<p>So why do you think there has been sort of a switch between the “decorate a room” shows and the “flip a house” shows???</p>
<p>And by the way since we are talking design, anyone watching Design Star???</p>
<p>I imagine mineral oil might be a good choice for rubbing on the scratch. I use food grade mineral oil for my cutting board and various wooden implements in the kitchen, and it always gives them a beautiful color after a few coats.</p>
<p>The vinegar might be there as a cleaner?</p>
<p>abasket, I’m watching Design Star.I’m not crazy about the designers this year but I’d have to say my favorites are Brooks and Tiffany. </p>
<p>Can’t stand Vern as a judge but I do like Genevieve Gorder and Sabrina Soto.</p>
<p>We had Brazilian Cherry. We were told to clean it only with water.</p>
<p>Someone upthread mentioned Flip or Flop. I enjoy the show because I love to see them take something awful and transform it, but I don’t like the couple at all. He doesn’t do anything useful other than worry about money, and she just seems to be a real Barbie doll. It’s their contractor who’s really improving the houses for them.</p>
<p>Patsmom, no one stands out yet for me either though I have a few I DON’T like! Not too good at anyone’s names yet!</p>
<p>VH</p>
<p>I agree that the contractors are the one who have made the transformation, however, the investor’s skin is on the line. Contractors, like employees, they make money without risk, the owner is the one who has to sweat out the results. To buy a house sight unseen is highly risky business and to put money on the line and renovate a house to appease buyers is also risky.</p>
<p>I saw Flip Flop last night for the first time. The appalling condition of the houses is spot on - that part is very realistic. Buying the houses sight unseen is also true. I’m pretty sure that the ‘auction bidding’ part of the show might have to be taped, although it is legal to video public auctions, no one can stop them. </p>
<p>I have been at several auctions where distraught homeowners come and cause a scene and start videoing the proceedings thinking that they will stop people from doing their business. The auctioneers have seen it all and they just keep going. The ‘big boys’ don’t even blink an eye and just keep bidding. By the time someone’s house is actually up for auction those homeowners have had literally years to try to rectify the situation. These days homeowners are filing a lot of last minute emergency bankruptcies.</p>
<p>This husband and wife team operate their business very different than I do. I am onsite every single day and I do all of the ‘running’ and purchasing of everything. I cannot afford a general contractor, I sub everything out and take all the risk. I think because they have a show they also are getting a lot more permits for work than I do. Also, they are understating their costs in the final accounting. There are a lot of purchase and sale transaction costs, real estate commissions and carrying costs that are not accurately portrayed. So when they show those profits, they aren’t truly accurate.</p>
<p>coralbrook, they themselves are real estate agents so they wouldn’t have any RE commissions to pay. However, I agree with you generally – there is electric, taxes, water, heating, and mortgage costs, if the house is financed. And if it isn’t financed, there’s the opportunity cost of losing other income on that money. Plus, they probably have to pay short-term gains on their “profit.”</p>
<p>But my biggest complaint about the show is the Barbie wife!</p>
<p>There is re commission, the selling commission, they do not have to pay the listing commission as they are brokers themselves, but it was factored in the “profit”.</p>
<p>The Barbie wife is important in the factor as the couple is a team, they both contributed to the cost of the project and the wife makes a lot of decisions of how the house should be renovated. I thought there was an episode that the wife went over her head to order the bearing wall be opened up to present the “open floor” concept. The house was in contract for 740 while the bank and the appraisal did not agree because the comps came at around 650, they had to eat the failure and paying 600/mo HOA fee on top of other carrying costs.</p>
<p>I haven’t been on a project where a young woman shows up immaculately dressed, in high heels, carrying a baby! That would be nuts, someone is going to hurt themselves :)</p>
<p>I can barely find time to take a shower, let alone get dressed nice when I am in the middle of a project. Unfortunately, construction workers want their materials on site before 7:30am, which means I am schlepping lumber at Home Depot by 7am every day. And, of course we can never figure out exactly what we will need until the day before, although there are some things where I can make a very large order and have it delivered (drywall, plaster, flooring). But there’s always an emergency… we need 6 more 2x4’s right NOW!</p>
<p>Looked at all your pix - before and after- Coralbrook. Impressive! Am contemplating buying and rehabbing my parents 60’s ranch…you give me hope :)</p>
<p>If money is no object, rehabbing and/or redecorating can be a ton of fun.</p>
<p>Of course, then there’s reality.</p>
<p>VeryHappy, I’m hoping to enlist your advice in Sept., when my son moves into his apartment.</p>
<p>Just saw an episode of “Flip the House” on A&E network. The CA guy put in almost $2M total, including a flop contractor took all his money and skip town, then he paid $$$ to another contractor to finish the project. But house could not even be sold for $1.1M and he lost the house to the bank. He ended up 15K from the bank for cash for keys.</p>
<p>Its not always rosy in flipping houses.</p>
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<p>During the housing down turn in the 2008-2012 time frame, ppl struggle to keep their house payments, so there is little demand on the “decoration” end.</p>
<p>toledo, I’m here for you and your son!!</p>
<p>OK, I just bought the worst possible home sold in my entire County, luckily in a great location. A hoarder has been living in it for 20 years with an absentee landlord that has never even replaced the carpet. Place just reeks of urine, grease, whatever. Have to tear all the drywall and ceilings out just to get rid of the stench.</p>
<p>But the reason I’m mention this is that I know some of you guys wanted to see a real true-life business flip from start to finish. I am willing to start a thread with links to Before and After with lovely anecdotes along the way, if anyone is interested.</p>
<p>P.S. there is a new TLC show called Flipping San Diego. They just filmed 2 blocks from this house I just bought. I know all the details and can tell you that they blatantly lied at the end of the show. </p>
<p>Show said they finished the project in 6 weeks which I never believe when anyone tries to tell you that. My research shows that they took 4 months to list the property after their purchase, so they either sat on the house paying carrying costs and hard money high interest for 2 1/2 months before starting, or it really took them 4 months to do the project.</p>
<p>Claimed they listed the house for $540,000 and took an all cash offer in two weeks for $535,000. Reality is that they listed way too high at $600,000 about 3 months ago and had to keep dropping their price to $550,000. They went into escrow for their $535k price about 70 days after listing.</p>
<p>Thank you provided some reality in the “reality show”. I bust my chops to finish my renovation in seven months, I cannot believe those “5 weeks” total renovation quotes. I especially think that “entire kitchen makeover” for few HOURS over dinner show is a fake. For one thing, no city inspectors will come out during the dinner time to sign off building permits.</p>
<p>Coral rock - please do start that thread!</p>
<p>Edited: coralbrook, not coral rock. Sorry! Damn that auto correct.</p>