Flip or Flop

The amount of nastiness and hatred toward Tarek and Christina on this site is astonishing. As to predictions that they show won't be on long, it's not only been on since 2013, Christina and Tarek now each have separate shows on top of Flip or Flop.

I guess we just live in a world where people need to focus their hostility on something. Let's see - I've read they always make money. So in other words, you've watched what - one show? They have lost money, they have gotten no offers by the time the show ends, they've had no one show up at an open house.

Also what makes any of you think these people do one flip at a time? They have as many as ten going at a time. Despite what you might think, they do know what they're doing.

I've read the prices they buy these flips for are exorbitant. This is southern California - of course the prices are ridiculous! And I've read that they do no sweat equity themselves. Again, you've only watched one episode. They certainly do.

On a show like this, the "surprises" etc. that are shown on a property - they certainly know about them before the cameras start rolling, otherwise, there would be no show. And yes, they go over budget - on the particular flips they show. Again, no drama without it. They have made a ton of money.

I happen to think Christina is a good designer. I love people saying she isn't one. Then how are the houses getting done? And how is she doing designing on a second show?

Not successful? Live in a tract home? Uh, no, they don't. They run a huge business, have a large home which has been shown, and they make a lot of money.

I had a friend on one of these shows - it went pretty well like you see on TV but full price was not paid for the products purchased. That's to the person who complained about them getting things cheaply. These home shows do.

Once they divorced, the hatred toward this couple doubled, intimating that Tarek should check the paternity of their second child. That is disgusting, especially considering she had to have in vitro fertilization.

I watch these shows to see the finished product - I like looking at something that looks great coming from nothing. I don't watch them so I can trash the people doing them and call them con artists. Look up their business on google, and you'll see they're hardly that. They're also hugely popular.

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.

I've watched this show for years and it was time for it to end! Christine was always such a downer. Especially after their divorce. She still wanted to do 'married' things like snide comments about Tarek's looks and pranking him. But it just wasn't cool anymore. And every house she would whine "worst house ever" or "this smells". Excuse me, isn't that the name of the flipping game? To find the worst house on the block, make it the best and make a big payday? All that being said, I would like to see Tarek doing a similar show on his on. Because his new show kind of sucks.

Tarek getting upset when the contractor tells him the galvanized pipes are clogged. First of all any Flip that you expect to get 400,000 or better should get new plumbing when there are cheap galvanized pipes used. How can he look upset really pisses me off when if he was a reputable builder he would change out all those pipes as a matter of practice. Also the electrical panels same thing when they encounter crap. Yet he always has to appear coming to the conclusion to replace kicking and screaming about his budget. And reputable. So if you want to educate people in renovations at least present a proper way to do it.

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.