Brother Vs. Brother - General Discussion

[topanga]

On 6/29/2017 at 10:44 AM, Kohola3 said:

I was really surprised that Jonathon won. I thought the additional bedrooms would be a great addition and I liked the designs much better.  I agree with MaKaM about putting beds in front of windows.  And that stupid toilet?  What a total waste of money.

Totally agree. I wish the judges would explain more why they picked Jonathan's house. Yes, his bedrooms had a few fancier touches--like the painted ceiling and the interesting lights, but Drew's rooms were beautiful. And he added two bedrooms. I would certainly prefer to live in--or even rent-- Drew's house

One question about the floating toilet--is there still a tank and is it below the toilet bowl? I couldn't understand how you would service that toilet if was installed into a wooden wall with no access panel. 

[netlyon2]

@topanga, I think the tank was in the wall, which is why Jonathan had to re-frame the area. I assume the studs were too close together or something.  I had the same thought regarding how you would service an applicance that is concealed behind the drywall or paneling.  I figure that the little lighted panel was the mechanism for flushing, but it seems too small to give any access to the apparatus behind the wall.  Then again, what do I know about fancy toilets? (Well, I do know that it was weird that he didn't install it in the master bath if it was so great.  I'm too lazy to go back and look, but I'm fairly certain that the oh-so-awesome floating commode was the only one in the house.)

Count me among those who would have given Drew the win.  I think that whole "judge based on whatever criteria you want" thing is leading to some pretty uneven judging.  It make sense, though, if they'd like to maintain some suspense and keep one brother from running away with the whole thing.  In terms of resale value, I still think Drew's adding two bedrooms is a slam dunk.  That's provided, of course, the right buyer appears in whatever time frame they have set, since the win is based upon an actual sale instead of an appraisal.

[Kohola3]

7 hours ago, netlyon2 said:

I think that whole "judge based on whatever criteria you want" thing is leading to some pretty uneven judging.

Definitely.  The female judge even said that she could "see herself" (damn. I am so sick of that phrase) at Jonathon's place with a bunch of her single lady friends or something to that effect.  If it had been Chip and Joanna Gaines I'm sure they'd have gone for Drew's extra space.

[ByaNose]

I was shocked that they didn't paint or reside the houses. Maybe, I missed it?

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, ByaNose said:

I was shocked that they didn't paint or reside the houses. Maybe, I missed it?

There is still one remaining episode.  I think they do the exterior in that one.

[suebee12]

Guess no one really cared who won this year! All I know is that I didn't really like either house to use as a  beach house! Way too fancy for me. The only way I would have either one is if someone gave it to me with the taxes paid for the next few years! I've said it before, I want comfort in a beach house(and I would prefer a small beach cottage any day! Who wants to clean up a place if you are supposed to be having fun at the beach? When  they were finished, both houses looked great and I can see why someone(an investor) would want the five bedroom place. That would be great if friends were sharing the house which is probably the only way someone could afford it. All in all, I didn't think this was as fun a challenge as their previous ones.  Guess there is always next year!

[Kohola3]

I did prefer Drew's but didn't like either as a weekend vacation place.  WAY too much cleaning - it would take hours to dust all of those geegaws. And where do you stash all of that outdoor stuff in a hurricane?  

I always wonder in bidding wars where things sell way over list price if that's because of bragging rights (I bought a place As Seen on TV) and the fact you can feel confident things were done correctly since zillions of people were watching the build.  Or are places in Galveston that pricey?

[topanga]

4 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I did prefer Drew's but didn't like either as a weekend vacation place.  WAY too much cleaning - it would take hours to dust all of those geegaws. And where do you stash all of that outdoor stuff in a hurricane?  

I always wonder in bidding wars where things sell way over list price if that's because of bragging rights (I bought a place As Seen on TV) and the fact you can feel confident things were done correctly since zillions of people were watching the build.  Or are places in Galveston that pricey?

I also liked Drew's because it was simple but classy AF. Jonathan's seemed like the party house that college friends would rent for the week--though I have no idea how they'd afford it. I did like Jonathan' garage doors better. And his renovations were more frugal. Although Drew go hit with some huge structural costs he wasn't expecting--at least he pretended he was surprised about them .

But both houses seemed so cluttered. Especially the decks. And I see what you mean about needing lots of cleaning. 

On one site I checked, most Galveston waterfront houses go anywhere from 200K-500K. And those were all 2-3 bedrooms. I can see why Drew's 5-bedroom home sold for a higher price than Jonathan's. I also saw some 2-3 million dollar homes. I can't imagine paying that much for a vacation home. But if you've got the money--more power to you. 

[Destiny74]

I just didn't understand with all the other outdoor seating they had both given already, why they both felt the need to put yet another seating area outside.  Seemed like a waste.  I mean Jonathan had the deck, the margarita bar and now another small seating area in the front?  I would have walled that area in and made storage, somewhere to put all the furniture when the season was over, or when a storms a comin', but that's just me.  Drew too.  That paved seating would've been the first thing to go if I needed $ for siding.

Drew?  Did you not think you would have to replace that siding?  I could see from the video that it was worn out.  That would've been the first thing I had budgeted for, new siding.  Not to mention to upgrade it to a siding that wouldn't weather so terribly.  Do they not get home inspections before they buy?  

Why has Drew kept his Canadian affectations on words but Jonathan seems to not have?  Composite and electric were just two I noticed this episode.  And his insistence on pronouncing composite his way when both his contractors corrected him was kinda funny.

Jonathan said he had lots of outdoor seating for people but only had two bedrooms.  I can't imagine why.  If you are using this as a rental, those renters I aren't likely going to invite a bunch of local over for a party.  They need more beds, not necessarily more seats.  This is another reason I liked Drew's better.  One could rent that home for a small family reunion or multiple family vacation.  

I thought Jonathan had this one easily due to Drew's crazy budget.  I never thought Drew'd make such a bundle.  Congrats to him.  I liked his house better and I am glad he won.

[ByaNose]

Both places looked nice but way too fancy for me to rent. At most, you're there 2 weeks. If you have money & a large group maybe a month or more. I think these places were designed for the owner in mind and not a renter. I'm not a bay person. If this had been beach front I'd be all over it. That said, the prices would have been $900,000 and up to the millions. That's way out of me league. 

[NYGirl]

I always prefer Drew's taste to Jonathan's.  I think it was last year when he definitely should have won.  I'm not crazy about Jonathan's color choices usually.

I was really happy that Drew finally got a win.

[Kohola3]

Quote

I just didn't understand with all the other outdoor seating they had both given already, why they both felt the need to put yet another seating area outside. 

Plus isn't it usually hot and steamy there in the summer?  I just checked the weather and it's 89 with an heat index of 100.  How long do you think people will be able to sit outside without getting heat stroke?  I know they sometimes get onshore breezes but these places were on dirty looking canals.

[suebee12]

Am I the only person watching? I was actually amazed with the SF houses last night! I was team Drew all the way and that is really unusual for me but darn if that isn't a beautiful room! It was great seeing Scott again...I have missed him a bunch. One thing...it sure is a shame that Karen from Good Bones wasn't a judge! Jonathan would have won hands down for his "living wall". It was beautiful but I wonder how it would look down the road if whoever buys it has the same "black thumb" I do? I can kill even the easiest to keep plant!

[LoveIsJoy]

I'm still watching too.  I mostly FF through the bits with the twins joking around with the brother or anything that looks goofy, and just watch the parts of the rooms being transformed.  Then I skip the judge coming to joke around with the twins, FF again to the reveals, and turn it off immediately--right before whatever stupid bet they have is shown.  I, too, thought Drew's room was the clear winner.  I really like Scott McGilvrey, but even he couldn't make me watch another moment of joking with the Property Brothers.  So I got through the show pretty quickly.  

I didn't like the plant wall at all, but I think it was maintenance free (unless it gets all dusty, I suppose).  I think I remember there being a note onscreen that said the sap of the plants were removed and replaced with glycerin, making them maintenance-free.  So, it would actually work for people with "black thumbs" hee.   I just thought that since it wasn't completely green, it may dictate your color scheme.  I would have taken it down as soon as I bought the place and replaced it with some nice artwork.

Edited May 26, 2018 by LoveIsJoy
Because commas have a proper place.

[suebee12]

6 hours ago, LoveIsJoy said:

I mostly FF through the bits with the twins joking around with the brother or anything that looks goofy, and just watch the parts of the rooms being transformed.

I am usually sewing when I watch and forget it is recorded and that I can FF it! Since this is the only Brother's show I watch anymore, it isn't too bad plus I really like JD better than the twins! When I saw that they were going to be in SF, I didn't know what to expect because of how high the prices are out there plus if they were going to do a Victorian, I didn't want to watch them "destroy" it!

 

6 hours ago, LoveIsJoy said:

I didn't like the plant wall at all, but I think it was maintenance free (unless it get's all dusty, I suppose)

I hadn't thought of that and I bet it would get really dusty...a picture would be much better. The one thing I know I would change in Drew's room was the picture over the fireplace...don't need a steer in my living room!

*****Edited to add link to photos of the houses**** WARNING they don't tell who wins but all of the rooms are shown in photos!

https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Peek-inside-the-East-Bay-homes-featured-on-12935317.php#photo-15602937

Edited May 26, 2018 by suebee12

[ByaNose]

I just watched. I also ff a lot because the Brothers are annoying. Does everything have to be a big joke? Jeez! I agreed with Scott and thought Drew had the better design and layout. Removing the rock wall fireplace was a big plus. Jonathan’s room was too modern and limited. I need a mantle for my fireplace and the living wall looks like it would get dusty or just plain die. LOL!!!!! I’ll watch the show as usual but I’ll be doing a lot of ff. I’m sure each house ? ?  will go for a million since it’s close and/or near San Francisco. 

[MVFrostsMyPie]

I don’t usually watch BvB but did this time because it was local and I couldn’t help but laugh when they said they wanted to find houses in SF for $500K. Cut to me laughing even harder when they were like, “well, we found our houses almost an hour away from the city”. 

One of the houses was trying to appeal the “hip” buyers? Young hip buyers aren’t going to be moving to Pinole or El Sobrante....

[ByaNose]

I guess I'm the only watching. LOL!!! Anyway, the brothers redid the kitchens. They both did major improvements with their spaces. I couldn't tell you which one won. I still get them confused. Also, their brotherly banter is annoying.

[suebee12]

2 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I guess I'm the only watching. LOL!!!

No, I am watching also. Since I do craft projects or sew while watching, the dumb stuff is just ignored by me! Drew's kitchen won and he deserved it. It was a gorgeous kitchen. Jonathan "knew" he was going to win because of his view out the kitchen window but that is about all his kitchen had to offer. So far, Drew is miles ahead of Jonathan and I am usually a fan of Jonathan. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the reno goes...I am officially for team Drew!

[JasmineFlower]

Jonathan's kitchen won, not Drew's. The one in the house with the view and the modern appeal for the hip eco home buyer. Drew lost this one. I wasn't surprised by the win really because I've watched the Ford's show a few times, and I felt like the black cabinet, sleek looking kitchen was more their speed. They almost had me thinking they'd go with Drew, because they were really fawning over it, but alas, they went with Jonathan's.

However, I'm not sure this was the fairest of competitions for the show. I think Jonathan should've been forced to not show the Fords the bathroom. It gave him an unfair advantage to me, and this is a kitchen/dining room challenge, not a bathroom challenge. Don't think it should be a factor now, but great to take into account during a bathroom challenge and overall for the final competition. And they seemed to really like the modern design in the bathroom, so it felt like it was a factor.

[MsTree]

Also watching. I think Jonathan was allowed to show off his bathroom because that space was part of the original kitchen.

Supposedly, it shows how he was able to get additional space out of the original kitchen for a half bath and still produce/construct a great kitchen.

[Destiny74]

Watching here also.  Thank goodness you all are here.

I am usually team Drew because I prefer his designs to Jonathan's.  I don't get all excited about the trendy things.  I'd rather have a space that I can relax in and that modern furniture Jonathan uses just doesn't seem cozy at all.  I hated the idea of the living wall, black thumb here.  Not to mention it pigeon-holes the color pink into the room and since it is techinally living, I would have a hard time dumping it.  Regarding this week, I'd rather have a desk area and more counter space than a bar with a sink.  It would be totally wasted on my family.  Then again, I don't think the PBs are designing for someone like me.

I get that they are the property Bros and they need a schtick each season but no one, I repeat NO ONE,  should buy a house sight unseen and only from the listing.  The plumbing problems we're ridiculous.  That's why you get a home inspection, so at least you know those issues may pop up.  I can't imagine them making too much money off these flips.  

[Whimsy]

I noticed you all discussing the newest season in Small Talk so I'm making this thread and moving your posts over.  Your posts will show up above mine. 

[lynxfx]

Can't say I was impressed with either master bedroom. The blue tile was cool with a unique pattern but everything else seemed pretty basic. Seemed like most of the cost and changes were just making a more functional layout for both homes.

[netlyon2]

On 6/5/2018 at 11:39 PM, Destiny74 said:

Watching here also.  Thank goodness you all are here.

I am usually team Drew because I prefer his designs to Jonathan's.  I don't get all excited about the trendy things.  I'd rather have a space that I can relax in and that modern furniture Jonathan uses just doesn't seem cozy at all.  I hated the idea of the living wall, black thumb here.  Not to mention it pigeon-holes the color pink into the room and since it is techinally living, I would have a hard time dumping it.  Regarding this week, I'd rather have a desk area and more counter space than a bar with a sink.  It would be totally wasted on my family.  Then again, I don't think the PBs are designing for someone like me.

I get that they are the property Bros and they need a schtick each season but no one, I repeat NO ONE,  should buy a house sight unseen and only from the listing.  The plumbing problems we're ridiculous.  That's why you get a home inspection, so at least you know those issues may pop up.  I can't imagine them making too much money off these flips.  

I’m usually Team Drew as well, and for the same reason. I watched the first episode pretty soon after it aired and I’m pretty sure the caption said that the living wall cost $12,000. I still haven’t recovered. I get a bit angry every time they show Jonathan’s living room.

I found it interesting that there was some discussion of the view from Jonathan’s master, but almost no discussion of the fact that Drew’s was a walkout (except the switching out of the slider). If there’s a little patio or sitting area off of the master, it seems like that would be a selling point.

I only enjoy the Property Brothers shows without clients or other competitors (B vs. B, Drew’s Honeymoon House, etc.); I’m not quite sure why that is. Also, why is JD looking more and more like a member of Bon Jovi circa the early 90s?

If nothing else, this show is a great marketing tool for the channel’s whole lineup. For a while, I refused to watch Good Bones because of that annoying “Teamwork makes the dream work!” from the commercials. I started watching because I liked Mina and Karen on their episode of BvB last season, and now Good Bones is one of my faves. This week, Bristol and Aubrey seemed far more palatable than they were on that one episode of Flip or Flop LV that I tried to watch.

[irisheyes]

I knew Drew was going to win as soon as he put down that blue tile. Aubrey loves some crazy, bright tile!

[crazyirishlady]

Hated Drew’s master.  The blue tile, while trendy now, will become dated soon.  

[DVDFreaker]

I knew Andrew would win again tonight, he did an amazing job making it a studio apartment and I liked everything about it and as for Jonathan, I hated the weird thing on the wall in the bedroom but I really like the laundry room, that is really nice 

[sadtvjunkie]

Team Drew wins again. It's now 4-1. I guess I'm the only one watching now. Jonathan's house this episode was way more my style. 

[lynxfx]

Something about this season just isn't clicking for me. I guess I'm really just curious to see what the final result is and how much they sell for. Seems like both have gone over budget every challenge but these are some pretty big homes with a lot of extra rooms being added/reconfigured. 

[suebee12]

5 hours ago, sadtvjunkie said:

Team Drew wins again. It's now 4-1. I guess I'm the only one watching now. Jonathan's house this episode was way more my style. 

No, there are a few of us left but we are posting under the Thread: Season Six, All Episode Talk. Originally there were two different threads but a moderator blended them so there was only one place to post!!!

[Destiny74]

I think they are just spending souch money this season, I can't see either brother making any money in the end.  But, then again, it is amazing what they ask Californians to pay for a house.  Ridiculous.

[irisheyes]

1 hour ago, Destiny74 said:

I think they are just spending souch money this season, I can't see either brother making any money in the end.  But, then again, it is amazing what they ask Californians to pay for a house.  Ridiculous.

I was thinking the same thing. They’re each spending close to a half million just in renovations!  

[Whimsy]

I feel it would've cost less if they had both tore down the houses completely and started over from scratch, but that's not their shtick so I guess that wouldn't have worked. I loved the guest bedroom with that window, though!  Amazing!!

[DVDFreaker]

Congratulations to Jonathan on winning the final, I think the nice view in the backyard made Jonathan win but I loved the hot tub and fire pit in Andrew’s backyard though! 

Edited June 28, 2018 by DVDFreaker

[lynxfx]

This just doesn't make much sense. Two homes with half a million in renovations and the most they could muster is $6k and $14k in profits? At that price point it means there was no profit as that amount would be lost to fees and commissions. It was also strange that they both only got exactly what they were asking for, which again left them with those tiny profits, especially for Drew. They did some major overhauls of those places and were constantly stating "this will add value" when it really looks like it just adds what it cost to do. So in that respect I'm pretty disappointed with this season. 

I did like the home's outcome. Jonathan's ended up pretty cool, although maybe 2 too many feature walls. He did have the better location.

[Whimsy]

1 hour ago, lynxfx said:

This just doesn't make much sense. Two homes with half a million in renovations and the most they could muster is $6k and $14k in profits? At that price point it means there was no profit as that amount would be lost to fees and commissions. It was also strange that they both only got exactly what they were asking for, which again left them with those tiny profits, especially for Drew. They did some major overhauls of those places and were constantly stating "this will add value" when it really looks like it just adds what it cost to do. So in that respect I'm pretty disappointed with this season. 

I did like the home's outcome. Jonathan's ended up pretty cool, although maybe 2 too many feature walls. He did have the better location.

I agree.  Those are not profits in any way when it comes to flipping houses.  This was the biggest vanity project of all of their bvb shows.  I also am confused at only getting exactly what they said they were going to ask for.  I didn't really pay attention to the other houses in their neighborhoods, but maybe what they did with those houses is way out of sync with the rest of the houses in that area.  

I agree about too many wall features, but I think there were three too many.  I hate wall features.  Especially "living" ones.  

[DVDFreaker]

4 hours ago, lynxfx said:

This just doesn't make much sense. Two homes with half a million in renovations and the most they could muster is $6k and $14k in profits? At that price point it means there was no profit as that amount would be lost to fees and commissions. It was also strange that they both only got exactly what they were asking for, which again left them with those tiny profits, especially for Drew. They did some major overhauls of those places and were constantly stating "this will add value" when it really looks like it just adds what it cost to do. So in that respect I'm pretty disappointed with this season. 

I did like the home's outcome. Jonathan's ended up pretty cool, although maybe 2 too many feature walls. He did have the better location.

The outside of Jonathan's house is pretty nice but the inside, I was not too impressed, he just ruined walls with that ugly moss, ugly flower thing, and ugly yellow arrow paint but I did like the kitchen and laundry room, I prefer Andrew's house which is much nicer even with a tiny backyard

Edited June 28, 2018 by DVDFreaker

[JasmineFlower]

I was Team Drew this year. I loved the outside of Jonathan's, but wasn't a huge fan of the interior. I didn't hate the interior, but things like the living wall, were very meh for me. I would've been fine with Drew sweeping the challenges. But I'm not surprised Jonathan won, thought it was the likely outcome given how things were going this season.

However, I think Jonathan's buyer is very likely to have buyer's remorse unless I'm missing something major. I could see someone falling in love on the spot and not thinking it completely through, especially if one of the reasons you buy it is for the space. His house has a bedroom that is as impractical as they come. There is a bedroom with massive elevated ceilings and the windows, while amazing, seem to mean you have guests or kids sleeping with about as much exposure as I've ever seen in a bedroom and still be indoors. How that's a usable bedroom, I don't know. I've looked at it many times now and I don't see how you can get away with regular window coverings, the slant and the sunken space for the set of the windows are suggestive of that not being an option. I think they have to be custom and that's going to easily cost well over $20k (and I think I'm lowballing based on what older design shows used to mention as prices for custom curtains) just get some privacy on the bottom two rows. It looks amazing on the outside, it creates a great effect inside, I just think I've rarely seen such an impractical bedroom. I'd get it way more if they set it up as a den or something, I'd still think it's problematic, but not nearly as much.

I don't get the profit margins either, that's a lot of fanfare for less than $15k in profit for either home.  Any of the flip shows would put up a loser sign on that kind of margin, it wouldn't even cover closing costs. I think going forward the planned threshold needs to be over $50k at least, $100k would be better. All the buildup of the season is worthy of more than $14k as the winning profit.

 

FWIW, I don't recall the exact communities from the beginning that each house was in, but I know the Bay Area (I'm from there originally) and they mentioned both in that first episode, and it was Drew who had the better location, not Jonathan. Jonathan just has the better piece of property, but Drew is in what would be considered a more desirable community.

[LizDC]

17 hours ago, DVDFreaker said:

I prefer Andrew's house which is much nicer even with a tiny backyard

You mean Drew’s house, right?

 

12 hours ago, JasmineFlower said:

don't get the profit margins either, that's a lot of fanfare for less than $15k in profit for either home.  Any of the flip shows would put up a loser sign on that kind of margin, it wouldn't even cover closing costs. I think going forward the planned threshold needs to be over $50k at least, $100k would be better. All the buildup of the season is worthy of more than $14k as the winning profit.

The profits did seem a little paltry - $20,000 total for charity. But I think all the furnishings from Wayfair end up getting donated to Habitat for Humanity Restore. At least they did in one of their seasons.

[suebee12]

36 minutes ago, LizDC said:

The profits did seem a little paltry - $20,000 total for charity. But I think all the furnishings from Wayfair end up getting donated to Habitat for Humanity Restore. At least they did in one of their seasons.

According to an article I found when the season started https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Peek-inside-the-East-Bay-homes-featured-on-12935317.php#photo-15602937, here is what I found:

The two homes were put on the market following the renovations, with proceeds going to charity. Already, a sale is pending for the home in Pinole at the price of $999,000, according to its Realtor.com listing, but the El Sobrante property is available and listed at $948,000. (Furniture and decor could be included, depending on whether the buyer is interested and the price is right — otherwise it will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, Crowell said.) Click through the slideshow above to see photos of the two homes, and interested buyers can arrange a viewing through the website, JonathanVsDrew.com.

 

I am usually a Jonathan fan, but not this year. I know his house was eco-friendly, but I found it uncomfortable looking. From the walls, to the rooms themselves. And yes, it had a beautiful view, but also would entail lots of work to keep the backyard looking good. All in all, not the best Brother Vs Brother.

[aguabella]

Sorry for the late post ...

Not a PB fan - stopped watching it (too rote, for me) after the first few seasons.  Have watched the last few BvB seasons, i.e. each season w/o the add'l participants / teams.

Anyhoo, I don't take the "profit" figures, seriously.  Sure, I hope the charities receive something.  Just saying that I evaluate these places as demonstration homes, similar to the annual HGTV Dream Home or Smart Home.

I suspect they sell at (whatever) price b/c of the HGTV cachet / connection, i.e. not the home's actual market value.  Unfortunately for the buyers, that will wear off over some period of time and/or a few sales.

Given that, whoever "wins", uh, whatever ... meaningless, to me.  But, it's still fun to view the renovations.  Annoying (the brothers, sorry) but fun.

P.S.  Speaking of the brothers, anyone else believe the camera shots / cuts were extremely quick this season, i.e. faster than previous seasons?  You're listening to Drew, remembering that home and then, oops, Jonathan's on the screen!

[aguabella]

About home inspections and the brothers' comment about "buying homes sight unseen".  They use advance teams so sure, they might not have walked the property but their people probably did.  And, they would have (or could have) had an inspection.  Assuming they purchased them "as-is", that doesn't prohibit home inspections.  It simply means the seller, usually a bank, won't pay for any work unless statutorily required, e.g. some types of termite work in CA.  Unfortunately, many professionals don't understand that.  So, if they passed on an inspection, it's on them.

About that profit factor, almost always, buyers make money on a property when they buy, not sell.  Just my opinion but it felt as if Jonathan won the competition, artificial as it is, when he paid less for his property, even though he probably overpaid.  (IIRC, they spent roughly the same amount on their renos.)

Location, location, location.  Uh, sorry, more of my opinion but have worked in the Bay Area many times.  El Sobrante might have a higher average market value but it borders both a very nice area and a troubled area.  Uh, yeah, Jonathan bought on the wrong side of the tracks, if you ask me.  Also, it appeared the Pinole home had slightly better freeway access, according to the map.  (They're about 10-15 minutes apart.)

About location, however, their advance teams might have made even a bigger error for both of them.  Realtors are extremely territorial.  Both Pinole and El Sobrante reside in different realtor associations than Oakland.  If I read the articles correctly, they had an Oakland realtor search for 500K f/c properties for them.  Always better to work with local realtors, in my experience.  ?? perhaps they might have scored better properties.

I know, guys.  It's 20/20 hindsight and woulda', coulda', shoulda', lol!

[aguabella]

Ok, show of hands, who wants to stay in Jonathan's guest room?  With the tall bank of windows directly facing the street?  Don't forget to pack your robe and maybe even an eye mask, lol.  That light will wake anyone up.

Window treatments can be expensive.  Besides the light factor, they enclose rooms, making them look and feel much smaller.  For those reasons, builders never bother with them.

The room had a light, almost ethereal quality, to me.  To get something up, I'd purchase at least 3 or 4 sheer panels, hanging a rod from floor to ceiling, outside mount, both taller and wider than the window.  Would first try the 12 x 84" size. 

Given his decor, to go slightly funky, canvas / painting drop cloths could work.  With either choice, if DIY, s/b less than $100.

Eventually, inside mount, custom shades, would be terrific.  Given that the home's already over-improved ... don't know if it's worth the $$$.  If necessary, to enlarge the space at resale time, a future owner can yank the rod and panels down and putty / repair the wall, lol.

[DVDFreaker]

10 hours ago, LizDC said:

You mean Drew’s house, right?

Andrew is his real name and I do not like calling people by their nicknames

[MsTree]

4 hours ago, DVDFreaker said:

Andrew is his real name and I do not like calling people by their nicknames

But even Drew doesn't refer to himself by his "real name"... hence the question.

[suebee12]

7 hours ago, MsTree said:

But even Drew doesn't refer to himself by his "real name"

As an aside, did you know that Jonathan's "real" name is John Ian Scott? He adopted the name "Jonathan Silver" while in high school and uses it both as a stage name as well as in real life.

[DVDFreaker]

3 hours ago, suebee12 said:

As an aside, did you know that Jonathan's "real" name is John Ian Scott? He adopted the name "Jonathan Silver" while in high school and uses it both as a stage name as well as in real life.

I knew that but it is weird though, I just think stage names should be for strippers 

Edited June 30, 2018 by DVDFreaker

[MsTree]

13 hours ago, DVDFreaker said:

I knew that but it is weird though, I just think stage names should be for strippers 

That would be the majority of SAG actors, including but not limited to, John Wayne, Tony Curtis, etc. etc. ..and don't think they'd appreciate the stripper analogy.

[AnaRow]

Quote

I don't get the profit margins either, that's a lot of fanfare for less than $15k in profit for either home.  Any of the flip shows would put up a loser sign on that kind of margin, it wouldn't even cover closing costs. I think going forward the planned threshold needs to be over $50k at least, $100k would be better. All the buildup of the season is worthy of more than $14k as the winning profit.

Drew said in one episode that the market had softened and he’d be lucky to make any profit.  I’m guessing that they went in expecting much bigger profits but just got in at the wrong time.