that needs a house on it. East Coast city dweller here, so for me land ownership usually means you bought a house that came with the land under it and maybe a backyard, too. Maybe.

[mojito]

@netlyon2, I know where you're coming from. I think another region where you find people with second homes is the Great Lakes region. Seem to be lots of lake cabins up there. My second place would be somewhere where the climate is totally different than where I am. Maybe the language, too, or at least the accent!

I like Myers, too, and his silly lines about "that means if you find an armadillo in your bathtub....". I was pretty surprised when the Snow sisters did a place for him and he mentioned a grandchild.

I like the changes to the new season. The initial bidding clips aren't all that interesting. I like more focus on the work being done, the problems they encounter, their creative workarounds. I pay $5 more a month on Sling just to watch this show, so you can see how much I like it. It's nice to see modest homes being renovated, see their affordability, she how cute they turn out.

[Jeanne222]

On 11/28/2017 at 0:22 PM, mojito said:

I'm not aware of Casey being related, unless you're talking about that doofus who was on the show initially. They were cousins. 

Land for $100? I don't follow.

Actually, I don't recall a house that cheap either. Or did you mean $1000?

I always found it interesting how many people in these parts live in very ordinary, even kind of unimpressive homes, but have land elsewhere and a second home. Texans love their lake homes. I guess that's why all but one lake are man-made. (Well, the problem with flooding might really be the reason....)

I thought they said Casey was related to the snow sisters.  Cousins I thought they said.

 

The homes come in around 50,000 to 70,000.  Add land and moving expense and I'm guessing total about $100,000.

Sorry I wasn't clear on that.

[mojito]

I like what Randy did with this week's flip (12/1). Though I wouldn't be interested in a game room, I liked that he put in a full-sized bathroom. He sure got a lot of bowling alley floor for the little he ended up using, but I'm sure he'll use that wood another time. I wonder if Randy had been sick? I don't know when these shows were filmed, but he was not in several of the first episodes this season and appeared in a designer tip looking thinner. In this episode, he was his usual hefty self. Could be he merely took off weight. Speaking of weight, I didn't remember Melinda looking as svelte as she did in this show. I have also thought that Donna has looked like she's taken off a few pounds.

[Jeanne222]

MOO is that the show features different flippers so as to not have any get big $$$ come contract negotiating.

I watch storage wars and they are bringing in new bidders every show.

First few seasons it was the same six now its all changed .  No job security in reality TV!

[zoomama]

i love this show. my husband i watch it faithfully. its even more fun for me as i have children that live in that area so i am a little familiar with some of the towns they go to. 

[mojito]

Quote

MOO is that the show features different flippers so as to not have any get big $$$ come contract negotiating.

In this show, the Snow Sisters and Randy have been with the show from the first season. In that first season, there was another couple for a total of 3 teams. During that first season, Katrina was the construction person for the Snow Sisters, and Casey was the cousin of the couple that didn't return (which was a good thing) and their mover. He also did some construction work for his cousin. So except for that not-invited-back couple, this show has merely added a few more teams, with Page and Raf, of course, being a breakout of Gary's Girls (Gary is the Snow Sister's brother). Gary's Girls and the two-man team are the new faces; everyone else is from the first season.  I'm pretty sure I got that right unless there was some other season that I'm not aware of.  

Just some background in case you (or others) didn't know.

[sheetmoss]

This show  really hates dishwashers and front hall closets.

Anybody know why they don't install diswashers other than an added $?

[Sevargmt]

On 3/13/2018 at 12:13 AM, sheetmoss said:

This show  really hates dishwashers and front hall closets.

Anybody know why they don't install diswashers other than an added $?

The dishwasher mystery is what bugs the heck out of me too!  Who in today's world wants a nice house (some of their houses are pretty impressive) that doesn't have a dishwasher in the kitchen?  I just watched an episode (05/25/18) and the Snow Sisters spent about $2500 on a granite countertop with a waterfall down to the floor on a small island with the kitchen sink.  They can spend that much on the countertop but not $500 on a dishwasher?  The price of the dishwasher would be slightly offset by not having to buy a section of cabinets.  I'm baffled!

I'm also wondering why Randy is barely shown lately - usually at the beginning auction or when they borrow/buy something from him.  Randy is my favorite.

Edited May 26, 2018 by Sevargmt

[mojito]

Quote

This show  really hates dishwashers and front hall closets.

Maybe it has something to do with drainage or water source and not knowing the kind of situations these homes will be placed in when they reach their final destination. As for front hall closets, I've never used mine for guests. They don't come over bundled up in coats.  I can't think of a time when anyone has taken my coat for me, because I don't wear coats. Even when it's chilly, a whole lot of us will just dodge between car and indoors wearing sweaters or sweatshirts or fleece-type jackets/windbreakers.

Many of these homes are second homes, so perhaps people don't have so much dishware that they can put some in the dishwasher and still have clean dishes to spare. I just fired up my dishwasher for the first time in months a few days ago. I'm just not that enamored with the dishwasher because the things I'd like the dishwasher to handle (pots and pans) are better done by hand. Plates, glasses, and flatware take seconds to wash. Just as easy to wash them by hand as to put them in the dishwasher. Of course, if you're constantly dealing with a family of 5, 2 meals per day, that's a different thing. But most people in these homes don't seem to be larger families.

Randy and the two-man team are all pretty scarce. I like Randy, too. Did anyone notice that in the 5/18 episode (I think), you saw footage with that couple (the "Young Guns") that was originally on this show the first season? It was clearly old clips; Randy was still using his bearded designer. 

I've finally decided that I like Casey and Katrina the most because they come up with the most creative, unusual things to do, most of which I like. Gary's Girls just seem to ad lib their work and it just seems to be a compilation of scattered ideas, some of which don't add much value to the house. (That airplane episode was just too stupid for words.) 

[CruiseDiva]

I really enjoy this show and all the teams, especially the Snow sisters. 

The airplane episode...at the end it was pretty obvious that they built that specifically for the guy who "bought" it. No doubt they were commissioned to do it for him.

[mojito]

I get a kick out of Toni's incredibly bad acting. Everyone else handles the camera pretty well, but she's awful.

[netlyon2]

On 5/29/2018 at 12:44 PM, mojito said:

Randy and the two-man team are all pretty scarce. I like Randy, too. Did anyone notice that in the 5/18 episode (I think), you saw footage with that couple (the "Young Guns") that was originally on this show the first season? It was clearly old clips; Randy was still using his bearded designer. 

I've finally decided that I like Casey and Katrina the most because they come up with the most creative, unusual things to do, most of which I like. Gary's Girls just seem to ad lib their work and it just seems to be a compilation of scattered ideas, some of which don't add much value to the house. (That airplane episode was just too stupid for words.) 

@mojito, that recycled footage drove me bonkers! First, I thought I remembered the shed. Then we got hit with the Slays and I wondered if they were floating a return. Finally, old contractor guy showed up and I remembered the whole “Texas-sized Tiny House” schtick. I wonder if something happened to whatever footage they originally planned to include, so they thought they could slide one past the viewers. Was the Snow house an older flip as well. I thought I saw Casey and Katrina in the auction part, which would make it at least post-Cody and Susie. Idk ??‍♀️

[mojito]

I assumed that they were just making use of old footage and edited in modern footage to complete the story. 

The Slays. The guy could really do good wood work, but he was an over acting doofus. I remember he had a quote on his shirt--quite the profound one, I might add--"I am a professional." And then he attributed the quote to himself. On his own shirt. His wife seemed to think she had a lot more class than I thought she had. Remember that shack that he was going to move, the one that cousin Casey refused to move because it was so rickety? That was a goofy, staged event, what with Randy and the Snow Sisters sitting in chairs eating popcorn to watch. Ah, good times.

I love this show, Good Bones, and Home Town because they take very modest homes and make them snazzy and still sell them at modest prices. I've seen more creative things done on Texas Flip 'N Move than I've seen on the more high-end flip shows. All three of these shows try to do unique things, whereas the other shows pretty much do the same-old, same-old.

[friendperidot]

I had posted in this in the Genre, Flipping shows, so I just moved it here where it seems you all watch this. 

Been watching Texas Flip 'N Move today, watched it a little once before, but I'm confused about a lot on this show. A house somewhere in the Ft. Worth area has to be moved for some reason. This group of people and probably some others stand outside of it and look, then the auctioneer comes and auctions off the house. Or for whatever reason someone gives a house that has to be moved to someone in this group. After purchase, they go inside and see what they bought. The house then is moved to the "renovation lot?" I never heard of a renovation lot before. I'm guessing the remodelers have to pay some fees for space and power. Then after they spend a boatload of money to fix up the house, including paint/paper/decorating, then there is an open house, then the same auctioneer comes back and discusses how much money they need, then they go outside and auction it off. When the house is sold, the entire group of bidders walk away except for the new owners. Then I guess the new owner has to arrange to have the whole house moved to a new piece of property. Several things confuse me. The bidders on finished house look like the same group of people on every single episode. They are always so excited about the decor of their new home. When I bought a house, the homeowners hadn't gotten all the interior painting done, and as a condition of the purchase, I asked them not to, I wanted to paint to suit me. So people just buy an already decorated home? I'm assuming (I know what that means) that the furnishings and accessories are staging and will not stay. Because, don't most people have at least some furniture of their own? Well, there was that one with a hanging bed, while it sounds like fun, how practical is it? But with moving houses, I know there are restrictions about lengths, widths, weights, so isn't impractical to build a pergola front porch that is going to have to be dismantled for the move? And is moving houses a really big industry? 

When I was growing up, I lived in a rather isolated neighborhood, across the street from my house was a big, big hill. When I was little, it was just a wooded, weed choked area. In the early 1960s, Interstate 70 was being built through the middle of KC, from that area, they moved about 6 houses onto my street at the top of that hill and about 7 houses on the street to the south at the bottom of that big hill, the middle was left empty. The houses at the bottom didn't have a lot done to them, but the ones at the top, the backs of the houses were on stilts because of that hill. I have heard stories of historic and old houses being moved to new lots to preserve them. But this whole, moving these little houses, then restoring them, then moving them again just seems odd. I think one move is hard enough on an old house, just seems more practical to move to the final lot before restoring. But, what do I know?

[netlyon2]

Some thoughts on @friendperidot's musings:

1. I'm in DC, where I don't think moving houses is a thing.  However, they've had two spinoffs (Louisiana and Alaska), so I'm guessing it's a thing in places where people buy land without property on it. idk  The Snow family has three four generations of house moving/flipping (Paige/Melinda/Kendal/[Sister #4]; Donna/Tony/Gary; H.D.; and maybe H.D.'s daddy?), so it's been a thing for at least that long.

2. I'm fairly certain that most of the attendees for both auctions (pre- and post-renovation) are recruits, passerby, etc.

3. In previous seasons, they showed the staging as part of getting the house ready for auction (along with putting plants around the outside); I can't recall if they still do so.  I seem to recall more than one episode where the new owners have asked about keeping some or all of the staging furniture.  I imagine the permanent and semi-permanent stuff (eg islands, built-ins, and wacky platform beds) comes with the house.

4. I think that sometimes they have to demo parts of the house due to the original location, which can offer a variety of one-time only issues such as having a lot of trees/power lines or being located in downtown amid a lot of bridges.  Other times, they demo a part of the original house that isn't worth the trouble or expense of saving, like exterior brick that makes the house heavier, parts that are built on a slab (and would require them to build a subfloor before the move), or sections that make the building too long or wide to fit on the truck or road.  When the movers are planning the renovation, they can take these things into account.  For example, the if the flippers have to cut off a roof because it makes the house too tall, they replace it with a lower-profile roof so that it won't be an issue when they move it to its final destination.  

I find the whole premise of the show interesting.  It makes sense for places where people buy the land first and the actual structure is a secondary consideration.  I like the idea of the old houses being renovated and relocated instead of trashed in favor of new builds.   

[mojito]

@friendperidot, I really can't answer why all the bidders look the same from episode to episode to you and wonder why you think you should have heard of a renovation lot before if you're unfamiliar with the concept of this show.  I've rarely seen the same auctioneer for both auctions and I've been watching this show from the beginning. But what does it matter if it is the same auctioneer? The idea of buying a home, moving it to renovate it, then moving it to its final destination makes sense to me. These people renovate homes, they don't buy and sell land. Meanwhile, there are a lot of people in these parts who own land but have no structures on them. If you wanted to buy a trailer home for your property, wouldn't you expect to go to a lot to pick one out? Even major parts of a prefab home are built elsewhere and transported for assembly. 

For many people who want to build another home on their land, it's a lot cheaper to give away an old home than have to demolish it and pay for the cleanup. Plus, I'm sure there's the satisfaction of knowing that the old home is getting a new life somewhere else. 

If you've seen a house, bid on it and lost the bidding, wouldn't you leave? There's no after-party for these things. As for staging, I'm sure plenty is negotiable and you can choose to purchase items that you like. Same as with any home that's staged. Some specially-built items will undoubtedly stay with the home. 

[CruiseDiva]

@FRIENDPERIDOT, in addition to what mojito explained, there are a lot of places in Texas and Louisiana where people buy lots on lakes or near the coast and have "fishing camps." Some are pretty bare bones and almost shacks, others are really nice with the amenities you'd expect in a vacation home. The buyers on the Flip 'n Move shows often say they look forward to moving their newly purchased houses to their land, so that's a pre-defined market for the flippers. A lot of people attending those auctions already have vacant property just waiting for a house, sometimes a retirement home on a lake or a first home in the country.

Maybe you have to be from the South to understand? LOL!

[sarainitaly]

When they move the houses, they are always trashed once they get to the lot. How do they move the houses, once they have been fixed, without destroying them??

[friendperidot]

Let me say a couple things, I never said I gave any care at all about it being the same auctioneer. I used to go to an auction nearly every weekend in the same place, it was the same auctioneer, I just noted it was the same auctioneer. I can't imagine that even in Dallas/Ft Worth, there would be many house auctioneers, seems to be a rather specialized part of auctions.

I live in Oklahoma, pretty far South, but I've also lived in Virginia and the metro DC area, moving houses was not much of a thing there. Here there are lots of mobile homes, that always amazes me because I've lived in one else where in the country and in OK, you're just inviting tornadoes to take it. (a generalization that I am quite aware of) I grew up in the midwest, like I said, and other than those 6-8 houses that were moved into my neighborhood as a kid, it wasn't really a thing. It's mostly the logistics of moving, of adding things on like pergola porches that are going to have to be removed for the move and parts of the roof of the house that make the roofs to porches of all sorts. It seems a lot of unnecessary work for staging a house that will have to be dismantled before it can be moved again. Then there was an episode with 2 fuselages with a big center room built between them, why, especially if it was a presold thing would they build it on a restoration lot only to dismantle it to move it again. 

I'll solve the problem for all of you. I probably won't watch and I definitely won't bother to post.

[mojito]

Quote

When they move the houses, they are always trashed once they get to the lot. How do they move the houses, once they have been fixed, without destroying them??

Before they move the homes, they've already dissected it (cutting roofs, chopping off rooms, etc.) so that would explain some of debris you see in them once they get to the lot. These homes are usually not in good shape, so I'm sure just a little jostling results in parts of the structure crumbling.

Buy I've often wondered about that final move, too. I would think moving would at the very least create cracks in drywall.

Quote

I'll solve the problem for all of you. I probably won't watch and I definitely won't bother to post.

 ?

[TVJunkee]

FOUND IT!  (the forum)

 Regarding the auctioneers-- Myers Jackson (always wondering if he is related to Barrett Jackson, the auto auctioneer) does the auctions where the flippers need to make their money.  That's why he has the meetings to ask what they need to get. 

There are lower tier auctioneers that do the cheap first sales.  I remember one or two different women and now a young guy who looked like he wanted to BE Myers but was too young and not as skilled an auctioneer.  I think they are probably contracted by banks or realtors or developers to just get rid of the house and whatever price they can get.

I think the crowds at both auction varies.  I always see different people.

Of course, I have no facial recognition whatsoever so I may be totally wrong. 

[sheetmoss]

On 5/29/2018 at 11:44 AM, mojito said:

Maybe it has something to do with drainage or water source and not knowing the kind of situations these homes will be placed in when they reach their final destination. As for front hall closets, I've never used mine for guests. They don't come over bundled up in coats.  I can't think of a time when anyone has taken my coat for me, because I don't wear coats. Even when it's chilly, a whole lot of us will just dodge between car and indoors wearing sweaters or sweatshirts or fleece-type jackets/windbreakers.

Many of these homes are second homes, so perhaps people don't have so much dishware that they can put some in the dishwasher and still have clean dishes to spare. I just fired up my dishwasher for the first time in months a few days ago. I'm just not that enamored with the dishwasher because the things I'd like the dishwasher to handle (pots and pans) are better done by hand. Plates, glasses, and flatware take seconds to wash. Just as easy to wash them by hand as to put them in the dishwasher. Of course, if you're constantly dealing with a family of 5, 2 meals per day, that's a different thing. But most people in these homes don't seem to be larger families.

Randy and the two-man team are all pretty scarce. I like Randy, too. Did anyone notice that in the 5/18 episode (I think), you saw footage with that couple (the "Young Guns") that was originally on this show the first season? It was clearly old clips; Randy was still using his bearded designer. 

I've finally decided that I like Casey and Katrina the most because they come up with the most creative, unusual things to do, most of which I like. Gary's Girls just seem to ad lib their work and it just seems to be a compilation of scattered ideas, some of which don't add much value to the house. (That airplane episode was just too stupid for words.) 

I thought of that, but wouldn't that apply to a washing machine as well, which from time to time they do add.

If they don't add a washer/laundry,  couldn't a dishwasher be swapped out instead?

What do you estimate it costs  to  finish on new land, I know it's another moving fee, but then  there's foundation, electrical. town water or well, septic or connection to city sewers, etc - I'm guestimating it's an add'l $30-$50,000? 

I don't think the houses have gas lines  as the stoves  always seem to be electric

 

Oh, did the guys small house have a fridge?  I didn't see one under the counter.  Maybe fridge/freezer drawers.

Awhile back when the Snow Sisters flipped the train car - I don't remember seeing a fridge either

Edited June 16, 2018 by sheetmoss

[Soup333]

I miss the Slays. Gary’s girls have zero design sense. Cody was goofy but at least Suzy had some idea what she was doing. I love this show but I don’t want to watch if it’s Gary’s Girls/Rafe and Paige. 

[mojito]

Was the last episode (6/22)  new? Toni declared that doing a grain silo was so unique yet their nieces had already done a grain silo last year or the year before. Also, Randy's place seemed awfully familiar.

[RedRockRosie]

On 6/27/2018 at 1:40 PM, mojito said:

Was the last episode (6/22)  new? Toni declared that doing a grain silo was so unique yet their nieces had already done a grain silo last year or the year before. Also, Randy's place seemed awfully familiar.

Pretty sure it was a rerun too. Especially when the sisters commented they never did anything like the grain silo before...and I'm pretty sure I remember that they did! Did they just re-edit an old show??

Edited July 2, 2018 by RedRockRosie

[mojito]

Quote

 

Did they just re-edit an old show??

 

Seems like it.

Did anyone see the Paige and Raf 6/29 show? They were just shooting from the hip the whole time, much like I feel Gary's Girls do. Didn't care for that flip at all.

[netlyon2]

@mojito, @RedRockRosie, I’m glad it’s not just me seeing it! This is so weird. Did they, like, lose new footage that they were planning to use and decide that mixing in some old stuff would be an acceptable way to stretch things out? I’d honestly prefer that they just have a shorter season of new stuff and then go back to reruns.

[Szwdswrth]

On 6/22/2018 at 7:04 PM, Soup333 said:

I miss the Slays. Gary’s girls have zero design sense. Cody was goofy but at least Suzy had some idea what she was doing. I love this show but I don’t want to watch if it’s Gary’s Girls/Rafe and Paige. 

I liked Cody too, he was funny. I usually don't watch Gary's girls or Rafe &Paige. I like the two guys.

What I wonder about is sometimes they have to cut a roof off for a move or an addition, so do they take that off again when someone buys it? And they put heat and air in but I never see units outside. Plus usually no laundry. And won't tiles fall off in moves? I think these homes would end up costing a lot more.

On 6/22/2018 at 7:04 PM, Soup333 said:

I miss the Slays. Gary’s girls have zero design sense. Cody was goofy but at least Suzy had some idea what she was doing. I love this show but I don’t want to watch if it’s Gary’s Girls/Rafe and Paige. 

[mojito]

Ugh, Cody. While I really liked his craftsmanship, his whole act was overdone, even a little insulting. As someone commented as we were watching the show, "This guy seems to be channeling his inner George Jefferson". I think my friend nailed it. Cody was trying too hard to project something that turned out to be, much like George Jefferson, a caricature. If he had toned it down and if his wife didn't miss the mark so badly with her attempt at "class", they would've been okay. 

Szwdswrth, I'm with you. Although I initially found myself being kinder to Paige and Raf, their last reno proved that they were as haphazard with their "design" as Gary's Girls.  I've become Team Cody and Katrina. They have come up with a few ideas that were more memorable than some of the ideas I've seen on other flipping shows. This is not to say that I dislike the Snow Sisters or Randy (hard for me to judge the two-man team).

[mojito]

Last week, I was relieved to see that Page and Raf didn't win the auction but that the Hayhurst brothers did. Loved their hats. Unremarkable home, but loved their hats.

This week, I've enjoyed Randy doing his designer thing with his sidekick Steven. Steven doesn't strike me as any kind of creative guy, but it's fun seeing him try to stretch along with Randy. 

Donna and Tony's place. Remembering previous posts, I made a point of looking for a dishwasher....and...there was a dishwasher. 

[CruiseDiva]

I remembered to look for the dishwasher as well. Good to see it!

I really liked both of those houses.

[sheetmoss]

Did Randy's  house--section bought from Snow sisters for $400....did it have a refrigerator?

Also, the  island with pedestal table  covered in granite top was a miss  -  chairs legs will have to be cu t down to fit under. 

The bar chairs they used wouldn't even go under it

[CrazyInAlabama]

I really enjoyed this show when it first came on, but the later seasons are just over the top with their fake drama.  

[llongori]

On 8/23/2018 at 9:47 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I really enjoyed this show when it first came on, but the later seasons are just over the top with their fake drama.  

I agree.  This season, the hubs and I have noticed too much talking and not enough work.  And not enough Casey & Katrina.

[CruiseDiva]

On 8/23/2018 at 10:47 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I really enjoyed this show when it first came on, but the later seasons are just over the top with their fake drama.  

I enjoy the show, especially when the house is built in a permanent location that includes the land. I wonder, though, how many houses in that area of Texas really need a "guest" house and why a guest house needs a full kitchen and a washer and dryer. That just seems odd to me.

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is the people who buy the 'guest houses' and have a lot of land, are buying housing for their employees.    Or else they want to get their older parents, or their older kids out of the house.    

[chessiegal]

I wonder if some folks are using them as rental properties.

[Suzysite]

I used to enjoy this show but it is lately driving me nuts.  As others have said why pay big money for granite and high-end tile when there is no dishwasher.  There is also no garage.  No paved sidewalk or driveway, either.  Those gravel walkways look good for about a season and then they sink into the mud.   No basement or real foundation, either.  Isn't Texas tornado country?    I wonder how many buyers get caught up in the shiny tile and auction frenzy only to realize what they've gotten stuck with later on? 

And as for the "guest houses".... incredibly ridiculous.   Give me a garage for the money, instead.   And how about some storage?  Where are these buyers going to put their seasonal decor?    I'm really close to unfriending this all-sizzle-and-no-steak show.  

[femmefan1946]

On 6/3/2018 at 2:50 PM, friendperidot said:

.... but I'm confused about a lot on this show. A house somewhere in the Ft. Worth area has to be moved for some reason. This group of people and probably some others stand outside of it and look, then the auctioneer comes and auctions off the house. ...After purchase, they go inside and see what they bought. The house then is moved to the "renovation lot?" I never heard of a renovation lot before. I'm guessing the remodelers have to pay some fees for space and power. Then after they spend a boatload of money to fix up the house, including paint/paper/decorating, then there is an open house, then the same auctioneer comes back and discusses how much money they need, then they go outside and auction it off. ...Then I guess the new owner has to arrange to have the whole house moved to a new piece of property. Several things confuse me. ... They are always so excited about the decor of their new home. ... So people just buy an already decorated home?... But with moving houses, I know there are restrictions about lengths, widths, weights, ... And is moving houses a really big industry? 

...I have heard stories of historic and old houses being moved to new lots to preserve them. But this whole, moving these little houses, then restoring them, then moving them again just seems odd. I think one move is hard enough on an old house, just seems more practical to move to the final lot before restoring. But, what do I know?

I'm in Victoria BC and moving houses is a big deal here.

A lot of older houses ("century houses") are  purchased here then floated across the Salish Sea to Washington State and set up there.
The lowest price for a house and lot in my neighbourhood in the past year was $950,000. And the house was moved before a new one was built.
Selling and moving the house slightly decreases the cost of the new place.

When I say a lot, I mean about 10 a year from a municipality of about 9,000, but in a greater city of about 750,000.

There were three houses moved up island from a property a block down the street from me, and another (slum) house and a rundown commercial property demolished to build a new four story/ 30 apartment condo. The smallest studio condos were presold for $650K but I don't know what the three bedroom penthouses went for.

https://abstractdevelopments.com/developments/bowker-collection/

Two blocks away a small '30s cottage was demolished after selling in the million dollar range. There is a handsome West Coast Modern house going up now.

So yes, depending on the area house building is a big business.

Selling an existing house can reduce the cost of the new build.

I don't know about renovations, but there are lots where houses are kept until they are resold.

The thing that bothers me is the renovation. Most of the houses here are sold either from the original site or from the parking site. The new owner then deals with foundations and renovations himself.

Edited April 18, 2019 by femmefan1946
clarification

[Jeeves]

For quite awhile now, this show has been my Friday night habit on those weeks when I've worked and am just too pooped to do more than flop down on the sofa. 

I get tired of the fake drah-mah and I could use less of the Snow Sisters in the mix. But generally it's acceptable low-key TV fare. The accents are familiar to me, the houses are relatable, the people are pleasant, and none of them are Chip, Joanna, Tarek, or Christina. (I loathed the Slays, but they were dumped a few seasons ago. Hated them. Hated their red and black interiors.)

One thing, though, that's cracked me up recently since I started paying attention: the lack of screen doors. I grew up in Oklahoma and Texas. There are bugs there. Screen doors serve a purpose. So when I saw someone proudly install French doors on this show recently I had to laugh. Sure. You're going to have this big double-door opening into the house, with nothing to keep the bugs from flying in? In Texas. I'm dubious.

Does anyone who lives in Texas care to respond? Are there areas where it's really okay to just leave the doors open wide, with no screens, and not have bugs flying in?

[CruiseDiva]

I've followed this show for some time now and it's really changed. The teams are no longer "flipping" the houses, IMHO. The way they now  move them to a lot they "own" to renovate and sell is somewhat disingenuous. It seems to be a waste of money to buy a small house at auction, pay to move it, and then basically tear it down. It seems to me they would have a larger profit without the move since they aren't actually flipping the house they buy. The houses they buy at auction are essentially torn down and what they end up selling is a new build.

I really don't mind the revised format because it's still house porn and I like the teams, although the Hayhurst Bros are annoying and not particularly talented. However, it isn't the same premise as it started out.

Screen doors... my house in Georgia has French doors that led to a deck (now sunroom) and we put in storm/screen doors ourselves. We put them in on all the outside doors. Apparently they aren't something that builders install here in the south.

Edited August 26, 2019 by CruiseDiva

[sheetmoss]

Good point about screen doors - same for not having screened porches.

I used to like the show - then I noticed how dark the houses always are - where you're lucky if you get one kitchen window and it's hung pretty high at that.

One thing that always got to me is when the flip was being done  on the lot, they rarely included dishwashers.

Edited August 27, 2019 by sheetmoss

[mojito]

Quote

Does anyone who lives in Texas care to respond? Are there areas where it's really okay to just leave the doors open wide, with no screens, and not have bugs flying in?

Speaking only of the non-desert areas, screens are a necessity in Texas.