Flip or Flop

I love watching DIY and renovation shows to see before and after results. This show isn't bad. I understand some of the fake drama that is added to gain interest in viewers. I don't believe the auctions. It seems very staged by not so experienced actors. I have to say though, the thing that irritates me the most about this show is Christina. She has the personality of a zombie. When she is talking to the camera, it's very monotone and very valley girl like. For goodness sake, please pronounce your G's! Also, why on earth would you wear high heels and makeup to a demolition? The amount of mascara makes me cringe every time. As a couple, Tarak and Christina seem very unemotional. There is no arguments, no tears, no raising voices, no hugging, no nothing. Flipping houses would be an emotional roller coaster! There is ZERO emotion in this show! It's all about the money. Oh and please stop whining about how much something costs when you drive around in your multiple luxury automobiles. I'm all about being able to reap the benefits of one's own work but don't complain about a few thousand more spent on a flip when it's evident that it's a drop in the bucket for you. Enough of the fake drama! Give us the raw drama! Give us some emotion people! Please Christina, for goodness sake stop talking like Kim Kardashian and pronounce those G's!

The best things about Tarek and Christina are that they are level-headed and realistic. You don't see them blowing up at their contractors, or overspending on their flips. They spend realistic amounts of money on their properties and renovations, and they encounter realistic problems. Unlike other shows, like Flipping Vegas, problems don't seem staged. And I love the fact that the show is only 30 minutes; one hour can be overkill for these types of shows. Other reviewers have said that the characters are "bland" but I disagree. I would rather that they be themselves rather than over-act for the camera. And I don't mind Christina's SoCal accent; she's nice to look at and she has a good head on her shoulders. Over all, Flip or Flop is an entertaining and efficient home renovation show.

In the same way video shot containing failed offers and lost auctions would be edited out of the show, the show would gravitate towards footage containing the more complex and challenging flips because that will naturally bring more interesting content. When flipping houses, complexity and challenges usually result in a higher cost of repair so that should mean the net profit should be lower than one of their uneventful and unaired typical flips.

But this is not what we see. Instead, in usual reality TV flipping drama, we have Ken and Barbie fretting about losing money only for the final minute to show they actually made $50-$100K. Every time. This simply cannot be true and here is why:

In a number of shows they have mentioned that they have a number of other flips in progress simultaneously. The ones we see usually take 4-8 weeks to complete and net around $50-$100K. Also in a number of shows they try to make it sound as if they are stretched thin, borrow money from relatives, and act as if one unprofitable flip will force them into poverty. The only way this could be true is if they either lose money on houses we do not see or make a minimal amount on a typical flip. At any rate, I want to see that. I want to see why a house failed to flip profitably! I think that would be extremely educational and be a far more interesting show than one where we already know the ending!

It's like watching an episode of Gilligan's Island where they have a chance on getting rescued. C'mon, even if the show was airing new you know they aren't getting rescued.

I'm not some airhead socialist condemning someone their right to earn their profit, but I do want to see the truth in now successful these flips really are so that the faux financial drama that is put into the show at least feels real. The show where they asked Barbie's father for a $15,000 loan and then cut to break as we sat on the edge of our seats waiting to find how what happened is a bit much.

OK, I'm not from SoCal so Christina's SoCal accent is pretty annoying. She swallows her vowels and talks like a ditsy "Valley Girl". They both sound like they are reading from a script or from cue cards. She is constantly playing with her hair and walks like she is modeling for a magazine or video.

With that said, the issues they run into are very real. The costs to fix the issues seem right on. Somehow, though, they always make a profit on this and always win the auctions. That isn't real.

Aren't we watching this show to experience the ups and downs of flipping houses? Shouldn't there be more drama? They get along well which is nice but it always turns out OK. Life never turns out OK all the time.

I enjoy watching this show but mainly because I live in Southern California where all these flips are being done so it appeals to me since it's close to home. I do agree with others that Christina's Valley Girl way of talking is incredibly annoying and I wish someone would encourage her to change it, if only for her daughter's sake. From what I can see on the show, she and Tarek are decent people, trying to earn a good living for their little girl and their relationship seems easy and comfortable. I'm glad that this couple get along rather than bicker and roll their eyes at each other on camera. They may seem fake to viewers but I think they're just being themselves and I like that they don't put on a big show. The formula is good in that respect. I don't like seeing them drive around in their status- symbol Escalade and I do get tired of how much make-up she wears. She's young and doesn't need it! Anyway, I think the renovations they make re very fun to watch but I doubt they're getting them done for the amounts they state, unless they receive deep discounts from the network or the sponsors. The most interesting thing about the show to me is seeing them fix up dilapidated houses in bad areas high in crime that sell for $400,000! That's the essence of SoCal! Most of the houses on this show are ridiculously overpriced and even renovated aren't worth half of what they sell for because the cities and neighborhoods are terrible places to live and usually only a few blocks away from gang lands.